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ORIGINAL: GraceBro

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It was more like a situation where you curse in front of your teacher by accident, and quickly say 'woops, sorry!'. More of a woops, not really a sorry. So it got me to thinking, what is true repentance, and how do you know if you truly are sorry or if you're just saying it? Does it need to be said out loud with eyes closed and hands folded? I usually pray/repent in my mind, but sometimes that makes me feel like I'm just thinking thoughts rather than truly praying or repenting.

You actually touched on something quite significant here. Many Christians "apologize" to God for their sin and think that is a sufficient sacrifice for sin. Although, we call it confession booths, short accounts, altar calls, you name it. None of it gets us forgiveness or is accepted by God in the first place. True repentance is only realized when it comes to turning from our unbelief in Jesus to our belief in Jesus (Mark 1:15). Unfortunately, many Christians try to repent of a particular sin, only to repeat it again at another time. Besides, even if you never repeated a sin, you will sin again on some level. Does that mean you didn't really mean you were sorry the last time you committed it? You see how ridiculous this gets? You end up so focused on whether or not you really meant something and then look for signs that you have truly changed your mind. Well, then you spend the rest of your life focused on trying not to commit that sin or other sins. That is not a life of rest and peace in the Holy Spirit.

True repentance is only realized when it comes to the Gospel. Once you accept Christ as your savior, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and are a child of God for all eternity. You then spend the rest or your life allowing the Holy Spirit of God to live His life in and through you. As you learn to trust Him with your life, you will begin to see a diminishing in the sins you commit, but never a total end to them. If you could stop sinning, you'd be God. And we know we aren't God. At least I hope we do. The goal of the Christian life is to learn to trust God, not to stop sinning. Nobody has ever accomplished that, nor does God expect us to do so. Jesus took our sins away from the eyes of God at the cross for all eternity (Hebrews 9:12). Now, when we sin, we approach God in our time of need to see where it was we weren't trusting Him with our lives (Hebrews 4:16). Approaching Him is only possible because our sins and lawless acts are remembered no more. You can't approach God if you still believe your sins come between you and Him. There is nothing wrong with being sorry for a sin and seeking to restore any relationship with that individual you sinned against. That is what Christians should do (James 5:16).

True repentance is realized when we believe God and what He did with our sins.

"Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin." Hebrews 10:17-18

Grace and Peace

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Repentance is turning, but it is also a life long process fused with sanctification. Blessed are those who mourn and those who mourn, mourn all the more the closer they grow to God. Why? Because the closer you grow to God the more you see your own wretchedness.

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ORIGINAL: misty35
"If they commit the sin again, then they did not repent, they lied." This is your statement RC.....can you give me Scripture on this please, I would really like to read this, I find it very interesting on how you have worded it.

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ORIGINAL: rcjames

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ORIGINAL: misty35
"If they commit the sin again, then they did not repent, they lied." This is your statement RC.....can you give me Scripture on this please, I would really like to read this, I find it very interesting on how you have worded it.

Pretty basic stuff misty35.

If someone says something that is not true, it is a lie.

If smeone says the are turning from something and not going to do it again; then they do it again that is was a lie, or at bes a broken promis to God.

My point being that saying "I repent" has become such a flippant thing in the modern Church, and I do not think it is a flippant thing at all. I consider it mandatory to salvation as Peter answered the question of what one must do to be saved;

(Act 2:38) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

If one is not sereious about truely repenting then maybe they should just tell God that they are going to try not to sin anymore.

Thanks
RC

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Can there be true repentance without inner conviction?

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ORIGINAL: misty35
I see your point RC, but I believe that there have been times with many people, including myself, who have been faced with sin, and we truly repent for it, and God knows our hearts, but .

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ORIGINAL: rcjames

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ORIGINAL: misty35
I see your point RC, but I believe that there have been times with many people, including myself, who have been faced with sin, and we truly repent for it, and God knows our hearts, but .

misty35,

I am really not trying to be hard nosed about this, but I do believe that your response is a perfect example of what is the problem with repentance today.

You stated "Repent for it", and that is the norm in Christiandom today, we do something wrong and we repent for it. But you see that is not repentance; that is being sorry for doing it and/or confessing it. Now there is nothing worng and everything right with being sorry and confessing one's sin; it just is not repentance.

To be Scriptural one must repent of one's sin, not repent for it. Now that may sound picky, but it is important. To change one's mind about the sin, to allow God to change one's heart about the sin; and to rely on living in Christ and Christ living in us so as to not commit that sin anymore; that is true repentance.

Thanks
RC

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ORIGINAL: SealedEternal

For example: If someone supposedly "repents for" adultery after engaging in an unlawful relationship, but then goes right back and continues the relationship, by definition they have not truly repented. They may have felt some regret and sorrow in their conscience, but they never repented of the sin itself. It is not until they change their mind and in turn their ways that they have repented of adultery.

SealedEternal

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To be Scriptural one must repent of one's sin, not repent for it. Now that may sound picky, but it is important. To change one's mind about the sin, to allow God to change one's heart about the sin; and to rely on living in Christ and Christ living in us so as to not commit that sin anymore; that is true repentance.

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ORIGINAL: Liveloved

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To be Scriptural one must repent of one's sin, not repent for it. Now that may sound picky, but it is important. To change one's mind about the sin, to allow God to change one's heart about the sin; and to rely on living in Christ and Christ living in us so as to not commit that sin anymore; that is true repentance.

I'm enjoying this discussion on repentance and I agree wholeheartedly that 'repentance' is misunderstood and abused in today's church. So that is NOT what I'm talking about here.

As we grow in Christ our understanding of sin changes. So what we thought was sin when we were babes IS NOT THE SAME as what we now know to be sin because we have spent more time communing with Jesus.

I will use pride as an example. When a babe in Christ, my definition or understanding of pride was probably fairly simplistic and narrow. As I have grown closer to Jesus, He shows me that even an inward feeling of disgust or haughtiness is pride and sin that I need to repent of.

So I continue to grow in my understanding of the sin of pride and the need for repentance of my pride continues. It is not that I am not taking God seriously or at His word. It is a part of the relational nature and He shares with me as I am ready to receive---and He knows the way and time. So I increase in awareness of myself and all the little ways in which I can continue in pride even many years walking with Him. But He is gracious and shows me my sin and I can continue to learn and grow in my understanding of His holiness, my wretchness and the repentance that is desired.

It's all a part of relationship. I need Jesus. And He loves me and walks with me.