165、口头而非生活的悔改不是悔改。罪不是通过口头的悔改，而是通过生活的悔改被赦免的。事实上，主不断赦免人的罪，因为祂是怜悯本身。然而，罪仍粘附在人身上，无论他多么以为它们得到赦免；除去它们的唯一方法就是照纯正信仰的诫命生活。一个人越照着它们生活，他的罪就越被移走；罪越被移走，就越得到赦免。
165、口头忏悔而非生命悔改不是悔改。仅口头忏悔，罪恶不被赦免，赦罪要通过生命的悔改。人的罪恶不断被主赦免，因为祂本是仁慈的。无论人如何以为自己的罪已被赦免，罪仍躔附于他，并未从人身上摈弃。除非他真实的按照信仰信条去生活。当人照此生活，他的罪就被摈弃了。只要罪被摈弃了，人就被赦免了。
165. Saying that we repent but not changing the way we live is no repentance at all. Our sins are not forgiven when we say we repent; they are forgiven when we change our lives. Our sins are of course constantly being forgiven by the Lord, because he is mercy itself. Nevertheless, despite what we may think about how our sins are forgiven, they actually still cling to us and are not put aside from us unless we live by the precepts of true faith. As we live by these precepts our sins are put aside, and as our sins are put aside they are forgiven.
165. Just saying we are sorry without acting on it is not regretting our faults. Saying we are sorry does not mean we have given up our faults — only showing our regret in our lives does.
The Lord always forgives our offenses, since he is pure compassion. But our faults stay with us, even when we think we have given them up. The only way to get rid of them is to live by the rules of the truth that comes from faith. The more we do this, the more our faults are put aside, and the more we give them up.
165. To repent with one's lips but not in one's life is no repentance. Sins are not forgiven by repentance with the lips, but by repentance in life. A person's sins are continually being forgiven by the Lord, for He is absolute mercy. But the sins cling to the person, however much he thinks they are forgiven, and the only way to have them taken away is to live in accordance with the commandments of true faith. The more he lives thus, the more his sins are taken away, and the further they are taken away, the more they are forgiven.
165. Repentance of the lips, and not of the life is not repentance. Sins are not remitted by a repentance of the lips, but by a repentance of the life. Sins indeed are continually being forgiven to a man by the Lord, for the Lord is Mercy itself; yet sins adhere to a man, however he may think they are remitted; nor are they removed from him, except by a life according to the precepts of true faith. So far as a man lives according to them, so far his sins are removed; and so far as they are removed, so far they are remitted.
165. Repentance of the mouth and not of the life is not repentance. Sins are not remitted by repentance of the mouth, but by repentance of the life. Sins are continually remitted to man by the Lord, for He is mercy itself, but sins adhere to man, however he may suppose that they are remitted; nor are they removed from him but by a life according to the precepts of true faith. So far as he lives according to them, so far sins are removed; and so far as they are removed, so far they are remitted.
165. Paenitentia oris et non vitae non est paenitentia. Per paenitentiam oris non remittuntur peccata, sed per paenitentiam vitae. Remittuntur homini continue peccata a Domino, nam est ipsa misericordia; sed peccata adhaerent homini, utcunque putat quod remissa sint, nec ab ipso removentur nisi quam per vitam secundum praecepta verae fidei; quantum secundum illa vivit, tantum peccata removentur, et quantum removentur tantum remissa sunt.