Some verses stress the repentance and don't mention the faith; that doesn't mean faith is not necessary!

• "And they went out, and preached that men should repent." (Mark 6:12)
• "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)
• "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3&5)
• "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" (Acts 17:30)
• "But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance." (Acts 26:20)
• "For they themselves shew of us... how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;" (1 Thessalonians 1:9)

Other verses stress the faith and don't mention the repentance; that doesn't mean repentance is not necessary!

• "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
• "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." (John 6:47)
• "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31)
• "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
• "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise," (Ephesians 1:13)
• "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" (Ephesians 2:8)

Still other verses give a fuller picture, and indicate the necessity of BOTH repentance and faith:

• "...Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:14-15)
• "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:21)
• "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." (Acts 26:18)
• "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God," (Hebrews 6:1)

Notice that whenever repentance and faith appear together, repentance ALWAYS precedes faith! Repentance MUST precede faith; which is why John, Jesus, and Paul ALL preached repentance before they preached faith!

• "...John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." (Acts 19:4)
• "And all the people that heard him (Jesus), and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John (Repentance)." (Luke 7:29)

Jesus told the Jews in John 5:44 that they couldn't believe until they repented, because their heart was not right with God: "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"

He said that the seed, which is the word of God, must be received into "an honest and good heart" (Luke 8:11, 15).

According to Jesus, it is the JUST persons that need no repentance: "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." (Luke 15:7)

This is why Cornelius, who was already a just man that feared God (Acts 10:22), didn't need repentance to be ready for the gospel; and yet, he still needed to hear and believe the gospel in order to be saved! (Acts 11:14) But when the church at Jerusalem heard Peter's account of Cornelius, and understood that the gospel was being extended to all Gentiles (not just Cornelius), they glorified God, saying, "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18) All sinners must repent in order to receive eternal life from God.

Repentance is turning from sin to God, and it is evident by the fruits/works of a person: "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance" / "Do works meet for repentance".

Repentance in itself cannot save a person, which is why even Old Testament saints were enquiring and searching diligently for the salvation which would ultimately come by Jesus Christ.

However, repentance is, has always been, and will forever be the foundational condition on which God offers salvation to mankind. It is critical to the everlasting gospel: "Fear God, and give glory to him" (Revelation 14:6-7). Those who will not repent do not fear God, and will not give glory to him. (Revelation 16:9)

Repentance is needed to believe on Jesus Christ as LORD: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved". It is also needed to "confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus".

Those who call him "Lord" without having repented toward God:

1. are using this title in vain (Luke 6:46)
2. are not calling upon him in truth (Psalm 145:18)
3. will be rejected by Christ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Without all contradiction, Jesus Christ preached again and again that men should repent, believe, do good works, and identify others by their works; and that he himself would judge all men according to their works. He never said any of this was unnecessary, optional, for the Jews only, or pre-Paul only.

This is in perfect agreement with everything that Paul ever said: that men should repent, believe, do good works, and identify others by their works; and even to judge those within the church by their works, putting away from among themselves wicked persons!

Concerning forgiveness: Yes, Jesus said it was necessary to forgive others in order to receive forgiveness!

• "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)
• "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." (Matthew 18:35)
• "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Mark 11:25-26)
• "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him." (Luke 17:3-4)
• "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

God himself is willing to forgive those who repent toward him, in order to make peace; and that is why he requires that his children are also willing to forgive those who repent, in order to make peace. Those who do not forgive repentant sinners cannot be the children of a God who forgives repentant sinners.

If Jesus Christ is indeed the Lord, let us take heed to his words over the words of others who would pervert his gospel. Amen.