What is Repentance

Repentance is a journey of self-awareness and spiritual awakening. It begins with recognizing who you truly are as a created being and understanding your place in relation to the world around you. This awareness leads to life for those who pursue it, while those who remain unaware face spiritual death.

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humanity became aware of a fundamental truth: though we are made in God’s image, we are also of this earth. We were formed from the dust, and to dust we will return. God breathed life into us, yet we are not God. Our earthly nature must be subdued.

Without restraint, that nature leads us into sin—not merely the capacity for evil, but the act of it, as seen in Cain. God warned Cain in Genesis 4:7: sin is crouching at the door, eager to master us, and we must master it instead. Our actions matter. As long as we live in these mortal bodies, sin remains ever-present, waiting to dominate.

The knowledge of good and evil awakened the need for self-awareness: to recognize who we truly are as created beings, to understand our relationship to our Creator, and to turn to Him in submission. It is this awareness and surrender that allows us to walk in grace.

We cannot escape our mortal nature in this life, but we can live under grace while we master the sinful tendencies that arise from being made of dust. Self-preservation and survival are built into us—drives that are natural and necessary for our finite existence. This makes us inherently self-centered, focused on perpetuating our own lives.

Yet our mortal body is only a temporary shell. Our true identity lies in the eternal reality beyond this world, where we find immortality by becoming one with our Creator. While we remain on earth, we must confront the truth of our mortality: it leads not only to physical death but to spiritual death if left unchecked.

The works of the flesh are expressions of this earthly nature. We must turn away from what feeds it and recognize that true preservation comes not from ourselves, but from God. This realization—this enlightenment—reveals who we really are and who we are called to become: children of God, alive in Christ.

Sin is the manifestation of our fallen, earthly nature. Mastering it does not mean merely following external rules. It means recognizing that we are born of this earth, then choosing to turn fully to our Creator. Through the grace made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice, our nature can be transformed. His laws can be written on our hearts. We receive forgiveness, new life, and the power of the Holy Spirit to live differently.

This transformation happens through a lifelong journey of repentance: continually turning from self and yielding to God, allowing His nature to grow within us. Repentance is not a one-time event—it is the ongoing choice to do a 180-degree turn from our own ways toward His.

If this stirs something in you, know that the invitation is open right now. Turn to God. Acknowledge your need for Him. Trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection for your forgiveness. Submit your life to Him. He is ready to meet you with grace, to give you life that death cannot touch, and to begin transforming you from the inside out. The simple truth is this: you were made for more than dust. Will you turn and live?