Repent and believe the whole gospel
Mark 1:14-15 ESV Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."The debate has raged on many Christian blogs over whether or not repentance is required for salvation and if it even should be a part of the gospel presentation. Some claim it is not part of salvation, not required for a redeemed sinner and is only necessary to secure temporal blessings. The Bible says something different. The ministry of Jesus was immediately preceded by the ministry of John the Baptist who preached, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In the Mark 1:14-15 passage above Jesus says in one short sentence to repent and believe the gospel. There seems to be agreement on what repent means but what exactly is the gospel to which Jesus refers? Mark 1:1 calls it the gospel of Jesus Christ. Can there be any serious doubt that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the same gospel that Paul says he is not ashamed of in Romans 1? This gospel is the good news of the free gift of eternal life through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ that Paul explains in great detail in Romans and elsewhere. This gospel also includes the fact that man is dead in sin, under the wrath of God, and is commanded to repent and turn from sin to the son of God, Jesus Christ. There is no other saving gospel and Jesus started his ministry by saying repent and believe the gospel.
What about the Kingdom of God? Does it refer to national restoration of Israel as some say in order to assert this passage is not talking about the gospel of salvation? No, this is the spiritual eternal kingdom that believers are redeemed into? The phrase kingdom of God is mentioned 67 times in the ESV version of the New Testament and zero times in the Old Testament. It is mentioned 68 times in the KJV New Testament and zero times in the Old Testament. It is mentioned in the beatitudes and many places where it is clear that the Kingdom of God refers to the spiritual kingdom of God. In John 3:3 Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." This passage speaks of the need for regenerating power from God before a person can even see the kingdom of God. This power so changes a person that they are convicted of their sinful condition, and repentance and faith flow naturally from the new heart that has been wrought in them by the Holy Spirit. This is a spiritual kingdom that includes all who believe in the entire gospel, and not just a partial “bare minimum” gospel.
As the photo above illustrates, you should not send a batter to bat with a half a bat and do not want to encourage and teach a sinner to face God on judgment day with half a gospel. I would encourage new Christians to beware of teachers who preach a Lordless salvation.
What are your thoughts? Is salvation and forgiveness of sins possible with no repentance?
posted by jazzycat at 10:32 PM
40 Comments:
No, there is no salvation without repentance.
And there is no repentance that the Lord doesn't effect Himself. Like Daniel has posted previously, I may be sitting on the outside, but I'm standing on the inside...
If your mind does have some inclination that something may be wrong, go, beg God for repentance, that your eyes may be opened. Beg "Oh, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
August 08, 2007 12:18 AM
Yes salvation is possible without repentance.
A person is saved by grace alone and not mingled with works.
After a person is saved, they will repent.
First comes salvation then faith, repentance, obedience etc.
August 08, 2007 5:51 AM
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August 08, 2007 7:15 AM
Before we are saved we have turned our backs on Christ (unrepentantive) How do we turn our eyes on Christ if our backs are turned away from Him? (repentant) Repentant means to turn around, If we do not turn around, we can not see Christ; if we do, we see Christ. When we are saved, we must see the sin in us, to be saved. We just don’t wake one day and say I think I am going to be saved today. Our sin is revealed to us, and we don’t like what we see and then we ask for forgiveness (repentance) and put our faith in Christ. We need to see our sin before we are saved. When I was saved the Lord revealed to me what a filthy sinner I was and I was ashamed and automatically asked for forgiveness and then put my faith in what Jesus did on the cross for my sin
The Gospel of Mark says..."After that John was put in prison Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying: The time is fulfilled; and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel." The Apostle Paul said to the elders of Ephesus: "I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you; but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ." Both repentance and faith are needful; and they. are inseparable. If, however, we must name them in succession, repentance comes first.
Salvation is NOT possible with out repentance. Blinders that where on were removed by our Lord and Savior, and our sin was revealed...How can we not repent seeing such filthy sin in us?
Cristina
August 08, 2007 7:31 AM
This is going to be a hectic day for me personally, so unfortunately, I won't be able to participate much in this very important discussion.
Good post Wayne!
Unfortunately many today base their theology on what I've recently seen described as a false paradigm. They formulate a system on a very strange definition of what is saving faith which is based only on the gospel of John, Romans and Galatians. It is not a definition derived from the consideration of the WHOLE Bible.
If we consider Acts 10:43, where Peter, talking at the house of Cornelius, says, "whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins", and as soon as he said that the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. Now compare this portion of scripture with the very next chapter, Acts 11:18 where it is written that, "they glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life". This passage is looking BACK at the happenings at Cornelius' house when Peter preached there. Comparing these two portions of scripture we see that repentance and faith can be used interchangably.
