“Repentance Is a Journey”

Awakened Once, Repenting Continuously

One of the things I'm most grateful for is that God never leaves us to figure this journey out on our own. His Word forms us, and His Spirit faithfully works within us, shaping us day by day.

Last week we talked about how the Christian life is all about participation. It's not about trying to convince God to come closer to us—He's already here. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." That life is Christ in us. The Holy Spirit dwells within us, inviting us to awaken to His presence and participate in the life He freely gives.

Another "Yes"

This week I've been reflecting on our recent trip to North Dakota.

Twelve years ago, Brian and I baptized Shayla right here in our church. She was just beginning her walk with Jesus. Since then, we've watched her grow in faith, build a family, and continue following Christ.

A couple of weeks ago, while serving at an outreach in Watford City, our entire family was baptized again.

Some people might wonder why.

No, we weren't being saved again. We all knew our salvation wasn't in question. Jesus accomplished that once and for all. We weren't repeating salvation because salvation isn't something we earn over and over again.

Our first encounter with Jesus only happens once. It's like meeting someone for the very first time—you can only meet them once. Once you've met them, you know them. You're awakened to their reality.

But while awakening happens once, our response continues for a lifetime.

The Christian life is a continual "yes."

Yes, Lord, I trust You.

Yes, Lord, change my thinking.

Yes, Lord, lead me.

Yes, Lord, show me something new.

Yes, Lord, I'll follow You here too.

Getting back into the baptismal waters wasn't about starting over. It was simply another opportunity to publicly say, "We're still following. We're still yielding. We're still saying yes."

What Repentance Really Means

This is what repentance truly is.

Repentance isn't simply about getting saved. It's a lifelong practice of continually saying yes to Jesus as He reveals more of Himself and invites us to change the way we think.

The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, literally means "a change of mind."

As our minds change, our lives naturally begin to change too.

For many of us, repentance was presented as a one-time moment—coming to the altar, confessing every sin, promising never to do it again.

I remember growing up in church where the salvation message was preached often. Every service seemed to end with an altar call and "I Surrender All" playing softly in the background.

As a shy little girl who couldn't imagine walking down the aisle, I responded in my heart nearly every week. Looking back, I probably thought I was getting saved over and over again because I didn't understand.

Now I realize I only needed to meet Jesus once.

After that I learned to follow Him.

"Follow Me, and I Will Make You"

When Jesus first called Peter in Matthew 4, He simply said:

"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Notice what Jesus didn't say.

He didn't say, "Get your life together first."

He didn't say, "Fix all your problems."

He didn't say, "Change everything about yourself and then come."

He simply said, "Follow Me."

Transformation wasn't Peter's responsibility—it was Jesus' promise.

"I will make you."

Peter's first "yes" wasn't his last. The rest of his life became a journey of continual surrender, continual learning, and continual repentance.

Repentance Is a Journey

Imagine standing in a room divided into two sides.

One side is dark. It's the only place you've ever known. You don't realize how difficult it is because you've grown accustomed to it.

Then, little by little, you notice there's light on the other side.

Your perspective begins to change.

You realize the darkness isn't all there is.

Eventually your thoughts begin changing, and because your thinking changes, your feet begin moving toward the light.

That's repentance.

Not shame.

Not fear.

Not trying harder.

A change of mind that naturally changes your direction.

I've tried the approach of simply promising never to sin again.

It didn't work.

What changed me was relationship with Jesus.

As He gently revealed more of Himself, He showed me there was a better way to live.

Sometimes I still pick up old habits.

Sometimes I still stumble.

But I'm moving toward the light.

That's the journey.

Peter Never Stopped Repenting

Peter followed Jesus faithfully, yet he still had wrong ideas that needed transforming.

He expected a political Messiah, but Jesus revealed a suffering Savior.

He reacted by cutting off the servant's ear in the garden because his expectations didn't match God's plan.

Jesus corrected him.

Peter later denied Jesus three times.

Jesus restored him over breakfast with three simple questions:

"Do you love Me?"

Even after years of walking with Jesus—even after Pentecost—Peter still had more to learn.

In Acts 10, God gave Peter a vision of animals considered unclean under Jewish law and told him to eat.

Peter resisted.

"I've never eaten anything unclean."

But God replied:

"What God has cleansed, you must not call common."

Peter eventually realized the vision wasn't really about food.

It was about people.

His lifelong understanding had to change.

He discovered that God's love wasn't limited to the Jewish people—it extended to the Gentiles as well.

Peter wasn't rebellious.

He was limited by what he'd always believed.

When he surrendered that limitation, not only was his own life transformed, but countless others were welcomed into God's family.

His repentance made room for others to experience God's grace.

Spiritual Maturity Isn't Perfection

One of the most encouraging things about Peter's story is that he never stopped growing.

Years after leaving his fishing nets...

Years after walking on water...

Years after Pentecost...

He was still changing his mind.

Spiritual maturity isn't arriving at perfection.

It's increasing surrender.

Jesus didn't instantly erase every wrong belief Peter had.

He simply kept saying,

"Follow Me."

Conversation after conversation...

Failure after failure...

Correction after correction...

Relationship transformed Peter.

That's exactly how the Holy Spirit works in us.

He continually renews our minds and gently invites us to greater freedom.

Romans 12:2 reminds us:

"Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think."

Transformation is ongoing.

The Invitation Today

Every day we face the same decision Peter faced.

Will we cling to old fears, old identities, old prejudices, and old ways of thinking?

Or will we yield once again?

Every new revelation requires another surrender.

But every surrender also produces greater freedom.

The Christian life isn't one moment of repentance followed by a lifetime of self-effort.

It's a lifelong partnership with the Holy Spirit, who continually invites us to think differently, love more deeply, and live more fully in the life of Christ already within us.

We've been awakened once.

Now we repent continuously.

And that's good news.

Because God's goodness—not our striving—is what leads us to repentance.

Every day He simply says:

"Follow Me... and I will make you."

May we continue answering with a joyful, wholehearted "Yes, Lord."