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Redemption Appropriated
from Redemption Realized Through Christ, Chapter 5

By Leland M. Haines

Under construction-- Italics have not been added.

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Introduction

Grace

Repentance

Faith

The New Birth

The Relation of Repentance, Faith, and the New Birth

Other Conditions

A Life of Discipleship

Introduction

        We have seen that Jesus Christ bridged the chasm between God and man caused by man's sin. God made it possible not only to redeem man from the consequences of his sin, but also to restore his spiritual nature. The question now is, "How do we receive the benefits of the redemption brought by Jesus Christ?"
        John writes in the beginning of his gospel how "the Word [Jesus] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth. . . . And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses; but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:14-17). Through the Mosaic law, God had shown man his need of salvation. The old covenant brought condemnation and death. Under the new covenant, however, God deals with man on the basis of grace and truth.
        The New Testament stresses that grace and truth brought by Jesus Christ supersedes the Mosaic law. Early in his ministry Paul emphasized this to a synagogue group in Antioch, saying, "Through this man [Jesus Christ] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. . . . continue in the grace of God" (Acts 13:38, 39, 43). After Paul discussed justification by faith in his letter to the Roman church, he wrote that "sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14). Later, writing about the covenant God made with Israel, Paul wrote that "there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace" (11:5, 6). Paul told the Galatians that he did "not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Galatians 2:21). Later he wrote concerning "every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (5:3, 4). He wrote to Titus "that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. . . . Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace we should be made heirs" (Titus 3:4-7).
        In Acts and the Epistles there is major emphasis on the redemption brought by Jesus Christ through grace. Let us look at grace closer.

Grace

        The grace made available by Jesus Christ is one of the main differences between the two covenants. Grace is a central characteristic of the Gospel, and we must understand its meaning to understand the New Testament.
        What is grace? The term has several meanings, but we will consider only those directly related to redemption. Arndt and Gingrich define grace as "a work of grace that grows from more to more. . . . Those who belong to him receive of the fulness of his grace . . . the work of grace in conversion."[19] Strong defines it as "the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflections in the life."[20] Webster's definition reflects the biblical concept of grace: "unmerited divine assistance given man for his regeneration or sanctification."[21] The meaning of "grace" is best understood by its use in the New Testament.
        Before we examine the use of the term grace in the New Testament, we need to mention an important aspect of grace. The New Testament always speaks of "the grace of God" (Acts 11:23; 13:43; 15:40; 20:24; Romans 5:15; I Corinthians 3:10; II Corinthians 8:1; 9:14; Galatians 2:21; Hebrews 2:9; 12:15; Jude 4; et al.) or "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 15:11; Romans 16:20, 24; I Corinthians 16:23; Galatians 1:6; 6:18; Philippians 4:23; I Thessalonians 5:28; II Thessalonians 3:18; I Timothy 1:14; Philemon 25; et al.) or both (II Thessalonians 1:12). Grace is not a man-made effort.
        Grace plays the central part in justification of the sinner. Justification is the act whereby the sinner who believes in Jesus Christ is considered to have a perfect standing before God. The term is the positive act of God declaring the sinner just or righteous. "The term 'forgiveness' refers to what might be called the negative aspect of acceptance with God's, namely, the cancellation of guilt for one's sins."[22] Justification is by grace; salvation is the result of grace.
        When Peter addressed the Jerusalem conference, he stated that "through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved" (Acts 15:11). Apollos, a man well versed in the Scriptures and who taught accurately about Jesus, went to Achaia, where he greatly helped those who "had believed through grace" (Acts 18:27). Paul emphasised justification by grace, writing, "Being justified freely by his grace" (Romans 3:24); "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved)" (Ephesians 2:5); "our Lord Jesus Christ . . . hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace" (II Thessalonians 2:16); "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling . . . according to his own purpose and grace" (II Timothy 1:9); "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11); "Being justified by his grace" (Titus 3:7). From these Scriptures we see that grace plays the central part in man's redemption.
        Today the justification aspect of grace is well-known and rightly receives much emphasis. However, grace is more. There are exceptional effects produced by grace. It bestows gifts and causes believers to do good works.
        Paul emphasized this influence or power of grace in his epistles. One of the clearest statements on the operation of grace is found in his letter to Titus. There he wrote, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Titus 2:11, 12). As Paul stated, grace brings salvation, but it does not stop there. It continues to operate, teaching and training the Christian how to live a life that stands in sharp contrast to his former life. It teaches him to live a totally different life, "soberly, righteously, and godly."
        Another passage showing grace's effect is found in Paul's letter to the Romans. He wrote that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:20, 21). Paul, realizing that grace could be misunderstood, explained its implication in Romans 6. He began this explanation by asking, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" (6:1). No! The Christian was raised from the dead as Christ was, "so we also should walk in newness of life" (v. 4). Later he again emphasised this death aspect,

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. . . . For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid. . . . ye became the servants of righteousness. vv. 10-15, 18

Ephesians 2 tells of what God had done for these Christians. Paul first wrote about the Ephesians' change in lifestyle, then emphasized God's mercy and love, and finally spoke of grace's operation. He wrote,

You hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. . . . For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of youselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10

