Repentance. What is it? It's an excellent question, and a subject about which there is considerable misunderstanding. Some believe repentance is feeling sorry for what they've done wrong. And that is a fine thing, but it's not the same as repentance.
A 180-DEGREE TURN
A Hebrew word translated repent in the Old Testament is shuwb, meaning to turn. Changing our mind in repentance involves a turning. Moses told the Israelites, "When you turn [shuwb] to the Lord your God and obey His voice...He will not forsake you nor destroy you" (Deut. 4:30-31). The same word is used three times in Ezekiel 14:6, "Thus says the Lord God: ‘Repent [shuwb], turn away [shuwb] from your idols, and turn away [shuwb] your faces from all your abominations.'" It is for this kind of turning that Paul commends the Thessalonian believers: "You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (I Thess. 1:9).
A Hebrew word translated repent in the Old Testament is shuwb, meaning to turn. Changing our mind in repentance involves a turning. Moses told the Israelites, "When you turn [shuwb] to the Lord your God and obey His voice...He will not forsake you nor destroy you" (Deut. 4:30-31). The same word is used three times in Ezekiel 14:6, "Thus says the Lord God: ‘Repent [shuwb], turn away [shuwb] from your idols, and turn away [shuwb] your faces from all your abominations.'" It is for this kind of turning that Paul commends the Thessalonian believers: "You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (I Thess. 1:9).
A CHANGE OF MIND AFFECTING OUR LIVES
"Repentance," in the New Testament, is translated from the Greek word metanoeo, and means a change of mind. This does not simply a superficial change of some opinion we have–such as, "I've decided I prefer chocolate ice cream to vanilla ice cream." Repentance is a genuine change of attitudes and values that affects our lives in a significant way. Paul said he preached to the Gentiles, "that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20). It was expected that their repentance would fundamentally change the way they lived.
"Repentance," in the New Testament, is translated from the Greek word metanoeo, and means a change of mind. This does not simply a superficial change of some opinion we have–such as, "I've decided I prefer chocolate ice cream to vanilla ice cream." Repentance is a genuine change of attitudes and values that affects our lives in a significant way. Paul said he preached to the Gentiles, "that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20). It was expected that their repentance would fundamentally change the way they lived.
A RESTORED RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Biblical repentance always involves our relationships with the Lord. It involves seeing our sins as offenses against a holy God. In repentance, we change our minds about selves, our sins, and God. When we sin, we are actually rejecting God's rule over our lives and placing ourselves on the throne. We imply–whether or not we actually say it–that God is wrong, and we are right about how we should act. In repentance we change our minds about that false view of ourselves and our sins, and admit that God is right. That change of mind affects how we behave.
Biblical repentance always involves our relationships with the Lord. It involves seeing our sins as offenses against a holy God. In repentance, we change our minds about selves, our sins, and God. When we sin, we are actually rejecting God's rule over our lives and placing ourselves on the throne. We imply–whether or not we actually say it–that God is wrong, and we are right about how we should act. In repentance we change our minds about that false view of ourselves and our sins, and admit that God is right. That change of mind affects how we behave.
How have your attitudes, priorities and lifestyle changed during this Lenten season?
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