“One of the reasons why so many Christians are drained, depressed, and depleted is because they are not regularly repenting.” – Chris Brauns, The Way of Repentance
Perhaps this statement strikes you as counterintuitive, or perhaps a book about repentance sounds like a downer. All the more reason for you to read The Way of Repentance: Embracing God’s Gift for a Transformed Life. Although this book required me to take a hard look at myself—the bad, the worse, and the ugly—it left me far more joyful than when I began. After all, as I express in Spirit-Filled Singing: Bearing Fruit as We Worship Together, the way to real, resilient rejoicing is via repentance.
And yet, although we all desire joy, how often do we take the time to think deeply about repentance? More to the point, how often do we take the time to repent—to really repent? In The Way of Repentance, pastor and author Chris Braun gently yet firmly invites readers to recapture repentance as an essential discipline—one that ought to be foundational and central to our lives as Christians.
About
The Way of Repentance begins by defining “repentance unto life” and explaining that repentance, along with faith, is a gift of God. You might be surprised to realize that repenting is not something we do of our own effort. It, too, is a grace from the Lord. This was a fruitful reminder for me. I have benefitted greatly not only from asking the Lord for the grace to forgive my sins but for asking him for the grace to recognize and repent of them.
In the second part, Brauns considers the Christian life as one of continuing repentance. He does so using examples from Scripture and his pastoral ministry, making this section biblical and relatable. My favorite chapters focus on evaluating repentance. It can be difficult to discern when we or others are truly repentant. This is an issue my husband and I encounter frequently in ministry. Among well-meaning Christians, there is often significant confusion over true and false repentance. For instance, when is someone sorry just because they were caught? Or just because their sin is about to cost them something? When are tears flowing from godly sorrow rather than worldly sorrow? When is an apology evidence of the Holy Spirit and when is it a manipulative attempt to get back into a position of privilege?
These chapters are immensely helpful for sorting through questions like those above. Drawing on the story of Judah, Brauns identifies seven indicators of genuine repentance. He explains that true repentance leads us to…
- humbly ask for mercy rather than demanding grace.
- do what we ought to do without waiting to be caught (i.e., seek reconciliation before being exposed).
- take responsibility without shifting the blame.
- seek to understand the pain of those we have hurt.
- accept the consequences of our sin.
- live in accordance with our repentance over time.
- put the interests of others involved over ourselves.
The book as a whole was excellent, but these chapters alone render it a worthy addition to any believer’s library.
Additionally, each chapter ends with questions for reflection, as well as a prayer of confession from church history. This structure makes The Way of Repentance a great resource for personal devotional material or group study.
Recommendation & Purchase Information
If The Way of Repentance sounds interesting to you, consider ordering a copy and supporting my blog using this affiliate link. You can also order directly from Crossway. (Pro tip: if you are ordering for an official church study/ministry, you can receive a significant discount by placing your order by phone!)
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Ryanne Molinari 