Repentance unto Salvation:

A Biblical Look at True Repentance and its Relation to Conversion

Greg Peterson

12/6/10

Theology III

Box #132

Dr. Vlach

2

Introduction

―When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said ‗Repent‘, He called for the entire life of

believers to be one of repentance. [Repentance] cannot be properly understood as referring to the

sacrament of penance…Yet its meaning is not restricted to repentance in one's heart; for such

repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh.‖1 These

words were the first 3 theses penned in Martin Luther‘s famous 95 Theses and they still ring true

today. Every believer, after the point of their glorious conversion, must continue to live a life of

repentance and every Christian theologian and pastor agrees. However, when repentance enters

into the same conversation as calling people to saving faith and belief in Jesus Christ for

salvation, dialogue can get heated due to the many disagreements whether or not repentance is

part of the Gospel message to unbelieving sinners.

Much ink has been used and spilt in resolving what the Bible points to in conversion of

the sinner and most likely more has yet to be written. Nevertheless, even though all believers

agree to essentials, repentance unto salvation seems to be open for debate. Is repentance a part of

the Gospel?

I will attempt to show that repentance is most definitely an essential part of the Gospel

message and that there is no salvation apart from the repentance that renounces sin because true,

biblical repentance is a change of mind and life. The necessity of this understanding is due to the

understanding of the biblical words, their contexts and having a biblical theology of the nature of

sin, and the nature of Christ‘s coming.

How I want to approach the issue of repentance as it relates to salvation:

As I have mentioned above, many, many books, articles, and blogs have been written on

1 Luther, Martin. ―95 Theses,‖ Spurgeon.org. http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/95theses.htm

(accessed March 12, 2010)

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this topic. Due to this, I want to work through the doctrine of biblical repentance as it relates to

salvation similar, but with a twist at the end. First, I will work through each individual word of

―repent‖ lexically in it Old Testament and New Testament, as well as their contexts, then discuss

the most probable conclusion. Secondly, and this is the twist, I want to theologize by working

through a few areas of Biblical Systematic theology that lead to the theology if repentance as

necessary for salvation. The purpose for this second part is to help the reader understand that

repentance is a doctrine not just found in a few isolated passages in the Bible, but is found

throughout the Bible as a doctrine to be believed and taught.

Repentance Unto Salvation in the Old Testament

Charles Ryrie, a theologian and author of dozens of books, states, ―Is repentance a

condition for receiving eternal life? Yes, if it repentance to changing one‘s mind about Jesus

Christ. No, if it means to be sorry for sin or even to resolve to turn from sin.‖2 Zane Hodges, also

a theologian and author, goes beyond Ryrie saying, ―To make repentance a condition for eternal

salvation is nothing less than a regression toward Roman Catholic dogma.‖3 Both Hodges and

Ryrie therefore do not see the need for repentance unto salvation. The arguments, however,

never discuss repentance in the Old Testament.4 I believe that this is a weakness to their

respective books, because since God is the eternal, unchanging God of redemption, conversion in

the Old Testament will be the same in the New Testament. Therefore, I will now go into the Old

Testament to show what repentance is and how it relates to salvation.

2 Charles C. Ryrie, So Great Salvation (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1989), 99.

3 Zane Hodges, Absolutely Free! (Dallas: Redencion Viva, 1989), 145.

4 To clarify, Hodges does make mention of the Hebrew words for repentance in an endnote, but there is no

discussion about the word, just that he disagrees with an article about the LXX‘s use of repentance from Old

Testament to New Testament. Ryrie makes not comment or discussion on Old Testament repentance.

