2026: Resolve to Repent

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”
(Rom. 2.4-5 ESV)

Sin separates us from God (Isa. 59.1-2), and our most important resolution for 2026 must be to address that separation. The first word of Jesus’ gospel message was: “Repent...” (Matt. 4.17): What does that mean?

#1: Repentance means recognizing my actions as sinful and displeasing to God.

The first time the word “repent” is used in scripture (as in to back from sin) is during Solomon’s prayer for the Temple in 1 Kings 8. Notice how Solomon puts this: “Yet if they turn in their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you... saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly’...” (vv.47)

Repentance requires us to fully recognize that our sinful actions have violated God’s law, rendered us wicked, and left unmitigated condemn us before Him. Psalm 7.12: “If a man does not repent, God will whet His sword; He has bent and readied His bow”. This is not pleasurable or popular but this is indispensable. Unrepentant sin condemns both alien sinners (1 Pet. 4.18) and saints (Acts 8.22) alike, and to repent one must first admit their spiritual danger.

Point #2: Repentance means ceasing and desisting from sinful actions.

The root of the word “repent” in Hebrew means “to turn back, return”, and it is usually used to describe returning to a previous state, as in Gen. 3.19: “...for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It never means that the current state of the person/thing can remain as or where they are. Rather, to return one must cease current actions or go back from whence one came.

Once we have admitted that our actions have violated God’s law, repentance means we must cease (i.e. stop) and desist (i.e. do not continue) said actions. If we have rejected the gospel of Christ, repentance cannot occur until we obey the Gospel. If one is stealing, then one must stop stealing: “Let him that stole steal no more” (Eph. 4.28 KJV). If one is in an illicit sexual or marital relationship (or both), that relationship must be terminated for repentance to be realized. In short, repentance is turning from the sin that separates us from God.

#3: Repentance means repeating steps #1 and #2 as infrequently as possible.

In an ideal world, repentance is a one-time action. However, our resolve is often far from ideal, and sometimes we lapse back into sinful ways. Sometimes its the same sin, sometimes another. Sadly at times the cycle of sin-admission-cessation occurs so quickly that we must question whether repentance has occurred at all! Some ask forgiveness with no real change in mind.

Read the passage at the start of the article again: God’s patience is meant to be used for turning from sin, and those who use repentance as a “Get Out of Jail Free” card only demonstrate that they are attempting to game the system. Friend, God’s “kindness and forbearance and patience” will be mocked by no one. (Gal. 6.7) Note the word “impenitent”: The Greek ametanoetos means roughly “unchanged mind”. We can ask God’s forgiveness all we want and feign repentance for others, but unless our mind is actually changed (and our actions follow suit), repentance has not occurred. If sin truly bothers, sickens, and saddens us, let it serve as deep and lasting motivation to never choose that path again!

May we resolve in 2026 to be as upset as God by our sin, and use his gracious gift of time to repent. -K.S.