The Necessity and Source of Repentance

How Can I Be Saved?

Today, we’re discussing the most crucial topic in the world. The most important question in the world is: “What must I do to be saved?”

Most people are indifferent to this question and never give it a thought. They only think about: “What must I do to get rich?” “What must I do to stay healthy and live a long life?” “What must I do to acquire more property and become wealthy?” “What must I do to ensure my children receive a better education?” They only focus on worldly matters. They don’t believe in God and place all their hopes in this present life, only seeing the world that is visible to the naked eye.

However, as Christians, we can see the invisible. We can answer the question: “What must you do to be saved?” We have the answer.

We’ve been teaching the important doctrine of soteriology. We’ve talked about the salvation God planned in eternal past, and the salvation Jesus Christ accomplished in the history of salvation. Now, we’re discussing how salvation is applied to us. God the Father planned salvation, Christ accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit applies this salvation to our hearts. We need to answer the question: “What must I do to be saved?” We’re exploring how salvation is actually applied to our real lives.

People are dead in their sins and trespasses. Their minds are darkened, their hearts and emotions are hardened, their wills are bound, and their consciences are defiled and numb. They are unable and unwilling to believe in God. They are spiritually dead and separated from God, and they never think about their own souls, which are their most precious possession.

1. Salvation and Conversion Basics
   • People are spiritually dead in sin, and salvation requires the work of God’s Spirit. The process involves an effective call, regeneration, and conversion, which occur simultaneously.
   • True conversion has two key components: repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ. This stands in contrast to common misconceptions like thinking that mere intellectual understanding, church attendance, following rules, or being born into a Christian family make one a Christian.
2. The Necessity of Repentance
   • Jesus preached that repentance is the way to enter God’s kingdom. Passages in the Gospels, such as in Mark 1:14 – 15, show that people must repent and believe the gospel to enter the kingdom.
   • Christ came to call sinners to repentance. In Luke 5:32, Jesus stated that He came for sinners, not the “righteous.”
   • Without repentance, people face spiritual death and God’s eternal judgment. In Luke 13:3 and 5, Jesus warned that those who don’t repent will perish.
   • Repentance is essential for the forgiveness of sins. In Luke 24:47, Jesus told His disciples to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins in His name to all nations.
   • The apostles, like Peter and Paul, consistently preached the necessity of repentance. Peter called on people to repent on the day of Pentecost for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), and Paul told the people in Athens that God commands everyone to repent (Acts 17:30).
3. The Source of Repentance
   • Repentance is a gift from God. In Acts 5:31, it’s shown that God exalted Jesus, who gives the gift of a repentant heart and the forgiveness of sins to Israel.
   • God’s grace extends to both Jews and Gentiles. In Acts 11, when Peter preached to the Gentiles, they received the Holy Spirit, and it was recognized that God gives the grace of repentance leading to life to all.
   • God’s action precedes understanding and deliverance. In 2 Timothy 2:25, it’s stated that God gives a repentant heart first, which then leads to understanding the truth, coming to one’s senses, and escaping the devil’s snare.
   • Even though people lack the power to repent due to sin, they still have the responsibility to repent. When preaching the gospel, we should command people to repent, as God is willing to give them a repentant heart.