To Repent - part 1 of 4

Many people have asked for forgiveness from there sin. Unfortunately many that ask don’t even know what sin is, let alone how to define it.

(note see article : What is Sin)

But even with this being the case it doesn’t stop the call for repentance from going out. So what is repentance? Is it simply asking for forgiveness from some sin, or sins in your life? How is it attained? What does it mean to repent? These are the types of questions I hope to address in this article. It is my sincerest hope that after reading this we can all walk away with a better and truer understanding of this subject.

Many out there may think they have a good grasp on repentance, and many will be surprised by what we think we know. I just ask that as you read this, do so with an open mind, and heart. With the mindset of seeking the truth of the matter, and not simply what we want to think.

So lets start of with answering the question, what is repentance? As with most things I think it is important to go back to basics when trying to define a word. Because at the end of the day, we are not trying to see what Americans, or Greeks thought of repentance. We want to know how it is defined in Gods Holy Word!

In order to do this we need to go back to the Hebrew to see what the word truly is. In Hebrew the word most commonly translated as repentance is Tsuv! The first thing we need to recognize is that repentance is a verb, it is an action word. It is something we do. It isn’t a state of mind, or a philosophy, it is an action. We have to understand that to repent is a great thing, but if you do not actually repent then you do not have repentance! That might seem confusing to some but stay with me.

One may ask how can you repent without having repented?

The first thing we need to realize is that if we do not know what we are repenting from how can we call it repentance. We have to have a better understanding of sin, what sin is, and how to define it in our lives. Otherwise we cannot truly call what we do repentance, for they are just empty words.

Second we have to realize that repentance is not a one time thing. Please understand that sin is not a one time thing. So how can repentance be a one time thing? We need to understand what repentance truly is, before we can claim it, or better yet actually do it!

The Hebrew word for Tshuv doesn’t actually mean repentance. You see repentance is an English word with an English definition. But as written before, we are not trying to seek the English definition for repentance. We are trying to understand it from the Holy Scriptures, and in the Holy Scriptures the word Tshuv means to turn or return!!!

One may ask, how in the world does the word for repentance simply mean to return. I thought you had to raise a hand, or walk an isle to do it right. What is all this returning stuff? I have heard many sermons, and in fact given many sermons on repentance in my past, and the basis for most of them is to change our minds. Now this leads us to a problem in most theological circles today.

We have focused so much on feelings, concepts and ideas of the mind, that we have virtually done away with action, and in many cases made the act of following Gods Word a sin. We have gotten so confused, and much of this comes from not understanding, or misunderstanding sin, and repentance. Let me pose a couple of questions.

How can one change there mind, if they do not change there actions?

How can one show that he has changed his mind, if there are no actions that follow?

To change one's mind, or say that we have, is not good enough. It is not simply about changing ones mind. What really matters is not what we say, or think, it is what we do. Remember repentance is not a noun it is a verb, it is something we do!

As we go forth and test these new ideas in Scripture let us pray that our Father gives us His Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and truth. So we may see and walk as our Messiah walked, and be true disciples in the Name of Yeshua (Jesus). May we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the glory of our God