According to the Oxford English Dictionary, To repent is to FEEL or EXPRESS SINCERE regret or remorse.

Repentance goes beyond having a sense of guilt.
-It goes beyond being conscience-stricken, ashamed, shamefaced, and penitent.
-It is more than having the consciousness and awareness that one has sinned.
It actually starts from all these but it doesn't end there.

After FEELING sorry about our sins, we EXPRESS remorse, we SHOW remorse, we DEMONSTRATE remorse, we COMMUNICATE remorse, we don't just FEEL remorse alone.
We PROVE that we regret our past actions through our present actions.

The best way the adulterous woman (in John Chapter could have shown she was truly sorry was not just by feeling guilty but chiefly by going back home "AND SIN NO MORE"(JOHN 8:11).
The real way to show remorse is to discontinue what we are remorseful about.

CONFESSION AND REMORSEFUL FEELING WITHOUT GENUINE REPENTANCE

"And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said to them, I HAVE SINNED THIS TIME: THE LORD IS RIGHTEOUS, AND I AND MY PEOPLE ARE WICKED
And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder were ceased, HE SINNED YET MORE, AND HARDENED HIS HEART "
[Exodus 9:27,34].

Pharaoh realised he had sinned, he confessed it. He appeared to feel sorry for his sins but "HE SINNED YET MORE".
Such kind of repentance is deceptive and insincere and such will not get heaven's attention.

What then, does genuine repentance entail?
How does it look like?

REPENTANCE ACCOMPANIED BY FAITH

"...the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT YOU AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL [Mark1:15].
Repentance without faith in the atoning work done on the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ is futile.

You admit your sins, you confess them, asking for forgiveness, you make up your mind not to go back to them again, and then you BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE, THEREBY SHEDDING HIS BLOOD TO REMIT YOUR SINS.

REPENTANCE ACCOMPANIED BY CONVERSION

"REPENT you therefore and be CONVERTED, that your sins may be blotted out..."[Acts3:19].

It would be contrdictory and antithetical if that adulterous woman had said: "I HAVE REPENTED BUT I STILL COMMIT ADULTERY".
Real repentance is followed by a change and transformation.
ONCE A SINNER BUT NOW A SAINT.

REPENTANCE ACCOMPANIED BY GOOD WORKS AND HOLY LIVING

"...that they should REPENT and TURN TO GOD AND DO WORKS MEET(SUITABLE) for repentance"
[Acts26:20].

After genuine repentance we are expected to churn out good and virtuous deeds(the Fruit of the Spirit) [Gal.5:22&23].

REPENTANCE ACCOMPANIED BY RESTITUTION

"And Zaccheaus stood and said to the Lord: Behold Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and If I have taken anything from any man by false accusation I restore him fourfold. [Luke19:8].

You say, you are sorry for ripping someone off his hard earned money and yet you are not making plans to pay back.
[Even if the money is not available now, go to the person concerned and tell him you'll pay as soon as the money comes].

How can we say that we are sorry for stealing an item and yet that item still remains in our possession and we have no intentions to give it back to the rightful owner.
The question is: ARE WE TRULY SORRY?.

AND THE TIME OF THIS IGNORANCE GOD WINKED AT (GOD OVERLOOKED), BUT NOW COMMANDETH ALL MEN EVERY WHERE TO REPENT: [Acts17:30].

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