Interesting

Repentance, it seems, has morphed into lots of things that have nothing to do with its Biblical meaning. In the New Testament, the original Greek word translated "repentance" is μετάνοια (metanoia). It simply means that our mind or inner person changes - including what we think, perceive and believe - so that we then act differently.

More often than not, repentance today focuses on outer behavior - stop sinning, change direction, make some outward verbal profession of regret, etc. - while missing the core idea: In true repentance, outward change results from inner change. If we make repentance all about outward change, without letting the Lord truly change us on the inside, we are left with a works oriented gospel - where it is all up to us to obey and do good works based on our own views of right and wrong, through our own strength and ability.

If we make repentance, however, all about inner change, we are left with an existential gospel, where it is all about us - without allowing the external fruit of obedience and good works to naturally follow. Unfortunately, many focus on the outward component of repentance because we have lost the art of helping each other expose to the Lord the broken places in our lives, so He can then change how we think, perceive and believe.

That is true repentance: Owning and presenting to the Lord who we honestly are, so we can then let Him change us into who He created us to be. He seldom takes the broken places and hurts in our lives and gives us His healing truth - about who we really are, His perspective on our past, and His purpose in our current circumstances - unless we give them to Him.

However, we can't give them to Him unless we own them, and we can't own them unless we stop avoiding them and all the internalized lies, regrets and offenses that have become bundled up with them. There are few who are willing to go to the broken places and hurts in their lives and truly own it, give it to Him, and let Him give them His redeeming truths in return.

In our fellowships, learning to be there for each other as we get to the broken places in our lives, so we can then find authentic freedom in Him, has been critical for finding true freedom and healthy community.