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Volume 16 Number 1, January 2010

REPENTANCE IN SALVATION

Ko Lingkang

The preaching of repentance as a doctrine is as old as the Bible itself. One can clearly see throughout the Scriptures that for any sinner to be saved, he must repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the clear teaching of Christ and His Apostles.

However, over the years, even this simple teaching of repentance and faith has come into question. There have been some who claim that belief or faith in Christ does not require any repentance from sin. They assert that repentance from sin is something that is optional. According to Kenneth Gentry, such a teaching has been propounded by theologians in the past such as classical dispensationalist author Lewis Sperry Chafer who was founder, president and professor of systematic theology of Dallas Theological Seminary.¹This same issue also came into contention during the "Lordship Salvation" debate in the 1970s-80s, when the foremost proponents of non-Lordship salvation, Zane Hodges² and Charles Ryrie,³ described repentance as simply a changing of one’s mind about Jesus Christ, and not the turning away from sin as evangelical repentance is often described.⁴

More recently, there have been those who take a Ruckmanite view of the King James Bible,⁵ who preach "Easy Believism," that repentance of sin has no part in the gospel, but should only be taught to those who are already saved,⁶ who with their faulty Bibliology view anyone who preaches that repentance is necessary in salvation to be heretical, that such a doctrine is "rank heresy of the worst form".⁷

What then is the biblical response to such a view of repentance and the gospel? The purpose of this paper is to refute the view that repentance is not necessary in salvation. It will do so by first defining what biblical repentance is, and then proceed to study the teachings of Christ and His Apostles concerning the relation of repentance to the gospel and salvation.

In order to better understand repentance, it must first be necessary to define what repentance is in light of the Holy Scriptures.

Old Testament

In the Old Testament, there are two main Hebrew words that are translated as "repent" in the English Bible. The first word is nacham which is often used to convey the idea of simply regretting or changing one’s mind. Of the close to 40 times when it is translated as "repent", "repented", "repenteth" etc., it is often applied to God, who "repents" of the judgement which He threatened to bring upon wicked men. Examples of such would be verses like Genesis 6:6 "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart", and Jonah 3:10 "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not". In the context of such verses, it is clear that God was not repenting from sin or from any evil that He had done, but was simply using anthropomorphism to express His grief and sorrow over the evil and wickedness of men, and His withholding of judgement on condition of man’s repentance.⁸ It ought to be noted that "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent (nacham)" (Num 23:19). Thus, depending on the context, this Hebrew word has a range of meanings, even in the various instances in which it is translated as "repent", what is repented of is also different, and whenever used of God it is anthropomorphic.

There are instances in which the word nacham is applied to man to mean a regretting of a decision made or a changing of mind about a certain thing, for example Exodus 13:17, "And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt". Here, God was explaining His reason for not leading the Israelites through the way of the Philistines lest they should change their minds, or regret leaving Egypt and desire to return.

The other word that is sometimes translated "repent" would be the Hebrew word shub, which is commonly translated as "turn" or "return". It is a very common word with over a thousand occurrences in the Hebrew Bible. In a few instances, it is rendered as "repent" in the KJV. This would be in verses such as 1 Kings 8:47, "Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness", Ezekiel 14:6, "Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations", and Ezekiel 18:30, "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." It is very clear from the context that in these instances the repentance being described by this word is the repentance from sin, wickedness, idolatry, transgressions and iniquity. Thus inherent in this word used is the idea that God is calling men to repent, meaning to turn from their sins and towards the Lord their God.

Thus from the Old Testament, it is clear that repentance when applied to God is anthropomorphic, conveying either His grief and sorrow over man’s sinful disobedience or rebellion against Him or His compassion and mercy in withholding judgement when sinners confess their sins and seek His mercy. When repentance is applied to man, depending on the context, it can mean either the changing of the mind or the turning away from sin and wickedness.