Please pray for me today. Thanks.
August 08, 2007 7:40 AM
Acts 10:43 & 11:18. Very good. I'll remember that.
Good post. I say repentance and faith are opposite sides of the same coin.
1 Thes. 1:3-4,9 says these believers were elected by God, and that they turned from idols to God.
All who come to Christ must turn from their former god, who, or what, ever that is.
That is changing ones mine, and that is repentance.
And once again all of salvation, from God electing us, to quickening us, to bringing us to faith and repentance, is by His grace.
He shows mercy to whom He will.
August 08, 2007 8:05 AM
Which do you think is worse, FG theology or the denial of an intermediate state after death?
August 08, 2007 8:30 AM
Matthew,
An intermediate state after death vs. FG theology? I don't understand what you mean. Pugatory? Soul Sleep? What does this have to do with salvation?
August 08, 2007 9:36 AM
Jazzy,
That was beautifully presented. You covered it all.
I wrote earlier somewhere that a presentation of the gospel without repentance is an incomplete gospel. But you spelled it out much better than I did.
Excellent.
"For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."
- 1 Peter 4:17-19
August 08, 2007 9:37 AM
Like Daniel has posted previously, I may be sitting on the outside, but I'm standing on the inside...
Marcian, Do you mind my asking? I don't understand this. What does this mean?
beg God for repentance, that your eyes may be opened. Beg "Oh, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Now, THIS I do understand! Lord, help Thou our unbelief!! Isn't that where our lack of repentance comes from, ultimately? Unbelief? (And foolish pride.)
August 08, 2007 9:39 AM
One last thing.
I don't know about the exact order of things - repentance before being saved, repentance during or after... I'm not sure.
But I do know that those of us who are now saved aren't like the thief on the cross. That is, we presumably have more time than he did to live our lives for Christ.
And if we're living our lives for Him and not for ourselves, then hadn't we best repent - as it repeats throughout the body of Scripture to do?
Jesus told the adultress "go and sin no more". Hadn't we best do the same? Hadn't we best repent of our "old man" ways and turn, flee from the wrath to come by walking in the Spirit? Seeking to do so each day - hour by hour?
How can we fear the Lord and obey the old man at the same time? We can't.
I think that we will mislead men if we take them to the foot of the cross without acknowledgment of their need for it - that they are sinners, rebels against God.
If they needn't repent, then they needn't the cross. They can continue in sin and trust the old man to save them.
August 08, 2007 9:49 AM
Susan, you may love Grudem on this, pages 713-718 in his Systematic.
August 08, 2007 10:07 AM
"I don't know about the exact order of things - repentance before being saved, repentance during or after... I'm not sure."
I agree with this statement. Repentance is essential, but it's different from convert to convert methinks.
As I look back to my salvation, I see that I may have been a Cornelius for a while. Maybe not, I'm not sure.
I know God began a work in me in 1984.
There's no doubt He was drawing me to Himself, and to the Cross.
I know I went from a selfish drunkard/alchoholic, church hating fool, to a sober-minded church goer.
My neighbor asked me in my back yard if I had become "Born Again"? I said, "I'm not sure, but I think so".
She started jumping up and down praising the Lord.
Maybe that was the Holy Spirit bearing witness.
August 08, 2007 10:08 AM
Thanks, Mark.
I always enjoy your referrals.
I will pray for you today.
August 08, 2007 10:16 AM
Susan, be sure to read the foot-notes on the bottom of page 715 - very interesting...
August 08, 2007 10:21 AM
... Thanks, Susan, for your prayers. You are a good friend!
August 08, 2007 10:23 AM
That was an excellent post, Jazzy! See Jazzy, I am tellin' ya, that Wayne guy is only holding you back!
August 08, 2007 11:53 AM
Susan,
I think what was meant is that while I may be obedient on the outside, I am not repentant on the inside. And I cannot be repentant on the inside without the Lord's quickening hand. That change inside us was what I was referring to.
Salvation is from the Lord, so repentance must be from the Lord, too. Morality will save no one. Only an inward turning from sin effected by God's mercy alone.
August 08, 2007 11:57 AM
Will be praying for you todaya Mark.
Cristina
August 08, 2007 12:56 PM
Marcian,
Gotcha!
Hey, by the way, the book Mark led me to read in is an excellent resource. Gayla is considering purchasing it as well, I think.
I highly recommend it: Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology.
