3. Genuine Repentance Requires Changing Behavior
World Scripture
And whosoever repents and does good, he verily repents towards God with true repentance.
Qur’an 25.71 (Islam)
If a man finds that he has made a mistake, then he must not be afraid of admitting the fact and amending his ways.
Analects 1.8.4 (Confucianism)
Whosoever looks upon his wrongdoing as wrongdoing, makes amends by confessing it as such, and abstains from it in the future, will progress according to the Law.
Digha Nikaya 1.85 (Buddhism)
How is one proved a repentant sinner? Rab Judah said, “If the object which caused his original transgression comes before him on two occasions, and he keeps away from it.” Rabbi Jose ben Judah said, “If a man commits a transgression, the first, second, and third time he is forgiven; the fourth time he is not forgiven.”
Talmud, Yoma 86b (Judaism)
He who has committed a sin and has repented, is freed from that sin, but he is purified only by resolving to cease: “I will do so no more.”… He who, having either unintentionally or intentionally committed a reprehensible deed, desires to be freed from it, must not commit it a second time. If his mind be uneasy with respect to any deed, let him repeat the penances prescribed for it until they fully satisfy his conscience.
Laws of Manu 11.231-34 (Hinduism)
Expiation and repentance, to a man who continues to commit sinful acts, knowing them to be harmful, are of no avail. Futile is it to bathe an elephant if he is straightway to roll again in the mud.
Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1 (Hinduism)
Say, O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of God, who forgives all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Turn to Him repentant, and surrender unto Him, before there can come upon you the doom, when you cannot be helped. And follow the better of that which has been revealed unto you from your Lord, before the doom comes on you suddenly when you know not. Lest any soul should say, “Alas, my grief that I was unmindful of God, and I was indeed among the scoffers!” Or should say, “If God had but guided me, I should have been among the dutiful!” Or should say, when it sees the doom, “Oh, that I had but a second chance, that I might be among the righteous!”
Qur’an 39.53-58
Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then comes the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. You cannot say, when you are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, you cannot say this; for that same spirit which possesses your bodies at the time that you go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. For behold, if you have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, you have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he has sealed you his.
Book of Mormon, Alma 34.33-35 (Latter-day Saints)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
We are people who recognize that we are in a disordered and diseased state, and we have come to this place to be repaired. We have individual problems, family problems, national-level problems, and global problems, all of which need fixing…
How then can you prove that you are completely healed? You are in good shape when you feel disgust for your old self and your former way of life. Do you still have fond memories of those days? Do you sometimes dream of the good times you used to have? If so, it means you have not yet fully recovered from your illness.
Again, you meet a handsome man who whispers in your ear, “You are so beautiful! Why don’t you forget about that difficult husband of yours and come live with me?” If such a temptation pulls you in the slightest, it means you have not yet fully recovered from your illness. You are cured when you have become immune to such temptations, when they do not affect you at all.
(May 1, 1978)
Most people’s lives vacillate back and forth between good and evil, between a public life and a self-centered life. They often end up falling into a self-centered life. But if they continue that way, they are destined to perish. Therefore, from time to time they repent of their self-centered past and strive once again to live a public life, biting their teeth. Nevertheless, they do not endure it for long and again fall back into self-centeredness… In such a way, people vacillate back and forth. Eventually, they are inclined to live a private life, distant from the standard of public goodness. Most people’s lives of faith have been like that. This is why people who lead private lives need to continually repent.
(31:242, June 4, 1970)
Although God joyfully receives you this day, you should nevertheless have a tearful heart of thorough repentance. Question yourself: “Why did I not know Heavenly Father sooner? And why did I not understand the standpoint of God, who is so worried over humankind?”
When you think of your former ignorance, you should wail with indignation. God will sympathize with you if you have a heart of repentance over the past.
If you lack a heart of repentance, you have no business participating in God’s work.
(13:330, April 14, 1964)
Until the last moment of your life you should be repenting. You must not leave the earth without doing it.
(99:110, September 1, 1978)