Why Are You Sorry? — A Reflection on the Doctrine of Repentance
Another night out… and I’ve messed up again.
Why do I keep doing this? I know better. I want to do better.
Then I hear Paul’s words in Romans 7:15 echoing in my mind:
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”
It haunts me.
I’m tired of this cycle.
"I'm sorry!" I cry out.
I mean it—I’m really sorry. But is that enough?
That’s when the Holy Spirit led me to 2 Chronicles 7:14:
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
And it hit me: what I needed wasn’t just sorrow.
I needed repentance.
Repentance Is More Than Feeling Sorry
Repentance goes beyond feeling bad for what you've done. It’s more than guilt.
It requires action. It demands change.
If I—and you—don’t begin to see sin the same way God sees it, we’ll keep going down the same road, again and again.
I had to sit in my mess for a moment and come to a decision: Enough is enough.
From that point forward, when temptation came, I resisted—not in my own strength, but with the Word of God.
I reminded myself:
“I’m not going to do that, because it’s wrong in God’s eyes.”
That was a turning point: realizing what really matters is how God sees my actions—not how I feel in the moment, not what others say, but what He says.
God Forgives—But Grace Isn’t a License
Yes, God forgives.
But does that mean I keep doing the same thing day after day, praying, “Forgive me,” while never changing?
No. That’s not true repentance.
That’s remorse without transformation.
I believe God has more for me than that.
He has purpose, calling, blessings—but I have to be in position to receive them.
And repentance is part of getting in position.
Final Thoughts: What Repentance Really Means
Repentance is not a one-time event. It’s a lifestyle.
It’s daily choosing to turn away from what separates us from God and move toward what draws us closer to Him.
So I ask again: Why are you sorry?
Is it because you got caught?
Because you feel guilty?
Or because you’re ready to change?
Let’s stop settling for just saying “I’m sorry,” and start living out true repentance—
Not just for forgiveness, but for freedom.
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