Today as I record this episode, the wind is howling here in my city. My weather app says it’s blowing 25 miles per hour. As I drove to the store this afternoon, I came up beside a man riding his bicycle directly into the blowing wind. The man seemed to be straining with all the power he had to pedal his bicycle into the strong wind.
As hard as it is to ride into the oncoming wind, if you simply turn the bike around, that same wind that hindered you will now help you. It will push you forward. It’s amazing what can happen with a change of direction.
In Acts 3:19 Peter says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
Throughout scripture we see God calling us to repent. In fact, someone once counted and said the words repent, repentance, or repented is mentioned over 100 times in the Bible.
So, what is repentance? Repentance is a change of direction. Just like the bicycle rider who turned around and rode in a different direction, true repentance is a new direction. Often people mistakenly think repentance is feeling sad. Maybe they are upset they got caught or they are upset at themselves for making a poor decision. But repentance is more than a sorrowful emotion. It is a decision to change and a determination to live a new way.
As Peter mentioned, repentance is a component of our salvation experience. The grace of God responds to our faith in Jesus and our repentance of our sins. God is so good to forgive us and to remove the record of our sins. We then stand before God clean and forgiven.
One thing that is very clear in scripture is that sinners must repent in order to be saved. Consider these verses:
In the New Testament, the word repentance is the Greek word metonia. It literally means “a change of mind.” It is a turning away from our sin. Paul asked in Romans 6 is it okay for us to continue in our sin, now that we have received the grace of God. The answer is a strong no. The King James Version says, “God forbid.”
When Jesus started His public ministry, He called for repentance. Matthew 4:17 records, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” Jesus says of repentance, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7).
So how does a person repent? Like faith, repentance is a response to the work of God, who convicts and convinces us that we are in error.
First, we come to God in honesty. Repentance requires honesty. No one comes to God with true repentance in their heart unless they’ve first acknowledged their need for forgiveness and reconciliation with him.
Second, we confess our sins to God. We admit we are sinners. We lay it all out before him without hiding. In Psalm 32: 5 David says, “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.”
Third, we believe God’s promise to forgive and to remove our sins. The Bible says, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.
Finally, we change direction and live a new way through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today’s Challenge: Maybe today, you feel the spirit of God leading you to repent. Don’t resist, come to God with full confession, receive his forgiveness, and begin to walk in new life.
