Characteristics of Biblical Repentance

The sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation.
—2 Corinthians 7:10

The second step that leads to a homecoming with our heavenly Father is repentance. The Greek word for “repent” means to have a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. A few years ago, Amy and I were celebrating her parents’ anniversary, and we stayed in rustic cabins in the middle of nowhere. One day we were going to dinner at a well-known barbecue place, so we all got in our cars and started driving. Her parents drove faster than I did and soon we were lost. Now, you know how we males are; we think if we go long enough in the wrong direction, it will become the right direction. But a near-empty gas tank convinced me it was time to make a change. So what did I do? I realized I was lost. I put my foot on the brake. I did a U-turn, and then I drove in a new direction. In other words, I repented. It was a deliberate decision that led to a definitive action.

I want to give you four characteristics of genuine biblical repentance. First, true repentance should not be confused with grief. A man had been in an extramarital affair, and one night his wife overheard him talking to his mistress on the phone and filed for divorce. He was filled with grief over the breakup of his marriage, but he did not end the affair. His repentance was not enough to change his actions. You see, true repentance does not just lead to sorrow; it leads to a deliberate action, to a U-turn.

Second, true repentance never leaves a residue of regret. One reason you may be hesitant to come home from the far country is the regret you think you will experience once you do. But Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7:10 that godly sorrow produces “a repentance without regret.” When I finally made the U-turn and started driving in the right direction, a surge of relief came over me. I knew I was going in the right direction. It’s the same way with true repentance. When you turn around and start moving back toward God, you won’t have any regret.

Third, true repentance is a gift from God. The Bible says in Luke 15:17 after a long time in the far country, the prodigal son finally came to his senses. It’s crazy that the son of a wealthy landowner would be in the far country feeding pigs. And it is crazy for us to be estranged from the One who created us, who loves us, who wants nothing but good for us. But the only way we will ever come to our senses is by God’s grace.

Finally, true repentance always results in definitive action. After the prodigal son came to his senses, he came up with a plan. He said, “I will get up and go to my father.” Think what his plan entailed. It meant the prodigal son had to quit his job. He had to make arrangement to travel back home. He had to prepare a speech to give to his father. But he was willing to do all those things because he was sick and tired of living in the far country.

What about you? Do you have the sense that all is not right between you and God? Are you ready to come back home again? You know the old saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” For you that single step might be breaking off that immoral relationship. It might mean giving up the job you know is eroding your relationship with God. It might mean saying no to the addiction that is destroying you. If you’re willing to make that U-turn and take that first step toward God, you will find a surprising joy awaiting you at the end of the journey.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “The Journey Home” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2009.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.