The gift of grace saves repentant sinners, making them His workmanship, created to do good works, that is, the will of God.
        To the Corthinthians Paul wrote he behaved "with holiness and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God" (II Corinthians 1:12 RSV). God's grace enabled Paul to act in "holiness and godly sincerity."
        To the Colossians Paul penned that "the word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God. . . . That ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:5, 6, 9, 10).
        As Peter wrote in his second letter, Christians have "escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (II Peter 2:20). At the end of this book, he wrote, "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (3:18). It is through grace and knowledge that Christians grow and escape the pollutions of the world.
        Grace is at the center of the redemptive process, and its "divine influence upon the heart" is extremely important in understanding redemption. In the New Testament this aspect is strongly emphasized. In the Book of Acts we see that Stephen's martyrdom resulted in a scattering of the disciples out of Jerusalem. Some went to Antioch and preached to the Greeks, and "a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord" (Acts 11:21). When the church at Jerusalem heard this, they had Barnabas investigate the matter since this was an early outreach to the Gentiles. There he saw "the grace of God" (v. 23); the grace of God produced a visible change in these Gentiles. Later Paul taught the Ephesian elders about "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (20:21). His goal was to "finish [his] course" and fulfill "the ministry, which [he had] received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" in Jerusalem (v. 24). This good news of the grace of God was the power behind the repentance and faith he had earlier spoken about.
        Scriptures teach that both grace and the Holy Spirit work to transform the sinner. Let us now look at several Scriptures that show the transforming influence of the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit . . . that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. . . . if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Romans 8:11, 13); "The offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost" (15:16); "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (II Corinthians 3:18); "The washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). The work of the Holy Spirit does not contradict the work of God's grace. God's grace can work through the Holy Spirit: "We have received . . . the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. . . the Holy Ghost teacheth" us (I Corinthians 2:12, 13).
        There are many Scriptures that show how grace works. The apostles received "great power [to] witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:33). In Iconium Paul spoke to Jews and Gentiles, "speaking boldy in the Lord, who [the Lord] was bearing witness to the word of His grace" (Acts 14:3 NKJV). Paul testified, but it was the Lord who bore witness to the Word of His grace. When the apostles and their helpers went on their mission journeys, they were "recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled" (Acts 14:26; cf. 15:40).
        Paul's life is an example of God's grace at work. He was a zealous Jew who intensely persecuted the church and by the grace of God became a prominent apostle and builder of the church. He "received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith" (Romans 1:5). Later in this book he twice referred to this grace: "Through the grace given unto me" (12:3), and "I have written the more boldly unto you . . . because of the grace that is given to me of God" (15:15). Paul recognized that his part in building the church was not due to his own effort but was entirely of God's grace: "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation" (I Corinthians 3:10).
        Above all, Paul could say of himself, "By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (I Corinthians 15:10). Paul knew "when it pleased God . . . [He] called me by his grace" (Galatians 1:15). Paul could write that "the dispensation of the grace of God. . . is given me" (Ephesians 3:2), and that he "was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach" (vv. 7, 8). To Timothy Paul wrote that he was thankful that Jesus enabled him to be a minister though he was once "a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious." He knew that "the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love" toward him (I Timothy 1:13, 14).
        Grace is also a power in all Christians' lives. Paul wrote about Christians having "gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us" (Romans 12:6); during severe affliction and poverty "the grace of God [was] bestowed on the churches of Macedonia" (II Corinthians 8:1); and that "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. . . . By their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you" (9:8, 14). Christians through grace have rich blessings and experiences. The author of Hebrews wrote, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16), and that "it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace" (13:9). God's grace will help us to hold fast when we are tempted, help us in our weaknesses, and is the power that establishes us in the faith. Also, the importance of grace is shown in most of the New Testament epistles' opening and closing remarks.
        Since grace is so important, How does one receive grace? First, grace is "unmerited favor" because it offers salvation that we do not deserve instead of the eternal damnation we do deserve. No one receives grace by their own merit or righteousness. This unmerited aspect of grace means it is a free gift.[23]
        The fact that grace is a free gift is emphasized in several New Testament Scriptures: We are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24); "The free gift . . . the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ" (5:15; cf. 20, 21); "the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 1:4); "the grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" (II Corinthians 9:14, 15); "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1:6, 7); "by grace are ye saved . . . it is the gift of God" (2:8); "Now our Lord Jesus Christ . . . hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace" (II Thessalonians 2:16); "Who have saved us . . . according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus" (II Timothy 1:9); and "[God] giveth more grace . . . giveth grace unto the humble" (James 4:6). These Scriptures and others make it clear that grace and redemption are gifts.
        In summary, the grace of God makes salvation available to us. The two aspects of grace-its influence upon men's hearts and its free gift-receive major emphasis throughout the New Testament. The question is now, How is grace made available to men? Several things-repentance, faith, and the new birth-work together to make grace available. The interaction of these will be discussed after reviewing each.

