What Does Repentance Look Like?

“God will give ear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, because they do not change and do not fear God” Psalm 55:19.

The hallmark of the righteous is that unlike the wicked we are always changing our ways, as implied in the above passage. We are ever being transformed from glory to glory.

Another way to say this is that we are making repentance a lifestyle. But what does repentance look like?

2 Corinthians 3: 18 tells us: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit”.

To read this entire Psalm for context, click here.

And Romans 12: 2 says “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”.

What Does Repentance Look Like?

One reason the righteous are transformed is that every time we resist temptation, which is an important task of the righteous we get a little stronger in that area until eventually we are mature and complete in that area (James 1: 2-4).

If we’re tempted it’s because we have a weakness in that area. I’m never tempted to rob a bank because that’s not a weakness for me. I am tempted to be afraid sometimes because that is a weakness.

So, if we’re tempted in an area, it’s because it’s a weakness. And yet God takes that weakness and transforms it into a strength as we resist temptation.

The temptation is less intense, and comes less frequently each time we say no to it. Until eventually it goes away completely.

The Relationship Between Fearing God and Repentance

As our verse implies, the reason the righteous change or repent or are transformed is because we fear God. (That’s why we resist temptation). But ironically, all this changing is actually making us more stable, steadfast and less prone to change.

A mature and complete person is the same in every circumstance and is not like the “waves of the sea, driven and tossed by the winds” of circumstance (James 1: 6).

In fact, they are like Jesus, who is “the same yesterday, today and forever” Hebrews 13: 8.

Proverbs 4: 18, 19 tells us “the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day but the way of the wicked is like deep darkness. . . “

This passage also conveys the idea that the righteous are changing, growing and becoming brighter and brighter.

Proverbs 26: 11 tells us a person who never changes, or repents, but continually commits the same sin over and over is “like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly”.

Here are some of the reasons we give for not changing:

• It’s too hard
• God understands
• Everyone does it
• I can’t help it
• I’m not as bad as _________

But God in our passage simply and succinctly says it’s because we don’t fear Him. And I might add, we may not even know Him.

Why Repentance Is Important

If we think He overlooks our sin, and doesn’t think it’s a big deal it’s because we don’t know the truth about God and His ways. Because sin brings destruction and suffering. And this is why Jesus came to deliver us from it.

The goal of the Christian life is to become like Christ. Or, to be filled to an ever increasing degree with the Spirit. So if we’re not making progress toward this end, it must be because we’re not saying no to sin.

And if we’re honest, we don’t do this because we don’t fear God.

God doesn’t expect us to become mature in a day or a week or a year. But He does expect us to continually be making progress.

We stop changing, repenting or being transformed when we begin to excuse, justify and rationalize our sin rather than hate it and deal with it.

We are forgiven of our sin only as we repent of it. To repent means to change our mind about it, and therefore turn from it. And if we’re not forgiven, we will be judged for sin we’re not forgiven of.

The Christian life is one of continual transformation or repentance or change. To read another post related to What Does Repentance Look Like? see Why You Should Judge Yourself.