Repentance And Faith:
A Relationship That Cannot Be Broken
Let's talk about repentance for a moment. Sometimes the Bible gives the requirement for salvation as repentance, and sometimes as repentance and faith although, most of the time, believing in Jesus Christ is presented as the only thing that we must do to be saved. Repentance and faith are often separated into two requirements for salvation by well-meaning preachers. It is better, though, to look at repentance and faith in the same way we would look at two sides of a coin. Remove the side of the penny that has Lincoln’s face on it and you no longer have a complete penny. Remove the side with the Lincoln Memorial on it, and you have only half a coin. Remove repentance from faith, and you no longer have real faith. Remove faith from repentance and you cannot have the genuine article. You see, it is sometimes said that if I believe and do not repent that I am not really saved. If we closely examine the Bible’s teaching on saving faith and what it actually is, then we will see that it is impossible to believe without repenting.
Repentance is not reformation, nor is it remorse. There are several different Greek words that are translated as repent, repentance, etc. in our English Bible. While these words have different shades of meaning, the basic idea of saving repentance is “to think differently” or “to have a change of mind.” Here are some verses that demonstrate that repentance is a change of mind.
John the Baptist preached...
“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” (Matthew 3:8-9)
The Jews were trusting in their lineage to get them to heaven. They were descendants of Abraham. John the Baptist said that they needed to change their minds. Notice in this sentence how the words “think not” are used along with the word “repent” to explain what their change of mind was to be about.
The Lord Jesus Christ preached...
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:1-5)
Here, in a similar manner as the verses in Matthew, the words, “Suppose ye” and “Think ye” are used along with the word “repent” to explain what the change of mind is to be about.
The Apostle Paul preached...
“Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” (Acts 17:29-30)
The Greeks believed that God was a god (or for that matter, many gods) made by men’s hands. They were idolaters, and they worshiped all kinds of humanistic, false deities. Again, the words, “we ought not to think” are used to explain what the repentance, or change of mind, is to be about. They were to change their minds and acknowledge the true and living God. They were to turn from their trust in idols.
Repentance from trust in idols was a big theme in the preaching of the early church to the people who were part of the ancient Roman Empire. Those who are not Jews are called Gentiles in the Bible. The Gentiles worshiped many gods. They trusted in these gods for their salvation, both on earth and in the afterlife. Paul commended the Christian converts in the church at Thessalonica. He wrote, “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) These Gentiles “…turned to God from idols…” Their idols could not save them. They changed their minds in repentance and realized that only Jesus Christ could give them eternal life. They realized that
He alone was the Son of God and they turned to Him from their idols.
Repentance Inside Out
Now let me say here that repentance is something that is internal. It should manifest itself on the outside in actions, but it is a work that God does in the heart of man.
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:4-5)
Notice that these unbeliever’s hearts were impenitent. They would not repent in their hearts. Belief is also something that happens in the heart, but manifests itself on the outside.
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10)
A man can reform all day long on the outside and never repent. Repentance is a change that happens primarily on the inside of man. In fact, in the book of Jonah, the Word of God actually says that the outward, physical, turning from sin that the people did was a work.
So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. (Jonah 3:5-10)
“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way…” Now we know that salvation is not by works, but that we are to do works after we are saved. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) “…The People of Nineveh believed God….” That is what verse five says. First they believed, then the works came. First there was a change on the inside, in the heart; then in the life, and on the outside.
Turning From Dead Works Toward God
The Bible tells us in the Book of Hebrews about the foundation of the Christian faith. “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God” (Hebrews 6:1)
Saving repentance is “repentance from dead works.” This is the first block in the foundation of Christianity. The Jews were trusting in the works of the law to get them to heaven. The Gentiles were trusting in the works of their hands, their idols. Both Jews and Gentiles were to repent and place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Also, the Bible talks about saving repentance as being repentance toward God. In Acts 20:21 Paul says that he went about, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The Jews thought that God was a God who would accept their good works and lineage and would save them because of these things. They needed to change their minds. The Greeks believed that God wasn’t the true and living God but that there were many gods made by men. They needed to change their minds.
Sinners today need a change of mind toward God as well. When we see God high and lifted up, then we will see ourselves as wicked, lost, helpless sinners. Our problem is that we preach a kind of a self-exalting repentance that says, “Reform. Clean up your life and God will save you.” If we understand that God is holy, just and perfect, it will cause us to realize how lost we really are, and we will not be foolish enough to think that we can do anything to change our own lives. Repentance is not a half-hearted change of mind. It is a radical change of mind that says, “I am a lost sinner and I can do nothing to save myself. Only Jesus Christ can save me.” As long as men see themselves as only partially sinful, then they will see Jesus Christ as only a partial Savior. That is why genuine repentance is necessary to have genuine faith in Jesus Christ.
Lystra
Now the fact that you cannot have true, saving faith without repentance is clearly seen in Paul and Barnabas’ preaching in the city of Lystra.
And there they preached the gospel. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: (Acts 14:7-15)
Paul and Barnabas were preaching the gospel, which the Bible defines as the good news of Jesus Christ who died for our sins, was buried and arose from the dead. (Cf. 1Corinthians 15:1-4) God’s Word tells us that this good news is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes.
Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
The people in Lystra thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods because a man who was listening to Paul preach was healed. The people wanted to worship them, but Barnabas and Paul ran through the crowd crying, “…ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.” Here is saving faith clarified for the idol-worshipping audience. Faith in Jesus Christ is faith in Him alone. It is not inclusive faith. You cannot trust in Jesus Christ and your idols for salvation. No. It is exclusive faith. It must be faith that looks to Jesus Christ alone. True belief in Jesus Christ includes a genuine and radical change of mind. That is why the word “repent” is never used in the Gospel of John. It is not because repentance isn’t important. It is because when a man truly puts his faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, he has repented.