Repentance-In the Eyes of Jesus

October 27, 2025

When it comes to the word “repent” or “repentance” you can find it in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament the word repent means: turn back from evil. In the New Testament the word repentance means: a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done.

So, as we combine the two meanings together, we can determine that repentance is turning away from all evil and wickedness which is not pleasing to the Lord and changing your mind making the decision to make a 180 degree turn in the other direction. Your choice to turn away from your old ways, the sin that you used to be in, and everything that goes against the principles of God should be followed by your actions revealing the decision that you made.

The common theme of the entirety of the Bible is God telling us that we are sinners in need of a Savior and that we need to repent from our sins. You can see this message preached by Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Peter, and the Apostle Paul. This was a strong warning to every believer of Jesus Christ because they knew that the Kingdom of God was at hand.

The reason why repentance was so significant is because of the fact that any sin committed places a wedge between you and the Lord. Isaiah 59:2 details it perfectly when Isaiah states, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Once you become a believer of Jesus Christ your heart posture should completely change, and you should want to stay connected to the Lord.

Another reason why it is so important that you repent and turn away from your wicked ways is because sin is an open door to the devil and his demonic kingdom. He has the legal right to invade your space if you are dabbling in his devices. Anything that even resembles the kingdom of darkness needs to be removed from your life. If you’re not sure what changes you need to make, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them to you.

Remember, the Lord does not want one single person to perish but wants us all to come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9. However, the wages of sin will always lead to death, Romans 6:23. The Lord gives you the free will to choose whether you want to live an eternal life with Him in heaven or live eternally separated from Him. The choice will always be yours!

Let’s take a look at some passages of Scripture that reveal to us Jesus Christ’s message on repentance.

Matthew 4:17

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

What we can determine from this passage of Scripture is that Jesus Christ began His ministry preaching about repentance. Then He goes into detail as to why it was so important to repent in the first place when He states, “…for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” One of the main reasons that Christ came to Earth was to seek and to save those that are lost, Luke 19:10.

A lot of people that believed in God at that time were solely about religion and no relationship. Jesus was saying to all that would hear Him that it was time to repent and turn away from their ungodly wicked ways. It was time for an entire change in their frame of mind. It was about having the right heart posture and wanting to transform from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light. It was about a person wanting to have a true relationship with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Before Christ came on the scene many people were so demonically oppressed that they saw really no way out. Jesus was saying to them I am here and what I have in Me is greater than the devil that is wreaking havoc in the world, 1 John 4:4. That is also why Jesus’ ministry moved powerfully with many signs and wonders, miracles, healings, and the casting out of demons.

He was demonstrating a power and authority that they had not seen before. Luke 4:36 details, “Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” Jesus Christ was moving in the power of the Holy Spirit and this type of casting out of devils was never done before He came.

Even though people were extremely amazed at what Jesus was able to do, He made sure that they knew the more important message and that was that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Luke 10:20 depicts it perfectly when Jesus declares, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

The primary focus of our Lord’s ministry was to introduce salvation and to pair it with the need for repentance. He made it very clear that unless you repent and turn away from your wicked ways, you would not make it into heaven. There are many instances where we can see this very message being preached by Jesus. Let’s take a look at one of those passages of Scripture.

Luke 13:3

“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

The Lord is making the definitive statement that if you do not repent and change your ways from the way that you used to live to a life that is pleasing to God you could perish. The word “perish” being used here is the Greek word “apollymi” which means: by one’s conduct to cause another to lose eternal salvation, to perish, to be lost, ruined, and destroyed.

Jesus wished that none should perish but that all would have eternal life, 2 Peter 3:9. Hell was never a place that was intended for us but was a place specifically made for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41. That is why the Lord is determined to get the “Good News” out to every single person letting us know that we don’t have to choose to go to that horrible place. However, it will take us repenting and turning away from our wicked ways.

The fact is that once you become born again you no longer have to be bound by sin. Colossians 1:13-14 describes it perfectly when Paul states, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

The Lord also gave us the Helper, the Holy Spirit that would assist us in overcoming the shackles of sin and iniquity in our lives, John 14:26. Jesus did not leave us alone in this battle and in fact made it clear that He would never leave us nor forsake us, Hebrews 13:5. However, the fact still remains that we have free will to make our own choices and would need to make the decision to turn from our ungodly ways and repent if we want to see the kingdom of Heaven.

Conclusion

The Lord paid such a tremendous price so that we would have the chance at eternal life. He does not want any one of us to perish and has done more than enough to ensure that we all have the tools to live an obedient life. The unfortunate thing is a lot of Christians want to have all of the benefits that come with being a believer of Christ but they don’t want to sacrifice anything in return.

God is very clear when He states, “If you love Me, keep my commandments,” John 14:15. He also states in 1 Corinthians 6:9, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?…” This is why His primary message to every one is to Repent and turn away from our wicked ways!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other current blogs:

Repentance-What is it?

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 2

The Spiritual Laws of God-Restoration

The Spiritual Laws of God-The General Principles

The Spiritual Laws of God-The Power of Your Tongue!

The Spiritual Laws of God-Having an Understanding

Below are some books that I have personally read that I recommend to help you get set free from the enemy and his devices. Each one provides you with warfare practices that you can apply to your daily life. Just click on the Link below the book and it will lead you straight to it. You will not be disappointed!