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The main word in the Old Testament that speaks of repentance is bWv.5 bWv occurs 1058

times in the Old Testament6 and simply means ―to turn,‖ either literally changing direction

(―returning‖) or as a metaphor for a radical change in lifestyle and behavior, not of a mere

change of intention, unconnected with behavior, rather implying a conscious moral separation to

forsake sin and enter into fellowship with God. The constant refrain, especially of the prophets,

was calling Israel to repent from their idolatry and return to their God: ―If you return (bWv), O

Israel, declares the LORD, to me you should return (bWv). If you remove your detestable things

from my presence, and do not waver, and if you swear, ‗As the LORD lives,‘ in truth, in justice,

and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory‖ (Jer

4:1-2, cf. Jer 3:13,14; 18:11,12; Zech 1:3,4; Eze 14:6).

Yet the refrain was not just nationally, but also individually. Jonah, a man who refused to

repent to God for his own actions, preached a message of repentance to the Ninevites who

repented by ceasing from the evil behavior, which was what God was looking for: ―‗Who

knows? God may turn (bWv) and relent and turn (bWv) from his fierce anger, so that we may not

perish.‘ When God saw what they did, how they turned (bWv) from their evil way, God relented

of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it‖ (Jon 3:9-10). Though

the whole city turned from their sin, each had to do so individually to be granted mercy from

God.

Therefore bWv as a verb combines in itself the two requisites of repentance: to turn from

5 There is a far less frequent word translated ―repent‖ in the Old Testament, which is <jn. I will not be

dealing with this word because the essence of the word is overwhellemingly translated ―to comfort‖ or when

speaking of repenting, it always refers to God relenting his wrath (cf. Ex 32:10-14; 1 Chr 21:15; Joel 2:13-14; Jon

3:9-10; 4:2 ) or his mercy (cf. Gen 6:5-7). Since this paper deals with repentance as it relates to conversion, only

bWv will be looked at because it relates to man‘s repentance.

6 Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for shuwb (Strong's 7725)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-

2011. Accessed Dec 5, 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7725&t=

NASB>

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evil and to turn to good.

Repentance Unto Salvation in the New Testament

Lewis Sperry Chafer writes, ―‖the New Testament does not impose repentance upon the

unsaved as a condition of salvation.‖7 Chafer goes on to recognize many verses do call upon

people to repent, but he simply defines repentance away as a ―change of mind‖ that does not

include sorrow for sin or turning from sin.8 Thus, like Ryrie, Chafer can say, ―repentance, which

is a change of mind [only], is included in believing.‖9 To make repentance apart of salvation any

more than that, according to Chafer, would add a demand on the unsaved and is therefore a

―confusing intrusion into the doctrine that salvation is conditioned along upon believing.‖10

Responding to this, MacArthur says, ―[Chafer] and others have thus redefined repentance

in a way that evacuates its moral ramifications. They write it off as simply a change of mind

about who Christ is…this is not the kind of repentance Jesus preached.‖11

MacArthur, in another

book writes, ―Unless we are preaching repentance we are not preaching the Gospel our Lord has

charged us to preach. If we fail to call people to turn from their sins, we are not communicating

the same Gospel the apostles proclaimed.‖12

Opposing views cannot both be right. So does the New Testament make repentance a

necessary part of salvation? I will now dig into the New Testament for the true meaning of

repentance.

The first mention of repentance in the New Testament is in the preaching of John the

7 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas: Dallas Seminary, 1947-48), 3:376.

8 Ibid., 372-375.

9 Ibid., 375.

10 Ibid., 384.

11 John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 177.

12 John MacArthur, Faith Works (Dallas: Word, 1993), 74.

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Baptist and John, sometimes called ―the last of the Old Testament Prophets,‖13

was very clear

about the details of his message: ―'Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.

Every ravine will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low; the crooked will

become straight, and the rough roads smooth; and all flesh will see the salvation of God‖ (Lk

3:4-6).14

But John was not the end of the preaching of repentance.

