What are the components of repentance?

Mike Davenport explains in this video that there are two elements of repentance. Repentance first involves a turning to God and a subsequent turning away from sin. You cannot serve both God and indulge in your sin.

There cannot be an association or connection between God and sin. Repentance involves the understanding of how sinful you are and a turning to God. A mere turning away from sin is not sufficient.  

1 Thessalonians 1:9 (NKJV) – “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” 



The Bible defines repentance in many ways. Many definitions could be given. One of the passages that I always turn to is there in 1st Thessalonians 1, as Paul is writing to the church at Thessalonica, and he's describing what impact their preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified had on these people. And the testimony of these people, he said, is throughout the known church. And what he said of them was this, how you turned to God from idols to serve the true and the living God.

And so there's two components to repentance. There's a turning to God, but there's a turning from idols. You can't have both God and idols. You can't serve God and mammon. There is no association, no connection with God and demons, with the temple and with Belial.

There's a distinction, there's a difference. And so repentance is seeing how I am connected to these idols of my own heart, of my own making, and turning to God, not just turning away from these idols. That's not enough. Repentance is turning from these idols, but the major component in that is turning to God. What does God say?

What does God require? What does God want from me?