New Testament

In the New Testament, there are also two different Greek words commonly translated as "repent", having two slightly different meanings themselves.

The first and more common word used in the New Testament to express the idea of repentance would be the verb metanoeo and its related noun metanoia. Etymologically, they come from two words, meta ("after") and noeo ("to think" or "to perceive"), and speaks of a change of mind or perception after a certain thing is known. This is the word that is always used when sin is rebuked or when the gospel is preached. For example in Luke 13:3 where it is declared, "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish", and Acts 8:22, "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee."

The second and less commonly used word is metamellomai which comes from meta ("after") and mello ("to feel", "to care"). This word has the emotional sense of being sorry or regretful after a certain event. This word is never used in any of the gospel verses, and occurs only eight times in the New Testament. One instance where the meaning of the word is clearly seen is the "repentance" of Judas Iscariot as described in Matthew 27:3-4: "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." It is clear that Judas did not show any true gospel repentance, for right after his treacherous deed he killed himself in despair instead of turning to Christ for salvation. That is clearly seen in the Greek as well, for the verb metamellomai is used here, expressing the idea that Judas only felt sorry for what he had done, but had no inclination to turn to Christ.

The subtle difference in meaning between metanoia and metamellomai can be seen clearly in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10 where they appear together, "For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent (metamelomai), though I did repent (metemelomen): for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance (metanoian): for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance (metanoian) to salvation not to be repented of (ametameleton): but the sorrow of the world worketh death". Upon careful examination of this passage even in the English, one would realise that the repentance that Paul described in verse 8 is different from the repentance expressed in verses 9 and 10. The reason behind this is that there is a play on words in the original language here where different Greek words are used. In verse 8, Paul used the word metamellomai in both instances to express the fact that he did not regret sending them the earlier letter, though he did at that time feel rather bad about it. In verses 9 and 10, he went on to say that he did rejoice because the letter had convicted their hearts and caused them to sorrow unto repentance, for this kind of godly sorrow for sins committed was a repentance that would lead to salvation. In these two instances, it is the noun metanoia that is used, referring to gospel repentance that leads to salvation. In the last occurrence of the word "repent" in verse 10, it is the noun form of metamellomai with the negative particle, ametameletos, where Paul said that such godly sorrow which leads to salvation is not something to feel sorry about or to regret at all.

Therefore from this brief study, it is clearly seen that repentance as described in the New Testament falls into two distinct categories based on the use of two different Greek words. There is the repentance to salvation which begins with godly sorrow for sin. This is the repentance that is often found in the evangelistic preaching of Christ and the Apostles. This repentance here is more than simply a change of mind or turning from unbelief, but a complete change of perception with regard to sin, self and God’s righteousness, as will be proven later. There is also the less commonly described repentance that simply expresses regret over something. This is the sorrow of Judas that does not lead to salvation.

A quick perusal through the annals of Church history would reveal that evangelical Christianity has always had a clear and consistent definition of repentance that is clearly contrary to that which is propounded by preachers of "Easy Believism". Also, repentance has always been an integral part of gospel preaching, and without which there can be no salvation. In the Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin described it as such:

Repentance may be not inappropriately defined thus: A real conversion of our life unto God, proceeding from sincere and serious fear of God; and consisting in the mortification of our flesh and the old man, and the quickening of the Spirit. In this sense are to be understood all those addresses in which the prophets first, and the apostles afterwards, exhorted the people of their time to repentance. The great object for which they labored was, to fill them with confusion for their sins and dread of the divine judgment, that they might fall down and humble themselves before him whom they had offended, and, with true repentance, retake themselves to the right path.⁹

About a hundred years later, the Westminster Divines, when drafting the Westminster Confession of Faith, wrote concerning repentance:

Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace (Zec 12:10; Act 11:18), the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the Gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ (Mark 1:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 20:21).

