“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6)

Every saint can testify to the truth of this Scripture. This confession, while unanimous, is also individual and specific: "We have turned every one, to his own way." There’s a distinct depravity in every human being; all are sinful, but every one has individual defects. It’s a mark of saving repentance, that instead of admitting only to a general guilt for sin, the saint is not content until he’s confessed to a multitude of specific sins.

Don’t Confuse Common Repentance with Saving Repentance. The Greek word for Saving Repentance is metanoia. Saving Repentance is only experienced by regenerate saints, because it requires saving faith. The Greek word for common repentance is metamellomai. Common repentance is experienced by all sinners, and doesn’t require saving faith.

The way you can identify common repentance is while a person may regret a sin, if God doesn’t supernaturally change his disposition (his character), he’ll eventually return to sin (2 Peter 2:22). Sinners can delude themselves that they know God, “but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work” (Titus 1:16). Judas, for example, had common repentance for betraying Jesus, but then committed suicide (Matthew 27:5).

The way you can identify saving repentance is it confesses sin without trying to make a deal with God, and unconditionally submits to the Lordship of Christ, and by faith, has the power to stop doing the sin repented of.

Saving repentance claims no rights or righteousness apart from the sacrifice of Christ. Saints know they stand guilty, without reservations, without excuses: they stand with their weapons of rebellion broken in pieces, and cry, "have mercy on me, a sinner".

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).