- Sin now, repent later.
- Upon repentance, God will forgive. That’s all. No need to do anything else.
- Crying or hurting one’s body is always an act of contrition.
- Believing that God will always forgive, there’s no need to correct his past sins.
- After asking God’s forgiveness, the forgiveness of people to whom sin was done is not necessary.
- God loves the world; no need to repent.
Biblical Steps to Repentance
So, here are the biblical steps to repentance:
- Recognition of Sin. Before we can repent from sin, we must first realize that we are sinners, we acknowledge our sins, and we need to repent (Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32; Matthew 9:12-13).
- Confession of Sin. We must honestly confess our sins (Mark 1:4-5). Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper (Proverbs 28:13).
- Who can forgive sins but God alone? (Mark 2:7). Hence, we confess sins directly to God. He is the only One who blots out our transgressions and remembers our sins no more (Isaiah 43:25).
- It is appropriate for us to openly confess what we have done (Acts 19:18).
- Confession is still part of repentance, if we sin after conversion. God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
- Moreover, there are times that we need to confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (James 5:16).
- Contrition for Sin. With confession, there must a genuine sorrow for sins committed. It brings repentance that leads to salvation and leads no regret (2 Corinthians 7:10). It is called a sacrifice by having a broken spirit (a broken and contrite heart), which God will not despise (Psalm 51:17).
- Decision to Forsake Sin. We must both confess and forsake sin in order to obtain mercy (Proverbs 28:13). Our lives must change (Luke 3:7-8) by demonstrating our repentance by our actions (Acts 26:20).
- Restitution. As part of forsaking sin and as true repentant persons, we will seek to correct the impact of our past sins upon others to the extent possible. This is called restitution, like what Zacchaeus did (Luke 19:8). If we have wronged others, we will seek their forgiveness. If we have harmed someone by lying or gossiping, we will seek to repair the damage done and set the record straight. If we enter our place of worship and, about to make an offering, we suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against us, abandon our offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, we come back and work things out with God (Matthew 5:23-24).
The Source of Repentance
- God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance (Romans 2:4).
- God brings repentance that leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10).
- God grants repentance that leads to life (Acts 11:18).
- God grants repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 2:25).