The Meaning of Repentance

The Meaning of Repentance

Matt 3:1 Now in those days John the Baptist appeared,
preaching in the wilderness of Judea (2) And saying, Repent,
for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.
 

The first significant word in [Matthew 3:2] is the word
"repent." John began his ministry with this word. To repent is
to have a change of mind issuing in regret, to have a turn in
purpose. In Greek the word translated repent means to have a
change of mind. To repent is to have a change in our thinking,
our philosophy, our logic....Before we were saved, we all were
under the direction of our fallen mentality. We were far away
from God, and our life was in direct opposition to His will.
Under the influence of our fallen mentality, we went farther
and farther astray from God. But one day we heard the
preaching of the gospel telling us to repent, to have a turn
in our thinking, philosophy, and logic.

This was just my experience when I was saved. I was like a
young horse running in my own direction. Actually I was not
taking my direction, but the Devil's direction, for the Devil
was directing me through my fallen mentality, driving me far
away from God. But one day I heard the call to repent--to have
a change in my philosophy, to have a change in my logic and
thought. Praise the Lord, I underwent a great change!...All
[believers] have made this kind of turn, which is called
conversion. When we were converted, we turned our back upon
our past and turned our face to God. This is what it means to
repent, to experience a change of our mind.