When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach, they preached that people should repent (Mk

6:12). On another occasion, Jesus lamented the fact the so many had not repented despite His

many miracles and foretold judgment on the unrepentant (Matt 11:20-24). Jesus took the

occasion at a funeral to warn, ―unless you repent, you will likewise perish‖ (Lk 13:3, 5). While

teaching in parables, Jesus made vivid illustrations in the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost

son to point that there is great joy when a sinner repents (15:7, 10). In another parable, Jesus is

telling of a rich-man who had died, went to hell, and pleaded with Abraham to send the poor-

man Lazarus back from the grave to the rich-man‘s brother, knowing that they would surely

repent if such a miracle happened (16:30).

Like John the Baptist, Jesus‘ whole life was one of preaching repentance. In fact, Jesus

was very plain in saying, ―I have not come to call the righteous by sinners to repentance‖ (5:32).

And again after His resurrection, Jesus told His apostle ―that repentance and the forgiveness of

sins should be proclaimed in [Christ‘s] name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem‖ (24:47).

Unsurprisingly then, the apostolic gospel had a strong emphasis on repentance. At

Pentecost, Peter preached ―repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ

13 Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 770. John the Baptist teaching

was right in line with the prophets of old (J. Lunde, ―Repentance,‖ in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, Joel B.

Green, Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall, eds. [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1992], 669-70 and J. Behm,

TDNT [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967], s.vv. "metanoeo, metanoia, " 4:989-90.

14 Richard Own Roberts, Repentance: The First Word of the Gospel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2002), 24.

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for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit‖ (Acts 2:38; also

in 3:19 and 5:31).

This call also extended beyond the borders of Israel. After hearing of the conversion of

the Roman centurion, Cornelius, from Peter, the Jewish believers respond: ―Then to the Gentiles

also God has granted repentance that leads to life‖ (11:18). Paul, who was a Jewish man, was

called by God to go and preach to the Gentiles (9:15). What did he preach? ―God is now

declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent‖ (cf. 20:21; 26:20).

So the New Testament definitely teaches repentance. But what is it exactly?

Repent is seen by three Greek words: metamelomai, metanoew and its noun, metanoia.

metamelomai only shows up in the New Testament six times in five verses and it means ―to

experience remorse.‖15

This word has the idea of feeling regret or concern of wishing something

could be undone. Furthermore, it can have the idea of changing one‘s mind about something

without a focus on any regret, just to have second thoughts about something.16

Metamelomai first appears in the New Testament in Matthew 21:29. A man with two

sons told the first son to work in the vineyard. The son refused to work, but later repented

(metamelomai) and went to work. Although it seems that here to have the meaning of true

repentance, it isn't necessarily the case. The context shows that Jesus is using the parable to point

out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who are like the second son, claiming to be faithful servants,

but are liars. However, if the context did focus on the first son‘s repentance, G. Campbell

Morgan clears it up saying, ―the word 'repent' here is not to change the mind, but to be filled with

15 Michel, ―metamelomai,‖ in. TDNT, Gerhard Kittel, ed. and Gerhard Friedrich, trans. and ed. Vol 4 (Grand

Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), 626.

16 A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Christian Literature, Frederick William

Danker, ed., 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago, 2000), s.v. ―metamelomai.‖

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sorrow – he realized the mistake and went into the vineyard.‖17

The son was like any other son

who probably didn‘t want to be disciplined for being disobedient and therefore did the work.

The most tragic example of metamelomai repentance can be seen in Judas Iscariot who

―repented‖ after betraying Jesus (Matt 27:3).18

Judas demonstrated a deep emotional sorrow by

giving back the silver, admitting he had sinned, and then committed suicide. However, his

―repentance‖ was not a change of mind or heart toward sin and God. Rather it was regret because

of the result of his betrayal of Jesus.

Outside the gospels, Paul used the word metamelomai twice in 2 Corinthians 7:8. The sin

and disorder at the Church of Corinth caused Paul to write his first letter to them (a letter of

sharp, cutting words). Paul sent the letter to Corinth and then sent Titus to see how they received

it. Paul intended to meet Titus in Troas to find out how it went in Corinth. While waiting at

Troas, anxiety filled Paul's heart and thoughts by the church at Corinth. When he got to

Macedonia, Paul's emotions were in an uproar, ―conflicts without, fears within‖ (2 Cor 7:5).

