The Gospel and Repentance TOWARD
Normally, the Bible tells us to believe in Jesus in order to be saved. Occasionally, however, it tells us to repent and believe. Is repentance necessary or only faith?
The Apostle Paul tells us something that is very important in Acts chapter 20. Paul tells the Christians of his day that he had always been faithful to preach the truth. He says in verse 21 that he was testifying to Jews and also to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. So for Paul preaching the truth meant preaching repentance toward God as well as faith in Jesus Christ.
Now this is an important comment by Paul because it teaches us a couple of things. First, it shows us that Paul considered repentance to be part of the message that sinners need to hear. It wasnt just a message for Jews, it was for Greeks as well. It was for everyone. Second, it tells us that repentance has a DIRECTION. It was repentance TOWARD God. The Gospel tells us to repent toward God and have faith in Jesus. Now that is very interesting but what does it mean? To answer that, we must first answer the question what does REPENTANCE mean? Well the Greek word for repentance is metanoia. Metanoia literally means to change your mind about something. It means to completely change your thinking about things. Now a person can repent about almost anything. I can believe that the Republican party is the worst political party in America. Then I can repent of that. I can change my mind completely and believe that the Republican party is the best party in America. Now that is repentance. However, it is not repentance toward God, it is repentance TOWARD Republicianism.
So to repent means to change your mind. That is repentance in general. But what is repentance TOWARD GOD? Well repentance toward God means to completely change your thinking about God. Thats it, plain and simple. That is an important teaching which must accompany the Gospel. In order to be saved the unsaved person must change his thinking about God and he must have faith in Jesus Christ. But why must the unsaved person change his or her thinking about God? Well the reason is because the unsaved individual always harbors some misconceptions about God.
Now sometimes a person must change his or her thinking about God in order to be saved because he or she is an atheist. It is obvious that if you dont believe that God exists then you cannot believe in His Son and be saved unless first you change your mind about God and believe in His existence.
More commonly, the unsaved person believes that God exists but doesnt believe that God is the KIND OF GOD that the Bible describes. The Bible describes God as being one who is infinitely holy and unbendingly just. Since He is completely holy He is very concerned about our lives and since He is totally just He will not overlook our sins. God is holy and just and, therefore, will condemn us and punish us for our sins.
The problem is that sinners dont really believe that. The unsaved person always imagines that God is basically a laid-back old Grandpa who overlooks our sin, and is more or less amused by our transgressions and foolishness. They imagine that God is like a school teacher who grades on the curve and who may talk tough but in the end almost never actually flunks anyone. This is all wrong thinking. The sinner is sadly mistaken. The sinner needs to completely change his thinking about God. He must repent. He needs to reverse His opinion of God and believe that God is a infinitely holy and just God who is going to punish him if he does not seek mercy and forgiveness and obtain salvation.
The another misconception about God is that the unsaved person believes that God is the type of God who is willing to bend the rules. If we have sinned, then perhaps, instead of punishing us, God will bend the rules if we do some good deeds to make up for our transgressions. But God is not like that. If we have sinned we must be punished and He is not the kind of God that will bend the rules. We cannot escape punishment by doing a few good deeds to make up for our sins. God is not like we think He is. Salvation is not by works.
So we see that the unsaved person must completely change his thinking about God. He must believe that God is holy and just and will certainly punish him for his sins if he doesnt obtain salvation through Christ.
So to put this in perspective, in the Bible we are told to repent and believe in Jesus. We must change our thinking about God and trust Jesus for salvation. Instead of thinking that God will overlook our sins, we must change our minds about Him and realize that we are already headed for His just condemnation. Unless something changes we are going to be punished so we must put our faith in Jesus and His shed blood to cover our sins and make us right with God.
Now sometimes people think that to repent and believe in Christ means to repent OF SIN. They believe that we must turn from sin in order to be saved. There are two things that are wrong with that idea. The first is that we are told to repent TOWARD GOD. The Bible never says to repent OF SIN for salvation. I realize that well meaning people say that, but that isnt what the scriptures say. I challenge you to find a single verse that says to repent OF SIN in order to be saved.
