What does it mean to repent?

In the New Testament, the word translated as “repent” comes from the Greek word: metanoia , a combination of meta (meaning beyond, after) and noia (meaning mind, understanding). Metanoia speaks not of guilt, but of a radical reorientation, a shift in one’s inner being.

To embrace metanoia is to see repentance as more than to regret a past action that you seek forgiveness for. It is to turn away from the old self, and embark on a journey of renewal.

Repentance with this ancient and expanded definition calls us to grow, to shed that which fails to aligns with the will of God, and to allow ourselves to be continually reshaped by the Spirit.

This isn’t a fleeting moment of sorrow, but a lifelong transformation, repentance is a spiritual awakening where every joy and trial becomes an opportunity to align more deeply with divine truth.

Repentance, in its this true form, is not just an act of confession, but a commitment to live differently, to think differently, a new way of being us in an ongoing process of renewal that draws us closer to the heart of God.

Repentance is more than a word, it is our calling from Jesus to transform.