The English word, repent, means to turn around and proceed in the opposite direction. However, repent is not an entirely accurate translation from the Greek. Nor is it always an accurate translation from the Hebrew. To repent is often literally to have a new mind.  This could be taken as a purely intellectual exercise as, "I had in mind to paint the room yellow but changed my mind," but it's deeper than that.  In these cases where a word can be taken as meaning something much more shallow or something much deeper, and when both are true as in this case, the Holy Spirit can speak the deep things to those who need that and the shallow to those who need that.  It is much more likely that God is referring to His plan to impart to us a new mind.  Be transfigured by the renewing of your mind. 

This "having a new mind" is a step-by-step process that requires a "growing in Christ" of the entire Church at once. (Romans 12:1-2)  Each member supplies his or her part, building each other up in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16) It involves discerning the Body of Christ, not knowing any person after the flesh but after the spirit. (2 Corinthians 5:16)  And it involves moment-by-moment submitting to the Holy Spirit and allowing God's Grace to do His Works through us in thought, word, and deed.  All these things work together to transfigure us from glory to glory.  It involves doing the God-generated works of repentance. (Matthew 3:8)  It involves Godly sorrow. (2 Corinthians 7:9-11)

God's intent is that you change your mind or, literally, have a new mind. Repentance is having a new mind. At times, however, the original language can have the following meanings: have compassion, turn around, or have sorrow. In those cases, the translation would have been more clear had the translator not used the word, repentance.  We can see that some translators have blurred the meanings of various words, for example: "metanoeo" and "metamellomai" translating some words with the meaning "have a new mind" and other words having a meaning, "be sorry," into the single English word "repent," meaning "turn around and proceed in the opposite direction." It may be that the translators themselves didn't quite understand the clear distinction between what God requires from us, to have a new mind, and a human emotion, sorrow.  Although, sorrow is obviously part of the process of repentance.  Repentance is an unfolding revelation, a new mind, and, through it, God will continue to remove the veil and give us better understanding of Scripture. This has perhaps made it difficult for Christians to know what is required of them.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed [metamorphoo means literally transfigured] by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

This word that is translated as transformed is the Greek word, metamorphoo. From it, we get the English word, metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is a change from one type of thing into another type of thing. We apply this word to caterpillars turning into butterflies.

God is very careful about the use of the word, metamorphoo, in Scripture. It is only used in three places. It is used here and it is used in 2 Corinthians 3:18 to explain the same process from a different angle. Here, Paul explains that we are to take away the veil from our faces (the veil is a reference to the flesh). He says that, as we behold the glory of the Lord without the veil in front of our faces, we behold the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, and we are transfigured [metamorphoo] into the same image from glory to glory... and all of this is performed by the Spirit of the Lord. Notice that God is telling us the same thing from a different angle.

This is in passive voice. That means that you don't do it. You are not being told to renew your mind. Your mind is being renewed. By whom? By the Holy Ghost. This happens as we yield the members of our bodies to the flow of the anointing, the Holy Spirit.

The battle is clearly for the mind. The enemy of our souls is using every trick to keep our minds captive to himself. He does this by lying. The Truth is what sets us free. There is a process by which God uses Truth to set us free. First, He speaks, He utters His words to us. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by an utterance of God [literal]. Faith gives us access to grace. Grace does the work in us--that is the fruit of the Spirit or righteousness. Righteousness prepares the ground of our hearts and plants the good seed. God causes the good seed to grow. The evil in our heart dies in the process. This is what it means to die to self and to live to God. This is how righteousness leads to holiness. At any time that we think that we can do good works, we spoil the process. We become self righteous. God must do the work. We must enter into His rest and submit to Him. We rest in Him and stop trying in self-effort. We dwell in the presence of the Almighty in the wonderful flow of His anointing and He does His work in us. He gives us both the will and the power to do His good pleasure. Yet not us, but Christ dwelling in us does His good pleasure. Read much more about this here and at the links found on this page: https://www.seekfind.net/Meaning_of_Life.html

(some caveats about hearing God's Voice)

Satan will come to you and try to direct your mind.  He will bring your mind to past sins which you have laid at the cross.  When he does, bring forth the works suitable for repentance.  There should be sorrow for and hating of the sin.  There should be humility but not self-condemnation.  Every sin has victims.  Those sins are covered by the blood.  It is good to pray for the victims of your sin.  Even sins of the thought, much more so, sins of word or action, result in your own ministry not being able to function properly toward some people, and those people have suffered the loss.  There should be a turning to God to guide your thoughts rather than allowing Satan to set up the memories, the scenarios of what might have been or what could be.  Satan may just bring you thoughts of condemnation.  Satan may do this privately in your own mind or through other people, even your family, your close friends, or members of the Church.  You must cut Satan off and turn to God and think the thoughts that God gives you and say the words that God gives you and do the acts that God gives you.  If you seek Him, you will always find Him.  If you resist Satan, he will flee from you.  James 4:7-8

Galatians 6:1-10 Believers, if a someone is overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, fixing your eyes on yourself, so that you won't also be tempted. Bear each other's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a person thinks they are something, when they are nothing, they deceive themselves. But let everyone test their own work, and then shall they have rejoicing in themselves alone, and not in comparison to anyone else. For everyone will bear their own burden. Let the one who is taught in the utterance come Into fellowship with Him who teaches in all good things. Don't be deceived; God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows, that they shall also reap. For whoever sows into the flesh will reap corruption of the flesh, but whoever sows into the Spirit shall, from the Spirit, reap genuine and absolute fullness of life of the Kingdom Age. And let's not be weary in well doing, for in due time we will reap if we don't give up. * As we have, therefore, opportunity, let's do good to all people, especially to those who are of the family of supernatural belief and trust.