When Titus came with the news that the letter caused the Corinthians to correct matters, and

their zeal toward Paul was increased, Paul rejoiced.

In this context Paul said, ―For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret

(metamelomai) it; though I did regret (metamelomai) it—for I see that that letter caused you

sorrow, though only for a while‖ (7:8). Paul regretted sending the letter, but when he saw the

good effects, he no longer regretted it. His regret was a deep emotional sorrow for possibly

speaking to harshly and could have split the church. In the same passage Paul used metanoew

17 George Campbell Morgan, Studies In The Gospels V1: The Gospel According To Matthew (Kila, MT:

Kessinger, 2007), 260.

18 It seems that those who oppose repentance as a command unto salvation, agree that though Judas was a

disciple of Jesus, and a witness for Jesus (Mk 6:12-13), yet he was unsaved. See Robert N. Wilkin, ―Repentance in

the Gospels and Acts.‖ Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, no. 1 (Spring 1990), http://www.faithalone.org/

journal/1990i/wilkin.html (accessed November 22, 2011).

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(discussed below) for true repentance when he said, ―the sorrow that is according to the will of

God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation,‖ (7:10). If he had intended this

same sorrowful meaning as in verse 8, he would not have used the word metamelomai.

Therefore, a strong look at metamelomai in its contexts, fall short of any heart-felt sorrow

and turning away from sin. When Scripture speaks of sorrow for something done, and wishing it

undone, it uses the word metamelomai. However when it speaks of the real change of

repentance, it uses the word metanoew, to which we turn our attention.

The Greek word metanoew (metanoia as a noun) must be interpreted in line with it

definition and Biblical usage. One popular way of figuring this out is to tear apart the word

metanoew and then fully understand its usage.19

Charles Ryrie, right on the heels of mentioning

metanoew, states ―The only kind of repentance that saves is a change of mind about Jesus Christ.

People can weep; people can resolve to turn from their past sins; but those things in themselves

cannot save. The only kind of repentance that saves anyone, anywhere, anytime is a change of

mind about Jesus Christ.‖20

Another writer states the same: ―Biblical repentance is a change of

mind or attitude.‖21

Are these writers accurate? Does the Bible show that metanoew ―means to change one‘s

mind [and] does not mean to change one‘s life?‖22

The basic lexical meaning of metanoew is ―to change one‘s mind‖ and ―to feel remorse,

repent.‖ The meaning in which the lexicon‘s point at is something that is initially negative, that is

19 There is a popular fallacy that you tear Greek words apart and obtain a definition from the bits, but this is

as much nonsense as is would be in English with words such as ―butterfly‖. Words are always defined by their usage and context.

20 Ryrie, So Great, 94-95.

21 G. Michael Cocoris, Lordship Salvation – Is it Biblical? (Dallas: Redencion Viva, 1993), 12.

22 Thomas L. Constable, ―The Gospel Message‖ in Walvoord: A Tribute (Chicago: Moody, 1982), 207,

quoted in MacArthur, The Gospel, 177.

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―turning away‖ is the dominate force within the word.23

However, the meaning within the

Scripture goes beyond just that of the lexicon. Brown writes, ―The predominantly intellectual

understanding of metanoew as a change of mind plays very little part in the New Testament.

Rather the decision by the whole man to turn around is stressed. It is clear that we are concerned

neither with a purely outward turning, nor with a merely intellectual change of ideas.‖24

Clearly this can be seen in how John the Baptist preached repentance. John preached that

repentance (metanoew) is from unrighteous behavior, and to the ―Lamb of God.‖

―Bear fruits in keeping with repentance (metanoia)...And the crowds asked him,

‗What then shall we do?‘ And [John] answered them, ‗Whoever has two tunics is

to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.‘ Tax

collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, ‗Teacher, what shall we do?‘

And he said to them, ‗Collect no more than you are authorized to do.‘ Soldiers

also asked him, and we, what shall we do?‘ And he said to them, ‗Do not extort

money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your

wages‘‖ (Lk 3:8, 10-13).

