Reclaiming Repentance: Embracing the Gift of Turning to God
The past few weeks in our sermons at Cascade CRC, we’ve been talking about turning away from sin. The big, biblical word for this is “Repentance,” and it’s a concept many people—inside and outside the church—tend to misunderstand.
In my years as a pastor, I’ve seen some shrug it off as a simple “I’m sorry,” while others turn it into a lifelong self-flagellation of guilt and shame. Both, unfortunately, miss the point.
Repentance isn’t about earning God’s favor or beating ourselves up. It’s about turning around. It’s the grace-filled pivot from a life lived for self to a life lived for God. It is the hinge upon which the door to new life in Christ swings open.
I’ve rounded up 10 of the most common questions I’ve run into around this topic. I hope that as you review them, you’ll see repentance not as a burden to bear, but as a gift to receive…and maybe some of your own questions will get answered along the way.
1. What is the difference between biblical repentance and just feeling guilty or sorry?
This is a big one, and one of the most important distinctions to make. There is a huge difference between being sorry for the consequences of a choice and having a heart that is genuinely broken over sin. The Apostle Paul calls this the difference between "worldly grief" and "godly grief."
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. - 2 Corinthians 7:10
Worldly grief is being sorry you got caught. Think of a husband who's a workaholic. When his wife threatens to leave, he panics, apologizes, and cuts back his hours—for a while. But soon, he slides back into his old ways. Why? Because his heart never changed. He wasn't sorry for neglecting his wife; he was sorry he was about to face the consequences of divorce. He was just a kid caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.
Godly grief goes a layer deeper. The repentant husband would be crushed by how he has wounded his wife, violated his vows, and dishonored God. His sorrow leads not just to temporary behavior change, but to a permanent heart change.
True repentance is less about the consequences we face and more about the relationship we've broken with God and others.
2. Is repentance required for salvation, or is faith in Jesus enough?
Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. They are inseparable. So, in a very real way, we don’t choose between them.
Imagine you are walking confidently toward a cliff. Repentance is the act of stopping, acknowledging your path leads to destruction, and turning around 180 degrees. Faith is the act of trusting the new guide, Jesus, who is standing there, offering to lead you on the path to life.
You can't follow Jesus without turning from your old path. You wouldn't turn from your old path unless you trusted there was a better one to follow. Repentance isn't a "work" we do to earn salvation; it is the necessary turning from sin that accompanies the turning to Christ in faith.
3. Why do I need to repent anyway? I'm a pretty good person.
Many of us feel this way. We pay our taxes, we're kind to our neighbors, we don't commit any major crimes. But the standard for "goodness" isn't our neighbor; it's the perfect holiness of God Himself.
When the rich young ruler came to Jesus, he called Jesus, “Good Teacher.” Jesus gently corrected him: “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). Jesus was pointing out that our human standard of "good" is fundamentally flawed.
The Bible’s standard is perfection.
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23
The Law of God is a mirror. It’s not a ladder we climb to God; it’s meant to show us how dirty we are and how much we need to be cleaned.
Perhaps the most convicting part is that we don't even live up to our own standards, let alone God's. The theologian Francis Schaeffer made a brilliant point. Imagine if someone followed you around for one week with a tape recorder and a notepad. They recorded every time you said someone should or ought to do something.
"He should have used his turn signal."
"She ought to control her kids in the store."
"They shouldn't talk during the movie."
"He ought to have shown up on time."
If we are honest, none of us could stand up to the scrutiny of our own laws, let alone God's perfect one. This brings us to the inescapable conclusion: our "goodness" is insufficient. And this is why repentance is so crucial. It’s the moment we agree with God that our efforts to be "good enough" have failed.
But this isn't bad news; it's the doorway to the best news. God doesn't ask us to bring our flawed goodness to Him. Instead, He invites us to exchange it. Through faith in Jesus, we trade our record of sin for Christ's record of perfect righteousness. This is the heart of the gospel. Our "goodness" is insufficient, but through repentance and faith, the perfect goodness of Jesus becomes our only hope.
4. If I truly repent, does that mean I'll never sin again? What if I keep struggling with the same sin?
This is a question every sincere Christian asks, and one I feel daily. The Christian life can often feel like "two steps forward, one step back," which can be incredibly discouraging and even tempt us to doubt our salvation.
The answer lies in understanding the difference between justification and sanctification.
