Through scripture we see that beyond believing and confessing, there is a call to REPENTANCE. In accepting God’s gift of salvation we cannot come to God if we first, do not believe that He is, and second, confess Jesus as Lord. But this is not a destination! It’s not the point from which we now live out the rest of our Christian lives, while waiting for His coming. We are not meant to stay in this state of being, whereby all we did was believed and confessed. It’s the beginning of a process.
As seen in James 2:19, even Satan and his demons believe in God and acknowledge Jesus is the Lord His Son. Remember the story about the demon-possessed man in the tombs, with a demon who called itself “Legion”? When Jesus approaches, he cries out, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God“. Evidence that believing and knowing these things does not mean we’re ‘born again’. We are aiming to find ourselves walking in a place of accuracy in God.
The fact that satan and his demons believe and confess, and yet aren’t ‘born again’, we can conclude that there’s more to being ‘born-again’ than this.
What is Salvation?
Salvation (from Latin: salvatio, from salva, ‘safe, saved’) is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, salvation generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its consequences.
The Hebrew root word is “yesha” (the basis for the name Joshua and Jesus) signifies freedom from what binds or restricts and thus effects deliverance.
The Greek word is “soteria” meaning to provide recovery, to rescue, to effect one’s welfare.
Salvation means to be ‘born again’ and filled with the ‘Holy Spirit‘. Salvation is experiencing a new birth in Christ Jesus. Being born again is a conscious attempt to live according to the ordinances of the scripture. New birth means to abide by the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit in EVERY aspect of your life.
For what purpose are we being ‘saved/born again’?
When we look at the interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3, we find a record of the first ‘born again’ message. Jesus tells Nicodemus 2 things, 1) you will not SEE, 2) nor will you ENTER the Kingdom of God if you are not ‘born again – of water and of the Spirit.’ Jesus is plainly stating, the reason for you being born again is in order for you to see and enter the Kingdom of God.
Col.1vs13; “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son”.
The reason for our salvation is clear. Jesus did not simply die for our sins, that we would be saved and go to heaven one day. He ‘saved/rescued’ us in order to transfer us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son. To translate us from one kingdom into another kingdom.
But how do we come to a place of being born again? How are we ‘saved’ from a kingdom of darkness, with sin leading to death, and transferred to a Kingdom of His Son, with eternal life?
Through REPENTANCE – in Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, when Peter is asked “what shall we do to be saved”? He replies, “REPENT and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
In the books of Mark and Matthew Jesus began his public ministry with the call to “Repent.” In addition, Paul is said to have preached to both Jews and Gentiles/Greeks to “turn to God in repentance and have faith [believe] in our Lord Jesus”
Three times Ezekiel included God’s call to the people of Israel: “Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!” “Repent! Turn away from all your offenses”, “Turn! Turn from your evil ways”.
Repentance must come! To ‘repent’ is to think differently, to change our direction, to return back to the original intent. It’s turning away from the direction in which we were going, to walk according to God’s direction. See, we able to believe that God is, confess Jesus as Lord, and still walk according to our own will, still walk in our sinful ways. Repentance demands we turn from who we were, the direction we once walked, in order to move in His ways.
We are told to “repent”, but never taught the cost that comes with repentance.
There are two words in the Greek text that’s been translated by the same English word “repentance”. Though translated as repentance, they do not mean the same thing.
The first word is “metamellomai”, defined as “to care afterwards or regret”. This could be understood as ‘ineffective repentance’. Metamellomai carries a concept that an individual is not cautious in their actions until they see the results of their behavior.
This is ‘false repentance’ because the love of God is not manifested in the individual’s life. The implications of their behavior are not considered until after the consequences of that behavior is realized. This is that repentance concerning Judas betrayal of Jesus (Matt.27v3). Even though Judas realized the result of his actions, the damage had already been done.
