Seven Misunderstandings of Repentance

SEVEN MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF REPENTANCE 1 DVD. A housewife who bakes a cake but forgets to mix in the eggs may produce a somewhat edible dessert, but certainly not a really delicious one. Likewise, a person who sincerely decides to turn away from sin and sinful habits might be making a good initial start to a spiritual rehabilitation, but something may be missing to complete the recipe to make it fully appreciated, namely the completion of the metanoia by not just turning away from sin, but also turning to the Lord. That is why a real “change of heart” is not just a turning off the hell-bound road, but a complete turn-around on that road–not just a turn, but a U-turn–a direct reversal of direction. Think of the decision as threefold, not two-fold. It’s not just a matter of choosing between sin and non-sin, but also a matter of seeking the Lord as the be-all and end-all of one’s very existence. On a ladder scale, the choices would be: sin (negative), non-sin (neutral) and virtue (positive). To stop at the second rung of the ladder would not be a complete metanoia. It would be radical justification, but not complete justification, which entails sanctification. This teaching touches on seven ways in which we may convince ourselves wrongly that we have authentic repentance, without understanding what is meant by turning to God.