FAQ: What is Repentance?
What is Repentance?
To repent means to change. Repentance is a change of thinking which results in a change of life. Repentance involves a change of mind – waking up to reality, seeing things as they really are, and recognizing the error of you ways – resulting in a change of action. Repentance includes forsaking old patterns, habits, priorities, and all things that have controlled you. The Greek word translated repent in the English New Testament is the Greek word metanoeo. Vine’s Dictionary says “metanoeo literally means to perceive afterwards, hence it signifies to change one’s mind or purpose. This change is always for the better, and denotes a change of moral thought and reflection; not merely to repent of, nor to forsake sin, but to change one’s mind and apprehensions regarding it. Metanoeo denotes to reform, to have a genuine change of heart and life from worse to better.” True repentance is not just a being sorrowful for an act; it must be followed by a conversion.
For godly sorrow works repentance [compunction for guilt including reformation/ by implication reversal of direction] to salvation not to be repented of: but sorrow of the world work death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
Repent [to think different or afterwards, that is to reconsider] and converted that your sins may be blotted out. (Acts 3:19)