QUESTION: What does it mean to repent and believe? What does it mean to repent – what does that look like?

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Summary

The discussion focused on understanding the meaning of repentance and belief, and the relationship between the two. The pastors explained that repentance is a change of mind and a sorrow over sin, not just a change in behavior. Faith is an act of the whole soul, involving knowledge, intellect, and will, and being spiritually persuaded by Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith go hand in hand, with repentance often implied in the act of conversion. The emphasis is on justification by faith alone, apart from works. Repentance should not be seen as a prerequisite for faith, as it is a gift from God, preceded by regeneration. The sequence of events includes regeneration, repentance, faith, justification, adoption, and the beginning of sanctification.

Outline

I. Understanding Repentance and Belief

• A. Repentance as a change of mind and sorrow over sin
• B. Faith as an act of the whole soul, involving knowledge, intellect, and will
• C. The relationship between repentance and faith

II. The Relationship Between Repentance and Faith

• A. Repentance and faith go hand in hand
• B. Justification by faith alone, apart from works
• C. Avoiding the pitfalls of antinomianism and legalism

III. The Role of Faith in Repentance

• A. Faith as the cause of repentance
• B. Faith is never alone, but accompanied by other saving graces
• C. Emphasis on belief in the Lord Jesus Christ

IV. Repentance as a Gift from God

• A. Repentance as a gift, not a work
• B. Repentance preceded by regeneration
• C. The sequence of events: regeneration, repentance, faith, justification, adoption, sanctification

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Transcript

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

repentance, faith, repent, act, emphasis, justification, lord jesus christ, believing, god, baptized, antinomianism, chronological order, synonymously, true repentance, sin, saving graces, law, change, sanctification, gift

SPEAKERS

Wim Kerkhoff, Pastor Jim Butler, Pastor Mike Kirkpatrick

Wim Kerkhoff  00:08

The next question is, what does it mean to repent and believe? What does it mean to repent? What does that look like?

Pastor Mike Kirkpatrick  00:18

So repentance and belief, 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, 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, by the Lord Jesus Christ, and concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, of who hH 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 the principal act, but we turn from our idols to the true and living God.

Pastor Jim Butler  01:59

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 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 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 is obviously antinomianism, which isn’t against the law mindset or no law, but neo-nomianism 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, that’s, 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.

Pastor Mike Kirkpatrick  04:46

And to add that to that, I mean Acts chapter 10, when the salvation of Cornelius is being reported, it is repentance is called a gift, and God has also granted it to the Gentiles. Repentance to life. So it is not a work, it is a gift. And certainly 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.

Wim Kerkhoff  05:19

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 save justified later.

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