Does this salvation message advocate that godly works are necessary
in the salvation process? By necessary, I mean that without evidence of
such, the person was either not saved or lost their salvation. The
salvation message of repentance and belief supports the teaching that we
as Christians are spiritually created for the purpose of eventually
performing good (godly) works. However, let’s find out whether godly
works are indispensable or not for the substantiation of our faith by
looking at some Scripture sections.
Let’s begin by going to the book of Ephesians.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
This verse tells us that we’re God’s workmanship (His work of art or a
masterpiece104), created (made a new spiritual creature) in Christ
Jesus. For what purpose? For the purpose of performing good works (good
deeds; the actions which Christians are to perform;105 our faith is
demonstrated by our works).
So, what I’d like to ask in this respect is, what are good works?
Some would say that good works are works which Christians are told
they should perform as conveyed by the Word of God such as visiting the
orphans and widows in James 1:27, providing shelter and food for fellow
believers in need in James 2:15-16, giving financially to support those
who convey the Word of God in Galatians 6:5, etc. And while I’d agree
that these are works that Christians should perform, what’s often not
mentioned is what should the motivation be behind these works before we
choose to implement them? You might respond by saying that this doesn’t
make any sense. What are you talking about? If we’re participating in
these actions, then our motivation must be right. Agree?
What I’m really talking about is something that we’ve already
discussed with respect to one of the questions that was asked before
about this particular dispensation, i.e., the Church Age.
That is, what causes a believer to have fellowship or be a partaker of God’s nature?
Do you remember what the answer was to this question? It wasn’t like
the answer in previous dispensations that talked about obeying God’s
instructions in terms of doing this or doing that, but it was being
filled with the Spirit. Do you remember this answer now? This is really
what should be encouraging us on a day-to-day basis. If this isn’t the
case, then what’s moving us is our sin nature.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other:
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Some would suggest that a Christian has the right motivation when
they obey the Word and do what it says. At times, this is true, and at
other times, this isn’t true. Have you ever gone to church or been
involved in volunteering to do this or that, and in your mind, you
either really don’t want to be there or are harboring ill will in your
mind toward someone while you appear to be acting spiritual? With that
said, we could say that godly works are good works that evidence the
graces of the Spirit while the believer is operating under the guidance,
impulses, and energy of that life.106
Unfortunately, in some cases, good works become a measuring stick as
to whether someone is either saved or whether they’re about to lose
their salvation. Some might say that if a believer evidences no good
works at all, then they were probably not saved in the first place.
Others might say that if a believer evidences a small number of works
and stops altogether or no good works at all, then they’ve lost their
salvation. They base these conclusions on verses which they believe
support their claims. So, let’s take a look at these verses that talk
about good works and determine whether they substantiate one’s
salvation.
We’ll begin by going to the book of 1 John.
1 John 2:3-4
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
This verse says that we, as Christians, know that we know Christ if we keep his commandments.
What does it mean to know that we know Christ?
The first word know means to come to recognize. The second word know,
means to know in a personal way, to be intimately acquainted with a
person’s intentions and character,107 and to have evidence to show that
we’re a Christian.
We’re told that what causes us to know that we know him in this manner is by keeping his commandments. This begs the question.
What are Christ’s commandments?
If you were to have asked me in my younger years in the faith, I
would’ve quickly said the Ten Commandments. Well, the word commandments
in Koine Greek are transliterated to the English as entolas, which means
precepts (various commands) that were conveyed to the church by the
apostles and/or by Christ when He lived on earth as pertaining to this
era. If the word commandments in Koine Greek were transliterated by a
different word nomos, then this would be referring to the Mosaic Law,
and as such, we could deduce that this was talking about one aspect of
it, i.e., the Ten Commandments. What this verse is telling us is that if
we were to keep (habitual observance of) His commandments (directions),
then some examples of such could be as follows.
●Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 1 Peter 1:22
●Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
●Stop surrendering any part of ourselves as weapons of wicked purposes to do evil. Romans 6:13
●Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But for those who say I know him intimately (professes a fellowship with him108) and they do
not observe or operate in his commandments, then they’re called a
liar (one who makes a false profession) as indicated by the fact that
the truth of God’s Word isn’t evident in their behavior (because this is
someone who lives under the power of their sins,109 in such a person
the truth [isn’t] a dynamic, controlling influence,110and they’ve lost
the ability to recognize truth). So, what this verse is saying in effect
is, if a Christian isn’t operating in the filling of the Spirit but
claims to be, there will be no evidence of godly works because they’re
living according to their sin nature, which will evidence carnal
characteristics.
Let’s find out more about whether godly works are essential by going to the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 5:8-9
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
The writer of Hebrews says that though Christ were a Son, the Son of
God, yet He became personally and practically acquainted with the true
meaning of obedience as pertaining to the things which he suffered (in
terms of the suffering it entailed111; in the deepest sorrows of the
body and the soul112).
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
And being made perfect (when [he’d] finished his course of tremendous
sufferings, and consummated the whole by his death and
resurrection113), he became the author (the causing; the source) of
eternal salvation (to be saved forever) to those who obey him (of those
[who’ve] put their faith in Jesus Christ114). Obedience isn’t talking
about keeping one’s salvation by performing good works. But rather to
obey Christ has to do with an unbeliever’s response to the gospel,
whereby their salvation will be eternal.
The next section of Scriptures that we’ll look at contain these
words, but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved
that appear to say that if a believer continues to do this or that until
their days on earth are over, then they’ll be saved. Is this what this
is saying? These verses are found in the book of Matthew. Let’s go
there.
Suggested Reading: Matthew 24:1-31
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him
privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall
be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Jesus was with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. While there,
they asked him three questions. The first had to do with when the city
of Jerusalem, its temple, and the Jewish state would be destroyed. The
second had to do with when He would return. The third was as to when the
end of the world would take place. If you or I were allowed to ask
Jesus three questions, I wonder what these would be.
He responded by telling them that there would be a future time called
the beginning of sorrows when certain things would indicate that the
end of the world was near.
Some of these things that would indicate such are that there will be:
●Those who will claim to be the Christ and deceive many.
●International wars, civil wars, famine, pestilence, and earthquakes in different places.
●Believers who will be afflicted (punished) and put to death, and
because of such many will stop believing in Christ, even turning one
another over to the authorities.
●Iniquity or wickedness abounding everywhere, and subsequently,
brotherly love will no longer be a characteristic of those who follow
God.
●The occurrence of an abomination (a sacrilege; idolatry) that will occur in the temple area.
●A declaration of the gospel of the kingdom made to everyone living on the earth.
While it’s true that most of what will be going on here has been
going on since civilization began, however, what’s noteworthy here is
that there’s a few things that are declared to happen that didn’t happen
before or hadn’t happened in a long period of time. For example,
everyone in the world will have heard the gospel, the temple at
Jerusalem will be rebuilt so that Jewish worship will be reinstituted,
almost everyone on earth will be killed, the world as we know it will
come to an end, and the Messiah of the Jews will return to the earth to
intervene and set up His earthly kingdom.
Some believe that there will be a period of seven years in the future
called the Tribulation Period, during which time these events will
occur. Just before this time period begins it’s believed that a world
ruler will arrive on the scene of international events and intervene at a
time of possible world annihilation and bring about world peace. What
might accompany this is a possible treaty which will be signed and held
up for three and a half years. Unfortunately, at the end of the three
and a half years, it’s alleged that this leader will do something that
will cause this agreement to collapse.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken
of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let
him understand:)
The way Scripture describes it, this ruler apparently becomes full of
himself and decides to enter the temple area and place an image of
himself in it to be worshipped, and then all hell will break loose. This
decision changes the peaceful climate of the world into one of full
all-out assault with one main target, and that’s to annihilate the
Jewish nation. So, the next three and a half years will be filled with
intense warfare. And when it appears that total annihilation will be the
result, Christ will return with his heavenly army and intervene.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Now, we’ll take a look at the words some say mean that if a Christian
endure unto the end, i.e., obey Christ by performing good works, then
they’ll be saved. There’s much-divided consensus as to what this verse
means and to whom it was written, but what follows is one explanation of
it. First, let’s try to address to whom this was addressed. Many
believe that Matthew chapter 24 relates to the prophecy given by the
angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel in the book of Daniel chapters 9-11.
