How do you repent?

My telling God I am sorry, taking part in sacramental confession, and through my act of contrition, vowing to turn away from those sins I have confessed.

Turn around and walk away from sin. We are never free from the battle between the old man of the flesh and our spirit that God gives us, making us new creatures in Christ. Continue to fight the good fight of faith so that you can say that you overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony - that of fighting and not laying down in sin.

Ga 5:16 So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Re 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

lovespeace said:

This topic, (except for the need of doing it generically), is not talked about much at Church. I am just curious the nitty gritty of how people do it in real like. What has worked for you in the past? How has the Lord taught you and kept you growing through repentance? Thanks.

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Read the story of Nebuchadnezer. Read how "doubting" Thomas repented when he at last saw Jesus and said: "My Lord and My God."

Of course there are many other examples, Even Paul on the road to Damascus. Peter when he was confronted by Paul for his teaching on the circumcision.

Examples of people who did not repent were King Saul, Judas and Annanias and Sapphira.

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

Although I always seem to be apologizing to the Lord throughout my day *shrug*, the highlight of my week is Confession. I sit eye-to-eye with my priest, who has been there with holy and non-judgemental guidance through all of my struggles. We examine my sins together, cry together when I fail, and celebrate together when I succeed. Then we pray, offer it up to Jesus, and look forward to the next victory over Satan.

I turn from my sin. I ask God for a clean heart. I ask that I would loathe my sin increasingly in the way that God loathes it. I actively loathe my sin. I plead for grace to walk according to the Spirit. I put my flesh to death. I die to myself daily. I fight my flesh with the Word of God (see raphe's post above).

May God give us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us as we trust in Jesus alone for mercy.

Ben

Ask for forgivness for my sins and the strength to avoid committing them again.

Pray for forgiveness, resolve not to do the sin again, and do my best to never do it again. If I have trouble with turning from it, I pray lots for help in turning away.

To this day, I am amazed at the things I used to do routinely that I do not do anymore. Thank you Jesus!

Repentance with Godly sorrow and repentance with a worldly sorrow

True Repentance--the only kind that will ultimately matter--is a gift of God. Both true faith and true repentance exist in the heart that has been regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit. This regeneration is what Jesus spoke of when He said, "except a man be born again, he cannot see..." It is as the Holy Spirit miraculously gives them birth that they see, truly repent, and truly believe. Repentance, therefore, is more a gift that God gives rather than a ritual that men perform.

That you ask such a question, however, indicates that God has placed you in the way--on a path--which ultimately will issue in that gift being given you. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the God of all grace and the Father of mercies. Therefore seek these gifts earnestly from Him and do not be content with performing some ritual men may require of you. Pray as the psalmist prayed, "Why have you hardened our hearts from your fear? Turn us again, oh God. Turn us and we shall be turned." Repentance is at times expressed as a turning about. It is a change of mind which brings a person's mind into agreement with God, turning him/her from rebellion against God to agreement with and love of God.

The Holy Spirit uses the preaching of the gospel and His word as tools in performing His work of regeneration. Therefore, diligently seek to sit before ministers who are faithful in preaching the excellencies of Christ and the riches of His grace, and carefully read the scriptures, especially the gospels, with an awareness that the things you see in the Lord Jesus are also the things that can be seen in the Father because Jesus is exactly like the Father is. Do you see compassion in Jesus when you notice that He never turned anyone away who came to Him in need? Well, the Father is that way also. Do you see forgiveness in Jesus when He says to people time after time, "thy sins be forgiven thee"? Well, the Father is also forgiving.

As you sit before the preached word and as you read it, remember with every word that Jesus came to "call sinners; "to seek and to save that which was lost;" remember that He came "not to call the righteous [that is, those who considered themselves okay] but sinners to repentance."

Placing trust in Jesus is the same as having faith in Him. It is as we learn of Him that we come to trust Him because He is ALTOGETHER WORTHY of our placing our confidence in Him. Who else could we rely upon? Our only other choice is to hope that we in ourselves are good enough for God; but NONE OF US MEET THE STANDARD GOD REQUIRES. Only Jesus has met that standard, but when we realize that there is salvation in and through Him, when we understand that He clothes those who cast all their hope in Him, clothing them with HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, we begin to truly turn away from rebellion against Him. We begin to cast ourselves upon Him, casting away all hope in any SUPPOSED righteousness of our own (for none of us have ANY).

lovespeace said:

This topic, (except for the need of doing it generically), is not talked about much at Church. I am just curious the nitty gritty of how people do it in real like. What has worked for you in the past? How has the Lord taught you and kept you growing through repentance? Thanks.

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like the alcoholic who isnt...
you have to own up to whatever it is you repent of...in its real terms..
then if you really repent of it you will never do it again...probably

admit and quit...a bit of a turnround really

"to turn away from sin, or do penitence"....the operative or for penitence may be decided for you, and not just take a 100 lines and stay after school..it may be putting right something which you put wrong...asking others for forgiveness and saying you were wrong..even if you thought you were right..if it led to sin...its a dynamic thing...the D on the dunce's cap means do something positive about it.

When I repent, I really try to turn away from that sin...and I ask God to help me. I also believe if I have to "undo" what I did, I must do so to be truly repentant. For example, if I wanted to break up a friendship by spreading gossip about someone, I can't just ask for forgiveness...I must own up to what I did and go the extra mile to patch things up before my repentance is fulfilled. I also believe I have to be forgivable, otherwise I'm causing someone else to sin by being unforgiving. This means I can't apologize and act like what I did was no biggy...it would be hard for someone to accept my apology. I have to humble myself, eat crow, and show true regret for my apology to be accepted and my act forgiven.

InnerPhyre said:

My telling God I am sorry, taking part in sacramental confession, and through my act of contrition, vowing to turn away from those sins I have confessed.

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lovespeace said:

How do you repent? . . .

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The same way we receive ANY Grace from God: we ask for it in prayer, in Jesus' Name, and then receive it, by Faith, nothing doubting, and then thank and praise Him for it every time it comes to mind.

bj

lovespeace said:

This topic, (except for the need of doing it generically), is not talked about much at Church. I am just curious the nitty gritty of how people do it in real like.

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I read a few of the posts and I think something is missing here. We're addressing repenting before God, but most sin also involves another human being. If we don't repent toward them as well by doing what we can to undo the harm we've caused and asking for forgiveness for our actions, how much have we really turned away from the sin?

I think that we'd all agree that a thief isn't repenting too much if he keeps the money. And then there's Matthew 5:23-24: "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

Peace,
Jaywalk