--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: True repentance says, “I cannot,” and…" description: "\"“True repentance says, “I cannot,” and true faith adds, “But God, You can!”\" — W. Ian Thomas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce1/w-ian-thomas-30507_faith_true-repentance-says-i-cannot-and-true-f_2887508.png" --- # True repentance says, “I cannot,” and true faith adds… ![“True repentance says, “I cannot,” and true faith adds, “But God, You can!” quote by W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce1/w-ian-thomas-30507_faith_true-repentance-says-i-cannot-and-true-f_2887508.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce1/w-ian-thomas-30507_faith_true-repentance-says-i-cannot-and-true-f_2887508.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce1/w-ian-thomas-30507_faith_true-repentance-says-i-cannot-and-true-f_2887508.png) > ““True repentance says, “I cannot,” and true faith adds, “But God, You can!”” [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True repentance admits inability, while faith trusts divine capability. **In simple terms:** Admit limits, trust higher power. Key Takeaway Combine humility with faith. Themes faith repentance humility Mood hopeful spiritual Type theological motivational When to use this quote - personal crisis - addiction recovery - grief processing Key Concepts theology spirituality psychology Questions to Reflect On - What limits do you accept? - How does faith shape your actions? A Different Perspective Overreliance on faith may ignore personal responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Repentance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repentance/) [True faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-faith/) [True repentance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-repentance/) ## Related quotes > [Legalistic remorse says, "I broke God's rules," while real repentance says, "I broke God's heart."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/legalistic-remorse-says-i-broke-god-s-rules-while-real-repentance/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [True faith begins with true repentance for whatever we have been doing that is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-joyner/true-faith-begins-with-true-repentance-for-whatever-we-have-been/) [Rick Joyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-joyner/) > [“There truly is no salvation where there is no recognition of sin and a confession of the righteousness of God in the just punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-robert-white/there-truly-is-no-salvation-where-there-is-no-recognition-of-sin-and/) [James Robert White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-robert-white/) > [True repentance includes sorrow for sin and contrition of heart. It breaks the heart with sighs and sobs and groans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/true-repentance-includes-sorrow-for-sin-and-contrition-of-heart-it/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [Repentance and faith are distasteful to the unregenerate; they would sooner repeat a thousand formal prayers than shed a solitary tear of true repentance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/repentance-and-faith-are-distasteful-to-the-unregenerate-they-would/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [True repentance does not permit repetition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/true-repentance-does-not-permit-repetition/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [God will is to save us,and nothing pleases him more than our coming back to him with true repentance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-will-is-to-save-us-and-nothing-pleases-him-more-than-our-coming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If the adversary should take you prisoner due to misconduct, I remind you that you hold the key that will unlock the prison door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-k-packer/if-the-adversary-should-take-you-prisoner-due-to-misconduct-i-remind/) [Boyd K. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-k-packer/) > [Four marks of true repentance are: acknowledgement of wrong, willingness to confess it, willingness to abandon it, and willingness to make restitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/four-marks-of-true-repentance-are-acknowledgement-of-wrong/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [True repentance has as its constituent elements not only grief and hatred of sin, but also an apprehension of the mercy of God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mackergo-taylor/true-repentance-has-as-its-constituent-elements-not-only-grief-and/) [William Mackergo Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mackergo-taylor/) > [Admittedly, repentance is not always easy; I suppose it would not be true repentance if it were. It can also take a longer time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-baxter/admittedly-repentance-is-not-always-easy-i-suppose-it-would-not-be/) [David S. Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-baxter/) > [A true repentance shuns the evil itself, more than the external suffering or the shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-true-repentance-shuns-the-evil-itself-more-than-the-external/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Yes, one can repent of moral transgression. The miracle of forgiveness is real, and true repentance is accepted of the Lord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/yes-one-can-repent-of-moral-transgression-the-miracle-of-forgiveness/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Before a person start to walk the Straight & Narrow Path, they have to make some changes within them self, like turning away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/before-a-person-start-to-walk-the-straight-narrow-path-they-have-to/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## More by W. Ian Thomas > [“You and I, however, were so created that by anything and everything we do, we are saying to our Creator either “God, I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/you-and-i-however-were-so-created-that-by-anything-and-everything-we/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [“I may wish to return to my home in England, and I stand in New York, but ever since I was born I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/i-may-wish-to-return-to-my-home-in-england-and-i-stand-in-new-york/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [The Christian life is the life of the Lord Jesus Christ lived two thousand years ago, lived now by Him in you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/the-christian-life-is-the-life-of-the-lord-jesus-christ-lived-two/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [“This is the divine vocation into which you have been redeemed: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/this-is-the-divine-vocation-into-which-you-have-been-redeemed-for-we/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [“Make sure it is God's trumpet you are blowing- if it is only yours it won't wake the dead, it will simply disturb the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/make-sure-it-is-god-s-trumpet-you-are-blowing-if-it-is-only-yours-it/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [Eternal life is not a peculiar feeling inside! It is not your ultimate destination, to which you will go when you are dead. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/eternal-life-is-not-a-peculiar-feeling-inside-it-is-not-your-ultimate/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [“To get light from an oil lamp, filling it first with oil is entirely reasonable. To get a car to provide you with transportation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/to-get-light-from-an-oil-lamp-filling-it-first-with-oil-is-entirely/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [“All of Christ in all of you. You can never have more. You need never have less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/all-of-christ-in-all-of-you-you-can-never-have-more-you-need-never/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [If you have eternal life at all, it simply means that you have the Son, Jesus Christ NOW! Eternal life is not a peculiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/if-you-have-eternal-life-at-all-it-simply-means-that-you-have-the-son/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [“Christ died for us so that He, risen and alive, might now come and dwell within us, so that we might no longer be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/christ-died-for-us-so-that-he-risen-and-alive-might-now-come-and/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [“Normality for a human being is when God can be seen by anything and everything which that person does and says and is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/normality-for-a-human-being-is-when-god-can-be-seen-by-anything-and/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [For godliness is not the consequence of your capacity to imitate God, but the consequence of His capacity to reproduce Himself in you; not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/for-godliness-is-not-the-consequence-of-your-capacity-to-imitate-god/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [To be in Christ - that makes you fit for heaven; but for Christ to be in you - that makes you fit for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/to-be-in-christ-that-makes-you-fit-for-heaven-but-for-christ-to-be-in/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [Man was so engineered by God that the presence of the Creator within the creature is indispensable to His humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/man-was-so-engineered-by-god-that-the-presence-of-the-creator-within/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) > [There are few things quite so boring as being religious, but there is nothing quite so exciting as being a Christian!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/there-are-few-things-quite-so-boring-as-being-religious-but-there-is/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) [Explore all 17 W. Ian Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) ## More Faith quotes > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. 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