By it, a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God; and upon the apprehension of His mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for, and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God (Pss 51:4, 119:128; Isa 30:22; Jer 31:18, 31:19; Ezek 18:30, 18:31, 36:31; Joel 2:12, 2:13; Amos 5:15; 2 Cor 7:11), purposing and endeavouring to walk with Him in all the ways of His commandments (2 Kgs 23:25; Pss 119:6, 119:59, 106; Luke 1:6).

Although repentance be not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof (Ezek 16:61-63, 36:31, 36:32), which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ (Hos 14:2, 14:4; Rom 3:24; Eph 1:7); yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it (Luke 13:3, 13:5; Acts 17:30, 17:31).¹⁰

Likewise, it is clearly stated in the Constitution of the Bible-Presbyterian Church:

4.2.5: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died a propitiatory and expiatory death as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who repent of their sins and believe in Him are justified before God on the ground of His shed blood;

4.2.8: We believe that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, and that all who repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour are born again by the Holy Spirit and thereby become the children of God;¹¹

Concerning the biblical teaching of faith and repentance, Thomas Watson in 1668 wrote:

The two great graces essential to a saint in this life are faith and repentance. These are the two wings by which he flies to heaven. Faith and repentance preserve the spiritual life as heat and radical moisture do the natural.¹²

More recently, Richard Roberts wrote,

Repentance and faith are different sides of the same turning. In repentance we turn from sin and self; in faith we turn to Jesus Christ our Righteousness. Neither repentance nor faith are meritorious: repentance is the fulfilment of negative duty, faith is the fulfilment of positive duty; the merit is in Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection.¹³

It is clear that the Church in times past did teach that repentance and faith must be evident in a man’s salvation, that repentance and faith go hand in hand.

What is the place of repentance in the proclamation of the gospel? A few things will be noted about repentance from a brief study of its occurrences in the gospel preaching of John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Apostles.

Preaching of John the Baptist

A survey of the Gospels and the book of Acts will show that the idea of repentance is one that is central to the preaching of the gospel. When John the Baptist began his ministry, his clarion call to all was, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt 3:2, Mark 1:4). It is clear that the call is for repentance from sin, for he rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees and called them a "generation of vipers", and because of their sins, they were in danger of the "wrath to come" (Matt 3:7). Therefore what he exhorted them to do was to show forth true repentance by bringing forth "fruits meet for repentance" (Matt 3:8), for those who did not show forth such fruits would be cut down and cast into the fire. Only after this message did he in verse 11 bring forth the message of Jesus Christ, of the one who "is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire" (Matt 3:11).

Preaching of Christ

When Christ began His public ministry of preaching, the first word that He preached was also clearly the message of repentance. In Matthew 4:17, after He had been baptised, and suffered the temptations of the devil in the wilderness, He "began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Again it is clear that the emphasis of Christ was for all men to come to repentance, for "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). This was the same message that He desired His disciples to preach, for in Mark 6:12, it is seen of the disciples, that "they went out, and preached that men should repent." Not only was it the first, but repentance was also what Christ called for after His resurrection in His closing address to His disciples before leaving the earth: "And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:46-49).

Preaching of the Apostles

In the preaching of the Apostles, it is again clear that repentance was central in their message. The first message that Peter preached after Pentecost, was again, a clarion call for repentance. In Acts 2, Peter, being filled with the Holy Ghost, stood up and preached unto them, and through his preaching, he brought forth the message of Christ, of how they had rejected and crucified Him, the Anointed One, who was their Messiah. In response, they were "pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Peter’s response was simple. When they were convicted of their sin, and realised their need for the Saviour, he called upon them to "repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). Based on their response, Peter knew that they had received his preaching, and believed that Jesus was indeed the Christ. What they then had to do was to repent of their sins, and turn to God, and be baptised as a clear indication of their repentance and obedience to God.

