Element 2: True Repentance

People can get into a situation where they pray something like “I'm sorry, please forgive me” and then fall again very quickly. That may not be true repentance.

Of course, we can fall again even if we do truly repent. If we do, we must return again to the Lord in repentance, and He will forgive us.

Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22 (ESV)

But true repentance is more than being sorry. It requires deep, meaningful and humble sorrow if we expect God to respond to us.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:8-10 (NASB^®)

Repentance also involves making a proper decision to turn away from sin and not indulge anymore. We can't just be sorry, and then be helpless the next time we are tempted. Instead, we have to desire to truly change, call on the Lord to help, and make the decision not to bow down to lust anymore.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 (NIV)

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator Colossians 3:5-10 (ESV)

The Bible is full of warnings to believers about sin. This shows that repenting doesn't suddenly make temptation go away. But Christians cannot live by their flesh anymore. Thankfully, as seen in the previous section, Jesus Himself helps us in living up to the faith He has given us. We must be obedient and work at our salvation. These things come from God, but that doesn't mean we can be passive in our own relationship with Him.

to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. Romans 2:7-8 (ESV)

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

Confession can be considered part of repentance. It is a required part of living in Jesus. We need to confess to Him, and we need to confess to others. At some point you may need to confess to those you have sinned against.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (ASV)

If your heart is hard and you don't want to repent, ask God to help you to repent. He will. It can be very difficult to want to repent, but He will bring us to repentance if we seek Him for it. Lust is not acceptable to God. It's worth getting rid of.

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