But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father.

Luke 15:17-20

You are no doubt familiar with the story of the Prodigal Son. Over the years, I’ve written about this famous parable many times because in it, Jesus expressed the beauty of true repentance and so we may describe it as biblical repentance.

But, what is repentance to us? I’ve thought about this a lot over the last few weeks. Is repentance a one-time walk to the altar or being baptized or going through some kind of ritual to obtain a “get out of jail free” card?

I don’t think so.

Recently I hear a quote from biblical scholar, Sinclair Fergusen, on the topic –

“Seeing repentance as an isolated, completed act at the beginning of the Christian life has been a staple principle of much modern evangelicalism…It has spawned a generation who look back upon a single act, abstracted from its consequences, as determinative of salvation. The ‘altar call’ has replaced the sacrament of penance. Thus repentance has been divorced from genuine regeneration, and sanctification [has been] severed from justification.”

For the prodigal, repentance began with the moment “he came to himself,” but it didn’t end there. His attitude of repentance grew in each step as he walked back home. Biblical repentance is marked by both a moment in time and in the daily walk of the believer.

In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul wrote –

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

2 Corinthians 7:10

Am I truly sorry for what I have done or am I sorry I got caught? Coming to your senses and repenting leads to a change of direction and walking faithfully, though imperfectly.