Is Repentance a Work? Understanding the Fruit of a Transformed Heart

Is repenting really 'working'?

What's up everybody, it's Conrad from ConradRocks.net. I was sitting at my desk the other night, the blue light of the computer screen reflecting off my glasses, watching the notifications "ping" as a poll I had posted began to gain a little bit of traction. I had asked a question that seems to make a lot of people in the church today a little bit leery: "Is repentance a work?" It’s a simple question on the surface, but it’s one that digs deep into the core of how we understand our relationship with Jesus.

I watched as the votes trickled in—only about fourteen of them at first. It’s funny how people get cautious when you start talking about "works." We’ve been so conditioned to protect the doctrine of "grace alone" that sometimes we’re afraid to even define what it means to actually follow the Lord. My stepmom was the only one who liked the post initially, but the comments that followed were where the real gold was hidden. These weren't just academic answers; they were coming from people who have walked the walk, people like Doug whose testimony I’ve hosted right here on ConradRocks.net.

The pain point for many of us is this: we see a world, and sometimes a church, where people say a "sinner’s prayer" and then continue to live like the devil. We’re told that because salvation is a gift, any effort on our part—even the act of turning away from sin—might be seen as "working" for our salvation. This creates a spiritual paralysis. We’re afraid to move because we don't want to "boast," yet we’re miserable because we’re still entangled in the same old iniquities.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re stuck in a loop of sin and confession, wondering if your repentance is "enough" or if you're accidentally trying to earn your way into heaven, I want to help you clear the fog. By the time we’re done here, we’re going to look at the original Greek, dive into the words of Jesus to the seven churches, and understand that repentance isn't a legalistic labor—it’s the natural reaction of a heart that has been touched by the supernatural power of God.

When we talk about works, we usually point straight to the book of Ephesians. It’s the gold standard for understanding our standing before God. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV). We camp on this verse, and rightfully so. We cannot work our way into heaven. We cannot buy our way in with good deeds. But we have to ask ourselves: what did the Holy Spirit mean by the word "works" in that context?

In the Greek, the word is ergon. It refers to toil, effort, or an occupation. It’s the idea of breaking a sweat, of doing a job to earn a wage. Now, compare that to the word "repent," or metanoeo. This word means to think differently, to reconsider, or to have a change of mind. If I am sitting in a chair and I suddenly decide to get up and walk toward the door because I realized I’m in the wrong room, was the "decision" to change my direction a "work"? Or was it simply the result of receiving new information that changed my perspective?

I remember talking to Jim Downs about this. Jim is a brother who has seen the dark side of things. He made a point in the poll comments that really struck me. He said that for a person who has hit rock bottom—someone sitting on a cold jail cell floor or staring at the bottom of a bottle—repentance is the hardest application they’ve ever had to do. It takes every bit of courage to let go. But is that "work," or is it a reaction to the work God is already doing in the heart?

Think about the "vine and the branches" in John 15. Jesus says, "Abide in me." If a branch is connected to the trunk, it doesn't "work" to produce grapes. It doesn't strain and groan and try to manifest fruit through sheer willpower. The fruit is a result of the life-giving sap flowing from the vine into the branch. When you are truly born again, your nature changes. You become a new creature.

Donna and Doug, in their comments on the poll, were "shotgunning" the same scriptures, specifically pointing toward Romans 12. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:1-2 KJV).

They were pointing out that being a "living sacrifice" is our reasonable service. It’s the only logical response to what Jesus did on the cross. When we talk about repentance, we are talking about that transformation—that metamorphosis. It starts in the mind. You see, what we look at gets into our mind, and then it drops down into our heart. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. If we are constantly looking at the world, we become conformed to it. But when we look at Jesus, when we abide in His Word, our minds are renewed. Repentance is the act of turning our gaze.

There is a big difference between "works of the law" and the "fruit of repentance." A few decades ago, the preaching that brought revivals wasn't afraid to call people to action. Today, we’ve swung so far into "hyper-grace" that we’ve forgotten that Jesus actually expects us to do something. He says, "How do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?" (Luke 6:46 KJV). If He is Lord, then His commands aren't suggestions. But keeping them isn't about earning salvation; it’s about proving who our Master is.

Personal Reflections

I’ve had to wrestle with this myself. There were times in my own walk where I struggled with "iniquity." Now, let’s define that. The psalmist said, I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity (Psalm 18:23 KJV). We know from the suffering servant passage in Isaiah that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions—those are the sins we commit—but He was bruised for our iniquities. An iniquity is like a bent, a driving force. You might not be an alcoholic if you’ve never had a drink, but once you start, that iniquity can take root until you feel driven to it.

