Sincere repentance in the Christian tradition is seen not only as an appeal to God with a prayer for forgiveness, but also as a profound inner turning point that precedes true rebirth from above—that is, the spiritual renewal of a person.

Spiritual Renewal Through Sincere Repentance

Sincere repentance in the Christian tradition is seen not only as an appeal to God with a prayer for forgiveness, but also as a profound inner turning point that precedes true rebirth from above—that is, the spiritual renewal of a person. When repentance is taken seriously and accompanied by genuine humility, the "sacrament of death and Resurrection" occurs, during which the old, carnal self dies and a new, Spirit-born person emerges. It is important to distinguish this process of transformation from a life based solely on carnal desires—for it is through sincere repentance that a person enters a new life and gains the opportunity to become a bearer of spiritual gifts. In other words, if repentance is not founded on a deep inner transformation that testifies to being born from above, the person remains a prisoner of earthly nature and does not receive the fullness of spiritual renewal, as expressed by the absence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Supporting citation(s):
"Repentance is the Sacrament of Death and Resurrection. In this gracious Sacrament, the carnal, soulish man dies ... Rebirth from above is only the first breath of a new gracious life, the beginning of a tearful, repentant existence. Without this holy moment of rebirth, there is no true life of repentance, no gracious life. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and abides in spiritual death, while that which is born of the Spirit is spirit and abides in spiritual life." (source: link txt)

"And rebirth from above occurs through repentance," says St. Symeon the New Theologian (Vol. II, p. 13). "Repentance is the Sacrament of Death and Resurrection... A different, graciously living, heavenly, fragrant flower arises and assimilates a new existence." (source: link txt)

These excerpts highlight that true, sincere repentance is the starting point for spiritual rebirth, which opens the way to a life in the Spirit and, consequently, to the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. If such profound transformation is absent in a person, then the gifts—being the fruit of a life born from above—do not manifest.