Book Review: The Way of Repentance by Chris Brauns

Many Christians have an idea of what repentance, but very few know what it really means. Some say that repentance is simply stop sinning. That is partly true but there is more to repentance then simply stop sinning. 

Why Should Christians repent? What is our motivation to repent? These and other questions are answered in the latest book from Chris Brauns titled The Way of Repentance.

In the book, Brauns communicates that repentance has to do with gladness. To repent is to be for joy. Brauns writes, "Repentance brings joy, peace, and purpose for our lives, our families, our churches, and the world." Most Christians know that we repent because sin is offense to a holy God, so we repent because we are grieved that we have offended God. Brauns says that Christians should repent so that we may have joy.

Brauns mentions that repentance is a way of life which is what the Puritans also believed. Many think that repentance is a one-time deal where confess our sins to God one time and we just repent never worrying about it again. We fight sin every day. We face temptation every day. There will be times we will fail. We must go to God in prayer to confess our sins, which is He is faithful and just to forgive (see 1 John 1:9), and we repent of that sin for the rest of our lives or till Christ returns. 

Brauns goes on to say that God has given us the ordinary means of grace, which are Word, Worship, Fellowship, and Prayer, to engage us to repent. The Lord's Supper is a good reminder of repentance because of what Jesus did on our behalf on the cross. We got to God in prayer to ask Him to meet our needs, so that would be the best place to confess our sins and repent of those sins. Worship reminds of the goodness and faithfulness of God. Fellowship is a time to confess our sins to one another and hold each other accountable to repent. 

As the book draws to a close, Brauns helps his readers to evaluate genuine repentance because there are many out there who will fake it till, they make it. Finally, Brauns reminds his readers about receiving those who are repentant. It is easy to not trust people, but we are called to accept another as Christ has accepted us (see Romans 15:7). Those who repent receive fellow Christians who have repented from their sins.

Brauns does a good job communicating the importance of repentance in this book. My main thing that I was not really on board with the book was when Brauns said we repent so that we may have joy.  I get what he is saying, but it was almost saying we repent so we can be happy as if repentance was all about us rather than repenting of something that offends a holy God. Other than that, the book is pretty solid.

I received this book from Crossway in exchange for an honest review.