Mark, his treatment of repentance and faith is excellent! Thanks for pointing that out.
It's not a sit-down-and-read cover-to-cover book - at least not for me. But it's an excellent reference book!
August 08, 2007 2:15 PM
Susan, I read it cover to cover. I completed it this past March.
Happy reading
Mark
August 08, 2007 4:04 PM
Salvation is a free gift of the Lord Jesus and does not come with repentance.
Like any gifts from the Lord including His calling, they are without repentance Rom.11:29 KJV
August 08, 2007 5:50 PM
Paul G.,
Why do you think Jesus said, "repent and believe the gospel?" and in Luke 5:31-32 he said, And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
August 08, 2007 6:22 PM
Paul,
You have forced me to abdicate my blogging sabbatical...you are misappropriating Romans 11:29. This passage is utilizing anthropomorphic language to describe God's faithfulness to Israel, despite her incessant rebellion. Furthermore, the word "repentence" (Gk.ametamelētos) has nothing to do with soteriological issues, per se, as the context no where bears this out. You can not eisegetically foist a meaning into the text while ignoring the context, this is a spurious hermeneutical approach.
August 08, 2007 6:25 PM
I didn't want to step in this free grace thing. I hope I misunderstood what you said Paul, but now I feel forced to speak up.
It's important that you read the Romans passage again Paul... in its context. And this time don't stop when you get to the beginning of chapter 12 where Paul said, "Therefore..."
If the Lord has truly caused us to become new creations, we can't not be changed. But if there is no repentance, it is a perfectly fair question to ask whether we have truly believed.
That is not to say that God's free gift costs us repentance. No, it's more like election causes repentance.
August 08, 2007 6:39 PM
Jazzycat;
Jesus said that to you in order that you would repent and believe the gospel.
Scribe;
The Bible is not written for the wise.
Therefore Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven and said, I praise thee O Father that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and gave it to babes.
Craver vii;
You said, “If the Lord has truly caused us to become new creations, we can’t not be changed. But if there is no repentance, it is a perfectly fair question to ask whether we have truly believed.”
I fully agree with you.
Again I like to say that salvation belongs to the Lord and only to Him.
There is nothing we can do, help or being in cooperation with the Lord to achieve salvation.
It is like Lazarus in the tomb.
He could not actuate faith, nor could he repent or believe etc. because he really was dead.
For him to repent and believe, he needed someone who is able to give him a new birth or a new life.
Jesus Christ is the only one who could do that.
Jesus said, “Lazarus come forth!”
And there he was, born again a brand new man.
From then on he loved the Lord Jesus with all his heart, repented, believed and did whatever the Lord told him to do.
Just like the Bible says;
The dead shall hear His voice and those who hear will live. John 5:25
August 09, 2007 12:20 AM
Wayne, I was referring to Soul Sleep. Which do you think is the bigger heresy, Soul Sleep or FG theology?
August 09, 2007 4:00 AM
Scribe;
The Bible is not written for the wise.
Therefore Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven and said, I praise thee O Father that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and gave it to babes.
LOL! I always get this...can you please check the Romans 11 passage you cited earlier...you will see that your pretextual is way off base.
I would also submit that your asinine assertions somehow preclude me from saving faith...how know ye such? Would you answer my queries and resist the employment of red herrings?
Btw...I am no synergist, and I fail to see how a belief in repentance can make one synergistic.
August 09, 2007 7:02 AM
Scribe;
The things I have said is not the wisdom of men, but it is the wisdom of God.
And you should take special attention to it.
The wisdom of God is in Christ Jesus our Lord and not in an encyclopedic dictionary.
The trumpet sound should be clear, so that the soldiers will know when to engage in battle.
August 09, 2007 6:46 PM
Paul....are you calling me unsaved, and purely intellectual?
August 09, 2007 7:59 PM
Matthew,
I don't think soul sleep is correct Biblical doctrine, but I fail to see what that has to do with the doctrine of repentance which concerns salvation.
I find it hard to understand why you ask the question. I would say that your particular free grace belief that would hold to a lordless salvation, and also that a person, who believes that Allah of the Koran is the one and only true god, is saved as long as they also believe the promise that Jesus guaranteed them eternal life is a pretty serious hearsay. This would mean that a person denying the trinity and believing in the false god of a false religion would be heaven bound.
You are young and obviously very intelligent and I would love to see if and how your doctrinal stance changes over the next twenty or so years.
You have many good traits that I admire as I have mentioned many times and I hope and pray that you will study and consider these issues as you press on.
wayne
August 09, 2007 8:12 PM
Jazzy has answered your question quite well Matthew.