Justification is a one-time, legal declaration. The moment you trust in Christ, God declares you "not guilty." He sees the perfect righteousness of Jesus. Your status before Him is permanently changed.
Sanctification is the lifelong process of actually becoming more like Jesus. It's learning to talk, act, and think like a member of God's family. You will stumble.
The very fact that you struggle with sin—that you hate it and fight against it—is often the greatest evidence that your heart has been changed by the Holy Spirit. The old you loved that sin. The new you is at war with it. Take heart. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
5. How is repentance different from just "turning over a new leaf" or making a New Year's resolution?
This gets to the heart of the Christian life: the power source.
A New Year's resolution is powered by willpower. It's a self-driven effort to modify behavior. And as we all know, willpower eventually runs out. We can only white-knuckle it for so long.
Biblical repentance is powered by the Holy Spirit. It's not about trying harder; it's about surrendering to a new power source. Through the gospel, God doesn't just give us new rules; He gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). He changes our "wanter."
Making a resolution is like taping apples onto a dead tree. Biblical repentance is God planting a new, living tree in its place. The fruit is the natural result of the new life within.
6. What does repentance actually look like in practice?
While repentance begins in the heart, it always manifests in action. Scripture shows a clear pattern:
Confess to God: Agree with God about your sin specifically (1 John 1:9).
Forsake the Sin: Make a conscious decision, empowered by the Spirit, to abandon the sinful pattern.
Confess to Those Wronged: If your sin hurt another person, genuine repentance involves seeking their forgiveness (James 5:16).
Make Restitution: True repentance seeks to repair the damage. The perfect example is Zacchaeus (Luke 19), who didn't just say "sorry"; he pledged to pay back everyone he cheated four times over.
Repentance isn’t a trap of guilt; it is a process that sets you free.
7. Is repentance a one-time event, or something Christians should do regularly?
Both.
There is a foundational, initial repentance at conversion (your justification). This is the definitive turn from rebellion to submission to Christ.
But there is also an ongoing, daily repentance (your sanctification). Martin Luther's first of his 95 Theses stated: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,' he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance." As we walk with Christ, the Holy Spirit continually reveals areas not yet fully surrendered. Our daily response should be to confess, turn, and align our lives more closely with His will.
8. What is the "fruit of repentance" that the Bible talks about? (Matthew 3:8)
When John the Baptist told the religious leaders to "bear fruit in keeping with repentance," he was telling them that talk is cheap. True repentance will always produce tangible evidence.
This "fruit" isn't a list of things we do to prove we are saved; it's the natural outflow of a changed heart. It includes a new hatred for the sin you once loved, a new love for God, growing humility, and a tangible change in how you treat others. The greedy person becomes generous. The angry person becomes gentle. The liar begins to love the truth.
This fruit is the visible proof of God's invisible work in the soul. It can sometimes be slow, but it is inevitable and is in God’s hands.
9. Can someone repent without knowing the gospel?
A person can certainly feel remorse and change their behavior without knowing the gospel—to save a marriage or a reputation. But this is not biblical, saving repentance.
Saving repentance is inseparable from the gospel. The gospel provides both the reason to repent and the power to do so. Biblical repentance is not just turning from sin in the abstract; it is turning to a person—Jesus Christ. It is only when we see the holiness of God, the depth of our sin, and the incredible love of Christ on the cross that we can repent in a way that leads to salvation.
10. If God is sovereign, why do I need to repent? Won't He just save the people He has chosen?
This is a deep but important question that touches on God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Scripture teaches both truths without compromise. God is 100% sovereign in salvation (Ephesians 1:4–5), and we are 100% responsible to respond to His call to repent and believe (Acts 17:30).
These are not a contradiction to solve, but a biblical tension to embrace.
God, in His sovereignty, has ordained not only the ends (who will be saved) but also the means by which they are saved. And the means He has chosen is the human response of repentance and faith.
Think of a farmer. He knows God is sovereign over the harvest—providing the sun and rain. But that knowledge doesn't cause him to sit on his porch. He is still responsible for plowing the field and planting the seed. His action is the ordained means to God's ordained end.
In the same way, our call to "repent and believe" is the means God uses to bring His chosen people to Himself.
Repentance is not the end of the story…
It is the beginning. It's the joyful turn from the dead-end street of sin to the open road of grace, walking hand-in-hand with the Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us.
May we embrace repentance not as a one-time event, but as a daily posture of the heart—one that leads to the freedom and fullness of life God has promised.
With You,
Pastor Tim