The second reason it is incorrect to say that a person must repent of sin in order to be saved is because it contradicts the other thing we are supposed to do, namely, believe in Christ for salvation. To believe in Christ for salvation means to look to Jesus and his death on the cross to save us instead of depending on our works. So we are to depend upon Christ instead of on our works. That is faith.
However, if we tell a person to repent OF SIN in order to be saved we are telling him to look to his works for salvation. So we tell him to look to his works for salvation and then we tell him to have faith in Jesus and to look to Christ alone for salvation. This is a contradiction. Turning from sin is a work. Do you need me to prove that statement?
Okay. The Prophet Jonah was sent to Nineveh to announce that God was going to destroy their city. In Jonah 3:10 it says that, God saw their WORKS, that they turned from their evil way Thus, God decided not to destroy their city. This wasnt about eternal salvation it was about avoiding the physical destruction of Nineveh. Nevertheless, it shows us that God considers turning from evil a work. In fact it is a very difficult work. Sinners are not called upon to do difficult works or even easy works for salvation. They are called upon to change their thinking about God (repent) and believe and trust in Jesus and His blood alone for salvation (faith) and not trust in their works.
Now at this point you will say to me. Arent we told in the Bible to bring forth the fruits of repentance? Yes, we are. In the book of Matthew, John the Baptist tells the people to bring forth fruit or works in keeping with repentance. However, it is a mistake to confuse the fruits of repentance with repentance itself. To repent is to change our thinking about God and realize that He is holy and just and is against sin. The FRUIT of that repentance is turning from our evil ways that is, turning from our sin and living for Jesus. First we must change our minds about God and believe in Christ and be justified and forgiven. Then that changed mind and that faith, along with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, will produce the fruit of repentance which is the work of turning from evil and being godly. Do not get the cart before the horse. First we must have repentance toward God and faith in Christ and justification will follow and only then will be be able to do the work of turning from evil.
Normally, the Bible tells us to believe in Jesus in order to be saved. Occasionally, however, it tells us to repent and believe. Is repentance necessary or only faith?
The Apostle Paul tells us something that is very important in Acts chapter 20. Paul tells the Christians of his day that he had always been faithful to preach the truth. He says in verse 21 that he was testifying to Jews and also to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. So for Paul preaching the truth meant preaching repentance toward God as well as faith in Jesus Christ.
Now this is an important comment by Paul because it teaches us a couple of things. First, it shows us that Paul considered repentance to be part of the message that sinners need to hear. It wasnt just a message for Jews, it was for Greeks as well. It was for everyone. Second, it tells us that repentance has a DIRECTION. It was repentance TOWARD God. The Gospel tells us to repent toward God and have faith in Jesus. Now that is very interesting but what does it mean? To answer that, we must first answer the question what does REPENTANCE mean? Well the Greek word for repentance is metanoia. Metanoia literally means to change your mind about something. It means to completely change your thinking about things. Now a person can repent about almost anything. I can believe that the Republican party is the worst political party in America. Then I can repent of that. I can change my mind completely and believe that the Republican party is the best party in America. Now that is repentance. However, it is not repentance toward God, it is repentance TOWARD Republicianism.
So to repent means to change your mind. That is repentance in general. But what is repentance TOWARD GOD? Well repentance toward God means to completely change your thinking about God. Thats it, plain and simple. That is an important teaching which must accompany the Gospel. In order to be saved the unsaved person must change his thinking about God and he must have faith in Jesus Christ. But why must the unsaved person change his or her thinking about God? Well the reason is because the unsaved individual always harbors some misconceptions about God.
Now sometimes a person must change his or her thinking about God in order to be saved because he or she is an atheist. It is obvious that if you dont believe that God exists then you cannot believe in His Son and be saved unless first you change your mind about God and believe in His existence.
