Repentance: What It Means to Truly Turn to Jesus
- Genuine repentance shows up as a change in heart and behavior, not just an apology without follow-through.
- Paul’s dramatic turnaround and the Samaritan woman’s immediate witness illustrate how repentance produces visible transformation.
- Baptism pictures death, burial, and resurrection into a new life, and the Holy Spirit helps believers keep changing over time.
What does it mean to repent? We’ve probably all had the experience at some point when somebody hurt us in some way. Somebody did something harmful, and they said they were sorry, but it was obvious that it wasn’t sincere. How did you know it wasn’t sincere? Well, maybe it was in their tone of voice, or perhaps it was because there was no change.
When we repent, there’s change. Repentance means to turn around. We usually say that when we repent, we do a “180.”
Now, we know in other areas of our lives that when a change needs to be made, we can’t keep doing the same things and expect a different outcome. It’s the same thing in our spiritual life. We have to change what we are doing. Repentance means a change in heart and behavior, turning from living to oneself to living for Jesus.
“Repentance means a change in heart and behavior, turning from living to oneself to living for Jesus.”
When I think about change, there are many examples in the Bible that come to mind. But two that are particularly dramatic are Paul and the Samaritan woman. You see, Paul thought he was doing all the right things. He was a warrior for God. He was persecuting the Christians. But then, through a dramatic conversion experience, he realized that he was on the wrong side. In fact, he did a 180 and became a powerful missionary for Christ. 
Then there’s the Samaritan woman. The Samaritan woman had been mired in a series of bad decisions. In fact, it was so bad that she felt like an outcast from her community, and she avoided them. Well, she had an experience with Jesus that completely changed her life. In fact, the change was immediate. She goes back into her community, and she shares the good news that the Messiah is there. They believe her testimony because of that change.
That’s the type of change that we’re talking about here.
So, when we are baptized in the waters of baptism, this is transformational. Jesus was perfect. Jesus was holy. He didn’t need to do anything. He didn’t need to repent. He didn’t need to be baptized. But he chose to be baptized as an example for us.
So, when we’re baptized, we are really taking part in that transformational process as he did, and it mimics the act of death, burial, and resurrection, just as Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice did. When we are buried in the waters of baptism, we are burying our old life. When we come up again, we are a new creation in Christ. How incredible is that?
“When we come up again, we are a new creation in Christ. How incredible is that?”
So, once we’ve repented, how can this be seen in our life? In a previous post, we talked about the impact that it would have on our time, priorities, and money usage. And really, this is a lifelong process of transformation. You know, I talk to people sometimes, and they’re concerned because they feel like they have to have it all together before making this decision. But you don’t. You just have to make the decision. You have to agree that this is necessary. Once you’re baptized, you’re repenting to the best of your ability and the best of your knowledge and making this change.
But just like when we say, “I do,” we do not know fully what we are agreeing to in a marriage. We’ll learn more as we go. And so, this lifelong process of transformation and repentance is something that we’re going to go through time and time again.
But God wants us to succeed. And don’t forget, he gave us that perfect gift of the Holy Spirit to help us along the way.
This is Question #3 in Anessa Westbrook and Michael Strickland’s New Birth: Conversion and Baptism.
For the fuller picture, see Righteousness in the Bible: Meaning, How We Receive It, and How We Live It.