Repentance

        One of the initial steps in realizing redemption brought by Jesus Christ is repentance. The message of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ, was, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). Jesus as well began His preaching and teaching with "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17; cf. Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3). Later He said, "They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32; cf. Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17). The righteous do not need help. Those who are unrighteous sinners need help. The remedy to their condition is very simple; they need to repent.
        Early in His ministry, Jesus sent out the twelve disciples and had them preach "that men should repent" (Mark 6:12). Just before sending them out, Jesus told the twelve that "whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city" (v. 11). They carried a serious message, with serious consequences if their call to repent was rejected.
        Jesus often spoke of repentance throughout His ministry. He ended His earthly ministry with the commission "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (Luke 24:47; cf. Acts 1:8), showing His continued interest in this message being available to all. This call for repentance was more than a message for the Jewish people; it was a call for all nations that still is going out today.
        Repentance was a part of the apostles' preaching and teaching throughout their ministries. Many, after hearing Peter's first sermon in the newly born church at Jerusalem, asked, "What shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized 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 2:37, 38). In his second sermon, Peter urged, "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" (3:19). When the apostles were put in prison because of their message about Jesus, an angel soon released them after telling them to speak "in the temple to the people all the words of this life" (5:20). The Jewish leaders soon found the apostles there and brought them again before the council. Then Peter, after describing Jesus' death, said that "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (v. 31). Later, when Simon offered money for the apostle's power of laying on hands, Peter told him, "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness" (8:22).
        Israel was not the only people called to repentance. "God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18). Paul told the men at Athens that God "now commandeth all men every where to repent" (17:30). He spoke of testifying about "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (20:21). And when he told King Agrippa about the Gentiles, Paul said that "they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" ( 26:20).
        What does it mean to repent? What is repentance all about? The Greek term metanoeo, often translated by the verb repent, according to Thayer means "to change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins,"[24] and according to Arndt and Gingrich it means to "change one's mind . . . . feel remorse, repent, be converted."[25] A second Greek term, metanoia, is a noun and corresponds to the above verb. It is translated repentance. It means "a change of mind." Another verb translated repented and repent (Greek term metamellomai) means "to change one's mind, turning about or conversion."
        The meaning of these terms can be understood from their usage. John the Baptist was the one spoken of by the prophet Isaiah: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight" (Matthew 3:3; cf. Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23; Isaiah 40:3). Eastern monarchs customarily sent a party ahead to prepare a road for them as they journeyed through desert country. John was to do the same thing for the coming King. John was to make the path straight by leveling spiritual mountains and filling up spiritual valleys, by calling for the people to repent. Repentance would remove sin's barriers to the King coming into men's hearts.
        John told the Pharisees and Sadducees what the call for repentance involved: "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. . . . every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Matthew 3:7, 10; cf. Luke 3:7, 8). John demanded true repentance that would bring a complete change of mind from the seeker that would result in "fruit." The "fruit" would be the doing of God's will (Matthew 3:1-10; Mark 1:1-6; Luke 3:1-14). John did not need to define repentance for his hearers; they knew from the Hebrew Scriptures that sinners had to repent of their sins (I Kings 8:46-48; II Chronicles 6:37-39; Isaiah 1:27-28; 55:7; Ezekiel 14:6; 18:21-32; Jonah 3:8-10; et al.).
        John's call to repent was the call of the One whom he was preparing men for. When Jesus the Christ came, He proclaimed, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15; cf. Acts 20:21). He called for a change of mind and purpose in the hearers' attitudes toward the gospel (good news); they were to change their minds from unbelief to belief in the gospel He brought.
        Jesus spoke, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17; cf. Luke 13:3). Repentance was also required because the kingdom of God, that is, His rule in the hearts of men, was to be established. Jesus would be the King, and seekers had to change their minds about God and sin and follow His will since the kingdom was near. No sinner who remains a sinner will enter God's kingdom because His holiness does not allow the presence of sin.
        When the scribes and Pharisees murmured against Jesus for eating and drinking with sinners, He said, "They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:31, 32; cf. Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17). The righteous stand in sharp contrast to the sinners. The righteous stand cleansed before God, not because of anything they have earned or merited, but because of Jesus' blood and the grace He brought. Because God is holy, the sinners are the "sick" ones who need help. They need to repent or change their minds and hearts so they too can become righteous through Christ.
        Jesus described the importance of repentance when He said there is joy "in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance" (Luke 15:7; cf. v. 10). On one occasion, as He explained the Scriptures concerning His suffering, death, and resurrection to His disciples, He stressed its importance by stating "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (24:47).
        Earlier Jesus had spoken about those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). They will find their hunger and thirst satisfied in Jesus Christ, and they will know this because they have fruits of righteousness in their lives. We know this change can happen because Jesus taught that His disciples will be "persecuted for righteousness' sake" (v. 10). He stated also that "except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (v. 20). They are to "seek . . . first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness" (6:33). Sinners do not possess any righteousness produced by their own efforts but will find it present because of Christ's and the Holy Spirit's work in them.
        When the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign, Jesus told them the only sign they would have is that of the prophet Jonah. Jesus then mentioned that "the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas" (Matthew 12:41; cf. Luke 11:32). An illustration of repentance can be found in the story of Jonah and Nineveh. When Jonah told the men of Nineveh of the coming judgment, he told them to "cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way." They did this, and "God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way," and they were not destroyed (Jonah 3:8, 10). The men of Nineveh repented, turning from their evil ways.
        In warning about "temptations to sin" (Luke 17:1 RSV), Jesus said, "If thy brother trespass [sin] against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him" (v. 3). By speaking of repentance after sinning, Jesus shows that repentance involves turning from sin.
        Jesus used the Greek term metamelomia in the parable of the two sons. When the father told his first son to go work in the vineyard, the son said, "I will not: but afterward he repented and went" (Matthew 21:29). The son changed his mind and went and worked in the vineyard. Jesus then explained that when John came, "ye [Jews] believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him" (v. 32).
        The change brought by repentance is shown in Peter's second sermon. After telling what was done to the Prince of Life and how it fulfilled what was prophesied about His suffering, Peter told those who did those things to "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). By repenting sinners can experience conversion, and this results in their sins being forgiven and forgotten by God (cf. Hebrews 8:12; 10:17).
        Paul spoke of testifying to the Jews and Gentiles about "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). Repentance brings a change of mind about God and faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When he appeared before King Agrippa, Paul said that he preached to the Gentiles "that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" (26:20), showing they had a changed attitude and mind. Here we see too that repenting involves both turning to God and a changed life that brings forth works that bear witness to the reality of that change.
        Repentance involves changing one's attitude toward God. The author of Hebrews wrote about "repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God" (Hebrews 6:1). The writer did not go into details because he had just discussed the doctrine of Christ and Christian maturity and did not want to continue on foundational doctrines. Rather, he desired to go on to the subject of perfection. His readers already knew how repentance and faith worked together.
        A third Greek term (epistrepho), although not translated repent or repentance, has a similar meaning. Jesus used this term in relation to the people's hearts being hardened, their ears being dull of hearing, and their eyes being closed, "lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (Matthew 13:15; cf. Mark 4:12). Zacharias prophesied that John would be great and would be filled with the Holy Spirit, "and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. . . . to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just" (Luke 1:16, 17). Jesus stated that Peter would deny Him and said, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (22:32).
        The apostles used this term several times: "turned to the Lord" (Acts 9:35); "a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord" (11:21); "preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God" (14:15); "the Gentiles are turned to God" (15:19); "they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" (26:20); "how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (I Thessalonians 1:9).
        Each person faces judgment. Everyone will have to face God and give an account for what he has done. This the Lord has promised (Matthew 25:32-46; John 5:25-29; cf. Acts 10:42; 17:31; Romans 14:10; I Corinthians 4:5; II Corinthians 5:10). People do not need to fear judgment if they prepare for it during their life. God's love and mercy has provided a way to avoid condemnation. Peter said, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering [patient] to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9). Sinners will not escape the judgment of God unless they repent. They should not count on God's kindness, forbearance, and patience to escape the consequences of their sins. They should realize that "the goodness of God leadeth [them] to repentance" (Romans 2:4).
        Some other Scriptures that show God's gift of repentance are as follows: "a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31); "God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (11:18); and "God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth" (II Timothy 2:25).
        Seeing the kindness of God and recognizing one's own sinfulness, should lead the sinner to godly grief and repentance.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner. . . . For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! II Corinthians 7:9-11

