Does repentance happen by degrees?

[just1-4all]

The uploaded image is the focus of the question posed in my thread's title.

 

For me, one way to interpret this graphic is that we have sin's we may be doing that we aren't even consciously aware of. So our obedience, in time, is perfected as a function of increasing light and truth revealed from Jehovah by means of his holy spirit, all thanks to the value of Jesus' life for our sins.

Edited 15 hours ago by just1-4all
Clarity

[Ludwika]

I think repentance can be a painful journey, as in the case of Manasseh, brought home to him, sitting in the dungeon, just how seriously he'd sinned, and many have identified with that, coming to the truth from a prison cell;

or it can be an immediate recognition of wrong, as in Saul's case on the road to Damascus.

In both cases though, the repentance was genuine and involved a complete turn around and repudiation of all they'd done before. Because of that, Manasseh was restored to his throne, and Saul became Paul, the apostle to the nations. 

[Friend of Peace]

The physical consequences of Sin are like what the graph portrays. A quick dive into immediate negative consequences such as a bad conscience and then a longer upward process in coping with the circumstances created from the sin. But the repentance aspect in God’s eyes cannot be measured accurately by us. Since he knows the hearts and actions, our perception of God forgiving a person does not equate to the perfect timing of when God has actually forgiven a person. (Acts 3:19; 1 John 3:20)

 

We naturally lag in seeing Jehovah’s forgiveness because we’re humans and aren’t fly on the walls in that person’s life every single day. So really, that graph according to Jehovah’s view could be seeing a quick dive by committing sin but then not longer after seeing a quick spike back to the line of obedience to his commands because Jehovah sees that person as repentant.
 

As my dad used to say: “A person disfellowshipped does not mean they’re disfellowshipped from God. He could be viewed as back in the truth by Jehovah now, but the elders have a hard time seeing that and delay in reinstatement due to natural limitations.” 
 

God’s forgiveness of a person may be a lot quicker than what we perceive. 

Edited 13 hours ago by Friend of Peace

[jwhess]

Time can be a consideration.  The Insight book describes all kinds of sins (very large and quite small).  It may take a different amount of time to address and solve the various problems we are faced with.  A small sin might be an individual act that is quickly recognized and immediately dealt with. Other sins might involve multiple parties and require months or even years to unravel and fix.

 

In the case of the jailer and his family at Philippi, the entire repentance, conversion and acceptance of Truth took one night.  Manasseh took years.

 

The 2013 Watchtower quoted below mentions it is an "on-going process".  Sinful humans continue to sin.

 

*** w13 3/15 p. 16 par. 14 Having “Come to Know God”—What Now? ***

¹⁴ Our initially becoming a Christian depended on repentance and on turning around, or turning away from our sins. Repentance, however, is an ongoing process. As imperfect humans, we still have sin lurking within us like a coiled snake ready to strike. (Rom. 3:9, 10; 6:12-14)

 

*** it-2 “Repentance” par. 10 ***

 What true repentance requires. Repentance involves both mind and heart. The wrongness of the course or act must be recognized, and this requires an acknowledgment that God’s standards and will are righteous.

 The person must see that he has sinned against God. (Ps 51:3, 4; Jer 3:25)  Even wrongs committed in ignorance or by mistake are to be recognized as making one guilty before the Sovereign Ruler, Jehovah God.—Compare Le 5:17-19; Ps 51:5, 6; 119:67; 1Ti 1:13-16.

 Regret, remorse, and tears, then, are not a certain measure of genuine repentance; the heart motive is determinative.