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            It is not surprising that the word ‘repent’ or ‘repentance’ is simply not heard in everyday conversation in our increasingly secular society. Unfortunately, these words seem to be used less and less even in a Christian context including in the preaching and teaching from the word. Preaching and teaching in the New Testament begins with a call for repentance from John the Baptist Matthew 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” and shortly thereafter by Jesus. Mark 1:15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he (Jesus) announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” The word is then used multiple times throughout the remainder of the New Testament.  

            So why then is it used so infrequently now even in a Christian context? I think there are at least two possible reasons. First in our modern contemporary Christianity we want to make becoming a Christian a process that is both simple and requires minimal disruption to a person’s life and lifestyle. Secondly, we tend to welcome and use a rather shallow definition of the word ‘repent’.  The simple, and in my opinion insufficient, definition means to ‘change one’s direction’. But like many rich words the Greek word translated as ‘repent’ has a much broader meaning.

            Here’s a much deeper definition of repenting and five steps to repentance that help us understand that repentance is much more demanding than simply changing direction:

To repent means to feel sincere sorrow for one's sins, confess them, and resolve to turn away from them, with an effort to make amends and seek forgiveness from God or the wronged person. The specific steps can vary, but generally involve acknowledging your wrong, feeling genuine regret, changing your actions and lifestyle to avoid the sin, and asking for forgiveness and mercy.

1.Acknowledge and Confess Your Sins: Recognize the specific act(s) you committed and admit that you were wrong. You can confess these sins to God, through prayer. 2. Express Sorrow and Regret: Feel true remorse and regret for the sin you have committed. This remorse is a sign of faith and an essential part of the process. 3. Turn Away from the Sin: Make a sincere commitment to change your behavior and avoid repeating the sinful act. This may involve identifying and changing the thoughts or habits that led to the sin. 4. Ask for Forgiveness: Seek forgiveness from the offended party if the sin involved another person, and from God for your transgressions. 5. Make Amends or Restitution: If possible, take steps to repair any damage your actions have caused to others. This could involve apologizing or making right what was wrong.

Peter writes in II Peter 3:9 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. Have you genuinely repented?                                                                                                                                                       Pastor Dave