The Nature of True Repentance

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First there must be an ongoing acknowledgement that we did the deed.

AGREEMENT WITH GOD

Confession means agreement or alignment with God concerning the wrongness and rightness of certain actions and attitudes. The attitude of our heart and the thinking of our minds needs to be aligned to God's.

GODLY SORROW

We need to be honestly sorrowful for our sins... sorrowful that we hurt someone (for the victim) and not just sorrow that we got caught (for ourself.)

OWNERSHIP

We must own the responsability for our sin. Blaming any one else for our sin is not repentance. Neither are minimization nor excuses.

CHANGE OF HEART

Repentance means a change of mind and heart.
It means a complete "about-face" of the whole being.

God is not looking for mere surface conformity. He desires true heart re-creation and mind transformation into a heart and mind like His.

FRUIT MEET WITH REPENTANCE

In true repentance ACTION steps are taken to show repentance:

1. Confession

- sin is fully owned and confessed in a continuous way (no excuses, minimizations of the seriousness of the sin, nor projections of blame onto others.) Sin is truly sin, not just a "mistake" but a deliberate choice and act of evil and hatred.

2. Regretful Apologies

are made. These are not just "Sorry I got caught" but rather "Sorry that my heart contained this darkness towards you."

3. Restitution and Repair

(as much as are possible) are attempted. Most people try to skip this step because it brings us face to face with the full amount of damage we have committed in our sin.

Furthermore, because full restitution and repair is imposible, in this step we are faced with our inability to repair what we have done. Here, a heartfelt attempt to repair what little we can, goes a long way in restoring the spiritual damage done to the victim.

4. Heart Root Exploration

- sinner shows evidence of action steps so as to not repeat the sin. Just saying "sorry" just to repeat the same sins over again is not true repentance. We need to search our own hearts to find the ROOTS of our sin, the MOTIVES of our heart and to counter those base motives with faith in God's supply. (all sin springs from the root of unbelief in God's supply.)

5. Contrary Heart Action

We live and act in a manner totally contrary to the original sin.

Christianity isn't just about not doing bad things but about doing good! The scriptures don't just say "Don't steal!" but say "be a hard worker and a giver" which demonstrate a heart and spirit contrary to stealing. The bible doesn't just say "Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you" it says "Do unto others what you'd want them to do unto you." "Serve others" not just "expect others to serve you."

6. Continued Humble Dependance

We must ask God deal with our hearts. We must ask Him to search us and try us to see if there be any wicked way within us. We decieve ourselves all the time that we are righteous when "there is only One who is righteous." He is our righteousness and anything we accomplish is like "dirty rags." if these things are not manifest, then repentance is not true, is not from the heart... in fact, just the opposite.

The Goal Of Repentance

to transform us from the inside out and
to produce God's fruit and nature in our hearts and lives

If anyone confesses sin, God is faithful and just and will cleanse us from every unrighteousness.

1 John

If anyone says that he has not sinned, he is a liar and deceives himself.

1 John

Repent and you will be saved!

Jesus

While I denied my sin my bones rotted away.

David