In this moment, John shows that true repentance is a call to an individual response to

change one‘s life. John makes his point that true repentance produces a life that is transformed

from being characterized by sin to be characterized by virtue. This was the ―Gospel to the

people‖ (Lk 3:18, emphasis mine) to which John preached. And this teaching on repentance as

part of the Gospel of change formed the foundation for the preaching of Jesus: ―From that time

Jesus began to preach, saying, ‗Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand‘‖ (Matt 4:17).

Jesus didn‘t redefine repentance from John‘s meaning (that would have made a nonsense

of John‘s role in preparing the way). Rather Jesus preached and taught the same message of

repentance. J. Lunde writes,

23 BDAG, s.v. ―metanoew.‖

24 Colin Brown, ed. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids:

Zondervan, 1986), 1:358

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In the OT repentance always implied a renewal of one‘s relationship to God.

Now, because God‘s kingdom is present in Jesus, discipleship naturally becomes

the positive counterpart to repentance. Therefore, in favor of a wholehearted

devotion to himself, Jesus calls for renunciation of the primary importance of all

other relationships…This extends ultimately to the love of one‘s own

life…Anyone who would deny Jesus before the world is therefore not worthy of

him (Matt 10:32-33).‖25

In the book of Acts 26, Paul used an identical expression of Jesus to refer to the need for

deeds that were the visible expression of repentance. Luke write, ――Therefore, O King Agrippa, I

was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in

Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent

and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance‖ (Acts 26:19-20, emphasis

mine). In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul talks about sin and repentance. In v.20, Paul notes that the

Corinthians are still sinning and in v.21, Paul says that they ―have not repented‖. Paul uses the

terms interchangeably. It would make no sense at all if in v.21 he meant that they had mentally

resolved not to sin but were still regularly practicing it.

All this to say, after looking at the biblical data, it is clear that repentance, defined as a

changed mind, is unmistakably a change in one‘s life, habits, and character. The best example is

the church in Ephesus. Paul spent two solid years there, preaching and teaching the Word (Acts

19:9-10), and the name of the Lord Jesus was raised to great prominence (v. 17). As a result,

believers confessed their involvement in the occult (v. 18), and took practical steps to burn all the

writings they had about dark arts in a bonfire (v. 19). Now this may seem like a small example,

but to understand that books in the 1st century were expensive to the degree that these new

converts burned about fifty-thousand pieces of silver spent on these books (about 50,000 days‘

25 Lunde, ―Repentance,‖ 671.

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wages for an average laborer),26

is to truly understand repentance as a life change – not just a

mind change.

One more word that needs to be quickly digested is the word epistrefw. epistrefw is

used 41 times as a verb, meaning to literally ―turn, turn about,‖ and as a noun once, meaning

―conversion.‖27

About half of its uses involve physical or secular turning, such as the demon

exorcised from a man says, ―I will return (epistrefw) into my house from whence I came out‖

(Matt 12:44). The rest of the uses of epistrefw have theological or spiritual implication

William Barclay writes, "The basic meaning of epistrefw is turning around either in the

physical or the mental or the spiritual sense of the term; and that thus when the word moves in

the world of thought and religion it means a change of outlook and a new direction given to life

and to action."28

A turn of any kind involves two things: a turning from something and a turning

toward something. In the sphere of salvation, conversion (epistrefw) means, on the one hand, a

turning towards God: ―And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who

believed turned (epistrefw) to the Lord‖ (Acts 11:21; cf. Acts 9:35); ―Therefore it is my

judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning (epistrefw) to God from among the

Gentiles‖ (15:19); ―For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned

(epistrefw) to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls‖ (I Peter 2:25).

