by Perry Hall<\/p>\n
Do we find it hard to deeply and truly repent because we are basically a “good person” who has literally been “going to church” our whole life? How do we get better at doing the basic and primary requirement of repenting because the kingdom of God is near (Matthew 3:2)?<\/p>\n
Why else do we have difficulty truly repenting? Biblically, children are “safe” having been born without sin; and are by God’s design not yet sinners. But when that time comes, when we become accountable for our actions and sins, where do we begin?<\/p>\n
Process this, that no one is literally a “Christian” their “whole life”.<\/p>\n
We haven’t even literally been “religious” our “whole life”, since religion etymologically and therefore literally means, “again-connected” as in a ligament becoming reconnected through surgery.<\/p>\n
We haven’t even been “in the church” our whole life because only those cleansed by blood are in the church of God which is purchased by Jesus (Acts 20:28). We aren’t “in the church” of Christ unless we are “in the body” of Christ.<\/p>\n
So what does that leave? What have we been doing our whole life, from childhood to now, before becoming a blood-bought Christian? I’m speaking here to a particular type of person and not to those raised without God.<\/p>\n
Have we been “raised in the pew”; and when the time comes we walk out the door because we are basically a “good person” who has literally been “going to church” our whole and don’t see the need for forgiveness? No one can be forgiven without repenting! Have we processed that no one is good (Romans 3:10-12)?<\/p>\n
If not raised in the pew, then what?<\/p>\n
Do we see how we are being prepared – or have been prepared – by godly parents raising us up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), to be raised up in Christ? The day of preparation becomes realized when the day of repentance comes and we are baptized to become a disciple and Christian. Then we start preparing to live in God’s goodness for our whole remaining life.<\/p>\n
Jesus told a very religious person, “You are not far from the kingdom of God<\/em>” (Mark 12:34). Repentance is made harder when we think we already are where we need to be.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Perry Hall Do we find it hard to deeply and truly repent because we are basically a “good person” who has literally been “going to church” our whole life? How do we get better at doing the basic and primary requirement of repenting because the kingdom of God is near (Matthew 3:2)? Why else…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[1645,50],"class_list":["post-61935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-complacent","tag-repentance"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":48465,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-know-pornography-is-wrong-but-i-cant-seem-to-defeat-this-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":61935,"position":0},"title":"I know pornography is wrong, but I can’t seem to defeat this sin","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi there, I want to start by explaining my situation. I'm 21 years old and was raised in church my whole life but I never really surrendered my life to Jesus and truly believed in him until this past year. I have been able to turn from many sins\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54747,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-repentance-is-not\/","url_meta":{"origin":61935,"position":1},"title":"What Repentance Is Not","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Joe R. Price via\u00a0The Spirit's Sword, 2009 The verb translated \"repent\" in the New Testament (metanoeo) literally means \"to perceive afterward\"; so repent means \"to change one's mind or purpose\" (Thayer). God commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins (Acts 17:30). That is, God commands a change\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":91421,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-question-of-god-repenting-or-changing-his-mind\/","url_meta":{"origin":61935,"position":2},"title":"The Question of God Repenting or Changing His Mind","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton A skeptic thought he found a flaw in the Bible and the God of the Bible. He believes the following is a contradiction in the Bible: Does God change his mind? \"For I am the Lord; I change not\" (Malachi 3:6). \"God is not a man,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40938,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-repentance-required-before-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":61935,"position":3},"title":"Is repentance required before baptism?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I do have a question: Acts 2:38 says repentance comes before baptism. So does that mean a baptism is invalid if there was no repenting prior to it? In my case, when I was baptized, I just believed what the preacher was saying about Jesus was true, and knew\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":85104,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/repentance-the-power-of-a-contrite-heart\/","url_meta":{"origin":61935,"position":4},"title":"Repentance: The Power of a Contrite Heart","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Few churches today preach repentance, and fewer people who attend churches are actually repenting. It is more like people are joining clubs (called \"churches\") but not actually repenting toward God and repenting of sins. 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