The Response: Repentance and Faith

The Gospel is not merely information to be acknowledged; it is news that demands a response. God has done something in Christ—but how do we receive the benefits of what He has done? How do we move from being under condemnation to being justified, from being enemies to being children, from being dead to being alive?

Jesus Himself summarized the required response: "Repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). These two words—repentance and faith—describe the human side of conversion. They are not two separate acts but two aspects of a single turning: turning from sin (repentance) and turning to Christ (faith).

This lesson will examine each component, clarify common misunderstandings, and equip you to call people to genuine conversion.

Repentance: Turning from Sin

What Repentance Is

The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, means a change of mind. But biblical repentance involves far more than intellectual adjustment. It is a profound reorientation of the entire person—mind, affections, and will—resulting in a changed life.

Repentance includes:

• Recognition — Acknowledging that we have sinned against God. This is not merely admitting mistakes but confessing rebellion against the Creator.
• Remorse — Feeling genuine sorrow for sin. Not merely regret for consequences, but grief that we have offended a holy and loving God.
• Renunciation — Turning away from sin. Repentance is not just feeling bad but choosing to go a different direction.
• Reorientation — Submitting to God's authority. Repentance means ending our rebellion and embracing God's rightful rule over our lives.

Paul distinguishes between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is regret over consequences—being caught, facing punishment, suffering loss. Godly sorrow is grief over the sin itself—that we have grieved God, violated His law, and damaged relationships. Only godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance.

What Repentance Is Not

To clarify the nature of repentance, we must distinguish it from counterfeits:

• Repentance is not mere regret — Judas regretted betraying Jesus but did not truly repent. Regret focuses on consequences; repentance focuses on the sin itself.
• Repentance is not self-improvement — We cannot reform ourselves into righteousness. Repentance acknowledges our inability and looks to God for transformation.
• Repentance is not earning forgiveness — We do not repent to make ourselves worthy of grace. Repentance is the empty hand that receives grace, not a meritorious work.
• Repentance is not perfection — True believers still struggle with sin. Repentance establishes a new direction, not sinless perfection. But the direction matters.

Repentance as a Gift

While we are commanded to repent, Scripture also teaches that repentance is a gift from God. The early church marveled: "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life" (Acts 11:18). Paul instructs Timothy to gently correct opponents, hoping that "God may perhaps grant them repentance" (2 Timothy 2:25).

This is not a contradiction. God commands what He also gives. We are responsible to repent, and we are unable to repent apart from grace. The call to repent is simultaneously a call to ask God for the gift of repentance.

Faith: Turning to Christ

What Faith Is

If repentance is turning from sin, faith is turning to Christ. Faith is trusting in Jesus—His Person and His work—as the sole basis for our acceptance with God.

Theologians have traditionally described faith as having three components:

• Knowledge (notitia) — Faith requires content. We must know who Christ is and what He has done. You cannot trust in a Christ you know nothing about.
• Assent (assensus) — Faith involves agreement. We must believe that these things are true—that Christ really is the Son of God, that He really died and rose again.
• Trust (fiducia) — Faith culminates in personal reliance. We must not only know and believe but actually rest our weight on Christ. This is the decisive element.

An illustration may help. I can know that a chair exists (knowledge). I can believe it will hold my weight (assent). But only when I sit in the chair do I actually trust it (trust). Saving faith is sitting in the chair—personally resting on Christ alone for salvation.

The Object of Faith

What matters most about faith is not its intensity but its object. A person can have strong faith in the wrong thing and be lost. A person can have weak faith in the right thing and be saved. The power is not in the faith but in Christ to whom faith looks.

We are not saved by faith in faith, or by faith in our sincerity, or by faith in general. We are saved by faith in Christ—specifically, in His death and resurrection as the sufficient ground of our acceptance with God.

What Faith Is Not

As with repentance, we must distinguish saving faith from counterfeits:

• Faith is not mere intellectual assent — James warns that even demons believe—and shudder (James 2:19). Head knowledge without heart trust is not saving faith.
• Faith is not positive thinking — Biblical faith is not optimism or self-confidence. It is confidence in Christ, which is entirely different.
• Faith is not a feeling — While faith may produce feelings, it is not itself a feeling. Faith is a settled trust that persists through emotional fluctuations.
• Faith is not a work — Faith is the opposite of works. It is the empty hand that receives grace, not the busy hand that earns reward.
• Faith is not a leap in the dark — Christian faith is based on evidence—the testimony of Scripture, the resurrection, the changed lives of believers. It is trust in what God has revealed, not blind wishing.

Faith as a Gift

Like repentance, faith is both commanded and given. Jesus calls people to believe, and Paul declares that faith is "the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). The Holy Spirit opens hearts (Acts 16:14) and grants faith (Philippians 1:29).