Many Christians operate in this manner of “repentance”. They continue in their wrong ways because it doesn’t seem to have [immediate]consequences as in Judas’s betrayal. This is the understanding of a child, an immature Christian. And I don’t mean immature as in a “young” Christian. This reference is to one that is still soulish/carnal in their ways, regardless of the duration of them being Christians. There are people who’ve been Christians all their lives, and are yet carnal and immature in nature.
This type of repentance is closely linked to ‘confession’, they’ve acknowledged their wrongful actions, and experience momentary remorse. But due to the absense of an immediate consequence (God’s long-suffering nature), they’re right back at it. This is not repentance at all.
God is a merciful God! There is a positive way to look at metamellomai. That is, to see it as the opportunity to change ones mind. To change when you realize your wrong doing, instead of continuing in your folly.
The other Greek word translated as repentance is “metanoia”. Metanoia is defined as ‘a reformation, a reversal, a turn around’. Its root is defined as “to think differently (i.e., to have a change of mind that leads to a change of life)”. Repentance is the first thing God commands of us to do in the process of salvation and sanctification.
Metanoia is different from metamellomai because metamellomai occurs over and over, whereas when metanoia occurs, it’s maintained. Its TRUE repentance! Metanoia is as “a pricking of the heart; remorse proceeding from a consciousness of guilt; the pain/sorrow/regret for having offended God”. True repentance enables me to agree with God about what He says concerning ALL things, because I had a change of direction, heart and mind.
I now see things the way He sees things. I no longer live according to my own way of thinking or beliefs, understanding and the world around me. The Christian, being born-again, is re-created as a new creature IN CHRIST, and now lives in the consideration of their actions. Old things (i.e., old ways of thinking, living, habits, attitudes, desires, dispositions, pleasures) are changed. As much so, even when you “fall” into sin, you come back to God as soon as you realize it.
Ps. 19v12-13 “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant from WILLFUL sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.”
We might not always know when we are in error, but God is faithful to show us if we willing to deal with it. But as the psalm reads, keep me from WILLFUL sins, strengthen me against my old ways, from deliberately sinning. To walk in this manner is to ‘walk in the fear of the Lord’.
Matt.3vs8; “produce fruit in keeping with repentance”.
Confession without repentance is meaningless, however, repentance with confession leads you to produce fruit. Sadly, a great deal of the “church” walks this path of salvation only ever having confessed, never coming to repentance. Confession is more than a mere acknowledgement of an act, it’s the effect the act had due to a repentant heart.
True repentance is not only sorrow for sins and humble penitence and contrition before God. It involves the necessity of turning away from them, a discontinuance of all evil practices and deeds, a thorough reformation of life, a vital change from evil to good, from vice to virtue, from darkness to light.
Acts 2:37-38 – When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Isaiah 30:15 – This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.
Luke 5:31-32 – Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
True repentance leads a person to say, “I have sinned” and proving it with a 180-degree change of their direction.
Repentance is a result of remorse and true brokenness.
It’s NOT asking the Lord for forgiveness with the intent to sin again.
Repentance is an honest, regretful acknowledgement of sin with commitment to change.
Repentance leads us to cultivate godliness while eradicating habits that lead into sin.
Luke 15:10 – “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
Jesus stated, “… If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). It’s worth noting that forgiveness is dependent upon repentance, which is why we must repent if we expect to be forgiven.
Therefore, confession belongs to repentance and is needed for divine forgiveness. The Book of Isaiah says: “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins”.
So we called to repentance! And if repentance is a turning away, from our old nature, character, understanding, then what are we to turn to?
In the passage of John 3, as referenced earlier, we see something significant concerning the reason for us being ‘born again’. Something that brings complete clarity for the reason for our salvation. Jesus tells Nicodemus, the reason for being ‘born again’ is so you can ‘see‘, and also ‘enter‘ the Kingdom of God. Congruent with the initial message Jesus and John came declaring in Matthew 3 and 4 saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom is near“.
*Source Extract: The Apostles Doctrine – Dr. James Ross
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