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Firstly, the soul-winner assumes the person never
truly got saved. This certainly may be the case but we can not always
assume this. Just because someone doesn’t perform as quickly as we
would like them to doesn’t indicate that there is no conversion.
Nobody would have assumed that Lot was a “righteous” man from his
outward behaviour in Sodom and yet the New Testament declares that the
sin around him “vexed his righteous soul from day to day” (2 Peter
2:8). This work of grace, however, was inward and was not immediately
observable to those around him.
Secondly, the soul-winner may conclude that he
made salvation “too easy.” He feels he must make it harder so he can
weed out those unwanted false professions of faith. Certainly a
Christian may make the gospel “too easy.” Simply praying words
without faith never saved anyone and to leave people with that
impression is very wrong.
Yet it seems that repentance has become the way
in which well-meaning people have sought to make salvation not as easy
as just believing on Christ. Repentance has been redefined to mean
something that it does not mean and, in some cases, has becomes the
means whereby some have added a requirement other than faith to the
gospel.
Let us not forget that clear and simple answer to
the question, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ The message could not be
simpler: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”
(Acts 16:31).
But what about repentance? Is that not also a
requirement for salvation? We shall discuss that in a moment, but
firstly let us define the meaning of the word “repent.”
Most agree that the word ‘repent’ simply means a
change of mind. The word itself carries no more meaning than
that. The son, who Christ spoke of in the gospel of Matthew, said
concerning his father‘s request, “I will not” but afterward he
repented, and went. This perfectly illustrates the meaning of the
word – he changed his mind.
The problem lies in that people have come to
believe that repentance means to “turn from sin.” Certainly, a person
can repent of a sin, but a person can also repent of something that is
not sinful. Many people are shocked to read in the Bible that the
Lord repented. In I Samuel 15:35 we are told that “the LORD repented
that he had made Saul king over Israel.” The people of Nineveh asked
the question, “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away
from his fierce anger, that we perish not?” (Jonah 3:9). The reason
many people find difficulty with these statements is that they
automatically assume that repentance means to turn from sin. Of
course these Bible examples show clearly that the word does not mean
that at all.
Why then are well-meaning Christians calling upon
the world to “repent of their sins” in order to be saved? Nowhere in
the Bible does it tell us to repent of our sins in order to be saved.
This may surprise some readers, but it is an unanswerable fact.
Repentance And The Gospel
How then is repentance used in connection with
salvation in the Bible? Well, let me firstly say that usually it is
not. Take the Gospel of John for example. This gospel had a unique
purpose. It’s purpose was stated in John 20:31, “But these are
written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Is it
not astounding that in John’s gospel the word “faith” or “believe” is
used some ninety-nine (99) times while the word repentance is never
used? This is quite astounding in light of the fact that there seems
to be an increasing number of misguided Christians who will berate the
soul-winner for not emphasizing repentance enough in his gospel
presentation.
Here is another amazing fact: In the entire book
of Romans we have the clearest and most defined explanation of
salvation in all the Bible and yet the word repentance is only found
once (2:9) in relation to man and it is never used when Paul teaches
clearly how a person may be saved! If repentance includes something
other than placing faith in Christ, how could it be left out of the
two most important places where it should be found?
So how does repentance fit in with “faith alone”
as a basis for salvation? And what about those verses which do
include repentance in the demands of the gospel? Repentance for
salvation is used in two simple ways:
As A Synonym For Faith:
Jesus stated that the Holy Spirit would reprove
the world of sin. What sin is the Holy Spirit especially seeking to
reprove the word of? “Of sin, because they believe not on me” (John
16:9). Man is condemned to hell because of all his sins (Eph 5:6),
but there is only one sin that is stopping a man from being forgiven
and that sin is unbelief. Smoking will not bar a man from heaven.
Stealing will not hinder a man from being saved. Not even adultery
can keep a man from being forgiven. But unbelief will most definitely
ensure the damnation of a man’s soul. Faith secures salvation while
unbelief guarantees damnation.
The issue with the gospel is faith. As John 3:36
clearly states, “He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son
shall not see life.” Therefore a man must repent of unbelief in order
to believe the gospel. “Repent ye and believe the gospel...” (Mark
1:15).
Therefore, repentance is necessary for salvation
because it is necessary for faith. A man cannot have faith until he
repents of unbelief.
The nation Israel had rejected Christ as their
Messiah and ordered His death. After hearing the apostle Peter’s
sermon they asked, “What shall we do?” Peter’s first word was,
“Repent.” That is, “change your minds concerning who you believe
Jesus Christ really is.”. They were an unbelieving nation and unless
they repented they would surely perish.
