“Oh, God, I cheated. I am so sorry. I really mean it this time. I am truly repentant.” “Oh, God, I lied. I am so sorry. I’ll try harder not to do that anymore. I am truly repentant.” “Oh, God, I just fell into the trap of pornography again. I am so, so sorry. I promise I’ll stop. I repent!”
Round and round we go on the merry-go-round of sin and confession. But it’s hard to keep saying we are sorry when our subsequent choices to sin again seemingly prove that we aren’t.
I’ve heard people express it this way: “I’m tired of saying I’m sorry over and over. I feel guilty and hypocritical.”
But sorrow and guilt aren’t the problem. Sin is! Instead of being tired of feeling bad, we should be tired of sin itself.
Repentance is not feeling bad about a sin and its consequences; that is merely an active conscience. Repentance means to “change the mind.” The Greek term for repentance implies a conversion—a complete turnaround in one’s thinking, commitments, and lifestyle.
Repentance is closely linked to another Greek term, metamorphosis—to transform. When one repents [a change in mind], transformation [a change in form] takes place (Romans 12:1-2).
Repentance is about something intrinsic to our inner character. Repentance changes what makes life meaningful and what we believe will truly satisfy us.
Repentance Is a Trust Issue
We struggle with temptation because we struggle with trusting God. Satan casts doubt on God’s Word and character, then tempts us with appealing lies and empty promises. And like Eve, when we question God’s love, our faith falters, and we bite.
The truth is that surrendering to sin feels easier than surrendering to God. In the moment of temptation, we think we’ll be satisfied if we just go ahead and sin, and deal with the effects later. Of course, the guilt we carry and the consequences we face are much worse than we expect.
No matter how many times we sin, the Bible calls us to repent—to be in the habit of repenting. Refusing to repent is a sign of arrogance, replacing God’s vision with our own self-centered dream. But that’s exactly why we’re all in this mess to begin with!
Repentance keeps our hearts humble and receptive to God’s work. It helps us see the world for what it is: to see our sinfulness and need of transformation; to appreciate what God is doing in and through us; to catch a glimpse of our destiny with God.
A humble, repentant heart gives us an accurate vision of life. Only then can we see that it’s possible and worth it to walk with God and become what He wants us to be. We want our minds changed so that God’s love, not the world, defines us.
When Paul wrestled with the dilemma of recurring sin in his life, he cried out, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” He then answered the question: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).
God has done His part to deal with this struggle. The reason we keep on repenting, even if we suspect we will sin again in the future, is because we want our hearts to be washed daily by Christ’s forgiveness. And we want God to continue His transforming work in us. In short, we keep on repenting because we are trusting that God Himself will conform us to the image of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).
This process requires persevering humility and faith. Just as it takes time for a coach to develop a raw recruit into a seasoned ball player, so we “press on” in a life of repentance, so that we can attain the prize God has promised in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-16).
Repentance is NOT . . .
. . . just confession — “Okay, it’s bad, and I did it.”
. . . just sorrow — “I’m sorry I did it.”
. . . just a feeling of guilt — “Oops, you caught me. I did it, and I feel guilty.”
. . . just a litany of words to get God off my back.
. . . just an escape from consequences.
For further study, see 2 Corinthians 7:10; Ezekiel 18:30-32; and Isaiah 55:7.
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Dr. Richard Fisher has served as a professor and regional director with Moody Bible Institute.
Thank you Dr. Fisher for this explanation of repentance, it’s a good read and I definitely needed to read it. I struggle with temptation at times and the quilt that follows. It seems as if I’m on a never ending roller coaster of emotions and the ride just continues on and on. Not to say I’ve not heard this before from the pastor at the church I attend but I view it like the term “easier said than done” I mean repentance seems to become mundane, routine and pointless at times knowing the chances of succumbing to temptation is more than likely to occur again and again. I do love God and want so much to be as close to the image of Jesus Christ as possible and I know humility, faith and submission of Gods word and work for me should be my focus but it’s just hard at times, most of the time. Thanks again for your efforts in writing this, it’s truly what I needed and trust it will help. Down on my knees to repent once again, God bless you…
Well I struggle with the same thing but never stop asking for forgiveness and repent.
That’s called the Good Fight of Faith!
Brother-
I’m with you! We are so close to a heavenly reunion with the GREAT I AM! Let’s keep pushing forward. I can’t wait to hug your neck!
God give my Brother what he needs to become like you. I know you know how to do that Lord. I just want to lift him up in prayer,
Humbly,
Your Brother
Marcus (also)
Quite encouraging and helpful. Thanks a lot Dr. Richard for explaining repentance and forgiveness of God so clearly. I am 💯% satisfied with your explanation. May God use mightily
Thank you Dr. Fisher for this eye-opening message. It has truly helped and answered a prayer I had prayed no sooner than a few hours ago.
Thank you Marcus for your honesty and openness. I, too, have struggled with something that I consider a sin that puts me to shame each time I ask for repentance but I start to feel as if I’m playing with or testing the Lord. As if I am asking for forgiveness and then taking His mercy for granted because the sin is not one that leaves overnight. Every time I repent, I question if I even mean it in my heart as I am repeating the words and begging the Lord to change me. So I can understand what you mean by it feeling routine.
That is why I was elated to read this article and the part “…The reason we keep on repenting, even if we suspect we will sin again in the future, is because we want our hearts to be washed daily by Christ’s forgiveness. And we want God to continue His transforming work in us. In short, we keep on repenting because we are trusting that God Himself will conform us to the image of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).”
Wow, that just gave me an entirely new perspective. I can now repent fully for that, knowing that I am a work in progress. It may not happen overnight but He has not given up on me. He knows my heart desperately wants to obey Him and not do this sin. But more importantly, His grace is sufficient.
And it is no excuse for me to engage in this sin willingly but when I slip up and do it unawares, I can trust that Lord Jesus will wash me clean and transform me in His time.
Also, because of the sneaky nature of this sin, I can say 100% that GOD did it, not me.
“9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 (NIV)
Jesus is Lord. God bless you all.
Really good one, I just asked myself the same question. After studying Deut. 28, I was reminded again that the consequences of sin, as you said, are MUCH WORSE than we can even IMAGINE:
“I never thought I’d get my leg cut off! If I only listened to the Lord’s directions to QUIT SMOKING!”
“I never thought I’d be in prison for MANSLAUGHTER, if only I’d OBEYED when God told me (100 times) to QUIT DRINKING!!”
Yes, these are drastic examples of the price of “abusing our temples,” but there are worse.
What about the spiritual consequences, the ones we can’t see?
Losing our opportunities to be an example, save a life, or many lives, bear fruit?
Even up to the point that we become so flippant about sinning that God
“Spits us out of His mouth!” and leaves us outside the realm of his protection, in the hands of the enemy?
When I think about the price I now pay for dependence on ANYTHING other than God, it has been so painful in some cases, what I lost was so great, I detested the sight or smell of the sin and had that change of mind the Dr speaks of;
I lost things, people and abilities that were precious to me!
I lost opportunity, gifts, grace, frerdom, joy, love, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
And if you think LIFE is hard, that the (unspoken) price you paid for that little indiscretion you “couldn’t help yourself” over,
“It was too much, ANYONE would have given in, no onr should be asked to do that!”
I have this question:
Have you resisted to blood striving against sin?
That is,
The separation of your blood into separate forms (blood and water) because the anxiety, the fear, the pressure was so intense.
Science has proven this phenomena exists.
And Jesus did it.
thanks for this article. God bless you
Very good site Thanks