The Gift of Repentance
True repentance is a change of mind and direction enabled by God's grace.
Repentance (metanoia) means changing one's mind, resulting in changed behavior. It is both a command ('Repent and believe the good news') and a gift ('God has granted repentance that leads to life'). Godly sorrow leads to repentance; worldly sorrow leads to despair. Repentance is not merely feeling sorry but turning away from sin and toward God. It involves confession, forsaking sin, and restitution where possible. Repentance is not a one-time event but an ongoing posture of the Christian life—a continual turning toward God.
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
Martin Luther's first of the 95 Theses stated that 'our Lord and Master Jesus Christ...willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.'
Acts of the Apostles
Written about in
- What Christianity says about starting again after a fall
Metanoia means a changed mind that changes direction, not remorse. Luther's first thesis was that the whole life of a believer should be repentance — so this is a posture you re-enter constantly, not one dramatic turn. The tradition also separates godly sorrow, which moves you, from worldly sorrow, which only sinks you.