        No one needs to fear judgment, because God is willing to grant repentance, but failure to repent will lead to judgment and condemnation. Jesus spoke out against Chorazin and Bethsaida, the cities where He did many mighty works, "because they repented not: . . . if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. . . . It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which are exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell" (Matthew 11:20-23; cf. Luke 10:13). These cities did not turn from their sins and will be judged accordingly. Jesus spoke that theirs was an evil generation and that "the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas" (Matthew 12:41; cf. Luke 11:32). This same point was emphasized a third time when Jesus spoke about the Galileans that perished at Pilate's hand: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3; cf. 13:5).
        John in the Book of Revelation told five of the seven churches that they must repent to avoid judgment. The angel told the church at Ephesus, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent" (Revelation 2:4, 5). He told the church in Pergamos that because they held the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes, "which things I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth" (vv. 15, 16). He told the church in Thyatira because they let "Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols" (v. 20). She was given time to repent, but since she did not, the Lord said, "I will kill her children" (v. 23). He told the church at Sardis, "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent" (3:3). He told the church of the Laodiceans, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold not hot. . . . thou art lukewarm." (vv. 15, 16). They were counseled what to do, and "as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent" (v. 19). These Scriptures are clear that people and churches who fall away or become lukewarm must repent to avoid judgment.
        Thus it is important that everyone repents. Because of this, Jesus desires "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (Luke 24:47), showing that this condition of redemption should continue to go out to all.
        Repentance, therefore, is a change of mind concerning man's sinful condition-that he is lost and bound for hell-and concerning who Jesus is and what He has done. The sinner needs to change his mind about Jesus' true identity-He is the divine Son of God, perfectly righteous and holy-and about Jesus' work of redemption. Jesus' suffering and death alone provide a propitiation for the sins of the world. The sinner needs to change his mind about following God's will and be determined to forsake his sins and follow Jesus. Both requirements were given to all men, from Jerusalem to the Gentiles: "They should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" (Acts 26:20). When a sinner acknowledges these truths and takes up his cross and follows Jesus Christ, he shows he has repented. This does not mean he has arrived at a state of perfection but that he does not continue sinning (I John 3:9). The Christian will continue to learn and grow, and "striving against sin" (Hebrews 12:4), he will run the race to maturity (v. 1), to win the incorruptible prize (I Corinthians 9:25).

