If you engaged in a word-association exercise with a maturing Christian and shared the prompt “repentance,” you would not expect “joy” to be the instinctive response. But Chris Brauns, in his new book “The Way of Repentance” (Crossway, 2026), makes the case that joy is indeed the most biblical motivation for repentance — along with Christ’s glory — and should be the expected result, too.
As Brauns puts it, “Repentance is for Christ’s glory and the joy of all involved” (which clearly echoes Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 1). As his Acknowledgements mention, writing on repentance led Brauns, a non-Presbyterian, to grow in his appreciation for the Westminster Standards, and they noticeably influence his writing.
Pastors and other ministry leaders are often drawn to the “next big idea” when it comes to church leadership or ministry strategies, so Brauns’ book on repentance will likely not attract a high number of clicks and likes. But a reminder of gospel fundamentals — even a restoration, if needed — is the seedbed for reformation and revival in the church. We are inviting fellow sinners not to a club that offers status, vibe, and social opportunities, but to genuine and lasting reconciliation with the Creator himself.
The first part of Brauns’ book focuses on repentance as the way into the Christian life, while the second part focuses on repentance as the way of the Christian life. Throughout, Brauns not only defines repentance from Scripture but also reframes it in terms of joy. This should not be a difficult case to make, since repentance is a turning away from sin, and a corresponding and necessary turning to Jesus.
We instinctively think of repenting as a verb. The guy in Times Square holds up a sign that urges everyone to “Repent! The end is near!” (with the obligatory John 3:16 reference).
Of course, this urging is valid. It was John the Baptist’s cry (Matthew 3:2) — the original bedraggled homeless guy with the half-crazed look. It was also the central message of Jesus’ early ministry (Matthew 4:17) as well as the commission he left for the church (Luke 24:47). It was the apostle Peter’s sermon conclusion on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38) as well as the central message for the apostle Paul (Acts 26:20).
This imperative is a necessary, central element of gospel proclamation, calling for a response from sinful humanity, like the urging “to believe” (Paul, to the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:31); and yet Brauns’ reminder from Scripture is that repentance (as with faith) is a gift from God. As a pastor who is regularly called to wade into the painful turf of failing marriages and wayward members, this reminder felt important and reorienting. God is the one who grants repentance unto life.
Those who see repentance as a necessary, central element of the Christian life will not be surprised to find Brauns stressing the ordinary means of grace — “ordinary” because they are accessible to every believer. They are also “ordinary” because, like daily exercise and choosing a salad over a bacon cheeseburger, the mundane moments of life either move us (back) toward God in deeper intimacy and trust, or away from him in sin. There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to working out one’s salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).
Some readers will benefit from a re-calibration away from chasing church growth strategies and back to trusting in and emphasizing the means of grace. Readers will also appreciate Brauns’ practical insights rooted in his decades of pastoral ministry. One example especially resonated with me:
One of the worst parts of such dynamics in marriages, where one member hates the sin of the spouse but not their own, is that a cycle of sin is created in which both husband and wife sin in response to what they hate about the other person, rather than hating their own sin.
Those engaged in pastoral counseling easily recognize this pattern. And what alone can break such a mutually-destructive cycle in a marriage? Repentance as a way of life. Brauns’ two chapters on evaluating repentance are especially helpful given the challenge of connecting the unchanging biblical realities of repentance to the moving targets and unique aspects of each person’s or marriage’s story.
The book had a couple of areas where I thought it could be improved. My first head-scratching moment came early in chapter 2, “Repentance Can Happen in a Flash.” By the end of the book, I still could not understand why Brauns chose Judah’s behavior in Genesis 38 to illustrate that the path to genuine repentance is sometimes sudden and short. This choice seems at odds with Brauns’ pastoral concern throughout the book to recognize the struggles of church leaders and to anticipate his readers’ concerns and even protests.
I also thought the author spent too much in chapter 10 hypothesizing about the younger brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The biblical account simply does not care to give us such details. There’s enough rich content to exegete and to apply without inventing theories and filling in backstory from one’s imagination.
The book’s primary appeal is that Brauns’ pastoral heart overflows onto every page. This is not a writer interested in excoriating people for not feeling bad enough about their sin. This is a man who has wrestled in prayer about how to approach the impenitent and how to tenderly minister to the broken. Brauns’ writing reminds me of a statement Knox Chamblin made when I took his Pauline Epistles class about the need to be “as gentle as possible, but as forceful as necessary.”
The book is both biblically-rooted and eminently practical as a guide for small group leaders or elders wrestling with whether to and how to exercise church discipline. But it’s also quite accessible for the average churchgoer. Brauns regularly poses questions that are likely on the minds of the reader and uses illustrations that are easy to grasp.
Let’s be honest: “The Way of Repentance” might not draw widespread attention because of its topic. But it is precisely the kind of book that church leaders — really, anyone who desires to grow in their faith — need to read. It is an excellent reminder of first things (1 Corinthians 15:3): the building blocks of faith in Christ, the risen king who came preaching repentance (Matthew 4:17).
We don’t need more innovation in the church so much as we need pure gospel. God’s gift of repentance to sinners is, indeed, good news!
Peter Wang serves as senior pastor of Grace Redeemer Church in Glen Rock, New Jersey.