God Wants Everyone to Repent

July 29th, 2025

2 Peter 3:8-12.

Stephanie’s children will apologize to her for misbehaving, telling her they are sorry, and then immediately go back to doing the thing they said they were sorry for. Her husband will say to them, “Don’t just say you are sorry; do it.”

Often, when people talk about repentance, this is what they do. They say they are sorry, ask for forgiveness, and then go back to doing the thing for which they asked forgiveness. Repentance means stopping what we are doing and turning around. Repentance is not just saying we are sorry; it is living that we are sorry.

Verse 11 tells us repentant people live holy and godly lives. Repentant people are convicted of their sins and allow God to transform them in order that they might no longer continue to sin. This is what holy living is about. We repent of our sins and then live a life that shows we are sorry for what we have done.

If we have sinned against others, we attempt to reconcile and make restitution for the pain we have caused. As we wait for the return of Jesus, we are called to live a life of repentance.

Author: Stephanie Malcolm