Ephesians 2:8-9 tell us that, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Scripture taken as a whole also requires repentance for salvation (Matthew 4:17, Luke 5:32, Mark 1:15, Luke 13:3; Luke 24:47).
These two statements may seem to be at odds at each other- grace by faith alone but the act of repentance is required for salvation.
The answer to this problem is that repentance is not a work of our own doing- it is a gift from God. Acts 11:18 tells us that it is God who grants repentance that leads to life. 2 Timothy 2:25 also speaks of God granting repentance "leading to a knowledge of the truth."
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I just heard a teaching on the radio from Pastor Colin Smith http://www.unlockingthebible.com/ He was preaching on John 1: 12,13 "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." He explained the requirement of faith but that it is God who is regenterates the believer. He used a sunrise as an example. The sun rises in the morning and there is light. One wouldn't say the sun rises because there is light but the opposite; that there is light because the sun rises. The light is a result of the sun rising. So also we have faith as a result of having been regenated by God.
ReplyDeleteI think this same example can be applied to repentance. Because we have been regenerated by God, the result is we received the gifts of repentance and faith in Him.
I probably did a poor job of explaining this. Did it make any sense?
It is true that God grants repentance (as stated above in my post) and faith. That is one of the things I have realized- that if God isn't drawing a person to Himself, no amount of witnessing or proselytizing can persuade them and only prayer can.
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