Apparently, Daniel received this prophecy during the third year of
the reign of Cyrus the Great of Persia, who defeated the Babylonians
unto whom the Jews were in captivity as slaves for many years, according
to Daniel chapters 10-11. This prophecy indicated to Daniel what would
happen to God’s people both in his time and in the future. So, there you
have it. This prophecy and the verses we’re looking at were written for
the Jews of the Babylonian captivity.
What about the Christian church? Are they still on the earth at this future time?
The prophecy of Daniel predicted that following the end of the
Babylonian captivity, the Jews would begin the return to their homeland,
and certain events would take place over about four hundred ninety
years, the last seven of which wouldn’t transpire until the end of the
world. During the four hundred eighty-three years, they would begin to
rebuild their temple; they would resume worship under the institution of
the Mosaic Law, and they would reject their coming Messiah and crucify
Him on a cross. The amount of time allotted to this prophecy was seventy
years, but only sixty-nine weeks were accounted for. So, you guessed
it, the final week or the last seven years pertains to this seven-year
period would take place just before the end of the world and Christ’s
second coming.
As for where Christians fit into this picture, it’s believed that
they’ll have been removed from the earth just prior to the beginning of
these initial peaceful and then cataclysmic events by an occurrence
called the Rapture. Therefore, the protocol of enduring to the end or of
continuing to obey Christ’s commandments until the end of the world
doesn’t apply to them because they’ll not be here. Just to restate this
for emphasis, those that shall endure to the end will be saved doesn’t
apply to Christians but to the unsaved Jews and Gentiles.
Revelation 14:9-10 And the third angel followed them, saying with a
loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his
mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine
of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of
his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in
the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Scripture indicates that this dictator will become severely wounded
but will miraculously recover. In commemoration of this, an image,
statue, or inanimate object will be built in his honor, and somehow it
will come to life, and as such, the peoples of the world will be forced
to worship it. There will also be some type of a mark (maybe of a chip
of some sort) that every person will be required to receive either in
their forehead or hand in order to be able to buy or sell any goods.
Those who decide to worship the beast and his image of the beast will
incur the wrath of God.
So, in this context, those who endure to the end shall be saved
refers to those Jews who will respond to the gospel of the kingdom
during the seven-year Tribulation Period and subsequently have decided
not to worship the beast nor receive a mark in their forehead or hand
right up to the end (the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem). The
word endure means to bear afflictions and persecutions faithfully. And
the word saved doesn’t refer to salvation but deliverance from imminent
dangers until the Lord returns and intervenes.
That was a lot of information to contemplate, but unless we’re
thoroughly informed of these verses, we’ll only understand what they
mean in a limited fashion. Likewise, if someone in leadership uses these
Scriptures to claim evidence that good works are imperative for a
believer’s salvation, you’ll know that they don’t even pertain to them,
i.e., to Christians.
Let’s continue on and take a look at some Scriptures which some use
to claim that if a believer is living in habitual sin and isn’t
evidencing godly works, then they’re no longer saved and won’t inherit
the kingdom of God.
Suggested Reading: Galatians 5:13-21
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not
liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of
the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that
they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Apostle Paul was speaking directly to his brethren, "brothers and
sisters," those who were already saved. Yet, after listing the acts
(sins) of the flesh, he warned them that if they were to live like this,
they wouldn’t inherit the kingdom of God. The words do such indicate
that Paul wasn’t referring to committing a single act of sin
intermittently, but to regularly committing of these sins such that
their lives were characterized by these sinful habits.