More commonly, the unsaved person believes that God exists but doesnt believe that God is the KIND OF GOD that the Bible describes. The Bible describes God as being one who is infinitely holy and unbendingly just. Since He is completely holy He is very concerned about our lives and since He is totally just He will not overlook our sins. God is holy and just and, therefore, will condemn us and punish us for our sins.
The problem is that sinners dont really believe that. The unsaved person always imagines that God is basically a laid-back old Grandpa who overlooks our sin, and is more or less amused by our transgressions and foolishness. They imagine that God is like a school teacher who grades on the curve and who may talk tough but in the end almost never actually flunks anyone. This is all wrong thinking. The sinner is sadly mistaken. The sinner needs to completely change his thinking about God. He must repent. He needs to reverse His opinion of God and believe that God is a infinitely holy and just God who is going to punish him if he does not seek mercy and forgiveness and obtain salvation.
The another misconception about God is that the unsaved person believes that God is the type of God who is willing to bend the rules. If we have sinned, then perhaps, instead of punishing us, God will bend the rules if we do some good deeds to make up for our transgressions. But God is not like that. If we have sinned we must be punished and He is not the kind of God that will bend the rules. We cannot escape punishment by doing a few good deeds to make up for our sins. God is not like we think He is. Salvation is not by works.
So we see that the unsaved person must completely change his thinking about God. He must believe that God is holy and just and will certainly punish him for his sins if he doesnt obtain salvation through Christ.
So to put this in perspective, in the Bible we are told to repent and believe in Jesus. We must change our thinking about God and trust Jesus for salvation. Instead of thinking that God will overlook our sins, we must change our minds about Him and realize that we are already headed for His just condemnation. Unless something changes we are going to be punished so we must put our faith in Jesus and His shed blood to cover our sins and make us right with God.
Now sometimes people think that to repent and believe in Christ means to repent OF SIN. They believe that we must turn from sin in order to be saved. There are two things that are wrong with that idea. The first is that we are told to repent TOWARD GOD. The Bible never says to repent OF SIN for salvation. I realize that well meaning people say that, but that isnt what the scriptures say. I challenge you to find a single verse that says to repent OF SIN in order to be saved.
The second reason it is incorrect to say that a person must repent of sin in order to be saved is because it contradicts the other thing we are supposed to do, namely, believe in Christ for salvation. To believe in Christ for salvation means to look to Jesus and his death on the cross to save us instead of depending on our works. So we are to depend upon Christ instead of on our works. That is faith.
However, if we tell a person to repent OF SIN in order to be saved we are telling him to look to his works for salvation. So we tell him to look to his works for salvation and then we tell him to have faith in Jesus and to look to Christ alone for salvation. This is a contradiction. Turning from sin is a work. Do you need me to prove that statement?
Okay. The Prophet Jonah was sent to Nineveh to announce that God was going to destroy their city. In Jonah 3:10 it says that, God saw their WORKS, that they turned from their evil way Thus, God decided not to destroy their city. This wasnt about eternal salvation it was about avoiding the physical destruction of Nineveh. Nevertheless, it shows us that God considers turning from evil a work. In fact it is a very difficult work. Sinners are not called upon to do difficult works or even easy works for salvation. They are called upon to change their thinking about God (repent) and believe and trust in Jesus and His blood alone for salvation (faith) and not trust in their works.
Now at this point you will say to me. Arent we told in the Bible to bring forth the fruits of repentance? Yes, we are. In the book of Matthew, John the Baptist tells the people to bring forth fruit or works in keeping with repentance. However, it is a mistake to confuse the fruits of repentance with repentance itself. To repent is to change our thinking about God and realize that He is holy and just and is against sin. The FRUIT of that repentance is turning from our evil ways that is, turning from our sin and living for Jesus. First we must change our minds about God and believe in Christ and be justified and forgiven. Then that changed mind and that faith, along with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, will produce the fruit of repentance which is the work of turning from evil and being godly. Do not get the cart before the horse. First we must have repentance toward God and faith in Christ and justification will follow and only then will be be able to do the work of turning from evil.