REPENTANCE
Repentance is regret over something bad or wrong that a person has done; whole-hearted regret over sin. Although this definition is absolutely correct, repentance is extremely significant and complex in practice, and causes complete change in a person's behaviour.
The definition may be somewhat abstract, but it's end results are real. And it is precisely in the end results of "repentance" that we identify the difference between repentance and a very similar feeling - remorse.
Many people are tricked into feelings of remorse instead of an attitude of repentance. When a person truly repents of his sin, he never commits that sin again; however, when a person is remorseful for his sin he will normally continue to commit that same sin again and again, only stopping when he finally repents.
That was the case of Judas Iscariot, who was remorseful at having betrayed the Lord Jesus. It says,
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.
Matthew 27.3
Since remorse is nothing more than a feeling of guilt, it causes discomfort for a short period of time and is soon forgotten - nothing else.
Repentance, on the other hand, demands that a person make changes in his behaviour, to correct what is wrong.
CHARACTERISTICS OF REPENTANCE
1. Acknowledge sin - In order for a person to repent, he must first acknowledge sin's existence and take responsibility for it, and then find out why he did what he did and when it began.
Many people try to maintain a clean conscience by simply ignoring their wrongs. But are little do these people know that their actions are being helped along by devil himself, their sins they'll be prone to repeat then over and over again.
One of the most difficult exercises is to admit your own sins and mistakes. When a person admits his sin it is because the Holy Spirit is working in him, convicting him of his wrong, for Bible says, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16.8).
Many people try to maintain a clean conscience by simply ignoring their wrongs. But are little do these people know that their actions are being helped along by devil himself, their sins they'll be prone to repeat then over and over again.
One of the most difficult exercises is to admit your own sins and mistakes. When a person admits his sin it is because the Holy Spirit is working in him, convicting him of his wrong, for Bible says, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16.8).
2. Confess sin - After acknowledging the existence of sin, a person must immediately confess it so that it can be cancelled out. the Bible says: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1.9).
If we acknowledge a sin but do not confess it, it remains hidden in our hearts and will end up attraction others sins. It is like a demon which, after entering a person's life, calls others demons worse than himself to join him in that life.
3. Hate sin - If a person commits sin, then admits it's existence and confesses it, but does not take the further step to hate it, that sin is guaranteed to knock on the door of his heart again, in an attempt to whom its way into his life.
A person is truly repentant when he hates and abandons his sin, for "sin shall not have dominion over you" (Romans 6.14). For this reason we must never allow sin to seduce and deceive us.
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