IS REPENTANCE NECESSARY?

INTRODUCTION

This essay explores the significance of repentance within God’s strategic, progressive process of salvation. While not intended as a comprehensive analysis of repentance in biblical theology, it looks to prove that repentance serves as a foundational component in God’s methodical pathway toward reconciliation, regeneration, and restoration of humanity’s relationship with the Creator. The biblical account outlines this deliberate progression, beginning with Genesis Chapter 1’s depiction of the creation of the heavens, the earth, and all their hosts. Genesis Chapter 2 continues this narrative. This essay aims to clarify how such progression informs the restoration of humanity to a state of righteousness with God—a prerequisite for reunion with the Holy and righteous Most High God, the Creator.

MOTIVATION FOR THIS ESSAY

This essay was written in response to a thought-provoking question raised at the conclusion of our Sunday Praise and Worship Fellowship on Resurrection Sunday, April 20, 2025: “Is repentance necessary for salvation?” Addressing this question requires a careful presentation of biblical insight to clarify ambiguities surrounding this important and highly relevant topic. The goal is to encourage those who teach the Gospel of God and of Jesus Christ to recognize their responsibility: they must present a clear, scripture-supported understanding of what it means to become a disciple of the LORD Jesus Christ. As scripture states, “He (the person) who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 18:16, NKJV).

The foundation for salvation is one’s belief in the finished work of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. This belief is what leads to rebirth—the experience of being born again. Without rebirth, there can be no reconciliation, regeneration, restoration, or salvation. Therefore, an individual’s belief must be rooted in an acceptance of God’s process as revealed in scripture. Genuine faith includes accepting that repentance is the essential foundation for genuinely believing in and receiving Christ as the Messiah. In contrast, anyone who refuses to repent proves that they are not a true believer in their heart.

REPENTANCE VS FORGIVENESS

Following the account of Jesus overcoming temptation in the wilderness, the biblical text shows that He began His ministry by proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17, NIV). Repentance addresses past unbelief and transgressions, recognizing that all individuals have a history wherein sins and trespasses may remain unresolved. The Apostle Peter emphasized this principle, saying, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19, NKJV). Forgiveness pertains to present acts of wrongdoing against both people and God. Jesus provided guidance on the nature of forgiveness through His response to Peter, who asked, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus replied, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (70x7=490 times) (Matthew 18:21,22. NKJV).

Understanding Jesus's Response

The gravity of Jesus’s answer emphasizes the indispensable role of forgiveness in the believer’s journey toward salvation. Forgiveness is not just a one-time event but is central to the ongoing renewal of the mind, heart, spirit, and soul. For those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ, forgiveness alone is insufficient unless it is firmly grounded in genuine repentance. Without repentance serving as the foundational groundwork, a person's acceptance of the finished work of Christ is still uncertain and potentially problematic.

Repentance as the Foundation of Salvation

Repentance is essential and must come before a person can truly accept salvation. This act of repentance marks a vital transition from disbelief to belief in God’s plan for salvation through Jesus Christ. When an individual does not repent, their past sins are not erased by God, leaving those transgressions as barriers between themselves and their Creator.

Personal Nature of Repentance and Forgiveness

Both repentance and forgiveness in the biblical narrative are deeply personal. Each requires deliberate action initiated by the believer, who must ask God to remove—blot out, delete, or erase—all past sins and trespasses. Repentance is necessary to show and confirm the genuine change or intent to change from previous sins and unbelief, while embracing God’s plan of reconciliation through His Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Necessity of Repentance for Spiritual Renewal

Repentance is not simply important. It is essential for spiritual rebirth. To be born of the spirit. To be born of the Spirit that Jesus spoke of in John 3:3 in the conversation with Nicodemus, “Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born? Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.” (John 3:3-7 NKJV). Consequently, where there is no rebirth, there is no reconciliation with God and no salvation. Anyone who has not been reconciled to God through this process will not be saved.

JOHN THE BAPTIST: THE HERALD OF THE MESSIAH

John the Baptist served as the forerunner, or herald, of the Messiah. His mission was to prepare the way for Jesus, the Messiah, by both identifying Him and establishing the foundation for the message He would bring. John’s ministry took place at the Jordan River, where he preached repentance and baptized those who responded to his call. Scripture describes this pivotal role: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight’” (Isaiah 40:3, NKJV; Matthew 3:1-3, NKJV; Mark 1:15, NKJV; Luke 1:17, NKJV). The significance of a straight pathway is that it represents the way to salvation. God’s process for salvation is strategic and progressive. Genuine belief in the Gospel leads a person to repentance and baptism. Repentance, in this context, signifies the acknowledgment and commitment that the individual will earnestly seek to change their former beliefs and behaviors.

