What does it mean to repent?
Quick answer
To repent is to change direction — turning from sin to God, with both honest sorrow over wrong and trust that God receives those who turn to him through Christ.
The biblical word for repentance means "to change one's mind" — a deep reorientation. It includes the head, the heart, and the will.
Repentance is not earning forgiveness; it is receiving it. We turn to God not after fixing ourselves but as we are, trusting Jesus to fix us.
It is also ongoing. The Christian life is one of daily repentance, returning again and again to the gospel as the ground of our life.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06-07. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.