Nearly fifty years ago a very godly and much older minister came to hear me preach. Following the service and invitation he mentioned to me that in sharing the gospel of God's grace, I should be sure to stress the need for repentance as well as faith in Christ. The counsel has not gone unheeded over my fifty plus years of preaching and teaching.

I also remember the discussion that took place in my theology class with a godly theologian, Dr. Roy Aldridge. His paper written on Repentance and Believing, stressed both human aspects as necessary for redemption in Christ as our Savior. He stated that they are really not two independent actions, but two aspects of one experience. However, because they are human factors, they are mutually dependent on each other and impossible to separate or to function without both parts included at the same time.

1. Without question, John the Baptist presented his message in a clear and uncompromising fashion. His sole purpose in life was to call Israel to repentance and belief in the Messiahship of Jesus Christ. His message from God was to repent in order to receive Christ. He even called for a public demonstration of repentance and faith in his baptism --Jewish baptism to identify themselves as individuals ready to receive a King that was physically present with them.

2. "Repent ye: for the kingdom of God is at hand", Matthew 3:2.

3. "He (John) came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." His message taught that repentance included "preparation", and "making straight" things that were formerly crooked, Luke 3: 3-5.

4. Mark added that a large number of people from Judea responded in belief to John's message by "repentance for the remission of sins, Mark 1:4,5.

1. Jesus continued the message of John after he was imprisoned by preaching the message of repentance because the kingdom was at hand. Matthew 4:17

2. Jesus is recorded as teaching that repentance preceded believing, "…repent ye, and believe the gospel." Mark 1:15

3. When Jesus sent the twelve disciples to preach the gospel message, they were to preach a message calling the nation to repentance, "And they went out and preached that men should repent. " Mark 6:12

4. The ultimate gospel message taught by Jesus was that repentance was preconditional to believing in a saving manner. If not, the people would perish, "I tell you…except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:5

5. The great commission given to believers by Jesus has repentance at its beginning, "that repentance of sins should be preached in His name among all nations." Luke 24:47. To overlook that the gospel, as taught by Jesus, is received by repentance and believing can only be done by carelessness or worse, by intent. Jesus reduced the message of the gospel to His suffering, death and resurrection, Luke 24:46, and commissioned the believers to present the offering of remission of sins following personal repentance.

6. Seven times, in His last message to the church, Jesus requested the church, in the form of an apostate Christendom, to repent or be removed. The futuristic announcement by Jesus is followed by His removal from the worldly church. Jesus is last seen in relation to the church as standing outside knocking at the door. Revelation 3:20

C. Consider the teaching of the Apostles

1. The disciples used the word repent "metanoeo" at least thirty three times in their inspired writings.

2. The earliest preaching of the apostles took place at Pentecost, exactly fifty days following the resurrection of Christ. Pentecost means fifty and could only happen on one day in history. To happen again it would take another crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Christ.

3. Peter's message at Pentecost was, "repent and be baptized for (because of rather than for the purpose of) the remission of sins", Acts 2:38. Those who teach baptismal regeneration, that one is saved by baptism, often use this passage. What clearly is taught at the very beginning of the church is that repentance must not only accompany the gospel, but that it is an essential ingredient of its presentation. The number of individual who "gladly received his word", repented, believed and were added to the original believers, as a result of Peter's message, totaled three thousand, Acts 2:41.

4. Actually, the motive for receiving the gospel did change as it went from the Jews to the Gentiles. It changed from repenting to receive a King to repenting to be received by the King. However, the gospel continued to include repentance. In Paul's last message to the Ephesian elders, he recounted his ministry of teaching publicly and from house to house, "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," Acts 20:21. He presented the gospel to "both the Jews and also the Greeks" (Gentiles).

5. The growth of a believer is the subject of the book of Hebrews. It teaches we are to "go on" in our spiritual lives rather than begin again. In fact, it is impossible and unnecessary to restart in the gospel by beginning with the foundation of "repentance…and faith toward God", Hebrews 6:1. Repentance was most certainly part of the apostle's understanding of the gospel of God's grace. Later in Hebrews Esau is used as an example as well as a warning. He was rejected by God because God found no indication of repentance. This was true even though Esau sought an inheritance from God and looked carefully for it with tears, Hebrews 12:17. Esau was sorry for his situation, but this did not equate to being sorry for his sin. While tears may very well be a part of the expression of repentance, they may also have other reasons for their existence.

There is no question the apostles included repentance in their presentation of the gospel.

A. Repentance has a dictionary definition of, "deep sorrow and remorse or contrition for past sins and wrong doings." It implies regret and being conscience stricken about past actions to the point that one desires a change in attitude and action.

B. In the Old Testament the verb for repentance, "sub" is used over 1050 times. In the English translation the word is only translated repent 13 times.

The other times it is translated turn or return.

C. In the New Testament the common word for repentance is "mentanoe" and is used 33 times.

D. In both the Old Testament as well as in the New the word calls for a change of direction, mind and heart. The change is from serving evil to serving God.

E. Repentance calls for one to turn to God as a natural display of being sorry for sinfully offending an infinitely holy God.

F. Two conditions are essential for a person to repent. One is to have an appreciation of God as being totally apart from sin and unable to accept a sinful person without their sin being pardoned. The second condition is an understanding of the theological concept of human sinfulness as viewed by God. In an unpardoned position, an individual is helpless and hopeless in terms of any righteousness that equals God's demands. It is not that one is sick in sin, but dead in trespasses and sin. The theological definition of this state is, "the universal total depravity of all humanity." This teaching seems to be absent from most preaching today.

G. Repentance calls for both a change of mind and heart. It also calls for a change of direction in life. The Thessalonian believers are a pattern for repentance. They turned from serving the world (idols) to serving the true and living God. I Thessalonians 1:9. It is impossible to turn to God in repentance without turning away from all things that are in contradiction to His character.

1. The answer to this question is that we really can't and most likely should not attempt to do so. This is God's job and He doesn't need our help. Every individual stands or falls before God on their own.