Defining Repentance

 Sorry, I forgot to post this yesterday after I wrote it and got ahead of myself.

We hear the word "repentance," but do we really understand what it means and how to engage in repentance personally? I am afraid many people have a wrong view of it. They think that repentance is only feeling sorry for doing something wrong. That is good, but it is not really repentance. So what is it?

Daniel explained repentance to the king of Babylon. (Daniel 4:27) He asked King Nebuchadnezzar to please accept his advice. He urged him to stop sinning and to do what is right. He exhorted him to break from his wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps, then he would continue to prosper, instead of having bad things to happen to him. This is a great definition of repentance.

In order to repent correctly, we need to know God's Word and take His directions for us. When we do, we will see our sins. Repentance is when we stop sinning, and we start doing what is right. We decide to change our behavior from doing wrong to doing right with the Lord's help. It is making a "U-turn" in life.

Repentance is breaking with our sinful past, so that we do new things, instead of the old wrong things. We decide to put God's Word into action by being merciful and loving to others. When we make those changes, God will not have to punish us so much for our sins, and He can bless us to prosper in our life. That is why repentance is necessary for all of us.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Daniel 5-7.