This gospel of repentance was preached by Peter and later by Paul himself in passages such as Acts 3:19, 5:31, 8:22, 11:18, 17:30, 20:21 and 26:20. In each instance, the call for repentance was definitely central in the Apostles’ preaching of the gospel.

If one were to ask, what is it that man must repent of—the thing that will prevent him from entering the kingdom of heaven and that will cause him to perish? The clear answer is sin, for that is what separates man from God, "for the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). It is clear that God is not simply calling for a turning from unbelief towards belief, for the two ideas of repentance and belief are linked in His proclamation in Mark 1:15 which states, "repent ye, and believe the gospel." It is clear from this verse that the two verbs are used to describe the single conversion experience which comprises two aspects—repentance from sin and belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Christ affirmed that it was a repentance that sinners specifically had to have, in Luke 5:32 when He explained that "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." It was specifically with regard to sinners that repentance was called for. Again repentance is clearly linked to forgiveness of sin in Christ’s commission to His disciples in Luke 24:47, where He commanded, "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." It is clear from Luke 24:46 that one must preach Christ’s death and resurrection, and from verse 47, the repentance and remission of sin. Perhaps the clearest example of the repentance Christ preached about is found in Luke 11:29-32, where He brought up the example of Jonah. In this passage, Christ was rebuking them for not responding to His preaching and His deeds, and their persistent demand for more signs. He then compared them with the Ninevites, for all they had was the preaching of Jonah as a sign to them, and in response to that they repented. What repentance was Christ describing here? It was that the king commanded, "let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands" (Jon 3:8). Evident in their conversion was a sincere mourning for their sins, and a turning from their evil way and violence. In comparison to the Ninevites, the Jews now had Jesus Christ Himself, who was greater than Jonah, yet they refused to repent.

In Acts 3, we find Peter preaching to a crowd who had gathered after he healed a lame man. Again he convinced them of the fact that Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah whom they had killed. He told them, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). It is interesting that the word "converted" is described as the subsequent event that would happen after repentance. The word "converted" carries with it an idea of not just a change in one’s mind towards belief of God, but a change in a person’s whole direction and purpose; whereby he was once a servant to sin and an enemy of God, and now he understands the depravity of himself, and how that is an offence to God, and turns away from his sin and turns to God for salvation through Jesus Christ. He is now a new person, converted, having a completely new direction in life. It is on account of this that forgiveness of sin is promised.

Another clear example can be taken from Acts 8, the example of Simon Magus. Here, Philip was the evangelist preaching to the people in Samaria, where there was also a sorcerer named Simon. In response to his preaching, it was said that "when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptised, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done" (Act 8:12-13). Thus it seems as though they had all received salvation because of their belief. However, when Peter came, it was clear that Simon was not truly a believer, for Peter rebuked him, declaring that his heart was "not right in the sight of God", and that he was still "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity" (Acts 8:21, 23). This is clearly not the description of a regenerate man. Peter had to tell Simon, "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee" (Acts 8:22). The only prayer that God will hear from an unbeliever is the prayer of repentance and the plea for the forgiveness of sin through the Lord Jesus Christ.

What then is the role of belief, or faith in salvation? How then does one explain the verses that do not mention repentance, but only faith? Concerning this, Richard Roberts says,

Some have reasoned that, because a call for faith sometimes appears in the New Testament without any mention of repentance, it is faith alone that is necessary for salvation. But it can also be said that there are occasional Scriptures in which repentance is demanded with no mention of faith. Are we about to insist, then, that it is repentance alone that is necessary for salvation? Certainly not.¹⁴

Instead, one would then clearly understand that faith and repentance come together as essential graces in receiving the gospel. To this, Homer Kent gives a good explanation:

Repentance is very closely tied, therefore, to faith and conversion. Numerous times these terms are used together. When this happens, repentance is always put first. They are not, however, three separate acts of the soul, or three steps to salvation. They are three aspects of one act of the soul whereby the believer responds positively to the offer of Christ in the gospel. It is for this reason that the Bible does not always use the three terms to describe persons who receive salvation.¹⁵