The Progressive Continuity of the Gospel Message

Continuing progressively to Chapter 4 after successfully resisting and defeating Satan in the wilderness. Jesus begins by connecting his Gospel message to John’s message. The narrative states that, “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17, NKJV). John’s message was to the Jewish Nation. It was not to the Gentiles or the Nations. Therefore, the beginning of the Gospel message of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, would pick up where the Jewish John the Baptist was focused, on the repentance of the Jewish Nation and Israel. As the Apostle Paul wrote in the epistle to the Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16,17. NKJV). 

 This is the progressive strategic process of God that leads to salvation for all the world. For the Jew first, the Nations and the Gentile. To the Jew first and continuing to the Nations and the Greek (Gentile) in a strategic progressive process. The Gospel (the baton) is passed from messenger to messenger in a contiguous strategic progressive process until the narrow path is set in place where all the world might (have opportunity to) be saved. As Jesus stated, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16,17, NKJV). Notice in verse seventeen, Jesus uses the term might and not will be saved. This is the process that must be followed, adhered to, to receive the blessing of reconciliation and salvation. 

The term repent as used in the New Testament (Second Testament) comes from the Greek word “metanoeō.” This word means “to change any or all of the elements composing one’s life: attitude, thoughts, and behaviors concerning the demands of God for right living.” In other words, repentance requires a complete transformation in response to God’s call for righteousness. Started plainly, in the context of salvation, repentance is a verb that denotes specific actions a person must take to reach the intended result. This transformation is not easy; in fact, it is extremely challenging for many people. However, God understands these challenges. 

When a person commits to this change through belief and trust in God, God immediately grants the Holy Spirit to indwell the believer (Acts 2:4, 5:32, 10:44, NKJV). The presence of the Holy Spirit serves several vital purposes: teaching, motivating, comforting, and providing the knowledge, wisdom, and power needed to overcome the desires of the flesh and the Devil. Through the Holy Spirit, failure can be transformed into victory over temptation and evil. The believer is never left alone in this process. As seen at the beginning of Acts, the apostles began to form and grow the Body of Christ, the Church. Peter, as the third messenger and the apostle designated to first preach to reunite the Israelite, the Jew, the Nations, and the Gentile. Peter began preaching repentance as John the Baptist and Jesus Christ before him. This connection of messages served as a testimony to God’s strategic, process-oriented, and progressive strategist. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the lynchpin.

PETER’S CALL TO REPENTANCE AND ITS UNIVERSAL SIGNIFICANCE

Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, boldly addressed the crowd, declaring, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38,39, NKJV). This powerful proclamation underscores the importance of repentance as a foundational element of the Gospel message. 

Repentance: Relevant for All Humanity

It is essential to recognize that repentance in the New Testament context is not limited to one group; it extends to the Jews, the Nations, and the Gentiles alike. God’s new initiative—the Church—would serve as the unifying body for all of humanity, embracing both Jew and Gentile. This inclusivity marks a significant shift, as the Gospel message now reaches beyond the boundaries of Israel to all who are called by God. 

Distinction in Repentance: Jews and Gentiles

The Nations—those outside of Israel—were not given God’s laws, statutes, liturgies, and ordinances. These regulations were designed specifically for Israel, God’s chosen people, and for those who converted to their faith. These laws served as the means by which Israel was sanctified and set apart as God’s chosen. In contrast, the Nations and Gentiles were not sanctified in this way and were not included among God’s chosen people by virtue of these ordinances. 

The Gentile Question: What Must They Repent Of?

Since the Gentiles and Nations were not recipients of God’s specific laws and ordinances, a natural question arises: what, then, were they called to repent of? The answer lies in the broader call to repentance that encompasses all of humanity, not just those who had received the Law. The message of repentance is thus made relevant and accessible to everyone, inviting all people to turn toward God and receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. Faith, belief, and repentance are the universal requirements for salvation for all people.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, we may conclude that the righteousness of the Nations and the Gentiles was not determined by the laws, statutes, liturgies, and ordinances given to Israel. According to Acts, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30, NKJV). The “times of ignorance” refers to the Nations and Gentiles, who were unaware of God’s laws. Repentance, therefore, becomes the first necessary act alongside belief in reconciliation. Everyone—Israelite, Jew, and Gentile—must repent. Israelites and Jews repent for transgressing God’s laws, statutes, liturgies, and ordinances. Nations and Gentiles must repent because they have sinned against nature and the created order (Romans 1:16-32), failing to recognize the Most High God as the Creator. To them, God was “Unknown,” as described in Paul’s encounter at Athens (Acts 17:22-31, NKJV). This relates to the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3, KJV; Deuteronomy 5:7, NKJV). From these truths, we conclude that repentance of past unrighteous deeds and behavior is necessary for all people desiring to be reconciled, regenerated, and restored to God (born again). We also establish that God is righteous, just, and true. Why? Because salvation is offered impartially—first to the Israelite and Jew, and then to all Nations. God’s promise of salvation through faith is equally available to everyone, regardless of ancestry or heritage.

I love all of you.

SLG Henry Combs Jr KOHABCF

pastorcombs2@gmil.com