Therefore, repentance can be used as a synonym
for faith when it is understood as repenting from unbelief.
As a Preparation For Faith:
Suppose a man holds a belief that is keeping Him
from being saved. Perhaps he believes...
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That he is not a sinner.
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That Christ is not God.
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That there is no God (atheism).
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That his good works will save him.
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That his other “gods” are just as real.
This man is not ready nor is he able at this
point to place his faith in Christ for salvation. These wrong beliefs
must be repented of.
Paul summed his message up as “testifying both to
the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Here repentance is seen
as being separate from faith and yet necessary for faith. This was
very important, especially when preaching to the ‘heathen’ world.
When a man is taught that there are many gods, he might be tempted to
believe on Jesus as just “another god.” This is not salvation. Paul
said that when he preached to the Gentiles he told them to “repent and
turn to God” (Acts 26:20). Any man who does not yet recognise that
there is only one God and only one Saviour is unable to believe on
Christ. He must repent and turn to the true God and place his faith
in Christ alone for salvation. Paul described the Thessalonians’
conversion as ones who “turned to God from idols” (I Thess 1:9).
Paul also taught that those who were resisting
the truth should be meekly instructed in the hope that God would “give
them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2 Tim 2:25).
Repentance here has nothing to do with turning from sins, but
repenting of wrong beliefs so they can acknowledge the truth and be
saved.
Repentance and Sin
We should not, therefore, be calling upon people
to “repent of their sins” in order to be saved. This is unscriptural
and confusing for the sinner. This also begs the question, “Of what
sins must they repent?” Of every sin? Can an unsaved person turn
from every sin in their life before they can be saved? Is this not
adding to faith? And if this is a requirement for salvation, why did
not Paul labour this point in Romans 10?
Yes, there is a call to repent of our sin in the
Bible but it is a call to Christians. The word repent is more often
applied to God’s people than it is to the world. The church at
Ephesus was told to “repent” while individuals in the church of
Thyatira were commanded to “repent of their deeds.” Similar commands
were given to the churches at Sardis and Laodicea. The Corinthian
Christians were brought to repentance by Paul’s first epistle. The
truth is, the entire Christian life is a life of continual repentance.
Christians should be commanded to repent and to
do works meet for repentance but to command a sinner to do this for
salvation under grace is called, “another gospel.”
Too Easy?
Perhaps some would object to this because it
sounds too easy. Some would even call this “easy believism.” Though
it is possible to over-simplify the gospel and many are certainly
guilty of this, it is also just as erroneous to make it complex. To
be saved is certainly simple, but it is not necessarily easy. It is
not easy for some people to reject what they’ve grown up believing
their whole life; it is often not easy for a Catholic to admit that
his sacraments will not save him; it is not easy for a proud self-made
man to admit that he cannot save himself; and is not easy for a man
who has been taught his whole life that his idols are gods to reject
them and turn to the true and Living God.
To have faith means to rely upon. Most
people do not understand what faith in Christ means, and therefore we
must be diligent to explain it. Faith does not mean that we believe
that Jesus exists but that we truly trust and believe on Him for our
soul’s salvation. We must emphasis what God does: faith.
Many people will affirm they “believe” but then
ask them their hope of heaven and they will talk about their good
works. They do not believe. We must quote the promises of God and
challenge them to truly believe the gospel “with the heart”
(Rom 10:10) or “with all [their] heart” (Acts 8:37). If they
are holding to beliefs that are stopping them from being saved we
must tell them to “repent or perish.”
We will never completely weed out false
professions of faith. The Lord Jesus Himself had those follow Him
under false pretence. Even Paul had those who he wrote to as brethren
but stood in doubt of (Gal 4:20). We cannot know the heart of people,
but there things we can do to avoid some false professions when trying
to lead people to Christ.
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We should avoid “drawing the net” when we are rushed and
have not had the opportunity to fully present the gospel.
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We should ask the person questions to make sure they
fully understand the gospel.
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We must make sure the person understands their
sinfulness, that they are separated from God and destined for His
judgment.
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We should labour the point of “faith alone” especially
to those who are likely to be trusting good works and we must make
sure they concede.
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We should never force a person to pray to receive Christ
if they do not want to pray, or if they are disinterested, or if we
sense they have not grasped the gospel.
May God help us to clearly preach the “gospel of
the grace of God” to a needy world as God intended.
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