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Repentance is something we should be doing throughout the year, but the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur are a special time to focus on repentance.
Repentance means turning ‑ turning away from sin and turning to God. It involves rejecting wrong thinking, wrong attitudes and behaviors, and embracing right thinking, right attitudes and behaviors.
True repentance is not just moral reform but turning to God Himself, on His terms ‑ and His terms demand loyalty to Yeshua the Messiah. Loyalty to the Son of God is not optional. It’s essential to repentance.
Repentance is relational. God is not an impersonal force but a living person with mind, will, and emotion. He loves and hates, is pleased and grieved. Just as we apologize to a person we offend, repentance means turning to the Supreme Person, admitting our offenses, and seeking His forgiveness. Ceremonies or rituals can’t substitute for this personal turning of heart and mind to God.
Repentance involves changing our thinking. Our thoughts, which were wrong, must be aligned with God’s truth. For example, if God says sex outside of marriage is sin, and pornography is a sin, then we must agree. If He declares the unborn child to be a human life, then we must embrace His view. And once our thinking changes, our behavior must follow.
Confession, acknowledging our sins and failures, agreeing with God that our thoughts, words, and actions have been wrong – is part of repentance. Confession of our sins includes sins of commission (doing what we shouldn’t do) and sins of omission (failing to do what we should do). For example, God commands His people to boldly share the Good News. Neglecting this is a sin of omission.
The opposite of confession is denial ‑ ignoring or excusing our sins. If we silence our conscience, justify our sinful behavior, or treat sin as “small,” we are not repentant. Real repentance acknowledges sin for what it is.
We begin our relationship with God with repentance, and we maintain our relationship with God with repentance. It’s not a one‑time act but an ongoing process. The reality is that we sin often, in thought, word, and deed. We fail to do what we should, and we do what we shouldn’t. Repentance must therefore be continual, not reserved for special times like the days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, but whenever we become aware of sin in our lives.
As soon as we realize we have sinned, we turn to God, confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness. We thank God that abundant forgiveness is available because of Yeshua’s sacrifice. We ask God to restore us and strengthen us so we don’t repeat that sin again. And we hold onto His wonderful promise: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness ‑ from everything we’ve done that is wrong.
There is insincere or false repentance, and there is real repentance. How do we know if our repentance is real? Real repentance produces fruit ‑ evidence, results, like:
Closeness With God: Sin alienates us from God, but repentance restores intimacy. We enjoy God’s presence, hear His voice more clearly, and experience closer communion with Him.
A Clean Conscience: We no longer live under the weight of guilt and shame. Instead, we walk in the freedom of forgiveness, unburdened, confident that nothing is hindering our relationship with God.
Joy: David prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” When repentance removes the alienation of sin, joy returns – and not only joy. The Spirit of God works more freely in a repentant life, producing the other fruits of the Spirit: love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‑control.
Transformation Of Character: Repentance leads to inner change. We become less selfish, more humble, more patient, more compassionate, kinder ‑ more like Messiah.
A Desire To Reconcile With Others: Repentance softens our hearts toward those we’ve hurt. When we understand that God has forgiven us our sins, which are many ‑ we’re inspired to forgive those who have sinned against us. When possible, we seek to make things right, offering apologies and make restitution.
Obedience And Good Works: Genuine repentance doesn’t stop with feelings of regret. It results in action. We begin to live differently. We turn from sinful habits and actively pursue righteousness and serving the Lord. Repentance stirs in us a desire to share the Good News and build Messiah’s Community. God-honoring living, evangelism and loving our brothers and sisters flow naturally from a repentant heart.
True repentance is not just words or feelings. It’s evidenced by a transformed life. We should examine ourselves and ask: Am I closer to God, freer from sin, and more fruitful in His service? If so, our repentance is real. If not, we must return again to Him with honesty and humility and confession.
Repentance is essential and freeing and life‑giving. May God work in us so we are the most repentant people on Earth.