The Way of Repentance: Embracing God's Gift for a Transformed Life

by Chris Brauns

How Grieving Your Sin Brings Abiding Joy—A Practical Guide to Biblical Repentance

People don't usually associate the word "repentance" with happiness, but Scripture says it's cause for celebration. Angels rejoice over sinners who repent. A once heartbroken father threw a party for his prodigal son. True repentance is "coming home" to find joy in God. Why do so many people today view it as a burden?

Pastor Chris Brauns explains that deep, abiding gladness comes when we grieve sin and turn toward Jesus. This thorough study of repentance examines the Old and New Testaments as well as the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It is made practical with reflection questions, prayers, and advice for daily sanctification. As listeners apply biblical principles, they will experience life-giving joy in their spiritual lives and restoration in their relationships.

Practical Personal stories, reflection questions, short prayers, and advice help listeners live out the doctrine of repentance Fosters Ongoing Growth and Urges listeners to turn their hearts, minds, and wills away from sin and toward Jesus for faith that bears fruit Biblical Great for listeners who want to experience personal spiritual growth as well as restoration in their relationships Biblical and Pastoral An accessible resource for pastors and counselors to use in motivating and equipping counselees Features a Foreword by Rosaria Butterfield

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christian Living, Discipleship

264 pages, Paperback

Published March 31, 2026

Reviews

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Repentance is a word that has strangely evaporated from many evangelical churches. The word all but disappeared from mainline churches decades ago. But the notion of repentance is biblical and needs to be revived. The Way of Repentance: Embracing God’s Gift for a Transformed Life by Chris Brauns argues that people need to read about repentance for joy. He simply says, “We repent for joy.” That’s quite a way to begin a book. After diving deeply into this book for several hours, I can testify that the author keeps his word — for this is truly a book designed to spark joy in the hearts of
people.

Part 1: Repentance Unto Life

Part one establishes the ground rules and biblical parameters for repentance. A definition is provided at the outset, namely - “Repentance means turning from unbelief to belief in Jesus.” This 180 degree turn moves from rebellion to submission as sinners cast all their hope in Christ which results in spiritual fruit. Dr. Brauns clarifies the definition of repentance by answering some fundamental questions that probe deeply into the human soul and the biblical text. These questions and answers alone are worth the price of the book.

Part 2: The Life of Repentance

Part two moves from the explanation of repentance to life application. Brauns demonstrates how repentance appears in the Christian life and cites numerous examples. Critical to this discussion is the idea that repentance must be an ongoing feature of the Christian life. The author adds:

All of us battle certain sinful tendencies throughout our lives. And the way we
fight sin is through an ongoing pattern of considering Jesus in his word, being
convicted by the Holy Spirit of the ugliness of our sin, and, in response, repent-
ing and returning in faith to the beauty of Christ.

Brauns repeatedly notes how repentance is integrally tied to the Word of God and subjection to the means of grace. In the end, Christians are called to be a gospel people; to preach the gospel to themselves as they commit to a lifestyle of ongoing repentance.

Biblical models of repentance are included which prove helpful, especially fo new believers. And guidelines are offered, which enable readers to check their progress as they walk down the path of repentance.

Summary

The Way of Repentance is a much-needed work that will drive Christians to their knees. The author makes his case that “we repent for joy.” He does it in a winsome way. But more importantly, he does it in a biblical way. I heartily commend this book and trust that it will receive a wide readership.

[Peter LeDuc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A thoroughly biblical and invaluable resource filled with much-needed reminders and edifying remedies to our modern culture.

[Sean Crowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. A great mix of theology and practise.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brauns introduces his important (and I mean it--is there anything of more importance in one's entire world than repentance?) topic in an interesting manner: with 10 True/False questions. The answers to these questions are explained in the ten chapters of the book.

1. Repentance can happen in an instant.
2. Joy should motivate one to repent.
3. In contrast with faith or believing in Jesus for salvation, repentance is a work we perform rather than a gift we receive.
4. Fear should motivate one to repent.
5. Those who repent and believe are forgiven of their son once and for all and need not repent of their sins on a regular basis.
6. Repentance takes place in the context of grief.
7. We must work out our repentance.
8. Genuine repentance is easily distinguished from counterfeit repentance.
9. Given that our sin is fundamentally against God, we need not express repentance and ask forgiveness of someone we have offended.
10. Where grave offenses are concerned, Christians should immediately and unconditionally receive the person who expresses repentance.

These are great questions to think about, and Brauns answers them ably and pastorally. Although he is not a presbyterian, he relies on the beautiful words of the Westminster standards regarding repentance unto life. He also critiques appropriately the Roman approach to "repentance."

This is a book that any believer could read profitably and repeatedly.

(In case you're wondering, 3,5,8,9, and 10 are false, while 1,2,4,6,and 7 are true.)

[Lianna Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

The Way of Repentance offers a gracious and honest look at this essential doctrine. The author writes with a pastoral tone and provides wise, thoughtful counsel throughout. I found the book especially encouraging in its emphasis on the possibility—and reality—of restoration in Christ through genuine turning from sin.

I do, however, have two concerns.

First, I would have appreciated a stronger emphasis on the reality that repentance leads to deeper, more felt fellowship with Christ. This, in many ways, is the great reward of repentance. While the idea is mentioned, it does not seem to function as a central theme, and I believe the book would have been strengthened if it had.

Second, I struggled with how the book addressed error in church leadership, particularly in situations where individuals have been wronged. The strong discouragement of criticizing the local church felt both disconnected from the topic of repentance and, at times, unhelpful. Churches do handle situations poorly at times, and acknowledging this reality is important. The appropriate response is not silence, but greater awareness and better training, so that Christ may be honored more fully.

In some cases, insight from outside counselors can help clarify what went wrong and even prevent unnecessary despair. That kind of help should not be withheld from someone who has been hurt within the church.

[Chuck Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that explains biblical repentance from Scripture while showing that the chief motivation is joy. Similar to his book Unpacking Forgiveness, Chris Brauns opens with a quiz that challenges what many have been taught about repentance, then spends the rest of the book making a compelling biblical case that repentance is a joy-motivated, God-given, saving grace we are called to embrace, evaluate rightly, and think biblically about.

I especially enjoyed the chapters going deeper into the responses of Judah and Reuben, examined in light of 2 Corinthians 7, as well as the impactful case made for the church community to actively aid in the process of repentance for the benefit of all parties involved. The clarity with which repentance is unpacked throughout this book is a testament to Chris Brauns' diligent study of Scripture, as every claim is grounded in biblical examples and references rather than mere opinion or tradition.

This is a book I highly recommend to anyone who wants to see how the Bible defines, calls for, and shapes genuine repentance. Read it alongside Unpacking Forgiveness and you will have a rich, Scripture-saturated foundation for two of the most important and often misunderstood graces in the Christian life.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Way of Repentance, Brauns helps believers move beyond an understanding of repentance as a trite “sorry." Brauns instead frames repentance as a deliberate and consistent process of reconciliation that is primarily relational rather than transactional.

There is a fairly readable book, and I think there’s a lot to get out of it, both for new and long-time Christ followers. As we consider how we seek forgiveness and correct wrongdoing, both with God and with others, this book offers a Scriptural framework for reflection and practical applications.

[Ryanne Molinari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and accessible work on a crucial topic!