I remember a time when I felt that pull toward certain sins. I would be in the sanctuary, lifting my hands, praising the Lord, but in the back of my mind, I wanted to be somewhere else, doing something else. That is the struggle Paul talks about in Romans—the body of this death. But here is what Jesus corrected me on: I was trying to "not sin" through my own effort, treating it like a "work." Jesus showed me that I needed to keep myself from my iniquity by abiding in Him.

When I started writing Overcoming Night Terror: Making the Demons Leave, I had to deal with the reality of spiritual warfare. When a demon is trying to press in on you, you have to resist. Is resisting a "work"? In a sense, yes, you are taking an action. But you are resisting in the power of His might, not your own. Repentance is like that. It’s the moment you stop agreeing with the enemy and start agreeing with God.

I missed it for a long time by thinking that if I "worked" hard enough at being holy, God would be pleased. But Jesus told the churches in Revelation to "repent and do the first works." He wasn't telling them to go back to legalism. He was telling them to go back to the actions that flowed from their first love. If you love someone, you do things for them. You don't call it "work"; you call it devotion.

Biblical References

We have to look at how often the Bible links our future judgment with our "works." This isn't popular to talk about in a "grace-only" environment, but it is all over the New Testament. Paul, who wrote so much about grace, also wrote this to the church at Corinth: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV).

If our actions didn't matter, why would we be judged according to them? The answer is that our actions—our "works"—are the evidence of what is actually in our hearts. Jeremiah 17:10 says, I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 17:10 KJV). God isn't looking at a checklist of chores; He is looking at the fruit. If you have an apple tree, you expect apples. If you have a "Jesus tree" planted in your heart, you should expect "Jesus fruit."

Jesus is very specific about this in His letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. He repeatedly says, "I know thy works." To the church at Ephesus, He says, Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (Revelation 2:5 KJV). He is literally commanding them to do works as a part of their repentance.

Later in Revelation, we see the final judgment. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works (Revelation 20:12 KJV). This shouldn't scare the believer who is abiding in the vine. If Christ is living in you, then the works being recorded are His works through you. It is no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

We also see this in Romans 2, where Paul says God will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life (Romans 2:6-7 KJV). Notice the phrase "patient continuance in well doing." That is the walk of the believer. It is a reaction to the truth. We know the truth, and the truth makes us free. Once we are free, we don't use that freedom to serve the flesh; we use it to serve the Spirit.

If repentance is a change of mind, then that change of mind must result in a change of direction. If I say I’ve "changed my mind" about walking off a cliff, but I keep walking toward the edge, have I really repented? No. The "work" of stopping and turning around is the proof that the change of mind actually happened. This is why the psalmist could say he kept himself from his iniquity. He wasn't earning his righteousness; he was protecting the relationship he had with the Almighty.

Key Takeaways

• Repentance is Internal: At its core, repentance (metanoeo) is a change of mind and a transformation of the heart, not just an outward list of "dos and don'ts."
• Works are Fruit: Our actions are the "fruit" of the tree. A good tree naturally produces good fruit if it is abiding in the vine (Jesus).
• Grace vs. Effort: While we are saved by grace through faith, that grace empowers us to move. Effort in the Christian life is a reaction to God’s work in us, not a payment for our salvation.
• The Judgment of Works: Scripture consistently teaches that we will be judged according to our works, which serve as evidence of our faith and our "abiding" status.
• Iniquity vs. Transgression: Transgression is the act of sinning; iniquity is the inner "bent" or drive toward sin. Repentance involves turning away from both by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion and Call to Action

So, is repentance a work? I think Jim Downes nailed it in that poll. It is a reaction to what God has done in our heart. When God takes out that stony heart and gives us a heart of flesh, everything changes. We start wanting to pray. We start wanting to read the Word. We start wanting to stop working iniquity. It's not because we're trying to check boxes to get into heaven, but because we are new creations in Christ Jesus.

If you are struggling today, if you feel like "working" at your faith is a heavy burden, I want to encourage you to stop focusing on the "work" and start focusing on the "Vine." Abide in Him. Spend time in His presence. Let Him renew your mind. When the mind is renewed, the body follows. The "works" will come, and they will be a joy, not a toil.

I want to hear from you. What do you think? Is repentance a work in your eyes? Head over to the poll on my Facebook page or leave a comment below. If you want to dig deeper into the supernatural walk and how to live a life transformed by the Spirit, check out my books, OPEN YOUR EYES: MY SUPERNATURAL JOURNEY   and Overcoming Night Terror.

Be sure to share this with your friends who might be struggling with these concepts. Let’s help people move past the "sinner’s prayer" and into a real, fruit-bearing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Until we meet again, dig deeper and go higher!

Links:

http://bit.ly/RepentPoll
http://bit.ly/worksimportance
http://bit.ly/ChruchWorks