What is True Repentance?

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Repentance is a Change of Heart

By Jay Gheen
Repentance is a change of attitude or behavior of feeling sorrow of personal sin and turning to Christ for forgiveness and to be delivered from the burden of sin or the fear of judgment of Hell. It is the total surrender of self to Jesus Christ. It is the willingness to give up sin and to seek Jesus Christ.

I believe there is no conversion without repentance. And I have a great testimony of this fact. I was one who believed in Jesus Christ. I had faith in Christ but I had no repentance. Therefore, no true conversion.


For one to become fully regenerated one must repent and believe. You cannot repent without believing and you cannot believe without repenting. Repentance and belief are separate of each other but must occur simultaneously.


It other words a popular phrase is said that repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. That coin is called conversion. Repentance is the turning away from sin to Christ, and faith or belief embraces Him as the only hope of salvation. This is conversion.

I do believe many churchmen that are professing themselves to be converted Christians are simply not because they have no repentance in their heart. Anyone can believe, James says that devils believe and tremble. But the devils have no repentance.


Characteristics of Repentance

Someone who is truly repenting continues to grow in repentance. Repentance is not a one time deal. In the same way when Christians ask God for more faith. We to must ask for more repentance. Repentance is the continuous change of mind to seek Christ.

When a person becomes in repentance that person sees himself as God sees him. In other words you start to see yourself the same way God sees you. You start to become consciousness of your helplessness, (Psalms 51:11, 109:21,22) your guilt, (Psalms 51:4,9) your contamination. (Psalms 51:5,7,10) Repentance is a growth just like faith.

In repentance you start to get a true sense of guilt in which results in a hatred of sin. As you turn to God the sin that you once loved you now have a hatred for it. You desire it no more. You desire righteousness.


Repentance can only come from God. In the same way Faith can only come from God. When we pray we should ask for more repentance and faith. Not just faith. I believe when we pray for others for their conversion or for God to save them. We must ask God to give the saving faith and the gift of repentance. Repentance and faith are gifts from God and must be granted from God.

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