The Protestant Reformation began as a debate about repentance. The first of Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses states, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ . . . he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Luther was responding directly to the mistaken teaching that Jesus was referring to the sacrament of penance. Five centuries later, amid the bustle of modernity, it’s easy for evangelicals to forget how important repentance is to the Christian life. Since it’s significant to Jesus, we know it should be important to us. But repentance can feel more like a duty than a delight. It often seems more like eating our vegetables than enjoying a Thanksgiving feast. Scripture, however, paints repentance in a positive light. Whether the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), Levi’s feast (5:27–32), or the angels rejoicing over sinners who repent (15:10), the Bible consistently describes repentance as a reason to give thanks. In The Way of Repentance: Embracing God’s Gift for a Transformed Life, Chris Brauns, pastor of Red Brick Church in Stillman Valley, Illinois, argues that true repentance unto life leads to abiding gladness. Brauns reminds us that sin is significant, but also that repentance opens the door to fullness of joy. Repentance Leads to Joy A lot is at stake when we use the word “repentance.” Brauns helpfully starts with the time-tested definition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.” According to this definition, repentance isn’t a burden; it’s a gift. It comes from an external source and is used by God to grant us eternal life. Repentance also produces joy in the recipient. Repentance isn’t a burden; it’s a gift. Unlike most gifts we receive from our friends and family, we get to open the gift of repentance again and again. Brauns writes, “Christians should repent in an ongoing way—that is, repentance and faith are not only the way into the Christian life but also the way of the Christian life” (86). Repentance is never-ending as we identify specific sins that remain and pursue refreshment and joy in Christ’s forgiveness for them. Repentance isn’t a sacrament that requires mediation from a priest. Instead, it’s something we practice through the ordinary means of grace: Scripture, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. Every Sunday gathering, we can open this gift. Every time we open the Bible, we can ask God to give us joy as we repent again and walk again in faith. Biblical repentance can’t be structured according to a specific set of rules (contra Roman Catholic canon law), because that process only looks at the external action. Joy-inducing repentance begins with a change of heart and ends with a change in practice. Repentance Rightly Defined Anything valuable is going to have counterfeits. Repentance is no exception. For example, in our culture, public figures tend to issue public apologies after bad behavior. The pattern is so prevalent that people have begun to compare the aesthetic of apology videos to evaluate the degree of sincerity. We know this sort of repentance is a counterfeit because often the person apologizing can’t explain what she’s repenting of beyond offending her audience. Brauns helps us see what repentance looks like in its various forms. Sometimes repentance happens in a flash. For example, after a lifetime’s worth of sibling rivalry, selfishness, and sexual immorality, Judah comes to his sentence in a dramatic confrontation and says, “She is more righteous than I” (Gen. 38:26). In that moment, the grace of God breaks through, and Judah is truly repentant. Not even a man who had racked up years of disobedience is beyond the possibility of repentance. Sometimes repentance takes time as we wrestle with our deceitful heart (Jer. 17:9), which presents self-pity as a substitute for repentance. In contrast, Paul reminds the Corinthian church that true repentance results in earnest, godly grief (2 Cor. 7:8–11). As Brauns notes, “A careful study of this passage shows that the central quality of authentic repentance is that it features earnest productivity” (123). Turning from sin, which can happen in a moment, is proven by faithfulness across years and decades. True repentance stands in stark contrast to worldly grief, which has a short shelf life. Someone may feel bad for making a big mistake, but he doesn’t follow through with the changed life that repentance demands (Heb. 12:16–17). That’s why so many celebrity apologies feel fake. They don’t reflect real repentance; they’re damage control to protect the next contract. Real repentance goes much deeper. It’s a gift from God that leads to change, and that change points to joy. Repentance Goes to Church We should be more concerned with evaluating our own repentance than that of others. That evaluation takes patience, humility, and a willingness to observe the fruit in our lives. Though we may shed tears over the consequences of our sin, we should seek to bear fruit consistent with real repentance over time. Yet Christians also have a responsibility to help others come to repentance. When someone is caught in sin, we should “restore him in a spirit of gentleness” (Gal. 6:1). Repentance is a gift that may produce sudden change or may require repeated, patient reminders. We need to understand that ongoing repentance bears fruit over time, so we can help others cultivate that sort of fruit in their lives. Christians also have a responsibility to help others come to repentance. Brauns offers a timely resource for Christians living in a culture that mistakes shallow apologies for real repentance. The sample prayers he includes in each chapter can help readers learn how to articulate repentance, and the resources he recommends offer fodder for deeper study. Evaluating repentance rightly requires great patience, humility, and a willingness to say, “I don’t know; let’s wait and observe the fruit.” The person who sheds many tears may be truly repentant when she’s caught in a sinful act. Yet it’s prudent to observe earnest productivity before casting judgment. Luther was right. Repentance runs through the whole of the Christian life, not just its beginning. The Way of Repentance equips Christians to make repentance a joyful practice before the face of God.