Repentance pt 1
Many of us have negative connotations of the word repentance. You may have grown up Catholic (like me) and automatically think of penance when you hear repentance. The original meaning of the word repentance is quite different though from saying five Hail Mary and five Our Father prayers. The Greek word used in the original New Testament is Metanoia - Meta is one of the roots of metamorphous (change), and noia is one of the roots of Paranoia (noia means mindset, para means outside - so a paranoid person is someone with a mindset outside normal). Repentance is about changing our mindset; in the original context this also infers a resulting change of action. A change is mindset that does not result in a change of action is dubious (similar to how James talks about faith being shown through works).
“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:37-38 ESV
http://bible.com/59/act.2.37-38.esv
At the end of Peters speech at Pentecost he gives two commands to help the crowd with their sin, and repentance is the first. In order to turn towards Jesus and the forgiveness of our sins, we must turn always from the world. I understand repentance to be changing my values to align with what Jesus preached rather than what I naturally want - or what I am surrounded by. The following scripture makes much more sense when we look at repentance in these terms rather than a "punishment" that we need to inflict on ourselves in order to pay for sin (penance):
“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."”
Mark 1:14-15 ESV
http://bible.com/59/mrk.1.14-15.esv
Jesus early in his ministry was preaching good news (this is what gospel is), it would be completely senseless to take his message as "punish yourself with worldly sorrow and believe in the good news". Even after his resurrection, he commands his disciples to spread the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins:
“and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."”
Luke 24:47-49 ESV
http://bible.com/59/luk.24.47-49.esv
When we repent and change our mindset, we are naturally going to feel sorrow for the way that we were living previously. This is not a sorrow that is because we were "found out" in our sin, but a sorrow when we realize God's standard and how far we have missed it by. For example, a thief who is caught in steeling may feel sorrow for being caught but not feel sorrow for stealing. This is like the comparison between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Paul explains the difference between the two types of sorrow in relation to the repentance that the church in Corinth underwent between 1 and 2 Corinthians.
“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.”
2 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV
http://bible.com/59/2co.7.10-11.esv
Godly sorrow produces the desire to change. We will look more at repentance tomorrow.
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