"Which do you think is the bigger heresy, Soul Sleep or FG theology?"
I would say heresy is heresy. The Bible is quite clear on repentance, and those who die, where they go.
August 09, 2007 11:46 PM
Scribe;
No I was not questioning your salvation.
Since you mentioned salvation, how does one know whether he is saved?
August 10, 2007 2:14 AM
Scribe;
No I was not questioning your salvation.
Since you mentioned salvation, how does one know whether he is saved?
Paul, I'm supposed to be on a blogging sabbatical (grr) ;D
Here are some tell-tale signs someone can know if they are authentically saved, though not comprehensive:
1. Conviction of sin: Acts 24:25
2. Love for God: Luke 10:27, Romans 8:7
3. Hunger for God's word: 1 Peter 2:1-3
4. Assurance (by the Holy Ghost: Matthew 23, Romans 8:16
5. Repentance from sin: Romans 7:14, 1 John 1:8-10
6. Devotion to God's glory: 1 Corithians 10:31
7. Spiritual growth: Luke 8:15, Ephesians 4:12-16
8. Transformed life (major "biggie"): 2nd Corinthians 5:17
9. Seperation from the world: 1 corinthians 2:12, 1 John 2:15-17, 5:5
10: Time of decision: Luke 8:13,14
These are just SOME of the signs evidenced by a transformed life that one can know whether they are saved or not. I could have mentioned more but you get my point...
August 10, 2007 8:11 PM
Scribe;
I know that you are on a blogging sabbatical, just as it says in Hebrews 4:9.
Your answer is excellent; I expected nothing less from you! Well done!
Wayne;
I am not controversial for the sake of controversy. I like your post it is very thought provoking.
Grant me please a comment on the picture, the man with half a bat.
No one ever went into a game with half a bat.
The same is with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A person can only preach the true gospel or a false gospel and nothing in between.
August 11, 2007 3:38 AM
Scribe,
Thank you for that answer.
That was excellent!
August 11, 2007 10:20 AM
Paul G.
I think you are right on the gospel must be complete or else it is false. However, I do like to use my photos to illustrate points and trust me, if the batter had used the bat as it is shown in this photo, he would have no chance of being successful at getting a hit.
That is my son batting in the last college game he ever played in.
August 11, 2007 10:41 AM
Jazzycat;
If your son would have played the game with half a bat, I seriously would have questioned the coach.
It’s like Mr. Bush who is the commander in chief of the most powerful army in the world, would send his troops into battle with half a rifle.
Or the Lord Jesus Christ who is the captain of the host, the commander in chief, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords would send His children into the entire world with a half a gospel.
NO Wayne!
I think you know what I am saying.
I hope your son is now a batter in the kingdom of God, coached by Jesus.
I also have two sons batting in the kingdom of God and coached by Jesus who equips all His children with a full gospel.
August 11, 2007 8:15 PM
Paul G,
I don't guess I do know what you are saying.
My illustration and post was to assert that the whole complete gospel should be preached and believed. You agree with that, so I am confused about what you're objection is..........
August 11, 2007 9:15 PM
Jazzycat;
Ok, then I will speak plainly.
I mainly was addressing your presupposition.
You and probably 90% of Christians believe that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is a systematic or part systematic cleverly laid out theory mainly pertaining to salvation.
By thinking that, you can never know for certain whether your gospel is good enough, whether it is correct, half or a full gospel etc.
And there is always a debate on the strategy and portrayal of that theory, and it always causes a division between the saints according to their intellectual capacity.
However, that is NOT the gospel.
The gospel is simple and not complicated, even a child can preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The gospel is Jesus Christ portrayed in all things.
Example;
The gospel of creation;
Is Jesus Christ portrayed and proclaimed as the creator.
How one does it, it’s all up to the preacher, whatever Scriptures he uses, whether John 1:1 or Genesis it makes no difference, as long as the Lord Jesus is proclaimed as the creator.
The gospel of the kingdom of God;
Is Jesus Christ proclaimed as the King with whatever illustrations and Scriptures.
The gospel of God;
Is Jesus proclaimed to be the Lord God the almighty.
The gospel of salvation;
Again Jesus proclaimed to be the only savior, etc.
Every time Jesus Christ is preached, the gospel has been fully preached, for the gospel is a person ‘Jesus Christ’ and not the theory.
This is the gospel which I preach.
Colossians 1:15 to 23
Please note, the word ‘Him’ always Jesus.
Paul said,; This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
August 12, 2007 8:03 AM
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