“17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. 18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, 19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: 20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, 21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. 26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:17-28).

     Satan’s attack upon what is involved in a faith response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been particularly effective regarding the abrogation of the need for repentance as a decision that precedes and accompanies believing (saving faith). What is involved in repentance or what defines repentance is another area of Satanic obfuscation (Satanic blinding to the Truth through deception, perversion, and corruption).

“1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world {Satan} hath blinded {to make blind, to obfuscate, obscure; put up a smoke screen} the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (II Corinthians 4:1-4).

     Like the words faith and believe, the word repent is used primarily as a verb. All of these three words can be described as changes in thinking (of the mind) that result in changes in the way we live our lives (actions). Repentance is an aspect of believing regarding beliefs or practices that are contrary to God’s will. Repentance takes two primary directions: repentance of sin and repentance of false beliefs. Both of these two aspects of repentance are absolute essentials to saving faith.

     Many say that repentance of sin and false beliefs regarding what is necessary for salvation are not necessary to saving faith. Nothing could be further from the Truth of Scripture. Let’s start our look at the subject of repentance as a requirement of saving faith by looking at what many view as a problem text that appears to make water baptism the doorway to regeneration. It is found in Peter’s message to the Jews at Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (the Day of the Firstfruits; Num. 28:26), which was exactly 50 days after the Passover (and in this case, the crucifixion of Christ). Chronologically, the Day of Pentecost (or the Day of the Firstfruits) was the beginning of the Dispensation of the Church Age and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in His indwelling of all believers.

“36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, 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. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:36-41).

     The Jews as a nation were represented before God by their Priesthood. What their Priesthood was before God is what the nation of Israel was before God. It was the Sanhedrin and the Priesthood of Israel that rejected the incarnate Son of God as their Messiah and had Jesus crucified. However, the whole of the nation of Israel was considered guilty before God because the Priesthood represented them before God. The Priesthood of Israel had also perverted the Gospel in the Law, rejecting the fact that the Law condemned those looking to it for righteousness. It could not redeem. Therefore, the Law pointed sinners to the Coming Promised One; the Messiah.

     Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36) explained to the Jews that Jesus was their promised Messiah and that they had murdered Him, they cried out in conviction and in unison (and probably repeatedly), “What shall we do?” Peter answers this question first with the imperative verb; “repent.” In other words, the verb “repent” comes forth as a essential command. The very first thing they needed to do was “repent.” Regarding the context of use in this text regarding the Jews, repentance is primarily a complete change of mind about the ability of Law keeping to justify them before God resulting in a complete change of mind about the purpose and work of redemption in the death, burial, and resurrection of their Messiah, Jesus Christ.

     Understanding this context is critical because it is the foundation or basis for the next statement: “and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” The words “for the remission of sins” often mislead people into think that water baptism is the means to receive the remission of sins (baptism regeneration). That is NOT what this text is saying.

     The word “for” is translated from the Greek word eis. The word can be translated for or because. Eis can mean aim or purpose or it can mean on the basis of or the ground of. The later is clearly the Scriptural pattern we find throughout the New Testament. Water baptism was (and is) an issue of IDENTIFICATION. The issue of repentance in this text is that these individual Jews were repenting of their representatives in the Priesthood of Israel and their trust in Law keeping (Moralism and Ritualism) to justify them before God and were now looking to a new Representative in the Person and Cross-work of Jesus Christ “for the remission of sins.”

     On the basis of their personal faith in the reality that God had been propitiated (His wrath upon Sin was satisfied) the penalty for their sins (death, Rom 6:23a) had been remitted, they then should be water baptized to publicly show their identification with Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Water baptism was not to receive the “remission of sins,” but BECAUSE their sins were remitted when they repented, believed the Gospel, and trusted in Christ. Repentance was a complete rejection and turning away from the false beliefs and practices they once trusted in and turning to complete trust and reliance upon the Cross-work of Jesus Christ “for the remission of sins” along with faith in His burial and resurrection for their justification before God.

     First, what is Biblical repentance? Repentance is a decision that results from a sense of guilt of sin or false beliefs about God brought to the sinner through the convincing (convicting) of the Holy Spirit resulting in compunction (i.e., a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse) towards God and turning away from the offensive practice(s) and/or beliefs. Compunction without turning away in repulsion from the offense toward God is not true repentance.

     Repentance is more than a feeling of remorse and regret. True repentance always acts upon the feelings of remorse and regret by turning away from the sinful practices that cause the remorse and regret accompanied with a change of attitude about that which is repented of. True repentance will always result in a sinner turning away from practices or beliefs that were once loved and coming to hate those practices and beliefs in that it is understood that those practices and beliefs defile a person before God because God hates all falsehood.

     The presentation of the gospel consistently ends with a call to repentance before there is a call to faith. We find this pattern again in Acts chapter three in Peter’s second message to the Jews.

“12 And when Peter saw it {the amazement and wonder of the people over the healing of the lame man; verses 1-12}, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? 13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. 16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19 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; 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. 22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers {Deut. 18:18-19}, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed {Gen. 12:3}. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities” (Acts 3:12-26).

     There are some who say Peter’s message of repentance was only for the Jews at the time of Christ who were lead astray by the apostate priesthood of Israel. However, this was the same message preach by the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles on Mars’ Hill in Athens.

“22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:22-31).

     What did these pagan Gentiles need to repent of in order to receive the “remission of sins”? They needed a change of mind about their pagan gods, their false religious beliefs, and the licentious, pornographic lives of sin their paganism led them into. God required a turning away from all that was involved in their paganism BEFORE they could turn to faith in Christ. God was not going to allow them to just integrate their pagan Hedonism into their Christianity. This integrationism of false beliefs and toleration of sinful practices is what happens when repentance is removed from a true saving faith decision. However, the greatest tragedy of removing repentance from a faith decision is that people are not saved. Without repentance, faith is not saving faith. Without repentance, faith is vain and contaminated with false beliefs. Saving faith is, and must be, a pure faith.

“4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. 7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:4-9).