'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved'

[Martin Marprelate]

Acts 16:31 is the proof-text assurance given to prospective 'converts' to lead them to suppose that they can become Christians without repentance. I want to look at the context of this verse and see seven things about this man which led Paul and Silas to refer him to Christ. These points are adapted from Studies in Saving Faith by A. W. Pink.

1. The jailor had just witnessed the miracle-working power of God (v.26).
2. In consequence of that, he was deeply moved to the point of self-despair. He was about to kill himself (V.27).
3. He felt the need for illumination 'Then he called for a light' (v.29).
4. His self-righteousness and self-complacency was utterly shattered. He came trembling' (v.29).
5. He took his proper place before God- in the dust. He 'fell down before Paul and Silas.' (v.29).
6. He showed proper respect and consideration for God's servants. He brought them out' (v.30).
7. Then, with a deep concern for his soul, he asked, "What must I do to be saved." (v.31).

In short, this man was an awakened, convicted soul and he was ready to be pointed to Christ.
I have pointed out elsewhere that when people came to the Lord Jesus asking similar questions (Luke 10:25ff; 18:18ff), He pointed them to the Moral Law. Why did He do that? Because they had no sense of sin. The Scribe was merely 'testing' Jesus (10:25); the Rich Young Ruler thought he was keeping the law (18:21). Both needed to be convicted of sin before they could be saved.

I do not know if there is one corner of hell is hotter and blacker than the rest, but if there is such a corner, it will be reserved for those who teach those seeking Christ that they can reach heaven without repenting of their sins. This is the true meaning of Matt. 18:6-7. 'My brothers, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgement' (James 3:1).

 

[Internet Theologian]

Good and keen Holy Spirit insight on the passage brother. There is more to what is on the surface of Scripture passages and drawing out that truth is the work of God itself. Good job.

You are correct about this teaching that dismisses repentance. Some doctrines curtail this into something that mystically happens at a point of mental assent. There is no support for this in the Scriptures. May God bring all to continue to preach the true Gospel of repentant and believe.

 

[InTheLight]

Once again I would ask for examples of people that preach that one may become a Christian without repentance. Who are these people? Give links, please.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Once again I would ask for examples of people that preach that one may become a Christian without repentance. Who are these people? Give links, please.

http://faithalone.org/magazine/y2014/What-Is-Free-Grace.pdf

If no one is out there preaching this stuff, I shall be delighted to hear it.

 

[Revmitchell]

Once again I would ask for examples of people that preach that one may become a Christian without repentance. Who are these people? Give links, please.

There are some on this board who hold that position.

 

[Van]

What did the Apostles say to answer the question, what shall I do to be saved? "They said "Believe in/on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household." (NASB) The main point of the OP is that intellectual assent (i.e. believing Jesus is the Messiah) does not automatically result in salvation. A deep self awareness of our sinfulness and need of salvation is also required. And of course all that is absolutely correct.

In addition, lets look at the verse (Acts 16:31) more closely:
First it says the Jailer must believe. This Greek word is in the Aorist tense, or in other words, a done deal, sometime in the past the person engaged in their belief in Jesus. So the first step in this sequence is for the Jailer to believe in Jesus as Lord. Once the Jailer has taken that action, and thus it is a past action what happens next according to scripture? The person, our Jailer in this case, will be being saved. Note the action is future. The Jailer has taken step one, but other actions occur in the process of being saved, such as God crediting the Jailer's faith as righteousness or not. Finally note that this process applies not only to the Jailer but also to his household. He does not save them, his influence will plant the seed in them.

 

[Internet Theologian]

I recall a brother back in the church where I was baptized pulling me aside concerning discussing preaching repentance. He told me 'When a person says they believe, they repented!' He learned this at a Bible School that embraces DTS and uses the works of some from there.

I knew this wasn't true but I wasn't sure where he had gotten that nonsense because it was not from the Scriptures. Since that time he has come to the DoG understanding. May God bring all of His elect out of such an atrocious error!

 

[InTheLight]

http://faithalone.org/magazine/y2014/What-Is-Free-Grace.pdf

From the article:
The Free Grace position is very clear that turning from sins is not a synonym for faith nor a condition of eternal life. Note that well. (Some in the Free Grace camp believe that repentance is a condition of everlasting life, but they define repentance as a change of mind about Christ, not turning from sins. In essence that view sees repentance as a synonym for faith.

Well, I agree with some of that and I have issues with that statement. Turning from sin is not a synonym for faith. Repentance IS a change of mind, turning from sin is the result of repentance, not the definition of repentance. Faith and repentance (a change of mind) are synonyms, insofar as it relates to salvation.

If no one is out there preaching this stuff, I shall be delighted to hear it.

If....no....one....is....doing....something, I want to hear about it. That makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[Revmitchell]

Repentance of sin is in fact part of salvation.

 

[InTheLight]

There are some on this board who hold that position.

Well, I've been here five years now, and I've never explicitly read that. Maybe they are talking in code words or something, or I've just missed it.

 

[InTheLight]

Repentance of sin is in fact part of salvation.

I think we are arguing over semantics. Repentance of sin is not salvation, it is the result of salvation. Once we are justified we no longer want to sin. Repentance of sin to receive salvation would be a works based salvation. We can't do that on our own.

 

[Revmitchell]

I think we are arguing over semantics. Repentance of sin is not salvation, it is the result of salvation. Once we are justified we no longer want to sin. Repentance of sin to receive salvation would be a works based salvation. We can't do that on our own.

Sigh, we cannot just assign what ever action we want to the idea that it is works. Whatever God requires of us in response is the opposite of works. Works in scripture is always a reference to the OT law. You cannot come to Christ and understand that He paid the wage for our sin and not now see sin as wrong and a need to do it differently. We cannot divorce the cross from the gospel message and we cannot divorce sin from the cross.