Faith

        Jesus Christ spoke about the need to believe in God, Him, and the gospel, showing that faith is important. Frequently, as the following Scriptures show, Jesus linked eternal life to faith and belief. At the start of His ministry, He said, "Believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). When a paralytic was lowered through the roof of a house in Capernaum to be healed, and "Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" (2:5; cf. Luke 5:20). In the parable of the sower, Jesus explained that the seed was the word of God, and the seed that fell on the way side was trodden down because the devil took "away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved" (Luke 8:12). Jesus told the disciples to go out into the world with the gospel and tell people that "he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Jesus told Nicodemus that "whosoever believeth in him [the Son of man, Christ] should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:15; cf. vv. 16, 18). He told the Jews, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life" (5:24). In the discourse on the bread of life, Jesus said, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life" (6:47). At the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, Jesus told some Jews who asked Him if He was the Christ that "I told you, and ye believed not: . . . ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep" (10:25, 26). He then explained, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life" (vv. 27, 28). Jesus told Martha after Lazarus' death, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (11:25; cf. v. 26). Jesus told two of His disciples, "Believe in the light [Jesus Christ], that ye may be the children of light. . . . Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. . . . I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness" (12:36, 44, 46). At His last Passover, Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. . . . I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (14:1, 6). These Scriptures show that the tie between belief and eternal life had a central place in Jesus' messages.
        Paul wrote often on theological issues. One of these emphasized that faith appropriates grace, and grace brings justification. "It is of faith, that it might be by grace" that we are justified (Romans 4:16), and "We have access by faith into this grace" (5:2). Paul wrote to Titus that "according to his mercy he [Christ] saved us. . . . being justified by his grace" (Titus 3:5, 7). Faith is centered on Jesus Christ; the Christian looks to Christ in faith for his deliverance. The believer's justification is not a matter of a "faith" work but solely rests on God's grace. This faith is not a work; our faith is due to grace. Luke wrote that the Ephesian brethren "believed through grace" (Acts 18:27). Paul wrote to the Ephesian church, that "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Thus grace becomes available to the sinner through faith and not only results in the person having a just and righteous standing before God, but influences him to live an upright life.
        Justification by faith is the theme of the Book of Romans. Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16, 17). This last phrase translation has been influenced by Wycliffe's 1380 translation of the Latin text of Habakkuk 2:4. In Greek it literally reads "Now he who is righteous by faith shall live"[26] (cf. 1:17 RSV). Paul later explained how God works to make us righteous by faith so we can have eternal life (see see 10:2-13. esp. vv. 5, 6).
        At the beginning of his discussion on justification, Paul wrote, "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight" (Romans 3:20). Under the new covenant the righteousness of God is manifested apart from the law, that is, the old covenant (v. 21). Now "the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ [is] unto all and upon all them that believe" (v. 22). Man is justified, that is, declared righteous before God, by faith in Jesus Christ. Christ was sent to be the "propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins" (v. 25; cf. v. 26; 4:24, 25; 5:1). Propitiation, used in the older English versions, is the translation of the Greek term used in the Septuagint Old Testament for the mercy seat covering (Leviticus 16:13, 14). The sinner is justified by "his [Christ's] righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). It is Christ's self-offering on the cross that brings justification, not man's efforts to keep the law. Christ's righteousness makes it possible for God to be just to His own character when He bestows a righteous standing on the believing convert. The Mosaic law did not justify. "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace" that we are justified (4:16).
        Justification by faith is emphasized later in Romans: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:1); "We have access by faith into this grace" (v. 2); "For Christ is the end [goal] of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (10:4); "Believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, [and] thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (10:9, 10).
        This theme of justification by faith also receives attention in Paul's other books. In these he emphasizes that man can again come into a right relationship with God, not by the works of the law, but by faith: "Man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law" (Galatians 2:16); they do not have their "own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Philippians 3:9).
        Paul wrote much on the theological importance of the new covenant replacing the old. By emphasizing faith in contrast to the works of the law, Paul was correcting a misunderstanding some first-century Christians with Jewish backgrounds had concerning justification. He contrasted the two terms to emphasize that the grace of God redeems man. This is brought out clearly in Ephesians 2:8, 9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Paul focuses on faith as a condition of salvation, in contrast to keeping the law, emphasizing that salvation is a gift of grace, not something to be earned. Faith becomes the means to emphasize that justification is "by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood" (Romans 3:24, 25). Paul's use of faith in contrast to the law (v. 21) shows it involves more than belief and trust; it involves commitment to Jesus Christ and the whole body of Christian truth He brought (John 1:17). To the Galatians he wrote, "Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16). We will come back to this latter after discussing another concept that brings salvation to man.
        Paul tied other spiritual truths to faith. He wrote "to the faithful in Christ Jesus" at Ephesus that in Christ "we have our redemption through his blood" (Ephesians 1:1, 7) and that God has "quickened us together with Christ" (2:5). Paul wrote to the "faithful brethren in Christ" at Colosse about hearing of their faith, that they "might walk worthy of the Lord . . . being fruitful in every good work" (Colossians 1:2, 10), and that the Father "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (v. 13). To the Galatians he wrote about "faith which worketh by love" (5:6). Concerning his Christian experience, Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God" (2:20). Later Paul added that Christians "receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (3:14).
        What is this faith that gives man a just or righteous standing before God? Faith has several meanings: assurance or confidence in God, belief, trust. The New Testament uses faith in these senses.
        The writer of Hebrews explained some of the elementary doctrines of Christ. Among them were repentance and "faith toward God" (Hebrews 6:1). Later in the book the author wrote to his readers of the need of endurance, so that after they had done the will of God, they might receive what was promised. "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith. . . . But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul" (10:37-39). Man must approach God in faith.
        In chapter 11 the writer gives several examples of people who had a faith that produced works. This section opens with a definition of one aspect of God-pleasing faith.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. . . . But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6

        The Greek word translated substance here is translated assurance in the ASV, NASB, and RSV. Faith is the confidence or reality of things hoped for and the evidence or proof that God exists. Faith is not a blind acceptance of God's existence or Word. Faith is built upon Christian evidences, for God has given adequate reasons to assure men that Christianity is truth. Faith is an act of the mind that occurs because of the influence of grace and the work of the Holy Spirit. When man realizes his sinfulness and respects the evidence that shows God's reality, he then needs to turn to God in faith and trust that He will graciously help. This does not mean the mind is the grounds of faith. The grounds of faith are the evidences God has given in nature, in His Word, and through His Son.
        The evidence God gives to man is an adequate basic for faith, so he can say, as did Paul, that "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that" Christ is able to keep me (II Timothy 1:12). John wrote that "we know that we are of God" (I John 5:19). Paul considered his worldly accomplishments as valueless in his pursuit of Christ, so "that I may know him" (Philippians 3:10). Paul pointed out to the Galatian church that there was a time when they did not know God, but now they "have known God" (Galatians 4:9). To the Ephesian church he expressed thanks when he heard of their faith, that "the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom," that they may be "enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling" (Ephesians 1:17, 18). He wrote that it was "good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour . . . to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (I Timothy 2:3, 4). The grace of God was given by Jesus Christ so the Corinthians would be enriched "in all knowledge" (I Corinthians 1:5). Christians are able to know God because He gives grace and knowledge to them.
        The writer of Hebrews is not giving in chapter 11 a formal definition of faith but is bringing out some of its characteristics. Hebrews 11:6 describes two ingredients of faith-that God exists, and that He will reward those who seek Him. The seeker must have faith or belief in God even though he has not seen Him. The seeker must also believe that God will judge all and reward those who diligently seek Him. If the seeker lacks these two ingredients of faith, he will make no effort to seek God's redemption. Hebrews 11 gives many illustrations of faith in action.
        Another quality of faith is trust. The Greek term pistis, translated faith, means "to trust." Faith as we are considering it involves trust in God, Jesus Christ, and the Word of God. Trust is emphasised in the Old Testament, and one of its central figures, Abraham, is an outstanding example of faith and trust in God. For example, when Abraham was ninety-nine years old and still childless, God appeared to him and told him:

