The Meaning of Repentance

Did you know that “repentance” is the most positive word in the English language? I never thought of it like that until I heard my friend John Hunter make the claim. We usually think of repentance as a negative, sad, and horrible term.

Actually, it’s the greatest term in the world. It’s the doorstep into a brand-new life with God. It’s leaving the past behind. It’s a very liberating word. To repent means simply to admit the truth about our evil and sinfulness – confess it to God – and start moving in a different direction. Repentance doesn’t mean groveling in the dirt and acting weird.

Repentance is the deep conviction that “I did wrong, I hurt other people,” particularly confessing, “I offended God–and I want to change.” That’s the only way to start over. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Why not start a conversation today by discussing the word “repentance?” Talk with your friends about their concept of that term, the misperceptions of it, and share your own testimony. Tell them how much repentance and faith in the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ has meant to you – how you now have freedom from guilt, a new start, and eternal life.