Repentance means turning away from sin, from everything our conscience tells us is wrong. It means means being so remorseful for having offended God that we turn away from sin in humility and disgust at how it has corrupted us. Repentance is a heartfelt desire to turn from all sin and not live in it anymore.

Repentance also involves turning from self to God, dedicating our life to him, surrendering our desires and ambitions to him, and seeking him with all our heart. We have to surrender our independence, lay down our rebellion, and submit ourselves to God’s righteous lordship over us.

Both Jesus and John the Baptist started their public ministries by proclaiming the same message of repentance:

[Matthew 3:2][Matthew 4:17] Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Repentance is the foundation of all true spiritual life. Faith without repentance is worthless. That’s why God first sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus by preaching repentance. John said:

[Matthew 3:7-11] Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. … Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Jesus preached repentance:

[Luke 5:32] I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Jesus also taught his disciples to preach repentance:

[Mark 6:12] The disciples went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

When told about two situations in which a group of people had died violently, Jesus used the opportunity to warn his hearers to repent:

[Luke 13:4-5] Do you think that they were worse offenders than others? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

The apostle Peter also preached repentance:

[Acts 3:19] Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.

[2 Peter 3:9] The Lord is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Have you truly repented?

Please understand that without true, remorseful repentance there will be no forgiveness.

Here is briefly what repentance involves:

Forgiving others is extremely important. Jesus said that if we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us either.

[Mark 11:25] Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

[Matthew 6:14-15] If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Certain sins, especially addictions, are more difficult to stop right away, but you must admit them as sins, hate them and make an honest effort to turn away from them. If God sees you are serious, he will give you the power to overcome and even supernaturally remove the desire.

Please understand that all sin comes down to the root of pride and lust. Understand that you are your worst enemy and that you need to be saved from yourself, from your own evil. Trying to stop sinning while clinging to your selfish desires and ambitions is just fighting the symptoms. God regards all desires and ambitions that are against his will as idols, and he hates idolatry.

Surrendering your desires and ambitions may seem hard, but it’s exactly these that make you frustrated and unfulfilled and keep you separated from God. If you surrender them, God will give you new desires that are aligned with his will. Loving and obeying God will be easy, and you will have true peace and joy in your heart, with a sense of fulfillment like you’ve never experienced before.

It is important to understand that God must be first in your life. You cannot have God on the side, while you go on with your own life. Anything you put before him is an idol. Yet for so many Christians God is just an afterthought.

Repentance changes the direction of our life. We make up our mind to stop moving away from God, turn around, and start walking toward him. We won’t become perfect overnight, but there will be a change in attitude and behavior. If we truly repented, we will draw closer to God and allow his Spirit to cleanse and sanctify us.

As we draw closer to God, he will make us aware of more and more things in our life that he is not pleased with. When he shows us a sin or a wrong attitude, he expects us to repent and change. God doesn’t show us all our sins the moment we decide to turn to him, because we would be overwhelmed. But he does require and expects us to forsake all the sins we are aware of.

God knows we will not achieve absolute perfection in this fallen world. Even the best Christians sometimes stumble and fall. However, God wants us to be honest with ourselves and with him. He wants a sincere and surrendered heart that is eager to please him and do the right thing, not looking for excuses to indulge in sin.

If we happen to fall into a sin, we must be quick to repent and continue our walk with him. We cannot stay in that sin, thinking that everything is well. If we cry out to him and ask for forgiveness, God will grant it to us immediately. He is a loving father, not a slave owner waiting for us to make a mistake so he can punish us. But he knows our hearts and we cannot play games with him.