I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. . . . Behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Genesis 17:1, 2, 4

Although it was difficult for Abraham to understand how God's promise could be fulfilled, he believed God, and God was faithful.

Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. . . . And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. Genesis 21:1-7, 12

        Abraham's faith in God was tested beyond any normal experience. He had believed the Lord that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Then God told him to take his "only son Isaac, whom thou lovest," to the land of Moriah; and there offer him as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:2). At the foot of Moriah, Abraham told two of his servants, "Abide ye here . . . and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and [we will] come again to you" (v. 5). He then went up in the mountain to offer Isaac. With complete confidence in God, Abraham bound him and laid him on the altar (Abraham expected God to raise Isaac after the sacrifice). Just as Abraham was ready to offer his son, an angel of the Lord appeared and said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me" (v. 12). Paul used Abraham to show that he was justified by faith (Romans 4) and that the covenant God had made with Abraham was based on faith (Galatians 3).
        Trust is not "faith" in something unknown. As Paul wrote, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him" (II Timothy 1:12). Trust is rooted in knowledge based on adequate evidence and signs (John 20:30, 31).
        A second aspect of faith, that of self-surrender to God, can also be seen in Abraham. At God's first call, Abraham demonstrated his faith by leaving his country (Genesis 12:1); and throughout his life he had a family type relation to God that involved continuous self-surrender to His will. James comments, Abraham was "justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar. . . . Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" (James 2:21, 22). As Wenger wrote, "It is not sufficient to have been gloriously saved at the time of one's conversion; it is also necessary to maintain a life of holiness and obedience. This is an aspect of saving faith."[27]
        Faith results in a life that seeks to please God and to obey the commands of Christ. Paul illustrates this in that he tried "to have always a conscience void of offence towards God" (Acts 24:16); he sought to run the race and "keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (I Corinthians 9:27).
        Hebrews 11 is often called "the faith chapter." But since many of its examples of faith show that works followed faith, it could also be called "the works chapter." For example, the author wrote, "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice" (v. 4); "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death" because "he pleased God" (v. 5); "by faith Noah. . . prepared an ark" (v. 7); "by faith Abraham . . . obeyed; and he went out. not knowing whither he went" (v. 8); "by faith Moses . . . [chose] to suffer affliction with the people of God" (vv. 24, 25).
        Faith can also refer to the general body of Christian teaching or truth.[28] This usage is shown in the following verses: "stablished in the faith" (Colossians 2:7); "I have kept the faith" (II Timothy 4:7); many "of the priests were obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7); "them who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10); "One Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5); "unity of the faith" (v. 13); "some shall depart from the faith" (I Timothy 4:1); "he hath denied the faith" (5:8); "some have wandered away from the faith" (6:10 RSV); and "contend for the faith" (Jude 3). It is important to grasp this usage to avoid the danger of succumbing to "easy believism," an intellectual assent that shows no fruit or evidence of following Christ as Savior and Lord.
        Reviewing the use of faith in other New Testament passages can help us better understand it. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke against being anxious about life, drink, food, and clothing. He said, "If God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6:30; cf. Luke 12:28). Christians are to have faith, trusting God for their physical needs and not becoming unnecessarily worried about such things. When the disciples faced these difficulties, they were not to worry. It seems this quality of faith was hard for them to grasp. Once when they were in a boat and a great storm arose, they became fearful. Jesus rebuked them by asking, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 8:23-27; cf. Mark 4:36-41; Luke 8:22-25). Again, when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and tried it himself, he began to sink. Jesus challenged Peter, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:31). Jesus also rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith that the need for food for the multitudes would be supplied. "O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?" (Matthew 16:8-10). Jesus thus admonished and encouraged His disciples to trust God in everyday life.
        Those who came to Jesus for healing often expressed explicit faith (trust). The centurion who came to Jesus to have his servant healed knew and trusted that if Jesus would "speak the word only," the servant would be healed. Jesus remarked, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel" (Matthew 8:8-10; cf. Luke 7:7-9). Another expression of faith in Jesus may be seen in the bringing of the paralytic on a bed to be healed. "Jesus seeing their faith" healed him (Matthew 9:2; cf. Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20). The woman who suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years had such faith. She said, "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole." She did touch, and Jesus then turned to her saying, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole" (Matthew 9:20-22; cf. Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48). These seekers had heard of the miracles Jesus did and knew He could help them. They put their faith into action by asking for the Lord's help.
        The verb believe and the noun faith are more closely related than the English spelling implies. In Greek the verb pisteuo is a cognate of the noun pistis. Before the late sixteenth century, the English language used faith as a noun and as a verb. Thus the Bible student should not think that believe and faith have different meanings. We can see the close connection of believe and faith in the following Scriptures. Jesus told the centurion, who had such great faith, "Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee" (Matthew 8:13). He said to the blind men who sought help from Him, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" (9:28). They said they did, and He said, "According to your faith be it unto you" (v. 29). When the disciples marveled that the fig tree had withered because of Jesus' word, He told them, "Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:22-24; cf. Matthew 21:18-22).
        So faith is frequently used in the Bible to express trust and often is equivalent to "believe." Faith also expresses the means by which salvation becomes available to man. When Jesus began His ministry, He came preaching, "The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). Later during His ministry, Jesus told the woman "which was a sinner" that it was her faith that had saved her (Luke 7:36-50).
        In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus said, "The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved" (Luke 8:11, 12). Those who respond to the seed of the Word and believe will be saved. Those who believe for awhile and in the "time of temptation fall away" (v. 13) or those who are "choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection" (v. 14), will not be saved (cf. Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20). Faith (belief) is essential for salvation.
        The fourth Gospel does not use the noun faith but the verb believe. In the statement of the theme John wrote, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12, 13). At the close of his Gospel, John wrote, "Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (20:30, 31).
        John used the term believe to describe the means by which man obtains eternal life. This theme of "believing" is not something John developed but is based on Jesus' own words. Jesus said, "So must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14, 15). "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (5:24). "This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day" (6:40).
        When John wrote of God's purpose for sending Jesus into the world, he connected belief with the carrying out of this purpose:

