Is Repentance Necessary for Salvation?
When it comes to receiving salvation, we must acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives. That means repenting (turning) from sin and turning to God.
By Tom Shanklin
Many years ago, when I was pastor of a church here in Minnesota, a young couple began to attend our services. I must have been preaching on repentance, because, after the service, the young woman approached me. She said that she had heard a preacher on the radio saying that “repentance is optional,” and that we are saved by believing that Jesus died on the cross and rose again.
Now, I’m not against radio and TV preachers, but one thing that all of us need to do is to check out everything we hear with the written Word of God. If it agrees with the Word, keep it. If not, drop it like a hot potato. The same goes for Christian books, articles, blog posts, podcasts, and videos. If it doesn’t agree with the Bible, throw it out!
When it comes to receiving salvation, yes, we do need to believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again, but it goes deeper than just acknowledging the historical facts. We must acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives. That means repenting (turning) from sin and turning to God.
Repentance means “to change one’s mind or purpose, always, in the New Testament, involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always, except in Luke 17:3,4, of repentance from sin.” (Vines Expository Dictionary)
If you believe the Bible, you must believe that repentance is necessary for salvation. Here are some reasons why:
- Jesus taught that you must repent and believe the Gospel. “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” (Mark 1:14-15 NKJV)
- Jesus said, “… unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:5 NKJV)
- Jesus declared that salvation had come to Zaccheaus’ house only after he repented. “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;’” (Luke 19:8-9 NKJV)
- The first principle of the doctrine of Christ is repentance. “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary [principles] of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,” (Hebrews 6:1 NKJV)
- The first thing that Peter told people to do in his message on the day of Pentecost was to repent. “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38 NKJV)
- When the Lord Jesus commissioned Paul to the ministry, he obeyed that call by telling people to repent and to do works befitting of repentance. “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” (Acts 26:19-20 NKJV)
- All the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, and all the preachers in the New Testament called people to repentance. Why should it be any different now?
So we see that repentance is essential for salvation.
But having made this clear, let’s complete the story, lest we emphasize one essential point at the expense of another. Sometimes we can lean so hard into the message of repentance that we forget that it’s only by the mercy of God that any of us can be saved.
All the repenting in the world could not save you without the sacrificial death of Christ. He died as your substitute so that you would not have to suffer the consequences of your sin. As John the Baptist said, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NKJV)It is by looking to Him that you are saved, not by continually condemning yourself over your failures.
Praise God! He takes away our sin. He removes it. He washes us white as snow. Yes, we must acknowledge our sin and turn from it, but it’s the power of the blood of Jesus, which was shed on the cross, which actually removes our sin … not our efforts to change. When you trust in Jesus and let Him be Lord, He will change you from the inside out. That is the miracle of salvation. That’s the miracle of the New Birth.
Believing and repenting are two inseparable parts of saving faith. You cannot truly believe without repenting, and you cannot truly repent without believing. And the ability to both believe and repent comes from God. It is supernatural. As the scripture says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV) And God also gives the power to repent, as the scripture says, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” (Acts 11:18 NKJV)
This believing/repenting does not always require a long, in-depth, complicated, or religious prayer. It may involve tears, or it may not. It may be in an evangelistic service, or it may be in a pickup truck, as it was for me. The key is that it must be from the heart, and must involve an acceptance of God’s will for your life, and a trust that He has saved you through Jesus Christ.
In my own life, it was repentance which brought a change in my life. When I was nine years old, I had heard the Gospel and believed it, as far as I knew, but nothing really changed. But when I was 27 years old, I heard the Lord’s voice calling me to “turn from the things of the world.” My response was “Yes, Lord!” At that moment, everything changed. I became a new creature. The Lord came to live in my life, and I have never been the same. It was through repentance that I was set free!
Oh, the mercy of the Lord! Oh, what a great salvation! Oh, what a wonderful Gospel! Oh, what a wonderful Lord!
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