Repentance and Faith

          Salvation is a gift from God that no one can ever earn, but we are
     commanded to DO something in order to be saved.

          We must repent and believe (or trust) in Jesus Christ for salvation.
     Early in His ministry, Jesus told the people to repent and believe the
     gospel, and they would enter the kingdom of God.
                                      
                                    "After John was put in prison, Jesus went
                                     into Galilee, proclaiming the good news
                                     of God.  'The time has come,' he said. 
                                     'The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and
                                     believe the good news!' "
                                                                          Mark 1:14-15


          Repentance and faith are necessary, but where do they come from?
     Are they decisions we make on our own to turn away from sin and trust
     in Christ?

          No, just as salvation is a gift from God, so are repentance and faith
     gifts (Eph 2:8-9).  Because we are spiritually dead in our sins, we must be
     made spiritually alive by the power of the Holy Spirit.


                               "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions
                                and sins, in which you used to live when you followed
                                the ways of the world ..." 
                                                                           Ephesians 2:1-2a

                              "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in
                                mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were
                                dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved."
                                                                            Ephesians 2:4-5

          Salvation comes from God, as He raises us to new life in Christ Jesus.
    


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          John MacArthur wrote,
                              
                                 "Because He is gracious, God takes the initiative,
                                  (1) drawing the sinner ('No one can come to me
                                  unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I
                                  will raise him up at the last day'  John 6:44;
                                 'That is why I told you that no one can come to me
                                  unless the Father has enabled him' John 6:65);

                                  (2) granting repentance, ('... God's kindness leads
                                  you toward repentance' Romans 2:4b;  'God ex-
                                  alted Him to His own right hand as Prince and
                                  Savior that He might give repentance and for-
                                  giveness of sins to Israel' Acts 5:31;  'God has
                                  granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life'
                                  Acts 11:18b);  and

                                 (3) awakening the heart to faith ('To those
                                 who through the righteousness of our God and
                                 Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as 
                                 precious as ours ...' 2 Peter 1:1b;  'For it has
                                 been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only
                                 to believe on Him ... ' Philippians 1:29a;  'The
                                 Lord opened her (Lydia) heart to respond to
                                 Paul's message' Acts 16:14b)."

          MacArthur continues:

                               "Every aspect of the believer's response ...
                                conviction, repentance and faith ... is the re-
                                sult of God's gracious work in the heart ...
                                Scripture teaches that sanctification is launched
                                by God's regenerating work, when He graciously
                                gives the sinner a new heart and a new spirit of
                                obedience ('I will give you a new heart and put
                                a new spirit in you;  I will remove from you your
                                heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And
                                I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow
                                my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. ...
                                you will be my people, and I will be your God'
                                Ezekiel 36:26-27,28b;  'Therefore, if anyone is in
                                Christ, he is a new creation;  the old has gone, the
                                new has come!' 2 Corinthians 5:17)."


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          "When we declare that God gives us faith as a gift, we do not mean that He
     passes on a substance called faith to us;  it means that He opens our blind eyes,
     unplugs our deaf ears, and grants us a new heart and spirit so we will believe."
                                                                                John Samson
                                                                                Reformation Theology
                                                                                May 30, 2011


          Repent (turn away from your sin) and trust in Jesus Christ, and you
     will be saved.