Repent and Believe
Now it’s our turn!
My good friend Steph had a dream about a bunch of people walking around this world with an unopened gift in their hands. She was sad for these people because she knew there was something of great value in these gifts that were not being opened. The gift of eternal life is the greatest gift any of us could ever receive. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). This is the gift Steph was envisioning in her dream. Every single one of us was created to be in relationship with our Creator. Sin entered our world and separated us from the God of the universe. What we earn, the wages of our sin, is a literal death penalty. “Just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam) and death came through sin, in this way death comes to all man, because all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). What does it mean that we fall short of God’s glory? It means we are separated from Him now and will remain that way for all of eternity. Again, that’s what we earn—it’s what we deserve.
Fortunately, God offers us what we don’t deserve in the gift of His Son, Jesus. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God gave us the gift of His Son. Somebody needed to pay our penalty for us—somebody perfect, somebody sinless. Christ came to this earth. He lived a perfect life in our place, died a death He didn’t deserve for us, and rose again three days later claiming victory over sin—not His own sin but your sin, my sin. And now He’s offering you the free gift of eternal life. What did you do to receive this gift? Nothing. Just like any gift, it was given with no strings attached. All you need to do is open it. Many are still walking around holding this gift and not opening it. Open the gift! Experience the abundant life that only Christ can provide that leads to eternal life with Him. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16).
God has prepared the way for us to return to the relationship with Him we were created to have. In His incredible mercy and grace, He sent His son as the Savior of the world. Jesus willingly came to this earth, lived a perfect life in our place, died on the cross for our sins, rose again three days later claiming victory over death and hell, and ascended into heaven interceding on our behalf before His Father.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved’ (Romans 10:9). Don’t miss the greatest gift ever given. If you have not already done so, don’t waste another day without opening this free gift of eternal life.
So what does it mean to confess and believe? I believe I’m going to have a turkey sandwich for lunch today. I believe my favorite team is going to win the game tonight. I believe in God. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Good! "You believe that there is one God. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder" (James 2:19). To believe can mean many things in our language. Many people in America say they believe in God and are thus given the title “Christian.”
Repentance is a big part of belief. To repent means to turn away from something and to turn to something else. Have you ever gotten turned around while driving and come to find out your are travelling in the exact opposite direction. This happened to me as a 16-year-old driver. I was surprised to see an exit for the interstate (which is on the far north side of town, when the family gathering I was attending was south of town. This was a few years before Google Maps. It took my awhile to get my bearings, but I finally decided to turn around and head the opposite direction.
Repentance is not just about admitting guilt but also involves a change of mind and heart that leads to a change in behavior. Once your repent—turn away from your sin and turn to Christ for salvation—and believe—surrender everything you are to all that He is—you receive the Holy Spirit and are “baptized” into the Church.
Verses for study
Repentance onto salvation
Ephesians 4:17-32: So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, that you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their minds, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; you are to put off the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Romans 13:11-14: Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. Therefore, let’s rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let’s behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and debauchery, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
2 Corinthians 7:9-12: I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Luke 1:13-17: “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Luke 1:76-80: “For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; To give His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins”
Luke 15:11-32: the parable of the prodigal son(s)
Romans 2:4: Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
1 Corinthians 15:33-34: Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Sober up morally and stop sinning, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
Faith
Hebrews 11:1-6: Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.
Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Romans 4:16-25: For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
Galatians 2:16: "yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."
1 Peter 1:8-9: "Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
Article: What it Means to Trust in Jesus Christ Alone for Salvation by Bryan Carlson
In Genesis 1:26-27, God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness." He created us to have relationship with him. In Psalm 139:13-14, it says that God formed us in our mother's womb and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. These verses show that we are not just a product of chance or evolution, but that we have a purpose and were intentionally created by God.
However, sin entered the world through Adam and Eve's disobedience, and it has separated us from the relationship with God we were created for. Romans 5:12 reminds us that we are all guilty because we have all sinned. Romans 3:23 says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and Romans 6:23 says that "the wages of sin is death." We are all born with a sin nature and are in need of a Savior.
Fortunately, despite our sin, through faith and trust in Jesus Christ, man can have the relationship with God we were originally created to have. Jesus Christ came to this earth in order that He might redeem sinful man by delivering man from the guilt and power of sin that leads to eternal death and separation from God for all of eternity (John 3:16-17). In order to satisfy God’s righteous wrath toward mankind, He humbled Himself by taking the sin of mankind upon himself and voluntarily dying a terrible, painful death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). Through the crucifixion, Christ shed His blood and gave His body for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20). Jesus died on the cross in our place, after living the perfect life that we couldn’t live. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He did not stay in the grave, however, but was resurrected by God from the dead, defeating the power and the stronghold that death had held upon man (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 55-57). He now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on behalf of all those who put their faith and trust in Him (Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 7:25). Through Jesus, we can be reconciled to God and have eternal life with him.
