Lent is often described as a season of reflection and repentance leading up to Easter . It is a time when Christians intentionally examine their hearts, confess their sins, and seek to realign their lives with God’s will in preparation for the joy of Resurrection Sunday. In this sacred season, we are invited to ponder the true meaning of repentance – a term that runs deep through the Bible – and to experience it in a life-changing way.
Changing Our Mind and Turning Around (Metanoia & Shuv)
In Scripture, repentance carries a rich dual meaning. In the New Testament, the Greek word metanoia literally means a change of mind. It signifies “a profound change of mind and heart” that leads to a transformed life . This isn’t a superficial tweak in thinking, but a complete reorientation – “a complete change of direction, a reorientation of one’s life”toward God . In other words, to repent is to have our mind, heart, and purpose radically changed by God’s truth.
Complementing this, the Old Testament uses the Hebrew word shuv (pr. shoov), which means to turn back or return. Repentance in the Hebrew sense is an about-face – a decisive turning away from sin and a turning toward God . The prophets often implored Israel to shuv – to return to the Lord and leave their sins behind . For instance, the Lord pleads in Joel 2:12-13, “Even now…return to Me with all your heart… Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate” .
Notice the emphasis: true repentance is a wholehearted return to God Himself. It’s not merely about fleeing sin; it’s about running back into the arms of our gracious Father.
Not Just Regret, But a Radical Change
It’s important to understand that repentance is far more than feeling sorry or experiencing regret. The Apostle Paul makes this distinction: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10) . In other words, feeling bad about our actions isn’t the goal in itself. Even Judas felt remorse for betraying Jesus, but his regret led to despair, not to restoration.
True repentance goes beyond mere emotion – it produces a change. Paul says godly sorrow leads to a turning of the heart toward God, whereas worldly sorrow (just feeling guilt or shame) stays self-centered and ultimately brings spiritual death .
Authentic repentance is marked by a change in direction and a new way of living. It bears fruit. John the Baptist echoed this when he urged people to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). In practical terms, if we truly repent, our behavior will begin to align with our changed heart. It might mean cutting off a sinful habit, seeking forgiveness from someone we wronged, or humbly making changes in areas God has pinpointed. This change is so drastic that some have called repentance a “U-turn” of life – a radical 180-degree turn from the path of sin toward the path of God’s righteousness. It is a radical change of both heart and conduct, not a half-hearted apology.
Yet, if we’re honest, this kind of deep change is impossible by our own strength. Our hearts are naturally stubborn. How can we truly turn from sin and toward God in a lasting way? This is where the grace of God enters the scene.
The Holy Spirit – Conviction and Divine Empowerment
The Bible teaches that we cannot truly repent on our own. Repentance itself is a work of grace in our hearts. In fact, Scripture portrays repentance as a gift from God – an act of divine grace, not merely a human effort . It is God who grants repentance by working in our hearts. For example, when the early church saw Gentiles coming to faith, they exclaimed, “So then, even to the Gentiles God has granted repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18) . God graciously opens our eyes to our sin and draws us back to Himself.
How does He do this? Jesus tells us that God works through the Holy Spirit to bring conviction. “When He (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment,” Jesus said (John 16:8) . This means that uneasy feeling in our conscience, that piercing awareness that we have sinned, is actually the Holy Spirit at work. The Spirit lovingly shines light on the darkness in our hearts. This conviction is not about condemning us, but about awakening us – it “leads individuals to recognize their sinfulness and their need for repentance” . Like a spiritual doctor, the Holy Spirit diagnoses the disease of sin in us, so that we can seek the cure of God’s mercy.
Amazingly, the One who convicts us is also the One who enables our response. The same Holy Spirit who convicts our hearts also empowers us to change. We are never asked to repent in our own power. God’s Word reassures us that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just show us what’s wrong; He helps make it right. In the words of one church confession, the Holy Spirit “convicts us of sin, and empowers us to follow God in loving obedience” . In other words, the Spirit who pricks our hearts also gives us the strength to obey. He provides the power to make that 180-degree turn.
Think of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32): he came to his senses about his sin and decided to return home. That “coming to his senses” was like conviction, and the journey back home was done in the hope of his father’s mercy. In our lives, the Spirit brings us to our senses and then gives us the courage and grace to go back to our Father. We depend on the Holy Spirit from start to finish: He initiates repentance in us and then carries us through to actually repent and change. As one Scripture puts it, “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Our willingness to repent and our ability to pursue change are empowered by Him.
Walking in Repentance this Lent
During Lent, we have a special opportunity to practice a lifestyle of repentance. Repentance is not a one-time event at conversion, but an ongoing posture of the heart . Each day, and especially in this season, we deliberately turn our minds and hearts back to God. This might involve times of prayerful self-examination, confessing specific sins and asking God’s forgiveness. It might involve fasting or self-denial that helps us remember to seek God for satisfaction instead of worldly pleasures. All of these practices are ways to say, “Lord, I want to turn away from anything that distracts me from You, and turn back toward You with my whole heart.”
Importantly, as we engage in repentance, we do so with hope and trust in God’s mercy. Joel’s call to Israel to return was grounded in God’s character: “Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate” (Joel 2:13) . We repent because God is merciful and ready to forgive, not because He is eager to punish. God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). When the Holy Spirit convicts you of a sin during this Lenten journey, do not despair – thank God that His Spirit is working in you, and ask Him for the grace to change. He will gladly give it!
Each act of repentance during Lent — each time we say “no” to sin and “yes” to God — prepares our hearts to celebrate Easter with deeper joy. We remember that Jesus died and rose to free us from sin, and true repentance is our response to that gospel. It’s how we step into the freedom Christ purchased for us. Through the Holy Spirit, we “put to death” old habits and rise anew with Christ (Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:1-5). In this way, repentance brings refreshment and renewal. As Acts 3:19 promises, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” When we turn back to God, He restores and refreshes us.
Take comfort that repentance is a journey—a daily drawing nearer to God. In Lent, we simply give it special attention. And through it all, from first conviction to final change, God’s Spirit is with us and in us. He holds our hand as we turn around.
Prayer
Gracious Father, thank You for loving us enough to call us to repentance. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who convicts our hearts and shows us our sin. We confess that on our own we are powerless to change. Please forgive us for our sins and idols. By Your Holy Spirit, change our minds where we have thought wrongly and turn our hearts fully back to You. Empower us to walk in new obedience. During this Lenten season, we want to return to You with all our hearts. Help us to experience true metanoia – a complete change of mind and direction – and to shuv – to turn away from every sin and run toward You. We rely on Your grace from start to finish. Thank You that you are gracious and compassionate, ready to welcome us as we return. Renew us and prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter, that we may celebrate the resurrection with clean hands and a pure heart. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
