Repentance is a requisite of salvation. There is no saving faith apart from it.
John the Baptizer proclaimed, “Repent — the kingdom of heaven is near . . . and do the works that show you have repented. . . I baptize you with water for repentance (a change in heart).” (Matthew 3:2,8,11) Jesus’ first words recorded in Mark’s Gospel are “The time has come, and God’s kingdom is here. Repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:15) Jesus defined his ministry: “I have come to call sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) After Jesus’ resurrection He told His disciples that “Repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all nations.” (Luke 24:47) Peter concluded his Pentecost sermon with the exhortation: “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.
Matthew 3:1-11
Longing For Salvation
Martin Luther’s first of his 95 Theses was “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, in saying, ‘Repent ye,’ wanted the entire life of believers to be a repentance,” which Luther elsewhere defined as “to feel the wrath of God in earnest because of one’s sin, so that the sinner experiences anguish of heart and is filled with a painful longing for the salvation and mercy of God.” So it was with the repentant publican, who with humble contrition prayed, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” Of him Jesus said, “I tell you, his man went down to his house justified.” (Luke 18:13)
Repentance is a Requisite of Salvation
A True Desire to Change
Repentance is a change of heart and mind, that leads to a change in behavior. It recognizes one’s sin and renounces it. There is no repentance — or salvation — where one’s sin and sinfulness is claimed as good or there is no desire to change one’s sinful behavior. The fact that God is Love does not mean God is just fine with one’s insistence and persistence to keep on doing what God’s Word defines as evil. But when one is convicted by God’s Law and Spirit, repents, confesses and goes to war against his sinfulness, he is ripe to hear the Gospel and rest in the assurance of salvation by the merits of Christ, for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13) That is, “everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.” (Acts 2:39)
