A Key Sign of True Repentance

Beloved Kinney,

One of the most basic, ongoing actions of the Christian life is repentance. We must be a
people who regularly repent of sin, which means, we confess our sin to God (and
others we sinned against, if necessary), ask forgiveness, and turn from our sin.

As I’ve grown as a Christian and helped other Christians in their walk with Christ, I’ve
been able to observe the kinds of dispositions and demeanors of a truly repentant
person. Here are some questions I might ask to draw out true repentance…

1. Are you naming your sin as sin, or are you spinning it or excusing it?
2. Are you demonstrating a "godly sorrow" (2 Cor. 7:10), which is to say, a
grief chiefly about the sin itself, not just a grief about being caught or
having to deal with the consequences of sin?
3. Did you confess your sin before you were caught or before the
circumstantial consequences of your sin caught up with you?
4. If your sin was found out, did you confess immediately or very soon
after and "come clean," rather than having to have the full truth pulled
from you?
5. Are you patient with those you’ve hurt or victimized?
6. Are you willing to confess your sin even in the face of serious
consequences?
7. Are you doing anything that reveals a resentment of accountability,
pastoral rebuke, or church discipline?
8. Are you demonstrating humility and teachabilty?

These are important questions to consider. But one often neglected and key sign of true
repentance can be summed up in one word: earnestness. Listen to how Paul puts it in 2
Cor. 7:10-11, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without
regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. See what earnestness this godly grief has
produced in you…”

Chris Brauns, pastor and author, wrote an article called, “How Do We Know If
Repentance is Genuine?” Here’s what he says, “A careful study of this passage [2 Cor.
7] shows that the central quality of authentic repentance is that it features earnest
productivity.” (https://www.crossway.org/articles/how-do-we-know-if-repentance-is-
genuine/) It is a word that “connotes the idea of eagerness or diligence in carrying out a
commitment or responding to a need.”

He continues…
"One of the most striking things I have observed as a pastor is the
contrast between the short life of worldly sorrow compared with the
earnest productivity of true repentance. Whenever I first meet someone
who is guilty of a serious offense, even after over thirty years of pastoral
experience, I cannot reliably determine if they are truly sorry, particularly if
the individual has been caught in sin rather than coming forward. Usually,
there are lots of tears. Most people feel bad when they have made a big
mistake. But if the grief is not true repentance, then soon enough it
becomes clear. Such a person weeps many tears but is unwilling to follow
through with something as basic as church attendance, much less
memorizing and studying relevant Scripture. And it can be breathtaking
how quickly someone who has committed a grave offense begins to
criticize a local church. So often the speech goes something like, 'Well, I
know that I messed up, but I just thought God’s people would be more
loving' or 'I shouldn’t have done it, but everyone is being too heavy-
handed.'"

In contrast, Brauns says, “the earnestness of those who are truly repentant shows itself
across years and decades.”

Kinney, if you find your heart dull to any sin lingering in your heart and life, take earnest
action against it! Don’t minimize it. Show forth your repentance in earnest productivity.

Love,
Pastor Josh