Lent is a season of repentance and mourning for sins. Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost demands a response from the sinner. "They were pierced to the heart, and said ‘Brethren, what shall we do?'" (Acts 2:37). And they will desperately cry out for the salvation found only in Christ. The gospel call to the sinner throughout Scripture is a simple command - repent and believe. The apostle Paul referred to the gospel as "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Salvation comes through giving up on one's own goodness, works, knowledge, and wisdom and trusting in the finished, perfect work of Christ. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, a high-ranking Jewish scholar, He pointed out "that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Paul wrote that God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Salvation apart from faith in Christ is impossible. Faith is not simply an acknowledgment of Christ but it is an active dependence on Him in the form of repentance. Faith and repentance are the two correspond closely. Turning away from sin in repentance is the natural extension of turning to Christ in faith. The Greek word for "repentance" is metanoia and it means a change of purpose, and specifically a turning to God for salvation.
And thus, it is crucial to understand the vital relationship between faith and repentance. People of faith are to have great interest in obedience and holiness. Faith must lead to obedience. "Believe" is synonymous with "obey" in John 3:36, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life." Actions followed by obedience are the inevitable manifestation of true faith. True faith always produces righteous works. So we are justified by faith alone, but justifying faith is never alone. The biblical testimony is clear. The gospel call is a call to repent and believe. You can't have one without the other, and you can't do either without God empowering those responses. We must present the solution to the human problem by preaching the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to repent and believe. In this holy season, may God richly bless each of you and your families!
In Christ,
Pastor Peter Suhn