Even in the gospel of John,29

the concept of repentance is found in epistrefw: ―He has

blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and perceive with their

26 John MacArthur, Acts 13-28 in MNTC (Chicago: Moody, 1996), 177.

27 BDAG, s.v. ―epistrefw.‖

28 William Barclay, Turning to God (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979), 20

29 Zane Hodges, Charles Ryrie, Lewis Sperry Chafer all agree than repentance cannot be found in the

Gospel of John. However, they are wrong. For a fair rendering of both sides of the issue, see John MacArthur, Faith

Works (Dallas: Word, 1993), 78-82.

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heart, and be converted (epistrefw), and I heal them‖ (John 12:40). The concept that saving

faith involving a turning to God is agreed on by all sides.

On the other hand a person cannot turn toward someone or something without turning

from something else. It is at this point that much controversy erupts. As a person turns to God for

saving grace what is it that he turns from? An examination of the pertinent Scriptures clearly

reveals that as one turns to God that simultaneously he turns from sin. This truth cannot be more

plain that in I Thessalonians 1:9, where Paul writes, ―For they themselves report about us what

kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned (epistrefw) to God from idols to

serve a living and true God‖ (emphasis mine). As highlighted, in turning to God the

Thessalonians turned from their idols. Can one turn to God and yet continue to grasp their idols?

Paul didn‘t think so. Turning to God and turning from idols was a packaged deal — inseparably

linked together.

Perhaps the most striking example30

of epistrefw is when Paul told King Agrippa that

he was commissioned to the Gentiles in order ―to open their eyes so that they may turn

(epistrefw) from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they

may receive forgiveness of sin and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith

in Me‖ (Acts 26:18). The gospel preached, through the power of the Holy Spirit, would enable

people to see truth in order that they might turn from something to something. They would turn

from darkness (sin, evil) to light (righteousness) (cf. Jn 3:19-21); from the dominion or mastery

of Satan to the dominion or mastery of God (cf. Col 1:13-14). And Paul is not to be

misunderstood in his commission. Note that he went to the Gentiles preaching ―that they should

repent (metanoew) and turn (epistrefw) to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance

30 Anthony Hoekema, Saved by Grace (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989), 126.

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(metanoew) (Acts 26:20).

Paul was not hesitant to call for repentance and conversion. He saw no incongruence

between faith and repentance from sin. They were not separate steps, they were part and parcel

of the same thing — the gospel.

To wrap up this word study, The Dictionary of New Testament Theology has this to say:

"When men are called in the NT to conversion, it means a fundamentally new

turning of the human will to God, a return home from blindness and error to the

Savior of all (Acts 26:18; I Peter 2:25). . . . Conversion involves a change of

Lords. The one who until then has been under the Lordship of Satan (Ephesians

2:1-2) comes under the Lordship of God, and surrender of the life to God is done

in faith, and includes the whole of life (Acts 26:20).‖31

Repentance unto Salvation Involves the Whole Person

It becomes plain, then, after a long word study that the Bible defines repentance as the

conscious turning of the regenerate person away from sin and toward God in a complete change

of living, which reveals itself in a new way of thinking, feeling, and willing. I will break this

definition apart very briefly.32

First, true repentance involves an intellectual aspect, that is (1) a knowledge of the

holiness of God and God‘s majesty (Isa 6:5); (2) a recognition of our own sin and guilt, as a

transgression against God‘s law and a violation against His will for our lives; and (3) an

understanding of the mercy of God and of His readiness to forgive, since apart from such an

understanding would lead one to fear and despair.

Secondly, true repentance involves an emotional aspect, which is heartfelt sorrow

(metanoew, not metamelomai), grief over one‘s sin, and joy in God‘s forgiveness.

Third and finally, true repentance must have a volitional aspect, in that there must be an

31 Brown, NIDNTT, 1:355 32 The following three points is a brief, summarized rendering of ―The Concept of Repentance‖ in

Hoekema, Saved, 127-8.

