Repentance and Faith Two Sides Of Same Coin

Some try to make repentance a separate step in salvation, as
if it means God requires the person to help pay for their sins
by feeling very sorry for them, or by reforming their life.

Such an understanding, clearly fails to trust in Christ alone
for salvation, as it implies His payment for our sin was not
enough, and that now we must somehow make up the difference by
changing our behavior.

However, it is simply impossible for an unsaved person, in
their fallen, spiritually powerless state, to walk in
obedience to God. The natural man is at enmity with God, and
cannot subject himself to His will (Romans 8:7). Living a
yielded life requires the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit
(Romans 6), and is a constant struggle, even for the
spiritually empowered believer (Romans 7).

Ephesians 2 and Galatians clearly condemns any such attempt by
man, to add his merits to the finished work of Christ, as a
false gospel which will result in eternal damnation. This is
the view which I believe Frank correctly condemns, which is
that salvation is _not_ by faith in Christ, plus your
"repentance".

Biblical repentance, however, is not a separate step from
saving faith in Christ alone, but is the other side of the
same coin. It is a 180 degree change of mind about Christ and
your sin. Just as by the single act of turning _to_ God, the
Thessalonians simultaneously turned _from_ their idols (1
Thess. 1:9), so the one who trusts in Christ alone for
salvation, has thereby turned away from confidence in every
other payment for their sin.

With regard to salvation, no one can believe Christ died for
their sins, without also simultaneously agreeing they are a
sinner. That 180 degree change of mind about both our sin,
and Christ's payment for it, is the repentance by which God
effects our salvation. They are "two sides of the same coin".

With regard to our _fellowship_ with God, however, 1 John 1
plainly states, "if we confess our sins...He is faithful and
just to forgive them, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God can justly forgive our sins, by virtue of the fact Christ
has satisfied all His righteous demands against them (1 John
2:1ff.)

That doesn't mean we lose our salvation until we confess our
sins, but that as believers, we are walking out of fellowship
with God until we change our mind, and agree with Him we've
sinned.

Biblical repentance, then, is involved both in salvation and
restored fellowship with God, but it is not a step of personal
merit we can add to the finished work of Christ. It is simply
that through the single means of faith in Christ's payment for
our sin, we thereby agree we have sinned, and turn to His
atonement from every other confidence. Faith and repentance
are two sides of the same coin.

--
Have you heard Christ died for our sins, and God raised Him
from the dead? Did you know God saves you from hell and
gives you eternal life through faith in this finished work alone,
not your merits (Jn. 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-3; Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Thess.
1:8-9)? This is so man cannot boast, and God alone gets the
glory (Eph. 2:8-9).
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