Was Paul actually telling them that if they continued to live their lives in this manner, they would lose their salvation?
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye
cannot do the things that ye would.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Some would say definitely yes. But I think there’s another way to
interpret this. What’s actually being contrasted here is the flesh (the
sin nature) and the influences of the Spirit. If someone is a Christian,
there will always be a war going on between these two to some degree.
If we habitually choose to live according to our sin nature, then we’ll
not inherit the kingdom of God (won’t be under God’s authority). This
isn’t talking about Christians losing their salvation and subsequent
going to hell at death, but rather, it’s talking about sanctification,
i.e., their spiritual walk. Christians who choose to live this way will
give no evidence of being a child of God, but it will remain that they
still are.
Well, we have one more section of Scriptures to look at. These are
probably the foremost ones that many believe claim that if a believer
isn’t doing this or that for God, then they aren’t saved. These verses
are found in the book of James, chapters 1 and 2.
Suggested Reading: James 1:22-25; 2:14-26
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
The Apostle James was addressing Jewish Christians who were scattered
abroad beyond Palestine. He was instructing them to be doers (to live
out the gospel message; to put the Word into practice) of the word and
not just hearers only, thereby deceiving themselves (not practicing what
you hear and know).
23-25a For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like
unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth
himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of
man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and
continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the
work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
After which, he gave them an example of what any Christian, who is
only a hearer of the word only, is likened unto. They’re like a man
who’s attentively observing and considering his natural face (reflected
image; whom he used to be) in a glass (mirror). By analogy, the mirror
could be the Word of God, which not only helps us see our shortcomings
and defects but also provides the appropriate instruction that will help
us when we find ourselves immersed in them. Some of the spiritual
remedies are self-examination, name and cite known sin, and recovery
(find out and memorize God’s Word as it provides for us His perspective
which pertains to any area of human weakness and strength that we should
reflect upon throughout each day).
If this man (any believer) decides to disregard the divine
prescription for their lives and not address the issues that they see in
the mirror, then they’ll not grow spiritually. However, if they looketh
(attentively) into the perfect law of liberty (the Word of truth) and
continueth therein (yields steady obedience to the Word), [they’ll] be a
doer of the work (one who obeys God from a loving heart and pure
conscience115), and as such will be blessed (happy; it will exert a good
influence over his whole soul116) in his deed (doing). James then
decides to provide an example of what it means to not being a doer, but
only a hearer.
James 2:14-16 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he
hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or
sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto
them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give
them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it
profit?
He says that if a man states that he has faith (genuine faith; saving
faith), and shows no godly deeds, then can the faith in which he claims
he’s operating in save him? The answer is no; this faith cannot save
him. Does that mean to save him as pertaining to salvation? No, it means
to save him from danger or destruction. In other words, we reap what we
sow. It’s not a salvation faith that helps us in the trials of life,
but an operational faith. It’s about someone who has learned how to walk
in the Spirit and shows evidence of the fruit or spiritual qualities of
the Holy Spirit.
So, if a fellow Christian has need of clothes and food and a fellow
believer’s response to them is to Depart in peace without providing for
them what they need, then their faith won’t profit (words without
providing actual help are worthless;117 useless in evidencing godliness)
others.
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
And so, the Apostle James concluded that faith, if it evidences no
godly works, is dead (unproductive; not operational; destitute of
fruit), being alone (it’s by itself and not operating according to the
promptings and power of the Spirit).
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac, his son upon the altar?
In other words, was Abraham justified or made righteously (became
saved) by works? No, this isn’t about salvation. He was justified
(considered a righteous person before men; his faith was evident) by
works (by his conduct) when he had offered Isaac, his son upon the
altar.