To receive this gift of salvation, we must confess our sins and believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 says, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation means placing complete faith and reliance on Him as the only means of being saved from sin and its consequences (John 14:6). Salvation is not earned by good works or attainable through human effort (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). Rather, it is a free gift offered to us through Jesus Christ. John tells us in 1 John 3:5 that “He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.” To trust in Him alone for salvation means to turn away from our own attempts to save ourselves and to rely solely on Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection for our salvation. “Conversion is our willing response to the gospel call, in which we sincerely repent of sins and place our trust in Christ for salvation” (Grudem 709). In Acts 2:38, Peter said to them, “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.” Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation means acknowledging our need for a Savior, recognizing that Jesus is the only way to be saved, and surrendering our lives to Him, relying on His power and grace to transform us and give us eternal life. This trust has profound implications for how we live our lives, as those of us who have been saved by grace seek to live in obedience to God's will, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This victory guarantees, for all who put their faith and trust in Christ, eternal life with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ His Son. “But God, being rich in mercy, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-7).
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 709.
Article: Repentance in Beginning and Continuing in the Christian Life by Bryan Carlson
Repentance: “A heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ” (Roy 31).
Repentance is emphasized throughout Scripture as an essential component of both beginning and continuing in the Christian life. Repentance involves turning away from sin and turning towards God, acknowledging our need for a Savior and putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Through repentance, we experience the forgiveness and grace of God and grow in our relationship with Him. Acts 3:19 instructs us: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Both John the Baptist and Jesus came preaching repentance. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2 (John); Matthew 4:17 (Jesus)). Furthermore, Jesus taught in Luke 13:3: "I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." Through repentance, individuals can find forgiveness, receive the grace of God, and experience true inner transformation. Romans 2:4 reminds us that "God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.” “The Lord is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).
Repentance is not only necessary for salvation, but it is also crucial for continuing in the Christian life. In both the beginning and the continuing of the Christian life, repentance is a crucial aspect of the faith. It allows us to acknowledge and confess our sin, experience the forgiveness and grace of God, and grow in our relationship with him. 1 John 1:9 emphasizes the ongoing nature of repentance, stating, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." As Believers, we will continue to sin and fall short of God's perfect standard. Repentance involves acknowledging our sin, confessing it to God, and turning away from it. This allows us to maintain a right relationship with God and continue to grow in our walk with Him.
The doctrine of repentance is important for biblical counseling because it helps individuals understand and deal with the root cause of their struggles. Psalm 32:5 says, "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.' And you forgave the guilt of my sin." Repentance is not just about admitting guilt but also involves a change of mind and heart that leads to a change in behavior. When individuals understand and embrace the doctrine of repentance, they can begin to see their sin and brokenness in a new light and be empowered to make positive changes in their lives. Through repentance, individuals can find forgiveness, receive the grace of God, and experience true inner transformation. This, of course, assumes the counselee is truly repentant before God.
Worldly sorrow is a form of sorrow that is primarily focused on the negative consequences of sin, such as shame, fear of punishment, or loss of reputation. This kind of sorrow can lead to a temporary change in behavior but does not result in true repentance. On the other hand, godly sorrow is a sorrow that is rooted in a deep awareness of the offense that our sin causes to God. It is not just about the negative consequences of sin but about the fact that our sin is a direct affront to God's holy nature and his perfect standard. David demonstrated this kind of sorrow after his sin with Bathsheba. “I have sinned against the Lord.” “I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt.” “Against You, You only, I have sinned” (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 32; Psalm 51). This kind of sorrow leads to genuine repentance, a turning away from sin and a turning towards God. The difference between these two kinds of sorrow is highlighted in 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, where Paul writes: "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." When we experience Godly sorrow, we are moved to confess our sin, seek forgiveness, and turn away from it, knowing that God is faithful to forgive and restore us. This is the goal of biblical counseling.
Don Roy, IBCD, ACBC Theology Exam Study Guide, 31.
Article: The Doctrine of Union with Christ and its Biblical Basis and Implications for Christian Living by Bryan Carlson
“Union with Christ is a phrase used to summarize several different relationships between believers and Christ, through which Christians receive every benefit of salvation. These relationships include the fact that we are in Christ, Christ is in us, we are like Christ, and we are with Christ” (Grudem 840). “Union with Christ is the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation…Union with Christ reaches its zenith in adoption, and adoption has its orbit in union with Christ” (Murray 170). “God’s grace transforms us through our union and communion with Jesus Christ…His uniting himself to us in our human nature is the basis for our uniting ourselves to him in faith” (Ferguson 55). “This for [Paul] was the essence of being a Christian – being united to Jesus Christ by faith, so that he typically described believers as those who were in Christ…On average in appears in his letters in one form or another between two and three times per chapter” (Ferguson 61).
Grudem talks about the three aspects of our union with Christ (Grudem 840-850):
God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 11-12; 2 Timothy 1:9).
Christ’s perfect life, death, and resurrection are accounted to us (Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:6).