This should humble us. We cannot boast in our faith as if we generated it ourselves. Even our believing is a gift. "What do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).

Repentance and Faith Together

Repentance and faith are not two separate steps but two sides of a single coin. You cannot have one without the other. To turn to Christ (faith) necessarily involves turning from sin (repentance). To turn from sin (repentance) requires somewhere to turn—which is Christ (faith).

Some have worried that emphasizing repentance adds a work to faith. But repentance is not a work; it is the recognition that our works cannot save us. It is the sinner's cry of surrender. Far from adding to faith, repentance expresses the neediness that faith requires.

Others have worried that emphasizing faith minimizes the need for change. But true faith inevitably produces change. A faith that does not result in a changed life is not genuine faith. "Faith apart from works is dead" (James 2:26)—not that works save, but that genuine faith always works.

The Results of Repentance and Faith

When a person genuinely repents and believes, God acts. Several things happen simultaneously:

Justification

Justification is God's legal declaration that the sinner is righteous. It is not a process but an instantaneous verdict. The moment we believe, God declares us "not guilty"—not because we are innocent but because Christ's righteousness is credited to us.

Regeneration

Regeneration is the new birth—God giving us new spiritual life. We who were dead in sins are made alive (Ephesians 2:5). A new nature is imparted. We become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Adoption

Adoption means we are welcomed into God's family as His children. We receive the "Spirit of adoption" by whom we cry "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15). We become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

Indwelling of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit takes up residence within the believer. Our bodies become temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Spirit empowers, guides, convicts, comforts, and produces fruit in our lives.

Union with Christ

We are united to Christ—joined to Him so intimately that what is His becomes ours. His death becomes our death to sin; His resurrection becomes our new life; His righteousness becomes our standing before God.

Calling for Response in Evangelism

Evangelism is incomplete without a call to respond. We are not merely sharing information; we are ambassadors imploring people to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). How do we call for response appropriately?

Be Clear

People need to understand what is being asked of them. Vague calls to "make a decision" or "invite Jesus into your heart" (a phrase not found in Scripture) can confuse. We should use biblical language: repent of sin, trust in Christ, submit to Him as Lord.

Be Urgent

The Gospel demands response now, not someday. "Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). We do not know what tomorrow holds. Urgency is appropriate—not manipulation, but genuine concern for eternal destinies.

Be Patient

At the same time, we must not pressure people into premature decisions. Conversion often takes time. We plant and water; God gives the growth. Rushed decisions may produce false professions that inoculate people against genuine conversion later.

Be Prayerful

Ultimately, only God can grant repentance and faith. We can explain, persuade, and invite—but we cannot convert anyone. We must pray for the Spirit to open hearts and trust the results to God.

Be Personal

The call to repent and believe is addressed to individuals. Each person must respond for themselves. We can bring people to the threshold, but they must walk through the door. Our job is to make the invitation as clear and compelling as possible, then leave the outcome with God.

Guarding Against False Conversions

Not everyone who makes a profession of faith is genuinely converted. Jesus warned of those who would say "Lord, Lord" but not enter the kingdom (Matthew 7:21-23). The parable of the sower describes seed that springs up quickly but withers because it has no root (Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21).

How do we guard against producing false converts?

• Preach the whole Gospel — Including the hard parts about sin, repentance, and the cost of discipleship
• Avoid manipulation — High-pressure tactics may produce decisions but not disciples
• Count the cost — Jesus told potential followers to count the cost before committing (Luke 14:25-33)
• Look for fruit — Genuine conversion produces changed lives over time. Initial enthusiasm is not the test; perseverance is
• Emphasize ongoing relationship — Salvation is not a transaction but the beginning of a relationship. Disciples need to be taught, not just counted

Yet we must also be careful not to add requirements to the Gospel. Salvation is by grace through faith, not by producing enough fruit to prove ourselves. The thief on the cross had no time to demonstrate changed behavior, yet Jesus assured him of paradise. We trust the genuineness of conversion to God, while teaching that genuine faith will inevitably produce fruit over time.

The Call Goes Out

The Gospel is complete. Christ has lived, died, and risen. The work is finished. But the benefits of that work must be received. And they are received through repentance and faith—turning from sin and turning to Christ.

This is what we are calling people to. Not to try harder. Not to clean up their lives. Not to add religion to their routine. But to surrender—to acknowledge their rebellion, renounce their self-rule, and rest entirely on Jesus Christ for salvation.

It is the simplest and the hardest thing in the world. Simple, because it requires nothing but receiving a gift. Hard, because it requires giving up everything—our pride, our autonomy, our illusion of self-sufficiency.

But for those who respond, the promise is glorious: