Repentance is a change of mind, a change of heart, which produces a new direction or a new way of living. Repentance is not flawless perfection. Repentance is a 180° turn. You were headed in one direction then you turn around and head in the opposite direction. Repentance is turning from someone (self, satan), and turning toward God.
One of the greatest examples of repentance is found in Luke 15:11-24. It's the story of the Prodigal Son. The Prodigal headed one direction (away from his family, friends, home, and his father). The direction he chose led him into a "far country" and ultimately into a pig pen. Luke informs us; that while feeding the swine, he came to himself. He realized he had gotten completely off track. He then changed his mind (repented) and headed back home with a brand new attitude.
Repentance can be summed up by the words of Jesus, "FOLLOW ME!" (Mt. 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21; Mk. 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Lk. 5:27; 9:23,59; 18:22; Jn. 1:43;; 10:27; 12:26; 21:19). To follow Jesus one must exit the road he's traveling and travel in a new direction.
The evidence of strong emotion is not an indication of true repentance. Weeping sometimes indicates a person is sorry he got caught doing something wrong, but it doesn't necessarily indicate a change of heart and mind. (See Heb. 12:17).
Repentance is for both the unbeliever and the child of God. The unbeliever repents of his sin thereby entering into a relationship with God. He become their Heavenly Father and they become His children. The believer on the other hand repents primarily of his dead works (Heb. 6:1). Of course, if a believer sins, he needs to repent of them as well.
Why did Esau fail to find repentance for simply selling his birthright even though he sought it desperately with tears. Esau’s repentance was faulty because he did not understand true repentance. He was a profane fornicator (see Hebrews 12:16–17), and he simply wanted to regain the blessings that he had lost (see Genesis 25:33–34).
However, when David was confronted with his sin, he repented for the right reason. He wanted to restore fellowship with God. If we repent for any other reason than this we are not experiencing true repentance. (See Psalm 51.)
James describes sincere repentance by calling for our laughter to be turned to mourning and our joy to be turned to heaviness. He exhorts us to cleanse our hands of past sins and purify our hearts of double-mindedness. (See James 4.)
The rewards of true repentance are not only a clear conscience and restored fellowship with God, but also a Godly heritage for our children and grandchildren. The failures of parents can affect children for generations to come, as in the case of Abraham.
QUESTION: In what specific areas do you need to change your mind (repent)?
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