Here is a good definition of repentance from J. I. Packer: “Repentance is turning from as much as you know of your sin, to give as much as you know of yourself, to as much as you know of your God.” Once you’ve grasped this definition, you won’t be thinking: Been there, done that when you hear the word repentance.

1. Repentance is turning from as much as you know of your sin. As the Holy Spirit shines the light of God’s truth into your life more brightly, you will see things you never saw before that need to change in your life. If you are growing as a Christian, you will be more conscious of sin in your life now than you used to be. Many older Christians can vouch for this. That’s not a reason for fear, but for thanksgiving. It’s a sign of growth.

2. Repentance is giving God as much as you know of yourself. When you became a Christian, you were probably certain that you offered your whole self to Christ. But as you grow in faith, you keep finding areas of your life that need to be surrendered more fully to Him.

3. Repentance is giving yourself to as much as you know of our God. As you grow in the knowledge of God, you will find that repentance deepens in your life.

As you learn more about your sin, yourself, and God, your repentance will deepen. You will be increasingly transformed into the likeness of Christ—from one degree of glory to another.

Which part of Packer’s definition do you find most encouraging? Why?

Some Christians hear the word repentance and immediately think: Been there, done that! It’s easy to see why.

Imagine you were brought up under teaching that emphasised repentance at the beginning of the Christian life. Sermons ended by calling sinners to repent and believe, inviting them to come to the front of the church or raise their hands if they wanted to receive Christ.

You grew up on the ABC’s of the gospel: Admit that you are a sinner. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Commit to following Him. But you’ve already done these things. And over the years you’ve seen many others do the same, so when you hear the word repent, it’s natural for you to say, “Oh, I’ve already done that.”

But when you say, “I made a commitment to Christ,” how long does that commitment last? A lifetime—it’s a continuing thing. When you say, “I believe in Christ,” how long does the believing last? It lasts a lifetime—it’s ongoing. And when you say, “I repented,” how long does the repenting last? It lasts a lifetime—it’s a continuing thing.

Martin Luther (and others) rediscovered this great truth in the Bible back in the sixteenth century. Luther wrote, “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said ‘Repent,’ he called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

Now at this point all the beating yourself up Christians will be saying, “A lifetime of beating myself up? You cannot be serious!” Not a lifetime of beating yourself up, a lifetime of continual growth into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Does repentance sound more like the ABC’s of the Christian life, or do you see it as part of the lifestyle of a mature believer too?

Jesus told a wonderful story about repentance: A son takes his inheritance, goes into a distant country, and wastes everything he has on riotous living. But eventually the bottom falls out of his life, and he ends up scratching out a living on a pig farm. Then he comes to his senses, and says, “I will arise and go to my father” (15:18).

So he begins the long journey home. When he sees the house on the horizon, he notices someone running toward him. It is his father, who has been watching every day, longing for the boy’s return. The father hugs and kisses him, and he places a robe on his back and a ring on his finger. He calls his servants to kill the fattened calf and orders a celebration. Why? Because of his joy.

If there’s joy in it for the father, there must be joy in it for the son. He may feel unworthy. He may feel embarrassed, but think about the change in his life. A short time ago he was eating with the pigs, now he is feasting on a calf! Repentance is the hidden path to a transformed life.

That’s good news! Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God. What is the good news? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mat. 3:2). Repentance is good news! Real, lasting change is possible because God has come near to you in Jesus Christ.

When was the last time you experienced joy and repentance together?

What is your reaction to the word repentance? We come from many different backgrounds, and your reaction will tell you a great deal about what you think repentance is.

For some of us repentance sounds heavy! If that’s your reaction, it probably means that you think of repentance as beating yourself up. A lot of people have that idea.

If that’s what you think about repentance, a month of devotions on this theme is probably not very inspiring: I feel bad enough about myself already! But, if you continue to think of repentance as beating yourself up, you won’t be able to hear what Christ says to you about the change He wants to bring in your life.

You have to get rid of that baggage, and the place to start is with a question: If repentance is beating yourself up, then why did Jesus say that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents? If repentance is beating yourself up, how could the angels have joy in it? If the angels found joy in human misery, they would not be angels, but devils.

So, when Jesus tells us that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, He makes it clear that whatever repentance is, it is not beating yourself up. It is not a journey of sustained misery. It is not an odyssey into self condemnation or regret. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, and if there is joy in it for heaven, there is joy in it for you.

Do you think it is possible that God intends joy for you in repentance?

One day we are going to see Jesus Christ. The day will come when your faith will be turned to sight. This is an amazing promise.

