Ask FGBC #17: What does it mean to repent and believe?
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Okay, yeah, next question is, what does it mean to repent and believe? And I guess the focus on this question was on the repentance. What does it mean to repent? What does that look like? Go ahead. So repentance and believe obviously are two words that are found in scripture. And there are many different kind of ways it's described in the scriptures, but especially in the New Testament, the word self for repentance is used as a change of mind. A lot of people look at the change in one's life and sees the fruit of repentance, but actual repentance is actually a change of mind. Our confession in chapter 15 describes it as a sorrow over sin. So we have this changing of mind concerning sin And so it is this recognition that we're sinful. And so there's a change of mind concerning that. Faith, on the other hand, then is believing and resting and accepting and looking to something else, looking to someone. It really is an act. really of the, can we say it's an act of the whole soul in knowledge with the intellect and the will that God gives it as a gift, but it's believing, being spiritually persuaded by the Lord Jesus Christ and concerning the Lord Jesus Christ of who He is and what He has done. So the principal act of salvation is faith, but faith and repentance do go hand in hand. And certainly even in the scriptures where we sometimes just see repent and be baptized, it's not necessarily, the writers aren't necessarily making a theological claim there, but really the whole act of conversion is implied in repent and be baptized. And certainly there are other places in Acts where there's repent and believe or just believe, but believe is that principle act, but we turn from our idols to the true and living God. Yeah, and then in the writings of the Apostle Paul, he often underscores that it's justification by faith alone, apart from the works of the law. So, I think it's important with repentance not to turn it into a work and say, you know, you need to clean up your act and then come to the Lord Jesus Christ. So yeah, these are two sides of the same coin. They're absolutely connected, but justification is by faith alone in Christ alone. Again, when I say that, people say, well, you don't believe in repentance. Yes, because true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it's faith alone that brings justification, but that faith is never alone. It is accompanied by all other saving graces. Recently, I found a quote by David Dixon, in his commentary on the Westminster Confession, he says, because faith is one thing and repentance, especially so-called, is another thing, and it is evident likewise that faith is the cause of repentance. So, I don't know that everybody would be on board with that, but I think it is a good help, a good distinction. So, you don't have true repentance without faith, and real faith has repentance. But again, the emphasis in Scripture is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. In the book of Acts, the terminology is used synonymously and interchangeably. The passage that Mike mentioned earlier, repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, dropping down just a little bit further, we see now all who believed were together. So, you see those instances of those emphases, repent, and then those people are called believers. So, faith and repentance are connected. The emphasis on justification is by God's grace through faith alone. And so I would just say, you know, one of the problems that we face in the church, obviously antinomianism, which is an against the law mindset or no law, but neonomianism is an issue as well. We call that legalism sometimes. So if we make an appeal to a sinner that he needs to clean up his act before he comes to Jesus, that I think is a wrong emphasis. So, you know, if you repent, you stop doing this, then you can go to heaven. That's not the proper way that we see the gospel preached. So, you know, making sure that we uphold faith and repentance, but leaving the emphasis in terms of, you know, coming to Jesus, believing on Him, and of course, repentance will be joined alongside of that. And to add that to that, I mean, Acts chapter 10, when the salvation of Cornelius is being reported, the repentance is called a gift. And God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life. So it is not a work, it is a gift. And certainly that what precedes repentance is regeneration as well. And I do believe in that saving act, regeneration, repentance, faith, justification, adoption, the beginning of sanctification, all of those happen, I do believe, all at once. Yeah. Yeah, we speak with them in a logical order, but it's not a chronological order. Yeah, that's right. And not like we're regenerated one day or the one year and then saved, justified later, yeah. Good.
