What is the Biblical Definition of Repentance of Sin?

REPENTANCE IS an important theme in the Bible which a Christian must understand. Sinners who hear the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ need to repent of their sins.

Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of attitude through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Without the enablement of the Holy Spirit no one can genuinely turn from sin to righteousness.

Thus, to repent of sin is to turn from darkness to light or to turn from sin to righteousness. It also means to turn from following Satan to following God.

Usually, when a sinner hears the Word of truth that saves him from sin by the power of the Holy Spirit, he realises the situation in which he finds himself.

And he says vocally or silently to himself, “I have sinned” or “I am a helpless sinner who needs a Saviour.” And sometimes he adds: “What shall I do?”

We read an example of this in Acts Chapter Two when Peter preached to the Jewish people in Jerusalem.

“Now when they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ (Acts 2:37).

A true Christian does not live his life; he lives the life of Christ. The Bible says a Christian’s life is hidden with Christ in God, and Christ becomes his life (Colossians 3:3-4).

This happens because the Spirit of Christ takes over the believer’s life as he is crucified with Christ, allowing Christ to have supremacy over his life.

This means we cannot repent and confess our sins to God with a desire to continue practicing sin. If we have known the truth, who is Christ to set us free from the slavery of sin, we must live victorious life over sin by the grace of the Lord.

Grace came because of righteousness in Christ Jesus. We Christians may be tempted to sin, but we are no longer slaves to sin to be under its control.

By James Quansah