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Faith was a constant working partner118 with his works, and by his
works was his faith made perfect (developed; brought to maturity).
25b … he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
WOW! What we can conclude is that being a doer of the Word is to put
it into practice. However, putting it into practice means not being a
forgetful hearer (does not just listen and forget119), that is, someone
who looks into the mirror of God’s Word and, seeing any personal
shortcomings and deficiencies, applies God’s spiritual remedies so that
they’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit and operate in His spiritual
elements of character.
Well, what do you know? We’ve finished looking at the salvation
message of repentance and belief. I’d say that it seems to be
scripturally sound and one of the gospel messages in consideration that
would cause an unbeliever to become saved if they were to respond to it.
As I reflected on what we’ve just learned, what came to my mind is,
why would someone not want to respond to this gospel teaching? Or, for
that matter, why might someone in church leadership not present this as
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE? I think it’s because of the way we’re conditioned.
It’s difficult for us to believe that God doesn’t require some kind of
effort from us to prove to Him that we mean what we say and to others
that our lives have changed.
What is the next salvation message that we’ll look at next? I’ll
title this one the gospel of God living in everyone. But before we go
there, I found an interesting article about the gospel of repentance and
belief. Enjoy!
[WHAT EVER] HAPPENED TO THE GOSPEL OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH?
July 20, 2018 by Jack Wellman
What’s changed in the proclamation of the gospel in the last hundred
years or so? It’s the presentation of the gospel that’s changed.
Come into my Heart
What’s happened to the presentation of the gospel? Where have
repentance and faith gone? What about Jesus’ saying, “whoever would save
his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find
it” ([Matt.] 16:25). Jesus [didn’t] come to give you or me a more
fulfilling life; He demands our life! If we live for ourselves, we’re
dead to Christ, but if we’re dead to self, then we’re alive to Christ.
Jesus said, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life
in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). I’ve heard
the phrase, “Let Jesus come into your heart” a few times, but exactly
what does that mean? I’m not sure Jesus would like my heart since
Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately sick; who can understand it” ([Jer.] 17:9)? Besides, Jesus
doesn’t only want our hearts…He demands our life and that we seek Him
and His righteousness above all things ([Matt.] 6:33). We must die to
ourselves before we can live for Christ, so a plea to sinner to “Let
Jesus come into your heart” is neither biblical nor effective.
Jesus Loves You
Yes, Jesus loves you, but [He’s] also asking you to repent and
believe (Mark 1:14-15). The saying “the universal fatherhood of God and
the universal brotherhood of man” [isn’t] found in the Bible. Whoever
[isn’t] of Christ [isn’t] a child of the Father. You are either for Him
or against Him ([Matt.] 12:30). [There’s] no neutrality with Jesus, so
to simply walk up to people and proclaim, “Jesus loves you” or “God
loves you” is never going to bring about the knowledge that they’re
sinners and they need the Savior. Yes, God is love, but [He’s] also
holy, and dwelling on only one attribute can be to the others. You
cannot separate one attribute from another. The only attribute of God
that’s mentioned three times is that [He’s] “Holy, Holy, Holy.” [That’s]
the greatest emphasis possible in Jewish literature. One man walked
around the park with a sign that said, “Jesus loves you.” Well, that’s
nice, but a lot of people would answer, “Well, my wife loves me [too,]
and so do my children and my mom.” Can you imagine Jesus or Paul going
up to the Pharisees, Scribes or lawyers and say, “I love you?”