 

[InTheLight]

Sigh, we cannot just assign what ever action we want to the idea that it is works. Whatever God requires of us in response is the opposite of works. Works in scripture is always a reference to the OT law. You cannot come to Christ and understand that He paid the wage for our sin and not now see sin as wrong and a need to do it differently. We cannot divorce the cross from the gospel message and we cannot divorce sin from the cross.

Repentance of sin, or feeling sorry for your sin can be done by unbelievers. Drunkards can quit drinking, thieves can quit stealing, etc. True repentance, or a change of mind about Christ, results in salvation, then turning from your sin and desiring not to continue doing sin is part of the "new creature" that Gods makes us into.

 

[Revmitchell]

Repentance of sin, or feeling sorry for your sin can be done by unbelievers. Drunkards can quit drinking, thieves can quit stealing, etc. True repentance, or a change of mind about Christ, results in salvation, then turning from your sin and desiring not to continue doing sin is part of the "new creature" that Gods makes us into.

You missed what I said.Paul wrote "Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." When we share the gospel it is necessary to talk about why we need Jesus. That need is due to our sin. When we change our mind about Christ ( a rather vague statement) what is it we are changing our minds about? The fact is we need to understand Jesus died to pay the wage for our sin. You cannot share the gospel if you have not shared about our sinfulness and what Jesus did for it. Your position is then to set aside any idea of sin and just give mental ascent to having eternal life or being saved. What we need to do is understand in full that it was our sin that separated us from God and that sin has to be resolved. We also need to understand that our faith is to trust in Christ not only for His work on the cross but to love Him and live for Him.

I think we want to be careful about placing some chronological order on salvation, change in heart, and repentance. Else we become no better off than calvinists who also read into scripture what is not plainly there.

 

[DHK]

Good and keen Holy Spirit insight on the passage brother. There is more to what is on the surface of Scripture passages and drawing out that truth is the work of God itself. Good job.

You are correct about this teaching that dismisses repentance. Some doctrines curtail this into something that mystically happens at a point of mental assent. There is no support for this in the Scriptures. May God bring all to continue to preach the true Gospel of repentant and believe.

Before you got saved, or more specifically at the time of your salvation, how many sins did you repent of?
Did you repent of "all your sins"? Every one of them? Were you able to remember them all, much less repent of them all? It is an asinine position to take for the memory cannot recall every sin ever committed and thus cannot repent of "all one's sins." Even if were possible, it would end up to be a works based salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith and that not of works.

 

[Revmitchell]

Before you got saved, or more specifically at the time of your salvation, how many sins did you repent of?
Did you repent of "all your sins"? Every one of them? Were you able to remember them all, much less repent of them all? It is an asinine position to take for the memory cannot recall every sin ever committed and thus cannot repent of "all one's sins." Even if were possible, it would end up to be a works based salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith and that not of works.

sigh, this is an absurd question that really should have no place in intelligent conversation. I am not trying to be harsh but it is in fact juvenile.

Look, repentance of sin means that we understand we have been living contrary to Gods' holy standard and because of that e need to be cleansed from out filthiness which is our sin. Our repentance is that we no longer intend to live contrary to God and His standard. That which is contrary is sin. One cannot say they believe that Jesus paid the price for our sin and I want to be saved but II intend to go on living like I have. That is absurd.

 

[DHK]

sigh, this is an absurd question that really should have no place in intelligent conversation. I am not trying to be harsh but it is in fact juvenile.

Look, repentance of sin means that we understand we have been living contrary to Gods' holy standard and because of that e need to be cleansed from out filthiness which is our sin. Our repentance is that we no longer intend to live contrary to God and His standard. That which is contrary is sin. One cannot say they believe that Jesus paid the price for our sin and I want to be saved but II intend to go on living like I have. That is absurd.

Just pointing out the absurdity of many unbiblical definitions of repentance there are. There is no concept of "repent of your sins" taught in the NT. That is not what repentance is.
Repentance is a change of mind.
More specifically it is "a change of mind with respect to one's attitude toward God."
Once a person was rebellious in his attitude toward God. Then he repents. He changes his attitude.
Now he submits to the will of God. He has changed his mind in respect to his attitude toward God.
He once was rebellious but now is submissive. That is repentance: a change of mind with respect toward God.

It is also the flip side of faith. What happens when one "believes on the Lord Jesus Christ..."
Since he believes that Christ is Lord he submits to Him as Lord and his life is changed (just like repentance). Both produce a change in one 's life. Belief is not simply intellectual assent as is asserted by some.
The devils believe and tremble. The devils are not saved. They have intellectual assent.
No one here believes that faith is simple intellectual assent.

 

[Revmitchell]

More specifically it is "a change of mind with respect to one's attitude toward God."
Once a person was rebellious in his attitude toward God. Then he repents. He changes his attitude.
Now he submits to the will of God.

Exactly! That rebellion is sin. Now we are on the same page.

 

[InTheLight]

Exactly! That rebellion is sin. Now we are on the same page.

Yes, I'm on this page as well.

 

[agedman]

I read this page, does that count?

Paul writing about a previous letter, tells the Corinthians (2):

I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
​

Here is a point that hasn't been addressed. It is a matter of culture and sin. There are two laws for the gentile believer, not to diminish or state the Decalogue is not important.

However, perhaps repentance does not take the same "confession of sins" as what some may regard, but rather a confession of unworthiness and admission of reliance upon the finished work of Christ - the "change of mind" from self sufficiency to that of all sufficiency is found only in Christ. In this then, the word repentance, fits more exactly to that which Scriptures would present (as has already been the focus of some post(s)).