What if you have repented many times and you do not trust yourself? Then you may never really repented. You could have been simply sorry.
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. II Corinthians 7:8-11a
To repent means you have stopped the past action. This is not about saying you are sorry that you messed up. This is about saying “goodbye” to behaviors of the past. When you hate your old life, you will find the new life. Put to death your old ways, take off the old garments, say goodbye to the old man. No more overeating, no more eating past full. No more greed! Get rid of the old life and never pick it back up. That will be your first time to have true repentance.