God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16-18

In summary, saving Christian faith is believing and accepting that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord. It is trusting in Him and accepting His teachings. Thus salvation is both an immediate possession and a growth and learning process. Sincere faith (I Timothy 1:5 NKJV) is more than intellectual assent to Christianity based on one's cultural and educational heritage-redeeming faith is a deep-seated belief that moves one's innermost being to please God. Faith is centered in man's heart and mind: "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Romans 10:10). Faith is a strong conviction and belief in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit-and the revelation that is inspired of the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:21; II Timothy 3:16). Faith is not an isolated act of belief that saves a person by itself without creating an interest and desire to learn about Christian doctrine and practice.
Since there are warnings about false prophets and about brethren falling away, it is important to know whether one has real faith. The main evidence of faith is that it appropriates grace in the sinner because we are "justified by his grace . . . received by faith" (Romans 3:24, 25 RSV). Grace is attested to by the indwelling witness and work of the Holy Spirit (8:9, 10, 16; I John 3:24; 4:13) and by growth and obedience in the believer's life (I John 2:3, 5; 3:10, 14, 18, 19; 4:7 5:2). If there is no evidence of grace, there is no faith. "Faith" that does not affect one's life and walk is not saving faith. Saving faith will be accompanied by a life of reading the Bible, praying for Holy Spirit illumination, and seeking to obey all the light one receives from the Word.

The New Birth

        Repentance involves, as noted earlier, a radical change of mind and heart. When man's repentance and faith are real, God's grace will create in him a "new birth." The new birth is an experience and fact associated with the redemption brought by Jesus Christ. He emphasized the importance of the new birth in a discussion He had with a Jewish leader and a member of the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus knew that Jesus was "a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him" (John 3:2). He respected Jesus as a Master Teacher and apparently had come to learn from Him.
        Since He was a Jew, and most first-century Jews opposed Roman rule and wished for the restoration of Israel's kingdom, Jesus often addressed the issue of the kingdom of God. He told Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Jesus tied a spiritual change to the reality of the kingdom of God. Because this spiritual connection puzzled Nicodemus, he asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (vv. 4-6). Jesus emphasized the spiritual nature of the new birth: a person had to be "born of water and of the Spirit," because that "born of the Spirit is spirit" (v. 6).
        Although there is some disagreement among Bible teachers as to the meaning of being "born of water," the most logical meaning seems to relate to the issue at hand--the kingdom. Since John the Baptizer tied repentance and preparedness to enter the kingdom to water baptism, surely Jesus and Nicodemus must had this in mind. After all, even the King was baptized, not as an act of repentance, but as a sign of His identification with the prepared people and the kingdom message.
        In Jewish theology, water baptism was required for a proselyte to be incorporated into the kingdom of Israel. It marked the change or "new birth" of the candidate, signifying his disassociation from his past life and identity and his acceptance of the new way of life. On occasion he was even given a new name.
        To this day, when a Jewish person of orthodox background is converted to faith in Christ, the family will reluctantly tolerate this change. However, when the person is baptized, the Jewish family considers him as deceased and sometimes even has a funeral service declaring that "fact." The convert to Christianity has died to his old way of life and has been born into a new identity and life, and baptism symbolizes the demarcation point.
        Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:7, 8). There is a mystery involved in being "born again" as there is a mystery about the wind. Miraculously, the Holy Spirit operates on the soul, making a telling impact on a person's will, desires, and values, giving a new direction to his life. The person turns from his natural inclination to rebel against God to an earnest desire to obey God. How this occurs and what mixture there is of truth, intellect, and the Holy Spirit's operations is beyond human understanding. We know, however, that these work together to produce an effect clearly visible in an individual's life.
        When Jesus was asked about who was the greatest in the kingdom, He said, "Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3; cf. John 3:3). The new birth results in a complete change in a person's life. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5:17). The Christian will continue in a childlike faith he began with because of the new birth, and his willingness to learn will continue throughout life. He will "set [his] affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). The Christian will listen to the Word and the Holy Spirit will lead him to accept its teachings. The new birth will make him a "child of God" (Matthew 18:1-6; cf. Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:17; I John 3:2, 10; etc.).
        The necessity of the new birth is confirmed in other New Testament writings. Paul reveals how the Christian's old nature is affected by the new birth: "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Galatians 5:24). He wrote further to explain how the old covenant ritualism no longer was important, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature" (6:15). Peter underscores this truth when he writes, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (I Peter 1:23).
        The new birth is absolutely necessary because of man's sinful nature--"that which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6)--and because man is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). Paul explains what this means: "The carnal mind is enmity against [or hostile towards] God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:7, 8). Those "in the flesh" are controlled by sinful passions that work in them and "bring forth fruit unto death" (7:5). These people will never see God unless something happens to the sin barrier created by man. God is holy and cannot permit sin in His presence. Only the "pure in heart" shall see God (Matthew 5:8). This sin barrier can only be removed by God's Son and the work of the Holy Spirit, which results in a radically changed human nature through a rebirth. The new birth begins a process that makes the sinner "pure in heart." Thus the new birth is central and crucial to restoring man to his original position of fellowship and sonship with God. This restored position results in Christians following the commandment of love (22:37, 39; cf. Luke 10:27; John 14:15; I John 4:7, 8, 11) that springs from a pure heart, a good consience, and a sincere faith (I Timothy 1:5 NKJV).
        The restored position resulting from the new birth is accompanied by a desire to do God's will. This results in a life of discipleship. Jesus spoke of these results: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life" (John 10:27, 28); "If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (14:15, 21; see vv. 15-24); "I am the true vine. . . . Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. . . . Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples" (15:1-8).

