What is Repentance?

So what is repentance? The following six items come from Thomas Watson (a famous Puritan) who wrote about repentance. Please read this with an open Bible, so you can read each Scripture:

Seeing your sin – 1 John 1:8,10.
Sorrowing over your sin – We must do more than admit it. We must internally engage with it. Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 57:15; 2 Corinthians 7:9.
Confessing your sin – We must put our sin into words and agree with God that what we did was wrong. Psalm 51:4; Hosea 14:1-3; 2 Corinthians 7:11; 1 John 1:9.
Being ashamed of your sin – Watson: “blushing is the color of virtue.” Jeremiah 6:15; 31:19.
Hating your sin – Job 42:5-6.
Turning from your sin – Watson: “Reformation is left last to bring up the rear of repentance. It is not the heart of repentance, but the fruit of repentance.” Matthew 3:7-8; Acts 26:20.
At the very least, this means removing yourself as much as possible from places of temptation (Proverbs 4:14-17).
If your sin was against other people, then you must go to them and ask their forgiveness (Matthew 5:23-24).
If the sin involves stealing, then restitution must be made (Luke 19:8).


Repentance is necessary for God to forgive us (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22). Forgiveness will not happen until these take place. If we do not repent we will perish (Luke 13:1-5).