“Repentance (Act 19:4) is good, but apart from Christ Jesus, it does not secure salvation. Repentance is enough to stay people from sin, but it cannot restore us from corruption. Only the Incarnation of the Son of God has the power to overthrow both sin and its subsequent corruption (AthanG). Thus, a person needs to be joined to Christ in baptism and the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Acts 19:2-4)
“Let us consider the apostle’s claim that the Lord Jesus will “give repentance to Israel” (Acts 5: 31). Saint Peter does not understand repentance as a simple human action, but as a gift from God. Although repentance is manifested in human actions, the inclination to repent and the inner power to change come from God by grace. Indeed, Christ is the true source of our repentance. Every heartfelt impulse to confess, to weep for our sins, to struggle against them, or to live virtuously is a gift from God.” (Dynamis 4/22/2018)
“Today, if people could be taught repentance, this alone would be of great help…To ask for repentance from God means to ask for enlightenment. When we ask for repentance and repent all the more, naturally we will become more humble; and by necessity, we will receive more divine Grace—more divine enlightenment.” (St. Paisios the Athonite)
“There is a reason Jesus began His public ministry by saying “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). Repentance, a complete change of heart, and the Gospel, the good news of Christ, cannot be separated. Repentance without Christ is like managing symptoms of an illness without applying the cure.” (Sacramental Living Blog)
“…by “repent,” I do not simply mean, “feel sorry for your sins and try to do better.” I mean “undertake the very painstaking, moment-in-and-moment-out work of changing your thinking, which is the root meaning of the New Testament word for repentance: metanoia.” Only by struggling to put on the mind of Christ is the Christian able to grow in the divine image in which she or he has been created.” (Bishop John Michael Botean)