When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:10, emphasis added).

Repentance is a reverse process that is the opposite of straying away from the will of God. Repentance is a painful state of human mind, when people realize the enormity of their sins. Repentance is the attitude of abhorring self and the actions that produced separation from God. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit, the deeply profound refining process of the human mind that will redirect, link, and commit the mind to God as the sovereign of the human temple.

“Those who consecrate their lives to the service of God will live with Him through the ceaseless ages of eternity. . . .

“ ‘And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads’ (Revelation 22:4). Their minds were given to God in this world; they served Him with their heart and intellect, and now He can put His name in their foreheads.”1

Repentance is the presence of Jesus in the life of the sinner. Repentance is abhorring sin. Repentance is a sentence: “Go and sin no more.” Repentance is reconciliation with God.

Repentance can be expressed verbally, such as in the case of Zacchaeus: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8).

There is a valuable lesson about repentance in the stories of the heroes of the Bible. We can ask the question: Why did God allow to be written in the Holy Word actions or sins that are so abhorrent to Him?

The adultery, murder, and other sins of Bible heroes are an embarrassment to men and an insult to God.

Let us learn from the repentance of David, as he prayed:

“ ‘I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; And Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. . . . Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance’ (Psalm 32:5–7).

“Many have murmured at what they called God’s injustice in sparing David, whose guilt was so great, after having rejected Saul for what appear to them to be far less flagrant sins. But David humbled himself and confessed his sin, while Saul despised reproof and hardened his heart in impenitence.

“This passage in David’s history is full of significance to the repenting sinner. It is one of the most forcible illustrations given us of the struggles and temptations of humanity, and of genuine repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Through all the ages it has proved a source of encouragement to souls that, having fallen into sin, were struggling under the burden of their guilt. Thousands of the children of God, who have been betrayed into sin, when ready to give up to despair have remembered how David’s sincere repentance and confession were accepted by God, notwithstanding he suffered for his transgression; and they also have taken courage to repent and try again to walk in the way of God’s commandments.”2

One thing I know: Those Bible heroes who had the boldness to sin, by the grace of God also found the courage to repent. And here the story of the sinners that will be in heaven—sons and daughters of God—begins; they stopped sinning in this world and allowed Jesus to do in them the reverse of the work of sin—to work out in them the will of our Heavenly Father.

Samson repented without eyes, David without four sons, Lot without his wife, you, I, and others perhaps without our right hand or left leg. But in the kingdom of God, all are at the feet of Jesus. In picturing eternity, how amazing it is to realize that “nearest the throne are those who were once zealous in the cause of Satan, but who, plucked as brands from the burning, have followed their Saviour with deep, intense devotion. Next are those who perfected Christian characters in the midst of falsehood and infidelity, those who honored the law of God when the Christian world declared it void, and the millions, of all ages, who were martyred for their faith. And beyond is the ‘great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,” “before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands’ (Revelation 7:9). Their warfare is ended, their victory won. They have run the race and reached the prize. The palm branch in their hands is a symbol of their triumph, the white robe an emblem of the spotless righteousness of Christ which now is theirs.”3

When I was a young man, around 16 or 17 years old, I found myself educated in a school of atheism—culturally negating the existence of God. I realized that I was alone in an infinite universe. I did not know what to do with it. I had questions without answers; my life without God was not a bed of roses by any means. I read books (in those days there was no Facebook or internet) and every book had its own hero, good or bad. I grew accustomed to synthesizing plots and concepts, till one day I came home and remembered that an old man had given me a New Testament “Pocket Version Bible.” When I started to read the book I was alone in the house. As I proceeded to go through the book of Matthew, I was pierced in the heart by a plot that was new to me and that lit a fire, very unique in essence, inside of me. Jesus—what a character, what a man, what a God, what a Saviour, what a Friend! I had never seen myself in such a contrasted light—with an ugly character, miserable, unworthy to live, grotesque. I abhorred myself for the first time; I believed sincerely that there was no greater sinner than I. Then I started to think: “It’s too good to be true.” I want that, too! That life of devotion, that life of Jesus as a character—gentle, longsuffering, patient. I was overwhelmed with the desire to embrace the character of this “MAN, JESUS CHRIST.” As I was comparing myself with the Lord, I said (like Paul the apostle) “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24).

Looking back to very specific instances of my life, I began hating myself for the way I used to live. I could not trust my tears, neither my words. I realized deep in my heart that the saving quality of love, in the purest sense, can be found only in Jesus Christ. Then I prayed with tears and I implored God to change my life. I received the gift of repentance from Him and my life gradually has changed. I have been in touch with the Lord every day, and in the night, communing with my dearest Saviour. Every sin has been in conflict with Jesus, and for every single temptation or bad habit Jesus has fought for my freedom.

Finally, it was movies. I was watching TV, and after that I was praying because the Holy Spirit was working in my heart, bringing deep regrets, terrible sentiments of unworthiness, while on my knees scenes or images from the movies were following my eyes. Jesus was giving me the victory slowly but surely. It’s not easy. Will power is given by Jesus. The deepest regrets were generated by the fact that I had hurt the One whom I loved supremely. The separation that sin would make between me and Jesus was unbearable, I could not stand to be away from the Lord and still I did not have the power to overcome.

Then came “Spiderman.” It was the first time that in Romania, a Communist country, the movie “Spiderman” was being played. Most of my classmates missed their last two classes and went to see “Spiderman.” I was alone in the bus station and over 30 students were trying to persuade me to come with them to see the movie. For the first time, Jesus came so vivid in my heart and I felt mercy, pity, and compassion for the Lord. I said in my heart, “Jesus, I am not going to leave You alone again, You are my Friend—the best, the only One, and I will stay with You.” The bus left with my classmates making signs with their hands and faces. I stayed back, alone with my Jesus; crying happily, that in my heart, I still was with the Lord.

Today I regret, I repent, for the wasted time I spent before the TV. I have a life to live; now I do not watch movies—I read books. I talk to the Lord and I am happy. Repentance is a gift; you can have it. It’s yours by faith; you look to the pleasure of such a life with Jesus and that life is so desirable that the only question you have in your mind is: Who will give me the will power to say NO to SIN?

Grasp the promises of the Lord, let the repentance and forgiveness be the gift from the Lord Jesus Christ for you. Look at Him and live, poor sinner; look and live.

“It is not now the work of the sinner to make peace with God, but to accept Christ as his peace and righteousness. Thus man becomes one with Christ and one with God. There is no way by which the heart may be made holy, save through faith in Christ. Yet many think that repentance is a kind of preparation which men must originate themselves before they can come to Christ. They must take steps themselves in order to find Christ a mediator in their behalf. It is true that there must be repentance before there is pardon, but the sinner must come to Christ before he can find repentance. It is the virtue of Christ that strengthens and enlightens the soul, so that repentance may be godly and acceptable…. Repentance is certainly a gift of Jesus Christ as is forgiveness of sins. Repentance cannot be experienced without Christ, for it is the repentance of which He is the author that is the ground upon which we may apply for pardon. . . . It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that men are led to repentance. It is from Christ that the grace of contrition comes, as well as the gift of pardon, and repentance as well as forgiveness of sins is procured only through the atoning blood of Christ. Those whom God pardons He first makes penitent.”4

May the Lord help us to accept these tremendous gifts available to us! Amen.