A few verses later, Paul reminds us that God “dwells in unapproachable light” (6:16). God is not hidden in unapproachable darkness, but in unapproachable light. Our problem is not that we can’t find God. It is that we couldn’t come near Him if we did!

All through the Bible, we find that people at their best are unable to stand in God’s presence. When Isaiah saw God’s glory, he said, “Woe is me! For I am lost” (Is. 6:5). And when the apostle John saw the glory of Christ, he “fell at His feet as though dead” (Rev. 1:17).

If the best of humanity in the Old and New Testaments are on their faces in the presence of God, how do you think it will be for us when the Son of God comes in His glory and all His holy angels with Him?

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mat. 5:8). And John, who fell at Christ’s feet as if he were dead, said, “When he appears… we shall see him as he is” (1 Jn. 3:2). How is this possible?

It is possible because the Son of God loved us and gave Himself for us. He bore our sins in His body on the tree. It is possible because the Holy Spirit unites us with Christ through the bond of faith. And it is possible because the risen Christ advocates for us in the presence of the Father.

You were bought by the precious blood of Christ and called to the blessing of life under the rule of the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal, who lives in unapproachable light, to whom be glory and dominion forever, Amen (6:16).

Whatever you are facing today, reflect on the hope you have in the coming of Jesus Christ.

Whatever you are facing today, reflect on the hope you have in the coming of Jesus Christ.

The command mentioned here seems to be what Paul says in the preceding verses. There is a character to pursue, a battle to fight, and a life to gain.

A character to pursue
“As for you, O man of God... pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (6:11). John Stott says that steadfastness, or endurance, is patience in difficult circumstances. Gentleness is patience with difficult people.

A battle to fight
“Fight the good fight of the faith” (6:12). The world will always reject Christ, and those who proclaim that Jesus is Lord will always be in conflict with the unbelieving world.

A life to gain
“Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (6:12). Notice the language: “Pursue… Fight… Take hold of…” The Christian life will be a struggle. Calvin says that self-indulgence springs from the Christian’s desire to serve Christ as if it were a leisure activity, but Jesus calls His servants to warfare.

Where do you find the energy for this struggle? Sometimes it is hard to keep going. Too many disappointments, too many unanswered prayers, too many failures. You feel run down and you get weary. How do you find the strength to endure the demands of this Christian life?

When Paul gives Timothy this charge, he says, “In the presence of God, who gives life to all things…” (6:13). He is saying, God will give you the energy you need for this. He sustains your life. He will give you strength for each day.

In what battle do you most need God’s strength today?

The tenth distinguishing mark of a gospel-centred church is gospel hope.

Timothy had been given overwhelming responsibilities. He was a young man, and he was leading the church in Ephesus. This was a massive responsibility.

We know that by temperament, Timothy was timid (2 Tim. 1:7). He was not confident by nature. He must often have felt that he was in over his head, out of his depth, and at the end of his rope. Maybe you know what that feels like too.

How do you sustain what God has called you to do year after year? Where do you find the energy to live a godly life when everything is pressing in on you? How do you keep going when you feel overwhelmed, with discouragements on every side?

Paul ends this letter with some much-needed encouragement for Timothy. Paul was writing under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. God knows what His people need. He knew what Timothy needed then, and He knows what you need right now.

Paul speaks to Timothy by name earlier (6:20), but he doesn’t do that here. He says: “As for you, man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness” (6:11). Paul says, “Timothy, remember who you are. You are ‘God’s man.’ I want you to think and speak and act and live as God’s man because that is who you are!”

What about you? Every man who is in Christ is “God’s man.” Every woman who is in Christ is “God’s woman.” When God speaks to believers, He speaks to us not as we are by nature, but as we are in Christ. You are God’s man, God’s woman. Be who you are.

How does it encourage you to know that God speaks to you not as you are by nature but as you are in Christ?

Paul speaks of two kinds of hope here. Some people set their hope on “the uncertainty of riches,” others “on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” These are very different kinds of hope.

When God gives you more, you need to develop a holy discontent with the things of this world. And the more God gives you, the more important this practice becomes.

Jeremiah Burroughs says, “One who is contented in a Christian way… is the most contented man in the world, and yet the most unsatisfied… Though he is contented with God in a little, yet those things that would content other men will not content him.”

This is the opposite of what you would expect. The world is discontent with less and says you will find contentment with more. God says learn to be content with less and to be discontent with more.

Paul says that people who are rich in good deeds, generous, and willing to share are “storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (6:18-19).

When you have less, cultivate the art of contentment. When you have more, cultivate the art of discontent. Set your heart on enjoying what God gives you and using what God gives you in the light of eternity.

Are you learning the art of contentment when you have less? Are you learning to have holy discontent when you have more?