True Repentance

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Repentance. Is it a "sinner's prayer?" Is it a prayer of apology? Is it a promise to do "better?" Is it a state of being? An action? An abstract term?

What is repentance? What does it look like? How involved is the one repenting? How is God involved?To what depth does it venture? Where does it venture?

The present day church and Christian dilutes the significance of repentance in a believer's life. Repentance has become all about what we do without reference to God. Repentance has become a means of excusing past sins with a simple "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Repentance has become a string of words, maybe a few tears, and effects... no enduring change.

King David's Repentance

Rather, when I read the Psalms and the accounts of King David, I am struck by his overwhelming sorrow at sin. He writes,

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit (Psalm 51:10-12, KJV).

The entire chapter is dedicated to a cry for God's restoration and cleansing power. He has no joy because of his sin, as he says "restore unto me the joy of thy salvation" (vs. 12). As I read the passage, I hear his desperate cry and plea, "Lord, wash me! Cleanse me! Don't cast me away from You! Rather, change me! I have done so wrongly. I need You!"

David is repenting. He is seeking the Lord for renewal because he has realized how terribly sinful he is. Repentance is defined by Strong's as "to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins" (g3340). David is definitely changing his mind.  He has realized that what he has been doing is not pleasing to God and is detrimental to himself. His sin is grotesque before him and causes him great anguish and sorrow. David is overwhelmed in his cry for repentance. He is completely consumed by his need to be clean before God.

When David seeks the Lord in repentance, he first realizes that it is the merciful and just God he has sinned against and acknowledges the extent of his sin (vs 1-5). He begins to call upon God to change him by cleansing him. He realizes that he is sinful in nature, unrighteous in himself. How can he make himself righteous when he has no righteousness? Only God can do the work of changing a repentant heart. David could have said, "Lord, I will change my ways. I will do better." But he doesn't. David specifically indicates that God must change him. Then, David says he will teach others about His ways (vs 13) once the Lord has made him clean again.

Toward the end of the passage, David says,

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise (Psalm 51:17, KJV).

The words "broken" and "contrite" are violent, indicating a sense of being shattered and crushed (Strong's h7665 and h1794).

According to this scripture passage, repentance is no small thing. Repentance is not something we do to make us feel better or to try to appease God. Repentance is not passive, but requires a submission of everything from the one asking for repentance. The one asking for repentance submits everything to God because only God can change the sinful heart.

James' Description of Repentance

James described repentance when he wrote to the twelve tribes. He writes,

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up (James 4:1-10).

Repentance is about submission, according to James. Submission to God denotes yielding to Him and obeying Him (Strong's g5293). It requires trusting God that He cares for you and will take care of you. Submission to God is allowing Him to lead you and guide you without restraint. Submission requires humbling ourselves before God, as David did, and confessing that we are not able to save ourselves. Submission can be difficult with a strong-willed flesh, but as we learn to submit to God, we can realize the peace in following after Him.

Submission is following after the Lord, trusting in Him, and obeying Him.
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James calls the twelve tribes to cleanse their hands and purify their hearts. How can they cleanse their hands and purify their hearts? By being sorrowful for their sin and calling upon the name of the One who can cleanse them and purify them. Again, the sorrow is not superficial. This repentance is heaviness of sorrow.

Sorrow

In speaking of sorrow, it is paramount to note what kind of sorrow is working. Paul wrote an epistle to the church at Corinth and said,

8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter (2 Corinthians 7:8-11).

Paul makes it clear in this passage that sorrow can be godly or it can be worldly. Godly sorrow works repentance because it focuses on God as the sole Changer of the heart and mind. Godly sorrow is when the one repenting self examines every part of the heart and offers it up to the Lord for cleansing. Worldly sorrow works death because we cannot save ourselves or even change ourselves beyond a short season. Worldly sorrow dwells on wrong doing, and may attempt to do better, but cannot eventually clear itself of a matter because God is not involved in the process.

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What about continual repentance?

Jesus spoke,

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23).

Does that mean we are to constantly be in mourning and to have our sin ever before us (as David described in chapter 51 of Psalms)? When are we ever to have joy or peace?

Sorrow is a significant portion of repentance, and its main purpose is to show one the depth of sinfulness and desperate need for God. Godly sorrow is the anguish of realizing who I am (a sinful person with an unclean heart and no goodness whatsoever in the sight of God) and realizing who God is (a merciful and loving, all-powerful Being in whom dwells all righteousness and goodness and NO sinfulness at all). Sorrow comes about because how can the two ever dwell together in communion?

Once we have this sobering awareness of who we are and who Christ is, we will know that only He can change our lives, attitudes, habits, weights, and sinfulness. Our repentance is then a continual submission and humbling of ourselves before God.

Again, it's not a simple excuse of sin, "Lord, forgive me for stealing the cookie. I won't do it again." And a dismissal of the problem.

It is a sincere desire for the Lord to renew and change, "Oh Lord, I know stealing is displeasing to You. Please change me so that I no longer have these urges to take what does not belong to me. Help me to be content with what I have. Thank You for blessing me with all that I need and even some of the things I want! You are so good to me to provide all of my needs. I trust in You, Lord." And trusting that the Lord will take care of the need as you continue to draw nearer to Him in a relationship.

Repentance in this sense is not necessarily sorrow with scores of tears and desperate pleas for mercy, although that anguish is appropriate in repentance at times (even in the life of a believer, as David experienced). To one who truly loves the Lord, sinfulness and even weights that keep us from a complete relationship with Him cause us sorrow in the depths of our souls. That sorrow is not always expressed with hours long, secluded prayer meetings that produce boxes of used facial tissues. Sometimes that sorrow is expressed with a sincere, "Lord, I don't want to do that anymore...."

Repentance is Always

Repentance is always calling upon the only One who can change and drawing nearer to Him in a relationship so that His influence on you is greater than the influence of sin.

Repentance is always submission to God.

Repentance always requires sorrow, however it is expressed.

Repentance always effects a change because God is the One changing you.

Repentance is always beautiful in the sight of God when it is genuine and when He can work in you through it.

God bless you and keep you,
~Raquel

P.S. I remember listening/watching this portion of a message by David Wilkerson a few years ago. Whatever your beliefs concerning Wilkerson are, I think this message is extremely fitting and on-target.

If you cannot view the video, click here.