repent

In home group this week we were in Acts 26, Paul writes Acts 26:19,20 - 19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. This struck me "repent and turn to god and do works meet for repentance", this could be one of the verses that we need to distinguish the saved from the unsaved- repentance is key and the work of repentance are needed- now this is not salvation by work in any sense, but a sign of genuine repentance and salvation. note this commentary on the word repent as used in Mt 3:2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
Repent- metanoeo .  This was the matter of the preaching.  The verb repent is either compounded of , after, and  to understand, which signifies that, after hearing such preaching, the sinner is led to understand, that the way he has walked in was the way of misery, death, and hell.  Or the word may be derived from  after and, madness, which intimates that the whole life of a sinner is no other than a continued course of madness and folly: and if to live in a constant opposition to all the dictates of true wisdom; to wage war with his own best interests in time and eternity; to provoke and insult the living God; and, by habitual sin, to prepare himself only for a state of misery, be evidences of insanity, every sinner exhibits them plentifully.  It was from this notion of the word, that the Latins termed repentance resipiscentia, a growing wise again, from re and sapere; or, according to Tertullian, Resipiscentia, quasi receptio mentis ad se, restoring the mind to itself: Contra Marcion, lib. ii.  Repentance, then, implies that a measure of Divine wisdom is communicated to the sinner, and that he thereby becomes wise to salvation.  That his mind, purposes, opinions, and inclinations, are changed; and that, in consequence, there is a total change in his conduct.  It need scarcely be remarked, that, in this state, a man feels deep anguish of soul, because he has sinned against God, unfitted himself for heaven, and exposed his soul to hell.  Hence, a true penitent has that sorrow, whereby he forsakes sin, not only because it has been ruinous to his own soul, but because it has been offensive to God. Thank you Adam Clarke for your commentary