(4 minute read)
Repentance and faith are the necessary responses you must make to the gospel message. They are inseparable, yet distinct acts that work hand-in-hand. Both are gifts of God’s grace, and neither is possible without the work of the Holy Spirit.
This is the human side of salvation—called conversion—where you:
- Change your thinking about sin with a decisive turn from sin and to God
- Place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ for who He is and what He has done for you through His death and resurrection
This turning leads to justification and spiritual rebirth.
By repentance, you give glory to your Creator, God the Father, whom you have offended over and over.
By faith, you give glory to your Redeemer, God the Son, Jesus Christ, who came to save you from your sins.
It requires total surrender as you repent and confess your faith in Jesus.
What Is Repentance?
Repentance is one of the definite marks of a believer. It is the grace of God applied by the Holy Spirit, where a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly changed.
- It begins in the heart—a change of thinking about sin
- It results in action—a turning from sin and to God
- It pursues righteousness inwardly, because everything you say and do flows from the heart
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you say and do flows from it.”
— (Proverbs 4:23); emphasis added.
The Exegetical Dictionary defines repentance as:
“A change of mind that includes a decisive turning from sin to God.”
Repentance is:
- A desire to forsake sin completely
- A heartfelt sorrow for sin—not just for the act, but for the separation it caused from God
- A genuine, Spirit-confirmed change that is eternal and life-transforming
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.”
— (Psalm 51:17)
The Bible makes it clear—there is no salvation without repentance. It is literally going from death to life, instantly.
Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly Sorrow
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
— (2 Corinthians 7:10)
- Worldly sorrow: Regret over consequences—embarrassment, shame, fear of punishment—but no heart change
- Godly sorrow: Deep grief for having sinned against God, produced by the Holy Spirit, leading to true repentance
Repentance is ongoing—a daily turning to God—because while believers are still in the world, they are not of it. Jesus calls believers to a lifetime of repentance until the day He returns.
“…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
— (Philippians 1:6)
What Is Faith?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
— (Hebrews 11:1)
Faith is belief, trust, and complete confidence—with absolute certainty—in:
- Who Jesus is: The one true, sovereign God, with all authority in heaven and on earth
- What Jesus did: Died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, and was raised from the dead to give eternal life to all who repent and put their faith and trust in Him
Faith means turning to, trusting in, and relying on Him alone.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
— (Proverbs 3:5–6)
Faith comes from hearing the Gospel:
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
— (Romans 10:17)
The Holy Spirit grants this faith when he deems it to be sincere. Not temporary faith, where you believe for a while and then fall away, or intellectual faith, where your faith in Christ is in your head, but not in your heart or dead faith, where there are no actions to show the evidence of your faith — but real, “saving” faith.
It is impossible for you to deceive the Holy Spirit when it comes to Him granting faith.
Faith and Works
True saving faith is always active. It produces good works as its evidence—not as its source.
“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
— (James 2:17)
Works are the visible proof of the invisible faith within. Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.
Justification and regeneration together make up the “divine” side of salvation. They happen simultaneously—not one causing the other in sequence—but at the very moment a person places their faith in Christ.
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