Christian meaning of repentance

Repentance (Tauba)  is a theological term of great significance. It stands for a sincere review of one’s past or present wrongdoings, feeling sincere regret and contrition together with making a firm commitment to change for the better. The Old Testament Hebrew word for ‘to repent’ is ‘shubh', which means turning or returning to God. The Old Testament prophets used this word to call the people of Israel to God from their disobedience to God as a part of their covenant relationship with him. Their repentance was to be a whole-hearted response to their God. The New Testament word ‘metanoia’ also means a fundamental ‘change of mind and heart to God’.    ‘It is a spiritual activity effecting the entire personality and attitude of the person concerned. It is feeling sorry for one’s misdeeds and resolving to live an honest life. Basically, it is the entire change of inner attitude and perspective of the person concerned.
It involves a deep and honest realisation that one has committed some wrong or sinful act. It is to sincerely admit one’s wrong done to the person against whom the wrong is done and also to God. It means fixing back things or reversing the harmful or wrong effects of the action committed. In Christian teaching, repentance is a foundational command for a lifelong process of turning from a sinful life to accept God's grace and forgiveness in Christ. An act of authentic repentance involves one’s entire personality, deliberate will, intellect, emotion, faith and trust in God.

In the Old Testament there are instances where it may seem to some that God repented: that he repented for creating Man (Genesis 6); he repented for making Saul the king over Israel. Far from it! God does repent. He does no wrong. What is meant in those passages is that God felt sorry when he saw the sinfulness or waywardness of mankind. Man disobeyed God, and God grieved that he made man. God said, “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind whom I have created from the face of the earth-- men and animals and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them” (Genesis 6:5-6); and “Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, ‘I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.’” (I Samuel 15:11). The word ‘grieve’ in both the passages does not mean ‘repentance’.    
The Old Testament prophets’ call to the wayward people for repentance reached its climax in the call of John the Baptist, the harbinger of Jesus Christ. John came to prepare the way for Christ by calling the Israelites to prepare their hearts to receive Christ and the Kingdom of God. St Mark wrote in his gospel, “And so John came, baptising in the desert region and preaching for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). Mark also wrote, “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come’, he said. ‘The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news’” (Mark 1:14-15).
The Gospels testify to two particular persons who furnish examples of true repentance. One is the Parable of the prodigal son (in Luke 15), and the other is the story of the tax collector (Luke 19).
Entire New Testament books, especially the Acts of the Apostles, speak of the critical importance of repentance, or the entire change of mind and heart of people coming to the gospel in honest faith and repentance for forgiveness of sins and receiving of salvation.
The concept of repentance of man for their sins is of greatest importance for the reconciliation of alienated man to holy God. Repentance results from true faith and trust. In the prophetic books in the Old Testament, this is the most important theme concerning the right relationship of man with God. Multiple examples are there about this. Prophet Ezekiel wrote God saying to his people, “Say to them as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. “Turn! Turn from your evil ways. Why will you die, O house of Israel?” Through prophet Joel God exhorted the disobedient people: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. ..” (Joel 2:13). Good and gracious God calls us all to turn to him in repentance for our sin or sins that we may receive his forgiveness and have reconciliation to him for our blessedness.

The writer is a Christian Theology teacher and Church leader