3341 μετανοια metanoia met-an'-oy-ah
from 3340; TDNT-4:975,636; n f AV-repentance 24; 24 1)a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done

Repent:

Have a new mind:

• metanoeo

Turn around:

• shuwb

Regret, have compassion, be sorry, or sorrow:

• metamellom
• ametameletos
• nocham
• nacham

3340 μετανοεω metanoeo met-an-o-eh'-o
from 3326 and 3539; TDNT-4:975,636; v
AV-repent 34; 34
1) to change one's mind, i.e. to repent
2) to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins

07725 שׁו' shuwb shoob
a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 2340}
AV-return 391,... again 248, turn 123,... back 65,... away 56, restore 39, bring 34, render 19, answer 18, recompense 8, recover 6, deliver 5, put 5, withdraw 5, requite 4, misc 40; 1066
1) to return, turn back
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to turn back, return
1a1a) to turn back
1a1b) to return, come or go back
1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back
1a1d) of dying
1a1e) of human relations (fig)
1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)
1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise
1a1f2) to turn away (of God)
1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent
1a1f4) turn back (from evil)
1a1g) of inanimate things
1a1h) in repetition
1b) (Polel)
1b1) to bring back
1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)
1b3) to lead away (enticingly)
1b4) to show turning, apostatise
1c) (Pual) restored (participle)
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back
1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment
1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore
1d3) to bring back, report to, answer
1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)
1d5) to turn back or backward, repel, defeat, repulse, hinder, reject, refuse
1d6) to turn away (face), turn toward
1d7) to turn against
1d8) to bring back to mind
1d9) to show a turning away 1d10) to reverse, revoke
1e) (Hophal) to be returned, be restored, be brought back
1f) (Pulal) brought back

3338 μεταμελομαι metamellomai met-am-el'-lom-ahee
from 3326 and the middle voice of 3199; TDNT-4:626,589; v
AV-repent 5, repent (one's) self 1; 6
1) it is a care to one afterwards
1a) it repents one, to repent one's self
The distinction often given between these is; 3338 refers to an emotional change, 3340 to a change of choice, 3338 has reference to particulars, 3340 to the entire life, 3338 signifies nothing but regret even amounting to remorse, 3340 that reversal of moral purpose known as repentance; does not seem to be sustained by usage. But that 3340 is the fuller and nobler term, expressive of moral action and issues, is indicated not only by its derivation, but by the greater frequency of its use and by the fact it is often used in the imperative.

05164 --ם nocham no'- kham
from 05162; n m; {See TWOT on 1344 @@ "1344a"}
AV-repentance 1; 1
1) repentance, sorrow

05162 --ם nacham naw-kham'
a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 1344}
AV-comfort 57, repent 41, comforter 9, ease 1; 108
1) to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion
1a2) to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent
1a3) to comfort oneself, be comforted
1a4) to comfort oneself, ease oneself
1b) (Piel) to comfort, console
1c) (Pual) to be comforted, be consoled
1d) (Hithpael)
1d1) to be sorry, have compassion
1d2) to rue, repent of
1d3) to comfort oneself, be comforted
1d4) to ease oneself

278 αμεταμελητος ametameletos am-et-am-el'-ay-tos
from 1 (as a negative particle) and a presumed derivative of 3338; TDNT-4:626,589; {See TDNT 486} adj
AV-without repentance 1, not to be repented of 1; 2
1) not repentant of, unregretted

Topic: Repentance and Repenting

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Question: Can a person truly repent if he or she doesn\'t know how God views his or her life and actions? Answer: The simple answer is, \"No.\" A person needs to know how God views his or her life and actions. The Holy Spirit convicts the person. The Father draws the person to Jesus. When a person is born again, they have a slight idea of how wicked they are in the...

If you have not read Stories Versus Truth, you may want to read that before reading this.   You may hear someone say that they don\'t want to repent because they think life will become dull and boring. In these types of discussions, don\'t let Satan turn any discussion into a contest.  Discuss without turning the other person into a loser or turning yourself into the winner. Answer: Ask them why they think that life...

\"It is because of him [the Father] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.\"   1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV   Holiness is progressive.  It is a change in what we are. It is a basic change in our very nature. You were designed for righteousness, holiness, and total redemption.  There is an upward spiral of righteousness, holiness, and redemption...

Acts 2:38, Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins , and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  KJV Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, \"Have a new mind, and be baptized every one of you into the Name of Jesus Christ for the release from bondage to, and pardon from...