If you missed the previous posts on this subject, you can catch up by clicking the links at the end of this blog.

So, we’ve chosen to disobey God and we now see the error of our ways. How do we get back in the good graces of God? Why did the fish spit Jonah out after he prayed? One word: Repentance.

Let’s start with a definition of repentance. Miriam-Webster defines repentance as “the action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse.” Let’s go deeper and define repent. Repent is to “feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.” Repentance isn’t just being sorry. Repenting is being sorry and making a change, not continuing to repeat the same actions over and over just because we can. We make a true change and a vow to the best of our ability not to repeat the same action.

Think of a time where someone apologized. You thought the person was sincere and meant it, only to find out that they repeated the same action. It reminds me of the old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” God doesn’t want us living this way. He wants us to repent and make a true change. Our actions speak louder than our words. We can’t just say that we are sorry and continue to do the same thing. This is not true repentance.

True repentance is deep remorse and a vow to change. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul gives us an idea of what true repentance, godly repentance is. Paul had to teach the Corinthians some hard truths in his first letter. He addresses this in his second letter to them.

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)

Paul taught the Corinthians harsh truths about the sinful ways they were behaving. Although Paul at first regretted hurting the Corinthian church, he saw that his words brought about true repentance and a “Godly sorrow” that would not have otherwise happened. The “Godly sorrow” is true repentance, the kind of repentance that brings about true change in our lives.

What does true repentance look like? How do we know when we or someone else is truly repentant or truly sorry for an action that has occurred? To begin with, we must confess what we have done, no matter how awful we think it is. We cannot keep secrets from God anyway. He already knows what you have done and is waiting for you to come to him and ask for his forgiveness. Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” If we are willing to confess our sins and what we have done, then “He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Confession is hard though. It goes against our human nature to protect ourselves and our secrets. This brings us to another aspect of repentance. We must be willing to humble ourselves and bow before God showing ourselves to be unworthy of His holiness. After Solomon dedicated the Temple of God in Jerusalem, God appeared to Solomon with a message: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Humility is a strong virtue of God. Who was humbler in this world than our Lord Jesus Christ? We must take on the humility of Jesus and must be willing to humble ourselves before God and others asking for forgiveness when we have been wrong.

We will continue our discussion on true repentance in our next session and finish up the series. See you next week!

In the belly of the fish pt. 1

In the belly of the fish pt. 2

In the belly of the fish pt. 3