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inward turning from sin and a seeking of forgiveness, as well as a change of purpose and

motivation – and that change will have outward, visible results.

Repentance Unto Salvation in Biblical Theology

The definition is now set. Now I would like to show an understanding of why repentance

is necessary at all. In understanding why one needs repentance, it then gives way to know why it

is necessary for salvation. Therefore, a brief look at the nature of sin, its punishment, and the

nature of Christ‘s coming, will aid in understanding the necessity of repentance.

The Nature of Sin & Its Punishment

The Bible teaches that sin entered the human race with Adam‘s transgression (Rom 5:12)

and the consequences were numerous. The one that is most important for this study of repentance

is the punishment to be imposed upon the sinner by God. Since sin is a capital crime against

God, man is guilty of death. The Scriptures repeatedly say that sin and death are inseparably

linked together (Gen 2:17; Eze 18:4; Rom 6:23; Jas 1:15).

The Bible teaches that there are three kinds of death. The first kind comes physically to

all men (Heb 9:27) except those living on the earth when Christ comes to take His own to

Heaven (1 Thess 4:16, 17). The second kind of death is ―the second death‖ (Rev 20:6, 14; 21:8)

in which a final and eternal separation (Matt 7:21-23) of those who are not true believers will

receive his eternal, physical punishment in the lake of fire (Matt 25:46; Rom 2:8-9; 2 Thess 1:9;

Rev 21:8).

The third death is a death like that of a zombie. The Bible speaks about the here-and-now

consequences of sin. All people, before some came to faith in Jesus Christ, though living

physically, are dead spiritually (Eph 2:1-3). All men left without God are unconverted (Rom 8:7-

8), unbelieving (1 Cor 2:14), hard-hearted (Rom. 1:32; Eph 4:17-19), characterized by sin (1 Jn

3:4, 10), follow in the power of the Devil (1 Jn 5:19) and if they don‘t turn to God in faith for

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their salvation, they will be experience the second death (cf. Lk 18:13-14Jn 3:3, 5) .

It is in this light that repentance is necessary at the moment of conversion. Arthur W.

Pink sums up:

What is sin? Sin is saying, I renounce the God who made me; I disallow His right

to govern me. I care not what He says to me, what commandments He has given,

nor how He expostulates: I prefer self-indulgence to His approval. I am

indifferent unto all He has done to and for me; His blessings and gifts move me

not: I am going to be lord of myself. Sin is rebellion against the majesty of

heaven. It is to treat the Almighty with contempt. Oh, how vastly different a thing

is sin from what the world supposes! How insensible are the unregenerate to the

glory of God and that, which is due unto Him from us!33

Therefore, Pink writes,

In repentance sin is the thing to be repented of, and sin is a transgression of the

law (I Jn 3:4). And the first and chief thing required by the law is supreme love to

God. Therefore, the lack of supreme love to God, the heart's disaffection for His

character and rebellion against Him (Rom 8:7) is our great wickedness, of which

we have to repent. But it will never be in our hearts to repent unless we truly see

our blame. And we can never truly see our blame until we perceive that which

chiefly renders us to blame. It is the excellency of God, the infinite perfections of

His glorious being, which renders Him worthy of and entitled to our supreme love

and fullest obedience; and this it is which chiefly renders us to blame, for not

having loved and served Him. Not to love so lovable an Object as the God of love

is the crime of crimes (emphasis his).34

So repentance is necessary because of the nature of the sin that must be renounced with

mankind. However, that is only one part of the equation.

The Nature of Christ’s Coming

The other reason for repentance as part of conversion is the whole nature of Jesus coming

to the earth, which is that Jesus came to take away the sin of His elect. How could God give

eternal life to someone who will not renounce their former way of life when that is the whole

reason Jesus died and rose again (―you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people

from their sins,‖ Matt 1:21)?