One can clearly see the relationship of faith and repentance in the teachings of Paul, for in Acts 19:4 we read, "Then said Paul, John verily baptised 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". He fully explained that John preached the message of repentance and belief on Christ together, and that was what would save them. Likewise he recounted to the Ephesian elders how in his ministry at Ephesus he was "testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). One must realise here that Paul clearly regarded repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ as two distinct aspects of the single act of genuine conversion. Therefore one can only conclude, as Thomas Watson did, that "the two great graces essential to a saint in this life are faith and repentance. These are the two wings by which he flies to heaven".¹⁶

Thus in summing up this section, we see that desiring to come to Christ and having faith in Him, it is imperative that one also repents, and turns from his wicked ways. As Kenneth Gentry observes,

A person cannot truly trust and receive Christ as Saviour while consciously clinging to sin, which militates against Christ’s nature. Certainly more sin will be discovered in one’s life as he spiritually matures, but deliberately stowing away sin is an act of defiance and cannot coexist with saving faith. Christ, the Lord of glory, detests sin and will have no one come to Him while remaining in love with his sin. In fact, love of sin is the very thing that keeps people from coming to Christ (John 3:19).¹⁷

Practical Implications of Repentance

How Does One Repent?

The simple answer to this question would be, the same way that one has faith. It is by the pure grace of God, through the working of the Holy Spirit that one can be saved. It is definitely not the response of the will of man, for by himself, he is thoroughly sinful and corrupted, and can by no means save himself. A man without God is described as being "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1). It is clear that it is "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Tit 3:5). Because man is so utterly depraved, he has absolutely no part even in his own salvation. It is only through the Holy Spirit that he can have the faith to believe, and the desire to repent from his sins.

Thus when the gospel is preached to an unbeliever, the unbeliever can do nothing but oppose it, "because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom 8:7), and "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor 2:14). It is only when man is quickened is he made spiritually alive, and can comprehend the truth of the gospel, be convicted of his sin, and know that it is such a great offence to God. Such godly repentance would cause him to confess his sin before God, have a hatred for sin and a desire to turn away from sin by turning to Christ in faith, believing that the forgiveness of sin can only be had through the finished work of Christ for him. Note that this desire to repent comes from God Himself and not from man (Acts 11:18). Thus man is justified by faith alone, declared righteous by God, and begins his new life in Christ. The repentant sinner who has believed in Christ becomes "a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor 5:17).

However, there is a need to realise also that at the point of salvation, one does not become sinlessly perfect. The believer must grow in holiness through sanctification. He must grow in his knowledge of God’s Word. Thus, whilst we have repented from sin at the point of regeneration, we must continue to repent of sin in our lives, that we might be further sanctified and increasingly Christlike.

Repentance Will Bear Fruit

True repentance would definitely bring about the fruits of a transformed life (Matt 3:8). There is absolutely no scriptural warrant for one who has been converted, regenerated, and filled with the Holy Spirit to continue living a life no different from his past life as an unbeliever. Joseph Alleine, in describing the nature of true conversion, stressed that a man truly regenerated would most definitely turn away from sin and produce the fruits of righteousness:

When a man is converted he is forever at enmity with sin; yes, with all sin, but most of all with his own sins, and especially with his bosom sin. Sin is now the objects of his indignation. His sin swells his sorrows. It is a sin that pierces him and wounds him; he feels it like a thorn in his side, like a prick in his eyes …When a man is savingly changed, he is deeply convinced not only of the danger but the defilement of sin; and O, how earnest he is with God to be purified! He loathes himself for his sins. He runs to Christ, and casts himself into the fountain set open for him and for uncleanness.¹⁸

