What Is Repentance?

What Is Repentance? offers a concise introduction to the biblical doctrine of repentance, exploring its meaning, its place in Scripture, and its significance for the Christian life.

Dr. R.C. Sproul begins by examining the Greek term metanoia, showing that repentance involves not merely an intellectual shift but a profound change of mind and heart with respect to one’s behavior before God. He traces the concept through the Old Testament, distinguishing between cultic or ritualistic repentance—expressed through fasting, sackcloth, lament, and penitential psalms—and the deeper, prophetic call to inward transformation that the rituals were meant to reflect.

Sproul gives careful attention to Psalm 51 as a model of genuine confession and to the book of Joel as a picture of corporate repentance. He then considers the relationship between regeneration and repentance, showing that true repentance is not something sinners produce on their own but a gift of God’s grace, made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit in raising spiritually dead people to new life. Throughout, the book connects repentance to the Apostolic preaching of the gospel and to the ongoing life of the church.

Part of the Crucial Questions series, this booklet is designed for personal study, small groups, and conversations with those exploring the Christian faith.

Key Themes

• The biblical meaning of metanoia as a change of mind, heart, and behavior
• Old Testament expressions of repentance in Israel’s worship and prophetic tradition
• The relationship between regeneration and the gift of repentance
• The distinction between outward ritual and genuine inward sorrow for sin

Featured Quotes

“Not only does God want the truth from us, He wants it from deep within us.”

“True repentance is not simply a religious ritual or the resolve to do better next time.”