How to Repent

Repentance is a core doctrine of the New Church. As we say, “All religion is about life, and the life of religion is to do good.” Repentance is the process of getting to doing good. It is a fundamental part of the life of religion.

We are all born with inherited tendencies to do evil of every kind, our will is totally corrupt because it is ruled by the love of self and the love of the world. Our life, as an expression of our will and our love, is not good, regardless of what it looks like. As long as we are ruled by selfishness and worldliness, we cannot live the life of religion.

Repentance, though, is the process by which the Lord leads us out of evil and into good. Repentance leads in towards good.

There is lots of information given to us about the process of repentance because it is the fundamental activity of religion. We are saved not all at once, but bit by bit as we work through the process of repentance over and over, removing evils one by one until we are reborn.

The process of repentance is really a process, a series of steps you take to remove evil. Just wanting to stop sin doesn’t work. And it isn’t a question of will power. If you learn nothing else, learn the steps of repentance, because it is only by doing these steps that the Lord can save you.

The Steps (LEADS IN)

• Learn
• Explore
• Acknowledge
• Damn
• Stop
• Implore
• New Life