The Relation of Repentance, Faith, and the New Birth

        We have seen that realization of the redemption brought by Jesus involves repentance, faith, and rebirth. Although some Scriptures give faith primacy, repentance and the new birth cannot be overlooked. These three are all necessary to enter the kingdom and are interrelated.
        The sinner must repent in order to believe. He has to change his mind about his rebellion against the Lord, which means he has to see his sinfulness and God's righteousness and realize that he is lost and heading for hell. He needs to see the necessity to walk in the light and change his mind about walking in sin. This change of mind is so radical that it requires or is called being "born again." Yet for repentance to bring about the new birth, the intellect must respond in faith to the facts of the Gospel. Faith and repentance cannot operate in a vacuum; they need the inner assurance that the Gospel is true. Then the repentant sinner must believe revealed truth. Yet this believing cannot occur unless there is a change of heart. So we see that these three-faith, repentance, and the new birth-are interrelated and go together. These three interrelated processes then work together to bring salvation, and their exact interactions cannot be separated or, for that matter, completely understood.
        This does not change the fact that faith is the primary condition for salvation taught in the New Testament, but giving faith the primary position does not exclude repentance and the new birth. When Paul speaks of faith as the condition for salvation, he implies the necessity of repentance and the rebirth. For example, in Romans 6:2-4 he makes it clear that saving faith results in a changed life: "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? . . . We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:2-4).

Other Conditions

        Repentance, faith, and the new birth are accompanied by less frequently mentioned conditions. These are interrelated to the above mentioned truths and are motivated and implemented by grace and the power of the Holy Spirit. They are necessary conditions to salvation, not that they are separate works to earn it, but are the results of yielding to the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
        One of these is confession. Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him I will confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32, 33; cf. Luke 12:8, 9). This act of confession, along with belief, is one condition Paul gives: "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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9, 10). John also gives this as a condition. "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God" (I John 4:15).
        Peter and Paul both give another condition for salvation through the words of the prophet Joel. "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13; cf. Joel 2:32). This message is simple to understand. Salvation is available to all who call on the name of the Lord. Before Paul's quotation of this passage, he makes the statement that "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10). This calling upon the name of the Lord is interrelated to belief and confession, and to repentance, faith, and the new birth. In his opening remarks to the Corinthian church, Paul speaks of this call, also. He writes, "To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus . . . with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" (I Corinthians 1:2). The sanctified, i.e., the saints, and those who "call" are one group.
        The disciples from the very start of their preaching stressed the importance of baptism. Peter told those who responded on the Day of Pentecost, "Repent, and be baptized 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). "They that gladly received his word were baptized" (v. 41).
        Baptism is associated with the believer's new life in Christ (Romans 6:3, 4; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12). This new life does not come through the physical act of water baptism; baptism symbolizes or illustrates what has already occurred. "Baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (I Peter 3:21). Baptism does not put away the filth or sin in one's life. The sin issue is resolved before baptism occurs because the believer has a good conscience toward God. This good conscience is brought about by the Holy Spirit baptism, where the believer is made spiritually alive (new birth) and is added to the body of Christ, the Church: "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (I Corinthians 12:13; see also John 3:5, 6; Titus 3:5).

A Life of Discipleship

        Only those who have repented, exercised faith, experienced the new birth, and have received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will obtain salvation. These believers will obey and be faithful disciples of Christ. Discipleship is necessarily a part of the Christian faith.
        Discipleship is strongly emphasized by the Lord. He said that only those who obey and are faithful disciples will obtain redemption. Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21), and "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 10:38, 39; cf. Luke 9:23, 24). Likewise He says, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:24, 25; cf. Mark 8:34, 35). Jesus told His followers, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death" (John 8:31, 32, 51).
        This obedience Jesus calls for is possible only through the new birth and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. It results from being set free from sin and receiving a new love for Jesus (John 8:31-38). "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me" (14:21-24; cf. 15:9, 10).
        John explains this further in his first epistle.

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? I John 5:1-5

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February 16, 2001