Conversion – Repentance and Faith
- Both divine and human action required
- Conversion – to turn from sin to Christ
- Repentance – a willing response and a genuine placing of faith in Jesus Christ
- A turning from specific sins in our lives
Repentance
What is repentance?
- See Westminster Confession
- Just as necessary as faith
- Old Testament
- Isaiah 55:6-7
- A call to come to God
- A call to repentance – turning from wickedness and coming to God
- Joel 2:12-13
- “Return to Me… Return to the Lord your God”
- Return – Repentance
- Why turn? God is merciful, gracious and compassionate – willing to forgive
- “Return to Me… Return to the Lord your God”
- Ezekiel 33
- Turn back from your evil ways
- Job 42:5-6
- A despising of self and repentance toward God
- New Testament
- Repentance – to change one’s mind – verb
- Luke 24:45-47
- Repentance is to be proclaimed
- Matthew 3:1-2
- The ministry of John the Baptist
- Repent and be baptized
- The ministry of John the Baptist
- Matthew 4:17
- Preaching repentance
- Mark 1:14-15
- Repent and believe the in the Gospel
- Luke 5:31-32
- A caller to sinners to repent
- Luke 13:3-5
- Repent or perish
- Luke 15:7
- A rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents
- Acts 2:38
- Repent and be baptized
- Acts 3:19
- Repent and turn again that sins might be blotted out
- Acts 17:30
- All commanded to repent
- Acts 26:19-20
- A call to repent and turn towards God – keep with repentance
- Acts 20:18-21
- Repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ
- Hebrews 6:1
- Repentance from dead works
Man has a responsibility to repent. Repentance is a gift from God.
- The two go hand in hand.
Genuine Repentance vs. Worldly Sorrow
- Acts 11:18 – True repentance leads to life
- 2 Timothy 2:25 – True repentance leads to a knowledge of the truth
- Judas – Matthew 27:3 – A worldly sorrow – Did not produce true repentance
- 2 Corinthians 7:10 – Godly grief
Is Repentance works salvation?
- No.
- Repentance is required