Accept Jesus
Many years [ago,] when I was saved, maybe I said, “[I’ve] accepted
Jesus,” but a few years [later,] I thought, [does Jesus really need my
acceptance?] [I’d] be more concerned about Jesus accepting me! It sounds
a bit condescending to Christ to say, “[I’ve] decided to accept You,
Jesus,” almost as if He needed our acceptance before we could be saved;
almost as if we’re saying, “He needs me to accept Him in order more for
me to saved, so I guess I’ll just have to accept Him.” If we had to
“accept” anything, it was the fact that we [sin] in the hands of an
angry God, and that our sins had separated us from Him, so we must put
our trust in Christ, not accept Him. Actually, [He's] the One Who grants
repentance (2 [Tim.] 2:25) and draws us to Christ (John 6:44), and we
only love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Give Your Heart to Jesus
[There’s] the phrase, “[I’ve] given my heart to Jesus,” and I’m not
sure where it came from, but [it’s] somewhat recent. I know people are
saved by donating organs, but what does it mean to say, “Give your heart
to Jesus.” Once more, Jesus doesn’t want one part alone…He wants all of
us. I realize this is a common expression, but God is the one Who
quickens the dead, not the [dead,] quickening themselves ([Eph.] 2:1-4),
so we cannot give anything to God, particularly our heart, until God
quickens us to eternal life by His Spirit. It’s not about giving our
heart; it’s about what God gave (John 3:16).
Don’t Lose Heart. You’re Awesome
Don’t Lose Heart. You’re Awesome. This was on a church [sign,] and it
just struck me as wrong. Only God is awesome. In fact, the word awesome
should only be reserved for God Himself. No, [I’m] not awesome. [I’d]
only say that [I’m] awful…a wretch and not deserving to be saved. The
truth is, [there’s] not one [that’s righteous] and not even the one who
thinks he’s the exception ([Rom.] 3:10). There are none that do good
([Rom.] 3:12). I’m awesome? Really!? It’s a nice pithy statement, but
I’d like to see the chapter and verse for that one.
The Sinner’s Prayer
God alone saves, so salvation [doesn’t] come by repeating a sinner’s
prayer. Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved (Acts 4:12), and God is
the one Who draws people to Christ (John 6:44), and even though He may
use this prayer as a means to save someone, it’s not the prayer itself
that saves anyone. It takes the Word of God with the Spirit of God to
create the children of God. If [you’re] repeating a [sinner’s] prayer or
even filling out a decision card (not biblical either), you may be
giving someone false assurance or creating a pseudo conversion. Even
walking the isle doesn’t save you. Again, God alone saves (Acts
16:30-31). When someone asks what they must do to be saved, we don’t
say, “Here, fill out this decision card, walk the [aisle] or repeat this
[sinner’s] prayer.” Jesus says we must repent and believe the gospel
(Mark 1:14-15).
Conclusion
In the last century or so, the church has become more
[seeker-sensitive], but until we tell people the bad news about sin,
judgment, and God’s wrath upon the unrepentant, they’ll never see the
importance of God’s mercy. His mercy is only relevant until His wrath is
revealed. That makes Christ’s atonement all the more precious. [It’s]
only through Christ that we can be seen as having His righteousness (2
[Cor.] 5:21). Until a person sees that they’ve got the death penalty
hanging over their head, [they’ll] never seek the Advocate (1 John 2:1).
You cannot preach the gospel without preaching about repentance, just
as John the Baptist said, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
(Matt 3:2). The Holy Spirit convicted the consciences of those who were
witnesses of and responsible for Jesus’ being crucified. The Apostle
Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38). When Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry,
He said, “The time is [fulfilled,] and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). You cannot leave out
repentance and faith when presenting Christ. In fact, conversion cannot
occur apart from the Holy Spirit and the presence of both faith and
repentance. That [He’s] “mighty to save” ([Zeph.] 3:17), is mighty good
news.120
Endnotes
104Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.
105UBS New Testament.
106Weust.
107UBS New Testament.
108Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.
109The Pulpit.
110Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.
111Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.
112Barnes.
113Adam Clarke.
114The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.
115Adam Clarke.
116Barnes.
117UBS New Testament.
118UBS New Testament.
119UBS.
120Jack Wellman. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE GOSPEL OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH? Christian Crier 21 March 2022
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New Covenant Ministries - Ministerios NuevoPacto - Harbor Church, Block Island
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