E 1.1.4 MEANING OF REPENTANCE
A1. THE HEBREW WORD FOR REPENTANCE MEANS ‘TO PANT, TO SIGH OR MOURN, EXPRESSING GRIEF’.
IT ALSO MEANS ‘TO TURN’
THE GREEK WORD FOR REPENTANCE MEANS :
‘TO CAUSE ONE GREAT CONCERN’
A2. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, REPENTANCE MEANS TURNING TOWARD GOD.
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT REPENTANCE MEANS REPENTING TOWARD GOD, ACCEPTING THE GOSPEL REGARDING THE MESSIAH and BELIEVING IN JESUS AS THE MESSIAH (= THE CHRIST)
B1. REPENTANCE IS A DECISION FOLLOWED BY TAKING EFFORTS TO FULFILL / EXECUTE THE DECISION THROUGH PRACTICAL ACTIONS. Matt.3:8
REPENTANCE IS A CHANGE OF MIND & A CHANGE IN ONE’S CONDUCT AND BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS GOD. Matt.3:8
B2. REPENTANCE IS :
–A CHANGED VIEW AND A CHANGED PERSPECTIVE IN ONE’S LIFE, AND A CHANGED PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE:
-TOWARD ONE GOD, THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS,
-TOWARD JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY SAVIOUR FROM SINS & ALL ITS CONSEQUENCES,
-TOWARD THE GOSPEL (=GOOD NEWS) OF JESUS CHRIST.
THESE EXPERIENCES OCCUR GENERALLY, DURING A CRISIS, OR THROUGH A JOURNEY OF SEVERAL EVENTS IN ONE’S LIFE.
REPENTANCE IN ONE’S LIFE IS :
-TURNING FROM SIN AND TURNING TO GOD
-TURNING FROM DEAD WORKS TO WORKS OF LIFE
1a. REPENTANCE IS A CHANGED BIBLICAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS SIN AND GOD.
REPENTANCE IS THE INNER CHANGE OF MIND, RESULTING IN A TURNING BACK THAT IS OUTWARDLY VISIBLE, TO MOVE IN A COMPLETELY NEW DIRECTION TOWARD GOD.
GODLINESS AND GODLY BEHAVIOUR ARE SOME OF THE OUTWARDLY VISIBLE RESULTS, CAUSED IN ATTITUDES THROUGH TRUE REPENTANCE.
THIS DECISION TO TURN TOWARD GOD CONTINUES TO BE THE DRIVE FOR REPENTANCE.
1b. REPENTANCE IS TURNING AWAY FROM SIN AND TAKING A TURN TOWARD A PATH TO GOD
-Generally, during times of distress and afflictions in life, many turn to God in repentance:
IN THE SCRIPTURES, JESUS CHRIST NARRATED THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON, WHO REPENTED, WHEN HE WAS GREATLY AFFLICTED.
Luke 15:17-20 – NIV: 
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”‘
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
1c. REPENTANCE TOWARDS JESUS CHRIST, DURING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TIMES OF GREAT DANGERS AND CRISES …
-Generally, during times of distress and afflictions in life, many turn to God in repentance. Here are 4 such situations:
1.c.1. MAKING A ‘U’ TURN IN LIFE’s PATH TOWARD GOD: Luke 15:17,20 
REPENTANCE IS A RIGHT ABOUT TURN (180-degree turn) IN ONE’s LIFE PATH – FROM SATAN TOWARD GOD.
Repentance is taking a ‘180-degree’ turn or an u-turn from the old way of life toward God.
1.c.2. REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD, WHEN AT THE END OF ONE’s ROPE: Luke 15:17,20 
When one is, at the end of their rope in life, they may repent.
‘At the end of one’s rope’ means ‘a state in which one is not able to deal with a problem, or a difficult situation, etc., any longer.
1.c.3. REPENTANCE WHILE AT CROSSROADS IN LIFE: Luke 15:17,20 
When one is, at crossroads (=at a point of critical decision) in life, they may repent.
1.c.4. REPENTANCE WHILE UP AGAINST A BLANK WALL: Luke 15:17,20 
When one is, up against a blank wall (= in a very bad position or critical situation) in life, they may repent.
1d. REPENTANCE IS : MAKING EFFORTS TO DEVELOP A GODLY MIND, AND A GODLY ATTITUDE ALONG WITH GODLY CONDUCT – IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES.
THIS MEANS, MAKING DECISIONS TO HAVE GODLY ATTITUDES IS REPENTANCE.
REPENTANCE IS ALSO ABOUT CHANGING ONE’S PURPOSE IN LIFE (TO ALIGN WITH GOD’S PURPOSE)
1e. REPENTANCE IS A DECISION TO ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOUR & TURN TOWARDS GOD.
2a. REPENTANCE IS FIRSTLY A DECISION AND NOT AN EMOTION. MAKING DECISIONS TO HAVE GODLY ATTITUDES IS REPENTANCE
2b. REPENTANCE IS TAKING ACTION AS WELL; THE EFFORTS TAKEN TO FULFILL THE DECISIONS ARE THE FIRST STEPS TO REPENTANCE. CHANGE OVER TO GODLY BEHAVIOUR IS A SIGN OF REPENTANCE. Matt.18:3
2c. REPENTANCE IS A CHANGE OF MIND AND A CHANGE OF ONE’s WAYS.
2d. REPENTANCE IS: TO REGRET, TO BE SORRY, FOLLOWED BY A NEW DETERMINATION TO REVERSE THE EFFECTS OF THE PREVIOUS STATE OF MIND.
3.REPENTANCE IS TURNING FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT AND FROM THE POWER (DOMINION) OF SATAN TO GOD
to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Acts 26:18