Did You Truly Repent Though?

Biblical Wisdom On True vs False Repentance

Some Christians try to guilt-trip people into repentance. There, I said it. Not to be confused with the gentle (sometimes violent if we’re keeping it real) nudge of the Holy Spirit, I’m talking about the form of repentance where there’s no actual transformation, just a lot of feeling bad and trying to get rid of guilt. Have you heard about false repentance?

This month’s Bible Study was centred around the theme of Repentance. A broad theme for sure, we were allocated topics within the theme to research, prepare and speak on, and my topic was True Repentance vs False Repentance. In full transparency, I hadn’t ever considered false repentance being a thing.

When I sat down to prepare, the stories of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-9) and the rich man seeking salvation (Matthew 19:16-24) immediately came to mind, particularly their heart postures and their interactions with Jesus.

“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount’. Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham’.”

- Luke 19:8-9 (NIV)

“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’. When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

- Matthew 19:21-22 (NIV)

It’s easy for the words of “repentance” to leave our mouths, but the passages highlight the difference between genuinely turning toward God and the idea of repentance. I’ve collated my notes and will use today’s newsletter to explore the marks of true repentance and how it differs from superficial remorse as is evidenced in scripture.

Repentance

To understand what distinguishes true repentance from false repentance, we must examine what repentance itself entails. Repentance is a gift from God, a gift that opens up the pathway to real transformation and a restored relationship with Him. Repentance is the process of turning away from sin and turning towards God.

Repentance is Holy Spirit-led. It’s the changing of heart, mind, and direction, giving up our old ways to focus on relationship with God. We think differently after repentance; our thinking is aligned with God and His will, rather than the world and ourselves. While there are individual moments that characterise repentance, such as answering an altar call or a baptism, repentance is an ongoing process; we continually turn from sin, back to God.

Repentance is a foundational tenet of our faith; Christ Himself began His earthly ministry preaching repentance: “From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’.” - Matthew 4:17 (NIV). John the Baptist also preached repentance: “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near'.”

Characteristics of True Repentance

Now we’ve laid the foundation by understanding what repentance is, let’s explore some of the characteristics of true repentance. These characteristics separate true vs false repentance, and they also got me to check myself and my motivations. Passages from the Bible will also help bring these to life. In no particular order:

Conviction

Without conviction, there is no real repentance. Conviction pierces our hearts and leads us to recognise our need for forgiveness. Conviction pulls us towards God, and calls us to do right by Him in order to reestablish relationship with Him. Conviction also brings about lasting change. Our souls may feel deeply unsettled until we’ve repented.

Circling back to the story of Zacchaeus, his heart was touched by Christ, leading to conviction to give half of his possessions to the poor and four times the amount to anyone he had cheated of anything. He saw the errors in his ways and immediately sought to make amends. True repentance leads to abhorring sin and analysis of our behaviour in order to change and make amends.

Contrasting this against the story of the rich man, while morally upright and seeking to inherit eternal life, there was no conviction within him: he wasn’t willing to let go of the material possessions, his wealth, that his heart truly valued. Note that while both men encountered Jesus, only one was truly convicted, while the other remained unchanged.

Accountability

A true change of mind and heart is followed by accountability. Repentance involves taking responsibility for our actions and a willingness to face the consequences. We take full ownership of our sins, make no excuses or attempts to shift blame, nor do we minimise them. This accountability opens the door for healing.

We’ll use the tales of two kings to bring this to life: King David and King Saul. Both sinned and both conversed with a prophet, but one tried to justify his sin while the other didn’t.

“Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.’ But Samuel said to him, ‘I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!’”

- 1 Samuel 15:24-26 (NIV)

“Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord’. Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.’”

- 2 Samuel 12:13-14 (NIV)

Both acknowledged sinning against God. Both were filled with regret. But one tried to justify his sin while the other didn’t. In addition to this, Saul’s “repentance” was motivated by what he was losing (see 1 Samuel 15:23) rather than his love for and relationship with God. He was also more concerned about his image (see vs 30), whereas David was only concerned about his relationship with God (see Psalm 51).

Fruit

“So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance”

- Matthew 3:8 (AMP)

A truly repentant heart leads to a changed life characterised by changed habits, priorities, relationships and decisions. True repentance is evidenced. Inward sorrow leads to outward transformation. If our hearts are truly turned back to God, our lives will show it. Just like an apple tree bears apples, a truly repentant heart bears fruit of its kind.

We’ll use the tales of two disciples to bring this to life: Judas Iscariot and Peter. While their acts were different, they both failed Jesus: Judas betrayed Him and got Him captured, Peter denied Him three times. Both felt remorse over their actions, but Judas was riddled with guilt and killed himself, whereas Peter went on to repent and lead the early church.

‘“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility”. So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.’

- Matthew 27:4-5

‘Peter replied, “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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call”.’

- Acts 2:38-39

Godly Sorrow

A key marker of a truly repentant soul is their attitude towards sin. False repentance allows room for nostalgia even when the past times were rooted in sin. Paul tells us that “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” in 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV). Godly sorrow leads to abhorring sin because it offends God and gets in the way of our relationship with Him.

Worldly sorrow fuels false repentance. Rather than a change of heart towards sinful behaviour, it’s the consequences of being caught, shame, fear and an overarching desire to avoid discomfort that’s driving regret. It is self-centred as opposed to God-centered. While there may be charged emotions with false repentance, there is no transformation.

“See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.”

- Hebrews 12:16-17 (NIV)

This scripture speaks of Esau’s worldly sorrow and false repentance. His “repentance” wasn’t fueled by a change of heart towards sin or recognising wrongdoing; rather, it was the longing for the lost blessing. His tears weren’t over the sin; he was sorry about the consequences, not convicted about his actions. He was ultimately rejected.

Contrasting that with the return of the prodigal son, his words were “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” - Luke 15:21 (NIV). He didn’t return to claim his status, but he sought forgiveness humbly. His father was eager to embrace and forgive him, and restore him because of his truly repentant heart.

Concluding

Repentance goes beyond surface-level remorse or change; it’s marked by a heart-level transformation that begins with Godly sorrow. Repentance is also a gift, and we need to keep in mind that repentance is an expression of God’s grace to us. His grace leads to and allows for repentance, but the hallmark of true repentance lies in the direction of our hearts.

In doing this research for last month’s Bible study, and in conversation with my brothers as part of the Bible study, we realised that repentance is an ongoing journey. It’s not a doorway we walk through once when we give our lives to Christ; it’s a constant decision to maintain a heart posture of alignment with God. We have to crucify the flesh daily and surrender constantly.

Today, I encourage you to check your hearts and acknowledge the nature of your repentance. Is it rooted in regret over the consequences of your actions, or is it rooted in Godly sorrow? Has your heart truly been transformed or is it all just lip service? Let this be a gentle call to true repentance so we can walk in the freedom and intimacy with God that it brings.

As always, make a decision that future you will be grateful for.

Have a wonderful July!

CT