On the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was first outpoured, and after Peter preached, people wanted to know how to respond to the message. Peter said, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, NKJV).

Notice, the first word Peter uses in his response is “Repent. Repentance is essential for obtaining the Holy Spirit and baptism in Jesus’ name usually comes after repentance. This is the path most people I know, including myself, take to receive the Holy Spirit, for Peter said, once repentance and baptism take place, “you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Of course, this is not the only path, for there have been people in scripture and people I know who have received the Holy Spirit before baptism in Jesus’ name and were baptized shortly thereafter.

Names that come to mind from scripture include Cornelius and the Apostle Paul. Cornelius was listening to Peter preach when he received the Holy Spirit, and although we are not specifically told that he repented, I am certain he did. Let’s examine Cornelius’ life for a moment. Cornelius was “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:1-3, NKJV). Cornelius was living a godly life before he even received the Holy Spirit, and I believe that it takes someone who has repented to live a godly life.

To repent means to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life. Cornelius’ life reflects the very definition of what it means to repent. The Apostle Paul also repented. How do I know this? I know this because his life following his conversion reflects the very definition of what it means to repent. He completely changed directions in life. He went from being a feared persecutor to one of the most celebrated first-century church figures. That to me is the essence of what it means to repent.

Both Jesus and John the Baptist made repentance a key focus of their ministry. John the Baptist began his ministry with these words “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). He even encouraged his listeners to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8). The fruit(s) of repentance is a changed life. Here is how John the Baptist described a changed life to three separate groups of people who wanted to know what to do to bear the fruits of repentance.

To the crowd, he said, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise” (Luke 3:11, NKJV). To the tax collectors, he said, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you” (Luke 3:13, NKJV). To the soldiers, he said, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14).

John the Baptist wanted these groups of people to do the opposite of what they had been doing. Next, it is no coincidence that Jesus also began his ministry with a message of repentance. He said, “Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Clearly, repentance is of utmost importance.

In one of his sermons, Jesus spoke about putting old materials into new materials. This sermon was not necessarily about the Holy Spirit or repentance, but I believe there is an extractable principle. Here is what Jesus said, “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved (Matthew 9:16-17, NLT).

The extractable principle is that the old unrepented you cannot contain, hold, or take in that which is new—the Holy Spirit. For God to fill you with His Spirit, you must repent of your sins—old habits, attitudes, behaviors, lifestyles, and so forth. Without repentance, you cannot receive the Holy Spirit.