During our lives now:
Dying and rising with Christ (Col 2:12; Rom 6:4, 11; 2 Cor 5:17)
New life in Christ – “It is ‘in Christ’ that we are called to salvation (1 Cor 7:22), regenerated (Eph 1:3, 2:10), and justified (Rom 8:1; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 2:17; Eph 1:7; Phil 3:9; Col 1:14). ‘In Christ we die (1 Thess 4:16; Rev 14:13) and ‘in him’ our bodies will be raised up again (1 Cor 15:22). These passages suggest that because our lives are inseparably connected to Christ himself; the Holy Spirit gives us all the blessings that Christ has earned” (Grudem 843).
All our actions can be done in Christ (Col 2:6-7).
We are one Body in Christ (John 17:21; Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 10:17; 12:12-27)
Erickson also talk about the characteristics of our union with Christ (Erickson 961-967):
Judicial in nature. God always sees the believer in union with Christ and measures the two of them together. Thus, he does not say, “Jesus is righteous, but that human is unrighteous.” He sees the two as one and says in effect, “They are righteous.”
The union is spiritual. It is effected by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13; Rom 8:9-11) and it is a union of spirits.
Our union with Christ is vital. His life actually flows into ours, renewing our inner nature (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 4:16) and imparting spiritual strength.
And Ericson talks about the implications of our union with Christ (Erickson 961-967):
We are accounted as righteous (Rom 8:1).
We now live in Christ’s strength (Phil 4:13; Gal 2:10; 2 Cor 12:9).
Being one with Christ also means that we will suffer (Mark 10:39; John 15:20; Phil 3:810; 1 Pet 4:13).
We have the prospect of reigning with Christ (2 Tim 2:12).
When a person believes in Jesus and is saved, they are joined to Christ in a spiritual union that is both positional and experiential. This can be compared to a marriage relationship, where the believer becomes one with Christ in a close, intimate, and permanent bond (Ephesians 5:31-32). Through our union with Christ, we die to sin and are raised to new life in him. Romans 6:3-5 says, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Our identity is no longer defined by our sin, but by our relationship with Jesus. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). This changes the way we think about ourselves and our relationship with God, making us more confident in our salvation and in our ability to grow in holiness. Additionally, our union with Christ gives us access to all the benefits of salvation, including forgiveness of sin, righteousness, and peace with God.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 840-850.
John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, 161-173.
Sinclair B. Ferguson, Devoted to God, 55-61.
Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, 961-967.
Article: Faith in Relation to Justification and Sanctification by Bryan Carlson
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the confident trust and belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It involves acknowledging the truth of who Jesus is and what he has done and relying on him alone for salvation. “Saving faith is trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God” (Grudem, p. 710, IBCD).
A right standing with God has always come as a result of faith. “Abraham was justified not by his own righteousness but by faith in the promised Messiah. “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’” (Galatians 3:8). “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:14).
Faith and justification are closely related in that justification is God's declaration that a sinner is righteous based on their faith in Jesus. In other words, faith is the instrument through which we receive justification. Romans 3:28 says, "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." This verse makes it clear that justification is not based on our good works or obedience to the law, but on our faith in Jesus. Justification is based on the work of Jesus Christ and is the response of God to repentant faith where God makes a legal declaration that His children are forgiven of sin and possess His own righteousness. “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:3-7). Faith in Christ is portrayed as acceptance of His full atonement for sin (1 John 2:2; 3:5; Rev. 5:9). Paul makes a clear case in the book of Romans that we are justified through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All mankind were unrighteous sinners, deserving of death and eternal separation from God in Hell—our sin made us unholy and caused us to fall short of His glory. Hopeless and helpless, God in His grace sent His Son to pay the penalty for sin (Romans 3:10, 23; 5;12; 6:23; 5:8; Ephesians 1:3-8). Justified means “to be made right.” We are “right” before God when we have trusted Christ for the forgiveness of our sin and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raise Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). All we have to do is accept this free gift He offered. What amazing grace.
Faith also has a relationship to sanctification, which is the ongoing process of becoming more like Jesus and growing in holiness. While justification is instantaneous and legal, sanctification is progressive, continuous, and gradual (Roy 29). Justification is 100% God (as is glorification); sanctification is symbiotic with both God and man. “Sanctification is a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ is our actual lives” (Grudem 746). Sanctification is enabled after placing faith in Christ because now our heart motivation for growing in holiness is properly ordered (IBCD). Faith in Jesus leads to a transformation of the heart and a change in behavior, as people are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live lives pleasing to God. As Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Titus 3:5 and Eph. 2:8-9 make it clear that I cannot be justified by my own good deeds and that my good deeds are as filthy rags before a holy God. However, my good deeds prove my faith through the process of sanctification. According to James faith without works is dead. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Genuine faith produces good works.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 722-735, 746-758.
Don Roy, IBCD, ACBC Theology Exam Study Guide, 29.
Resources
“Unlikely Fighter” by Greg Stier
“A Theology of Biblical Counseling, The Doctrinal Foundations of Counseling Ministry” by Heath Lambert
