Of Repentance unto Life, XV:2

By it, a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature, and righteous law of God; and upon the apprehension of His mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for, and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavouring to walk with Him in all the ways of His commandments.

What ought to motivate a sinner to repent? The Confession here enumerates several reasons.

1. There is a "sight and sense" of the danger of eternal punishment. It has fallen out of fashion to confront unbelievers with their peril of judgment and eternal damnation. Sensitive modern evangelicals are no longer comfortable with this type of message, thinking it underscores negative stereotypes (and besides, some evangelicals have abandoned the idea in favor of annihilationism or some sort of universalism). But it is still legitimate to be afraid of eternal punishment. In and of itself, however, this fear of retribution is not a godly form of repentance, for its emphasis is on avoiding just deserts and personal pain.

2. There is realization of the true nature of sin, producing grief over and hatred of sin. Until we come to regard sin in the same way as God regards sin we do not truly appreciate its heinousness. What is frequently our attitude toward our own sin? Do we not try to explain away, rationalize, and make excuses for ourselves? Do we not often try to shift the blame? Do we not appeal to the universal imperfectness of mankind? Godly repentance owns up to sin and regards it as hateful.

3. The repentant sinner sees the contrast between his sin and the holy nature of God and his laws. He realizes how great is the gulf fixed between the righteousness of God and his own character. He despairs of ever being able to make amends on his own.

4. There is appreciation of God's mercy in Christ. The repentant sinner realizes his abject state of helplessness and his need for a savior.

The final result of all this is a true metanoia--the Greek word typically translated as "repentance," connoting a real change, a real turning-around in one's life--that finds the once-rebellious sinner seeking to walk with God rather than from God or against God and submitting to him in obedience.

Tomorrow: The necessity but insufficiency of repentance.