Repentance in the Christian Life

By Ryan Carpenter

Published August 12, 2025

It was the spark that set the Reformation ablaze. Few, if any, heard the sound of the hammer, but the resulting noise reverberated through history. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses, a treatise against indulgences, to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. The very first thesis reads as follows: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”[1]  In opposition to the Roman Catholic Church, which had distorted the biblical doctrine of repentance into the sacrament of penance, Luther identified repentance as a fundamental, ongoing component of the Christian life.

Over five hundred years later, errors regarding the doctrine of repentance remain. Though most evangelicals reject Roman Catholic penance, other errors persist (and occasionally elements of penance slip in). In this post, we will consider biblical repentance in the Christian life (distinct from initial repentance at conversion) through two contrasts, each countering misunderstandings with biblical truth.

Relational, Not Legal

When a sinner repents of his sin and places his faith in Jesus Christ, he receives justification. Justification is “an instantaneous, legal act of God in which he (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and (2) declares us to be right in his sight.”[2] The New Testament presents justification as a definitive, one-time event. This has tremendous implications for ongoing repentance in the Christian life. When a justified believer sins, his legal standing before God remains unchanged. Though sin has real consequences, the Christian’s plea is not for legal forgiveness, but for what theologians have called “relational forgiveness.”

Legal forgiveness involves our standing before God—whether we are under God’s wrath or united to Christ. Relational forgiveness involves our fellowship with God and is connected to sanctification. Joel Beeke explains relational forgiveness like this: “Christians may pray, ‘Forgive us our debts,’ knowing that we address not an angry Judge but a reconciled Father, even ‘our Father,’ as Christ taught us to pray (Matt. 6:9, 12). Therefore, in confession of sins, believers do not need repeated justification, but look to the God who has already justified them to receive their confession and repentance, and renew his gracious fellowship with them.”[3] As a father, when my children disobey, our fellowship is disrupted. Discipline, repentance, and relationship repair may be required, but my children do not incur legal guilt, cease to be my children, or forfeit my love for them.

Scriptural support for this contrast between legal and relational forgiveness appears in 1 John. The apostle writes to believers whose sins are already forgiven (1 John 2:12), yet just a few verses prior he calls for ongoing confession and repentance in the Christian life: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In one (legal) sense, all of our sins are forgiven, but in another (relational) sense, ongoing repentance is necessary.

Penitence, Not Penance

In the Latin Vulgate, the Greek word for “repent” was translated as “do penance,” leading to the Roman Catholic doctrine of penance.[4] Penance is a sacrament where the Christian confesses his sins to a priest, who pronounces absolution and imposes satisfaction. Satisfaction could be as simple as reciting a specific prayer, or in Luther’s day, as monumental as an extended pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The problem with satisfaction is it requires forgiveness to be earned rather than freely received. In the Protestant (Biblical) view, repentance (and faith) do not merit forgiveness. The true basis of forgiveness is Christ’s atoning work. Faith (which results in repentance) is merely the instrument through which we receive forgiveness.

True repentance is penitence. It is a “heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ.”[5] Yes, true repentance leads to obedience, even as the Bible speaks of “bear[ing] fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8), but this obedience is the grateful response to forgiveness, not a set of meritorious acts. When we confess our sins and cast ourselves upon the mercy of God, we can be confident that he has forgiven us—no ceremonial cleansing rituals, Hail Marys, or pilgrimages needed.

A Personal Testimony

When I was a younger Christian in the throes of habitual sin, I struggled to understand biblical repentance. Some days I feared losing my salvation. I may have been able to articulate the doctrine of justification, but I had not truly internalized the difference between legal and relational forgiveness. I also confused penitence with penance. The longer I persisted in habitual sin, the more extreme my self-imposed acts of penance became. Penance would sometimes consist of lying prostrate on the floor and listening to the same penitential worship song on repeat until I could produce genuine tears. Sometimes my penance would include fasting or extra time added to my spiritual disciplines regimen. I knew I had done enough when I subjectively felt that my sins were forgiven and my fellowship with God was restored. Predictably, this strategy led to turmoil and little victory over sin.

Now I have a more biblical understanding of forgiveness. I no longer fear losing my salvation, because I understand the difference between legal and relational forgiveness. I also recognize my inability to earn forgiveness through self-imposed acts of penance. This has resulted in greater victory over sin as I rest in Christ’s finished work rather than trying to add to it.

Conclusion

Theology matters! When we rightly understand and apply what God’s word says to our lives, a work of transformation takes place. This is certainly true for the doctrine of repentance. Repentance is an ongoing, daily part of the Christian life, so it is vital that our understanding of it is biblical. May God help our lives to be characterized by repentance as we rest in the finished work of Christ while seeking to become more conformed to His image.

[1] [1] “The 95 Theses,” accessed 8/9/2025, https://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html.

[2] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Second Edition: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020.

[3] Joel Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology, Volume 3: Spirit and Salvation, Wheaton: Crossway, 2021.

[4] “The Mistranslated that Sparked the Reformation,” accessed 8/10/2025, https://www.1517.org/articles/the-mistranslation-that-sparked-the-reformation.

[5] Grudem, Systematic Theology, 865.