What is Repentance?

Genuine repentance produces a change in the way we live, even in the way we think.

What, in God's sight, demonstrates that our repentance is genuine?

"Then [John the Baptist] said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance ... Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Luke 3:7-9 [7] Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
[8] Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
[9] And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

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"First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, [Paul] preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds" (Acts 26:20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
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Genuine repentance produces a change in the way we live, even in the way we think. Those who say they have repented but produce no "fruits worthy of repentance" (Matthew 3:8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
See All...) deceive themselves. "They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him ..." (Titus 1:16They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
See All...). "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:23-25 [23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
[24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
[25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

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What is the attitude of the truly repentant?

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'" (Luke 18:13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
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"My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself, and repent ..." (Job 42:4-6 [4] Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
[5] I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
[6] Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

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True repentance is more than just acknowledging we are wrong. Even the desire to do wrong should become repulsive to us. God wants us to " hate evil" (Proverbs 8:13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
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We must earnestly want God to change our hearts. Like King David of old, we should ask God to create a clean heart and a right spirit within us (Psalm 51:10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
See All...). We must see ourselves as sinners and be genuinely remorseful. We must recognize that our sins originate in our thoughts, often motivated by our pride and selfishness, anger and jealousy, our lust and greed-in short, our human nature.

Does Jesus confirm that sin starts in the heart?

"For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person" (Mark 7:21-23 [21] For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
[22] Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
[23] All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

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Some of these inherently human traits may be more pronounced than others. Nevertheless, if we sincerely ask God to open our eyes to see ourselves as we are, we should be able to recognize in ourselves many attitudes and behaviors that the Scriptures define as sinful. Then we should go to God in prayer for the power we need to turn away from those ways and replace them with the nature and character of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures.

Does repentance include changing our attitude toward others' sins against you?

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses" (Mark 11:25-26 [25] And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
[26] But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

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"Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4 [3] Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
[4] And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

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Since God's law is based on loving Him and loving others even as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31 [30] And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
[31] And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

See All...), forgiving others is a significant part of our repentance. Jesus taught: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you" (Luke 6:27-28 [27] But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
[28] Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

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