Repentance, as a term, means to turn from "something." Most commonly it means from a life of sin. But the term itself does not automatically mean to turn from sin.
he Greek word translated “repentance” is metanoia, and the meaning is simply “a change of mind.”
There are instances where the term "repent" is not referring from sin i.e. fleshy sin.
Jeremiah 26:13 — King James Version (KJV 1900)
13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.
1 Chronicles 21:15 — King James Version (KJV 1900)
15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Joel 2:13 — King James Version (KJV 1900)
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments,
And turn unto the Lord your God:
For he is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness,
And repenteth him of the evil.
So repentance means to change your mind, and that change results in a change in your course of action.
One passage I think is significant to this discussion.
Acts 2:36-38 KJV
36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
This passage is often used to add works to the gospel. Repent here is assumed to mean "stop sinning," and therefore some preach this to mean "stop all your sinning and be baptized..." Yet I do not see this in the context of the passage. Peter is telling them to repent of what they did, namely, repent of your rejection and crucifixion of Jesus who God made both Lord and Christ. Instead, they were to change their mind and course of action and accept Him as Lord and Christ and in fact be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Now of course we are to repent from sin, but that is not the context of this passage. Nobody is suggesting that we should live our lives in sin. But there is error in this interpretation. It is pressed by some to mean that we must repent from sin before or concurrently to having faith to be saved. Ceasing from sin prior to being born again would only prove that you do not have to trust Christ to save you from sin. Romans 3 proves this. If you can cease from sin, then that would prove you can be righteous by the law.
Romans 3:19-20 KJV
19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:28 KJV
28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
The next chapter of Acts shows another example.
Acts 3:13-19 KJV
13. The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15. And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
And I summit the same reasoning here. Peter is not talking about sin, rather he is talking about their rejection and denial that Jesus is the Christ. They were to repent of that denial and reject that resulted in the murder of Jesus.
True repentance from sin can only come after a man is born again and has the seed or nature of God.
1 John 3:9 KJV
9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
The truth being, that before you are born again, you have no capacity to repent from sin, and only afterward is it possible to cease from sin. All to the glory of God.
Peace.
Its meat. What are we focusing on the old man or new man? What was born from above or born again? What is that new man we put on which is after God created in righteousness and true holiness? I am not of this world. I am right now seated in heavenly places and I come always before my Father boldly! I could not ever do this if I am in sin full of sin. Yet Christ already died He can not die again. The sweet sweet holy spirit tied to tell those Jewish believers that when they sinned would try to go up and offer a sacrifice for that sin. He told them there is no more sacrifice for that sin Christ can not died again to do that puts Him to open shame. 
