J13

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of:
but the sorrow of the world worketh death." 2 Corinthians 7:10

Here we find God's definition of repentance ~ real repentance!
Repentance is a change of mind. The only repentance God asks of the lost
is in the word "believe." Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! When one
believes, there is a change of mind.There is a turning from something to
Someone. Listen to what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: ". . .how ye
turned to God from idols . . ." (1 Thessalonians 1:9) ~ that was a
change of mind. How did it come about? They first turned to Christ. When
Paul had come to them, he hadn't preached against idolatry, he had
preached Christ to them. And they turned to Christ! But they were
idolaters. So when they turned to Christ in faith, they turned from
idols, and that turning from idols was repentance. That is the
repentance of the unsaved ~ it is the repentance to salvation. I don't
know if God wants us to emphasize repentance to the unsaved ~ However,
He does want us to emphasize "Christ"! When they respond to Christ,
there will be a turning point in their lives from their old unbelief to
Christ!

On another note, God does emphasize repentance for the believer if he is
going in the wrong direction, walking in sin. For him there is to be a
turning, a repentance. A lot of people simply shed tears, which may not
indicate true repentance. That kind of sorrow is the sorrow of the world
and works death. They shed a lot of tears and make a big display, but
there is no real repentance. They shed tears, but keep going in the same
direction. True repentance is godly sorrow, which "worketh repentance to
salvation not to be repented of" ~ that is, repentance without regret.
With these Corinthian believers their repentance was real!

I hope God has brought comfort and strength to you to know that you have
a Helper in your Christian life. God Bless You.