33 Arthur W. Pink, Repentance (Harrisburg, PA: Triangle, 1996), 5. 34 Ibid.

17

The book of 1 John is key on this understanding. Multiple times through his epistle, John

speaks to the reality of Jesus‘ mission: ―the blood of Jesus, [God‘s] son cleanses us from all sin‖

(1 Jn 1:7b); ―He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness‖

(1:9); ―He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins‖ (2:2); ―[God] loved us and sent His Son

to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins‖ (4:10). Jesus, the sinless Savior‘s whole intention in

coming was to save from sins! But that is only where it begins. If the purpose of Christ in true

salvation was that He came to deliver from sin, then it necessarily follows that those who belong

to Christ will long to be separated from sin (cf. Tit 2:14).

The Bible is clear: yes, Christ came to deliver his elect from the penalty from sin. Yet, it

is equally true that Jesus came to deliver from the power of sin, which is to be ―born again‖ and

lead to a life of righteousness (2:29; cf. Tit. 2:11-14). This starts with the gift of repentance (Acts

5:31; 1 Pet 2:9) that turns from a sinful lifestyle and pursues an active, spirit-filled abiding in

Christ (1 Jn 3:6a).

Conclusion

After Jesus triumphantly came out of the wilderness from His testing, He began His

public teaching ministry with one word: ―REPENT.‖ This theme would dominate his life35

as He

would run into (sometime literally) sinner after sinner and illuminate to them the need to leave

their old life and pursue a new birth. In Luke 5:32 and 13:3, Jesus Himself sums up the reason

for his entire earthly ministry: ―I have not come to call … sinners to repentance… [and] unless

you repent, you will all likewise perish.‖

Back in 2009, the movie Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron, was a huge Christian movie

hit. So much so that as soon as it was released onto DVD, it seemed every church was having a

35 MacArthur, The Gospel, 79.

18

movie night. I happened to be at a church who was hosting one of these movie nights. It was for

Valentine‘s Day and was supposed to be part of a date night with your spouse. As every couple

came in, they were handed a program of the night‘s event.

The movie started and ended with many tears in between of the reconciliation of the

couple in the movie. The pastor then rose to the front and proceeded to tell the audience that a

faithful marriage starts with a right relationship with God. He then asked us to pull out the

program to the inside cover. At the top was the label, ―The Gospel.‖ The pastor proceeded to

read from this as everyone read along. It read:

The first part is coming into a personal relationship with Him through faith in

Jesus Christ. Regardless of your religious background, the ground is level at the

foot of the cross. No one has an advantage. In order to know God, to have a

personal relationship with His son, to have your sins forgiven and to have the

certainty of a home in heaven awaiting you, two things are necessary: (1) You

realize that you are a sinner and do not deserve God‘s grace, kindness and pardon,

but instead deserve the judgment He has for people who sin; (2) You believe that

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died in your place to pay the debt

created by your sin, and that you simply accept by faith his offer of eternal life

given to all those who believe (John 5:24).

That‘s it. Is something missing? Yes. Is this the whole of the Gospel? No. Repentance is

the element missing and one that should never be separated from the Gospel call upon sinners.

Spurgeon sums it up by having this to say regarding the dual command of faith and

repentance:

It may be that in preaching simple trust in Christ as being the way of salvation,

that they omit to remind the sinner that no faith can be genuine but such as is

perfectly consistent with repentance for past sin; for my text seems to me to put it

thus: no repentance is true but that which consorts with faith; no faith is true but

that which is linked with a hearty and sincere repentance on account of past sin.

So then, dear friends, those people who have a faith which allows them to think

lightly of past sin, have the faith of devils, and not the faith of God‘s elect.36

36 Charles H. Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. VIII (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim

Publications, 1969), 403. Sermon entitled ―Faith and Repentance Inseparable,‖ Text: Mk 1:15. Delivered on 13 July,

1862.

19

The gospel message is: True faith plus true repentance equals true conversion. One or the

other being non-existent in a person‘s life means the person remains separated from God.

20

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