When Jesus started his public ministry, his first message was to repent.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (ESV)

The Greek word for repentance” is metanoia, which means a change of mind or thinking.

Simply put, to repent is to alter our way of thinking so that it conforms to God’s truth and his will.

Repentance has a broad application. Whenever the Holy Spirit and God’s Word convict us that our thinking or behavior is out of step with God’s plan and purpose for our lives, we must turn away from our old way of thinking and acting and toward God’s new way. This means that we agree with God and stop insisting on going our own way.

A change of thinking, if heart felt, will always eventually lead to a change of behavior; otherwise, repentance is not real.

The most fundamental type of repentance necessary for a person to become a follower of Christ is to recognize who Jesus is and act accordingly. Notice how Peter called his hearers to surrender to Jesus the Lord.

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:36-39 (ESV)

True repentance does not merely focus on some specific sin or behavior: it addresses our determination to live independently from God.

Repentance calls us to lay down our pride and admit that we have a serious problem: we are fatally flawed at the core of our being and hostilely oriented toward God. Our fatal flaw is an inherited sin nature, which is the source of our hostility.

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Colossians 1:21 (NLT) 

Admitting we have a sin nature requires us to admit we need a Savior and cannot save ourselves. We do not have the inherent goodness or moral fortitude to live a life of perfect obedience and submission to God. If we did, Jesus died needlessly. Although the admission of our sinfulness and need for a Savior is difficult for us because of our pride, it is easier than the next aspect of repentance, which focuses on Jesus’ Lordship.

It is one thing to admit we need forgiveness and saving, but it is something else to relinquish the “right” to our lives to Jesus. There are plenty of so called Christians who have opted for eternal security from hell’s flames but who have never bowed the knee to Jesus as the Lord of their lives. This is a complete contradiction of the meaning of repentance.

The source of our desire to be independent goes back to the garden of Eden. Our insistence of doing life on our own is a fundamental rejection of God, who is our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. He never intended for us to go it alone. He wants us to live in a joyful and fulfilling partnership with his Spirit. Repentance opens the door into our experiencing through Christ what alone brings eternal life and happiness.

The most fundamental and necessary form of repentance is surrender to Jesus in every aspect of life.

If we fail to do this, it is doubtful that we are his disciples. If we fail to repent of our independent orientation, we remain essentially hostile toward God. It is rebellion all dressed up in Christian clothes.

Repentance, then, is the everyday act of surrendering ourselves to Jesus.

As we read the Scriptures and listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we will be tested in this area on a daily basis. Repentance is not a one time event. We are born again once and for all, but we must repent daily. It is vital that we  maintain a heart that is open and pliable in regard to repentance. Otherwise we run the risk of becoming hardened in sin and deceived.

Application

• If you have never consciously and intentionally surrendered everything to Jesus the Lord, now is the time.

Here is a sample prayer. Jesus, I recognize that you are the Messiah King of Israel and the Lord of my life. I surrender ownership of my life and all I have, including my dreams, relationships, money, hopes, family, friends, ministry, job, health, and everything else to you. I recognize your right to my life, since you are my Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. You can ask me to do anything, and I trust you with my life. With the help of your Spirit, I will obey you. Amen.

• Each day as we spend time reading and meditating on the Scriptures and in prayer, we should listen attentively to the promptings of God’s Spirit and seek to obey them. This will include turning from sin and embracing areas of obedience that are difficult for us.

Here is another sample prayer. Jesus, open my heart to hear your voice as I read the Bible, pray, and go through my day. Thank you for grace to always obey you in every area of my life. Forgive me when I fail and help me to truly repent day by day as my life is transformed by the Spirit to be more and more like yours. Amen.