True repentance is something you choose to do. It's an act of deep and endless surrender. When it's coupled with trust in Jesus' payment and Sovereignty, true repentance is life-changing.
Don't be like people whose religious, pious-sounding words of repentance are near Him while their hearts are far away.
In Matthew 15:8-9 (NKJV), Jesus quotes from Isaiah:
‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
You'll need a new heart to pull this off. He's more than happy to give you one.
I see true repentance as having three distinct layers, each being expressed to God in prayer.
1. Confess sin in general, then turn towards Jesus, asking God to forgive and cleanse you.
2. Accept Jesus' payment on the Cross for all of your sin debt.
3. Surrender your life to Jesus' rescue, changes, and total ownership. Choose to put Him in charge. Let Him drive.
For most people...maybe all people...I think true repentance comes out of wrestling in the soul. Part of you wants to change while part of you doesn't.
Repentance has to wrestle with the "problem child" part of your soul. That's the part of your old nature that's inclined to rebellion, foolishness, and sin. It just wants what it wants. Your old, corrupted "problem child" nature doesn't want to be replaced.
Psalm 86:11 (NKJV)
Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
Romans 8:7 (NIV)
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
In spite of that internal struggle, true repentance pushes through.
No matter how intense the internal struggle, choosing to repent is always up to you. This is where you make your free will work for you instead of against you.
The Lord won't force you. He won't override your free will. But because He loves you, He will try over and over to draw you to repentance.
Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)
The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
He doesn't say "Get yourself cleaned up before I accept you into my family." The truth is that He loves you in spite of the remaining mess in your soul -- that is, in your mind, will, and emotions -- but get this: He loves you way too much to leave you that way.
He'll work in your soul, but you have to stay yielded.
At its heart,
Repentance tells God "I want to be right with You, but I know my self-effort will never make me truly righteous and pure in your eyes."
Repentance says to Jesus "I turn to be owned and transformed by You and for You."
Repentance tells God that you're no longer trying to earn right standing through good works, religious rules and rituals, sacrifices and white-knuckles self discipline.
Repentance admits total dependence on God's forgiveness and mercy, intervention and grace.
Repentance tells God that you're depending fully on what Jesus did on the Cross and what He's doing now as your Lord Who lives in you by His Spirit.
Colossians 1:27 (Expanded Bible)
God decided [chose; willed] to let his people know this rich and glorious secret [mystery] which he has for all people [the nations/Gentiles]. This secret [mystery] is that Christ lives in you. He is our only hope for glory [Christ in you, the hope of glory].
Repentance involves confession. Confession of sin can be long and detailed because our fallen nature has so many layers. It can also be as simple as "Lord, I am a sinner. Please forgive my sins."
Repentance tells Him that you're surrendering to His hopes and dreams, to His purposes, to His reign and to His rule.
Repentance tells God that you're choosing to be on His path, the path where He can reconcile everything about you to Himself.
Repentance tells Him that you're choosing to give Him a free hand to change and transform you as He sees fit.
Repentance tells God that you want to leave your sin and rebellion behind and be transformed by Him.
Repentance tells God that you're sorry for thinking any of this is about you when it's really all about Jesus and His plans for His creation, knowing that His glorious plan includes you.
Romans 11:36 (NIV)
For from him and through him and for him are all things...
Colossians 3:4 (NIV)
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Repentance tells Him "Whatever and however, Father, just plug me into Your story. I surrender unconditionally, no strings attached."
Repentance is NOT telling Him "Okay God, I've got this." He knows you don't got this. He knows you can't pull off these changes on your own through seemingly religious rules, rituals, and self-effort.
Colossians 2:23 (NIV)
Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Repentance tells God that you're depending fully on the righteousness He gives and His resurrected presence in your spirit.
Romans 10:3-4 NIV
Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Repentance tells God that you've chosen to be on His path. It doesn't mean that you've arrived at His destination.
Repentance tells God "Whatever you do, don't leave me the way you find me now."
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