With such an attitude towards sin, there will definitely be a marked change in the life of the new believer. He would be like the one described in Christ’s parable of the seed. For "he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matt 13:23). Likewise, James challenged the one who claimed to have faith but showed no fruit, for "faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (Jas 2:17). Indeed, in the subsequent verse, James rebuked such a man, and disputed his claim to salvation. Here is another clear indication that a claim of belief in Christ without the corresponding desire to repent of sin which leads to a changed life is false belief for such a belief is no different from that of demons, "thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (Jas 2:19). The evidence of true faith is a life characterised by good works—the fruits worthy of repentance, for "yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works" (Jas 2:18). Thus true faith is not simply an intellectual belief in Christ, but a heartfelt repentance from sin, and a turning towards God in Christ Jesus who alone can save us from sin.

In conclusion, it is clear that the teaching that repentance from sin is not an essential message of the gospel and should not be preached is clearly a false and dangerous doctrine, and should be condemned for it misleads individuals about the true nature of conversion and leaves unrepentant sinners with a false sense of security about their salvation; thinking that they are saved when they are not, seeing they have no desire to repent of their sins, and showing no spiritual change in their lives. Indeed, Richard Roberts rightly describes this teaching as "a pernicious doctrine" and is a "grievously erroneous viewpoint", and is "the height of theological nonsense", that is "responsible for incredible damage throughout major portions of the church".¹⁹

Repentance is indeed an important doctrine to be proclaimed to every soul, believers and unbelievers alike, for even after salvation, one must continue to repent from his sinful deeds, and return to God. This, in commenting on Jeremiah 23:21-22, Roberts declares, "Any prophet, priest or preacher who claims to speak for God and says little or nothing about repentance in these desperately wicked days is certainly no spokesman for God, nor ought he to be trusted in other matters".²⁰

¹ Kenneth L Gentry Jr, Lord of the Saved: Getting to the Heart of the Lordship Debate (New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1992), 34.

² Zane C Hodges, Absolutely Free! A Biblical Reply to Lordship Salvation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989).

³ Charles C Ryrie, So Great Salvation (Wheaton: Victor, 1989).

⁴ The Westminster Larger Catechism defines repentance unto life as "a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby, out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, and upon the apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, he so grieves for and hates his sins, as that he turns from them all to God, purposing and endeavoring constantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obedience." (Question 76).

⁵ Ruckmanism: The spurious notion that the KJV is an advanced revelation, the infallible translation that was inspired by God and should be referred to above the original Hebrew and Greek words of the Bible. As such, the King James Bible in the English is the preserved Word of God and the only point of reference that one should have in any doctrinal matter, and knowledge of the original languages is absolutely unnecessary to any interpretation of God’s Word. See David Cloud, What about Peter Ruckman? http://www.wayoflife.org/database/ruckman.html.

⁶ Steve Anderson, "Easy-Believism Defended," http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/easybelievism.html.

⁷ Watch "Pastor RA Smith Rips on Repentance," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FiVSAXNkrA&feature=player_embedded#t=259.

⁸ Theological term used to describe the personification of God as a man with human attributes, emotions, characteristics or physical qualities. This is often used in the Bible to help man understand the actions of God.

⁹ John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, (E-Sword) Book 3, Chapter 3, Paragraph 5.

¹⁰ Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 15, paragraphs 1-3.

¹¹ See http://www.bpcwa.com/doctrine.html. Emphasis added.

¹² Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1668), 7.

¹³ Richard Owen Roberts, Repentance: The First Word of the Gospel (Illinois: Crossway, 2002), 69.

¹⁴ Roberts, Repentance, 68.

¹⁵ Homer A Kent Jr, "The Gospel According to Jesus: A Review Article", Grace Theological Journal 10:1 (1989): 74.

¹⁶ Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance, 7.

¹⁷ Gentry Jr, Lord of the Saved, 47.

¹⁸ Joseph Alleine, A Sure Guide to Heaven (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1671), 38.

¹⁹ Roberts, Repentance, 17.

²⁰ Ibid,54.

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