Yes, Jesus wants us to repent.
Jesus says, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3).
What does repent mean?
It means to seek forgiveness with the Lord Jesus over one’s past life of sin or recent sin with the intention that one will not commit that sin again.
After a believer comes to the faith, any new spiritual death sins (like murder, adultery, hate, etc.) that are not confessed to the Lord Jesus with a godly sorrow in desiring to overcome them leads to the second death (i.e. the Lake of Fire).
We see in
Acts of the Apostles 8:22 a clear example of Peter telling Simon to "repent" of his wickedness in trying to pay for the Holy Spirit. Peter is telling Simon to make a prayer towards God. For Peter says that he should pray that God might forgive him. In other words, Peter is telling Simon to repent of a one time event of wickedness by way of prayer to GOD. This only makes sense if "repent" means to "ask for forgiveness." Peter also was saying that Simon was not saved because his heart was not right with God over his wrong action.
Bible Highlighter said:
Jesus told people basically to repent or perish. Not sure why you think His words do not apply for us as believers
You said:
But He also said this before the New Testament of salvation by faith was ushered in by His atoning death. He was speaking to those under the law.
Sorry, I am not buying it. Jesus’ death began the New Covenant or New Testament; And we clearly see repentance repeated after the cross in Scripture. God now commands all men everywhere to repent in Acts 17 (Which is clearly a time of the New Covenant).
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” (Acts of the Apostles 17:30).
You said:
What about all the verses about salvation by faith alone? Don't act like they aren't numerous in the Bible:
We have to look at the whole counsel of God’s Word to get a comprehensive picture of salvation.
You said:
1 John 5:13 says,
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
First, looking at the context, it says:
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3).
Paul says anyone who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ let him be accursed (See: 1 Corinthians 16:22).
1 John 2:4 says, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
Revelation 21:8 says all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire.
What truth is not in a person if they do not keep the Lord’s commandments?
Jesus. For Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
Can one have salvation without Jesus?
Surely not.
1 John 5:12 says, “He that hath the Son hath life;
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
So how do we have an assurance that we know Jesus and have eternal life?
Well, if we find that we are keeping His commandments (See: 1 John 2:3).
1 John 5:19 says,
“
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
This means that there is a difference between a believer and an unbeliever. But by what you said, you believe that a believer can sin and still be saved (Which makes a believer no different than that of the world who lies in wickedness).
Second, believing in Jesus is more than just a belief alone in the person of Jesus for salvation.
Believing in Jesus includes believing in everything He taught, said, and did.
For if we receive not the words of Jesus, those words will judge us on the last day (John 12:48).
Also,
Matthew 12:47-50 says,
“Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
The will of the Father (God) is our sanctification (See: 1 Thessalonians 4:3).
Luke 6:46-49 says,
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”
1 Timothy 5:8 says, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” An infidel is an unbeliever. If faith is exclusively a belief alone then how can a person deny the faith by their misconduct?
1 Timothy 6:12 says, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,” We have to FIGHT the good fight of faith in order to lay hold on eternal life. So faith is something we have to fight for and it is not exclusively a belief alone. Sure, faith can start off as a belief alone in Jesus (in trusting in His grace for salvation). But that is how we are initially, and foundationally saved. Faith progresses, grows, and changes into the “work of faith” (See: 1 Thessalonians 1:3, and 2 Thessalonians 1:11), or the “obedience to the faith" (or obedience of faith) (See: Romans 1:5, Romans 16:26).
John 3:36 (The Greek word “apeitheō” used in John 3:36 for “believeth not” (KJB) is translated as “obey not” or “disobedient” in other English bible verses. For example: 1 Peter 3:1, and 1 Peter 3:20 translates apeitheō as “obey not” or “disobedient” and it is used context to being disobedient in regards to one’s righteous conduct (Whereas John 3:36 is translated as believeth not” in the King James Bible). Some translations render the KJB’s John 3:36 “believeth not" as “obey not” in other Translations (NLT, ESV, BLB, NASB, ASV, EXB, GNT). In other words, “believeth not” is synonymous with “obey not.” In fact, you can check this Greek word for yourself and it's usage here at BlueLetterBible.
G544 - apeitheō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)