Biblical Salvation - Part 3

Repentance + Faith in Jesus Christ

The Bible explains clearly that man must have true faith in Jesus Christ in order to be saved. The Bible also explains that true faith in Jesus Christ is accompanied by a true repentance from sin.

Repentance – a turning away from sin, a hatred for the things that God hates. This includes a genuine sorrow for the sin in one’s own life.

“Evangelical repentance is repentance of sin as sin: not of this sin nor of that, but of the whole mass. We repent of the sin of our nature as well as the sin of our practice. We bemoan sin within us and without us. We repent of sin itself as being an insult to God. Anything short of this is a mere surface repentance, and not a repentance which reaches to the bottom of the mischief.” – Charles Spurgeon

“True repentance will entirely change you; the bias of your souls will be changed, then you will delight in God, in Christ, in His Law, and in His people.” – George Whitefield

Faith – a turning toward God, believing and trusting in His Son and the work of Jesus Christ on the cross as a payment for your sins.

Ray Comfort explains that true faith is like ‘trusting Jesus as you would a parachute’.

“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” – Martin Luther

Ernest Reisinger describes ‘saving faith’ and ‘evangelical repentance’ as
‘Siamese twins -- inseparable in their application’.

Peter preached Faith + Repentance

Acts 2:38 - Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Peter)

Acts 3:19 - Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. (Peter)

1 Peter 1:5 - who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (Peter)

Paul preached Faith + Repentance

Paul is speaking to a meeting of the Areopagus, in Acts Chapter 17. In verse 30 He says this, “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.” Later verse 34 explains that “A few men became followers of Paul and believed.” Here Paul is clearly teaching Repentance + Faith.

Acts 26:20 - First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. (Paul)

Acts 20:21 - I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (Paul)

Jesus preached Faith + Repentance

Mark 1:15 - "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Jesus)

Mark 16:16 - Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Jesus)

Luke 13:5 - “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Jesus)

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jesus)

The thief on the cross was saved by a repentance of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 23:39-43) The thief showed a genuine sorrow for the sin that he committed, He says ‘We deserve this punishment’. The thief also expresses faith in the Lord Jesus by calling Him innocent and saying, ‘Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom’. For, why would the thief say this, if he didn’t believe Jesus truly was who He claimed to be.

+ Jakab +