What is the purpose of repentance?

Quick Answer: What is the purpose of repentance? Repentance for salvation is a change of mind from unbelief to belief in Jesus (Acts 19:4; John 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-9). After salvation, repentance becomes about maturing in the faith through an exchange of sinful mindsets and behaviors for righteous mindsets and behaviors (Romans 6:2, 12, 18). For the believer, repentance from sins doesn’t make us more forgiven by God, but it does help us to express more fully our new identity in Christ.

Diving Deeper: The Gospel requires repentance from unbelief and a turning toward belief in Jesus for salvation. However, we continue to repent (change our minds) even after we are saved.

What exactly does the term “repentance” mean? There are three primary Greek words in the New Testament used to describe repentance: the noun “metanoia”, its corresponding verb form “metanoeo”, and the verb “metamelomai.” The first two forms (“metanoia” and “metanoeo”) describe a change of belief about something, while “metamelomai” expresses regret about an event. In other words, the first two forms express repentance unto salvation, while the third form relates to an experience of regret usually followed by a behavior change.

Scripture teaches we are to repent by going from a mindset of unbelief in Jesus to one of belief in Him in order to be saved. This is the type of repentance we see in passages associated with salvation (Acts 19:4; John 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-9). However, “metamelomai” is a different repentance that speaks of intense emotions of regret over a certain action. For example, this verb describes Judas Iscariot’s mindset in Matthew 27:3. Judas repents, or regrets, his decision to betray Jesus. Yet this was not a repentance which led to salvation (John 17:12). He experienced emotional regret over an action, without belief unto salvation.

The two different types of repentance are important to stress, since some purport that a hardcore repentance from all of one’s sinful behaviors (followed by continued obedience) is necessary for true salvation. This does not hold up to Scriptural scrutiny. Remember that it is our belief in Jesus Christ, not our behavior reform, that saves us.

In short, we see two primary types of repentance: repentance for salvation and repentance which leads to a change in behavior (after salvation). Yet we don’t find a New Testament passage that associates salvation with the behavior-change type of repentance. Note that Revelation 2:5 where Jesus tells the church in Ephesus to repent and “do the things” they did “at first”  is an example of behavior change after salvation.

In summary, you’re saved when you repent and believe in the identity and work of Jesus Christ, not when you regret or change an action. However, after salvation, we are called to be transformed by the ongoing renewal of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). This is a repentance that leads to more fulfillment, not salvation.

Let’s Make It a Conversation!
1. How have you understood the idea of repentance, before and after salvation?
2. How does distinguishing the two types of repentance help you get clarity?
3. React to this statement: The believer repents for more fulfillment, not more forgiveness.