The Crucial Link of Repentance

If we want real change, we need to understand the nature of the heart. That is the real problem—not our circumstances that need changing, not the behaviors that need fixing.

Our problem is that we are born alienated from God, separated from our Father and Creator because of our sin. Our real problem is a God problem.

Because the problem is at this fundamental level, then we need a solution that gets to this level too. Every other solution will fall short. That is why mindfulness, meditation, and me-time will never make life better.

Only the Gospel will because it faces our real problem head on. And when we do, real change is possible.

Repentance: Linking the Gospel to Our Hearts

It’s one thing to know that we need the Gospel. It’s another thing to put our faith in it and live by it.

We begin this journey the first time by admitting our need for what God provides. When we do this, we move from alien to citizen, orphan to child.

By placing our faith in the work of Jesus on the cross for us, He satisfies God’s requirements for justice due to our sin. He not only clears our debt of sin, but credits us with His righteousness. Because of our sin nature, we cannot do this but because of His perfect nature, He can.

That is the first step of repentance. This makes us new creations, made alive in our spirits by the Holy Spirit. We are given new hearts of flesh, hearts that now desire all the things that God wants.

After our first repentance, we are regenerated. Now we begin the hard work: our sanctification. This is when God slowly and patiently makes what is true in our hearts also true in our bodies.

One of the promises of hope we can cling to is that one day God will finish this work (Phil. 1:6). Our bodies will become perfect and imperishable, just like Jesus’ resurrection body. But that day is in the future.

For now, our bodies will still live in this broken world, tempted by Satan’s lies, and subject to aging and death. We will still struggle with sin. We will still struggle with being sinned against.

Sometimes we will respond to sin by giving in to the desires of our hearts or finding our own way to satisfy them. Sometimes we will respond with apathy or fear, unwilling to take the risk or do the hard work of following God and loving others.

Sometimes we may not be guilty of sin but are on the receiving end of it. We harbor resentment and bitterness or take revenge or find some other way to punish the evildoer. We justify our sin by blaming the other person for our response. We can be guilty of sin even when we are sinned against.

As Christians, we may not be guilty of sin before God, but we still commit sins on a daily basis, in thought, word, and deed. Even though we commit these sins against people, our first offense is toward God, because we have replaced Him with an idol or we have taken over His rule in our lives and tried to come up with our own solutions. We have disobeyed His call to love Him and to love others first and foremost.

For that reason, we need the regular cleansing that 1 John 1:9 offers us. Whenever God reveals our sin to us, we want to seek Him for forgiveness.

As soon as we can, we want to humbly bow before Him and repent, for He is the one we have betrayed again. Though we are His children, we still have grieved Him by still living our own way.

Because we are not changed fully yet, this is going to be a lifelong, daily process. How do we do this?

Repenting with the Prodigal Son

The passage in Luke 15:11-24 gives us a picture of what repentance looks like.

You know the story: a son asks for his inheritance (v. 12). He squanders the inheritance (v. 13) and then is left destitute (vv. 14-16).

Let’s jump in at verse 17.

Realization of sin

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” (v. 17-18)

The first step of repentance is realizing you have something that needs repenting. And specifically, that your repentance must be directed toward the Father.

Nancy Guthrie writes, “Sin, by definition, is against God, since it is only by God’s law that sin is defined as sin.” (The Wisdom of God, ch. 6 p 149) David puts it this way: ““Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight...” (Ps. 51:4a)

You’ve probably met people with glaring sins yet are unable to see it. When God reveals your blind spots, count it a great gift of grace. You’ve got to see it before you can change it—and He has loved you enough to show you what you are missing.

Once you see your sin, identify how it has broken God’s law. Usually it is a failure to love God first and foremost, a love for something or someone (including yourself) greater than Him, or a failure to extend His love to others.

Remorse for sin

The prodigal son goes on to say, "“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” (v. 18b-19)

It’s one thing to see your sin. It is another to grieve the guilt you have caused your loving Father because of it.

Paul calls this godly sorrow, as opposed to worldly sorrow, which just feels bad because you got caught or feel guilt or shame that you’ve done wrong (2 Cor. 7:10).

Again, because there is a breach of relationship that comes with sin, and if we truly love our Father, we will be sorry that our sin got in the way of that relationship. Repentance means going to God in humility—something made possible because of Christ—and then confessing it.

When we confess our sins, be specific as you can, not just about your sinful behavior but the heart beneath it. Name the ways you have let your desires rule you. Call out the idols you are worshipping.

This is far different than simply stewing in your guilt and failure. It is, by virtue of your new relationship with God made possible through the gospel, humbly bringing yourself before your heavenly Father and admitting your failure to obey.

That is what the prodigal son did: “And he arose and came to his father.” (v. 20a) So must we. He says the words that he knows he must say (v. 21).

Reward of repentance

But what is amazing is this: though the son is fully prepared to hire himself out to his father, he never gets to that part of the request.

Because his father, who has been waiting for him to come home, has flown out to greet him. Robe tucked into his belt in a most undignified manner unfitting for a man his age, he runs out to greet his son and embrace him.

Before he gets his worsd out, his father is already ordering the celebration feast. The best of the best. Gifts that honor (vv. 22-23).

Why? “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.” (v. 24)

We need not ever be afraid to repent, for Jesus describes for us the picture of how God responds to that act of faith.

When we repent, we are banking on the bedrock reality that God is our Father and that Christ’s death has restored our relationship with Him. We are leaning all our weight on the belief that He will receive us when we return.

And that delights Him. Repenting is an act of faith that begins us on our journey to change.

Once we have tasted the goodness of God, His delight in our return, we are then motivated to do the hard work that comes with living in line with who we really are as children of God. We’ll talk more about that next time.

This is such a big step for some of us. Don’t delay.

Lean hard on your salvation in Christ. He has laid down His life for you and me to make this return possible.

Come home.