We Are Saved By Believing, Not By Repenting

Mark 1:14-15, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

The reason why I write on the topic of repentance quite often is simply because it is probably the most debated and misunderstood subject in the inspired Holy Bible.

Do we repent AND believe, or do we repent TO believe? Preachers and theologians wrangle over this question incessantly, oftentimes in heated debates. I strongly contend that we repent TO believe. That is, repentance is included in believing. This is why the word “believe” appears 85 times in the Gospel of John (which is God's Gospel tract according to John 20:31), but the word “repent” does not appear even once. The man who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ has repented! That is, he has changed his mind from unbelief to belief.

I love how Evangelist Alexander Marshall (1846-1928) explains repentance...

“I HAVE NOT REPENTED ENOUGH”

What do you mean? “I am not sorry enough for my sins.”

And if you were very sorry, would God be more willing to save you than He is now? “I think so.”

Then you are completely mistaken.

“But does it not say, unless we repent we shall perish?”

Yes; but what do you think is the Scriptural significance of “repentance”? If you say “sorrow for sin” you are wrong. It does not mean sorrow for sin: it means a CHANGE OF MIND (Matt. 21:29). This change will doubtless produce sorrow; but sorrow and repentance are two very different things (Heb. 12:17. margin, and II Cor. 7:9). When God calls on you to “repent, and believe the Gospel,” He wishes you to lay aside your wrong thoughts, and believe the glad tidings that He proclaims to you. Formerly you may have imagined that you were required to feel very sorry before being saved. Change your mind. You may have supposed you must first “feel” some great change in order to know you were saved. Change your mind. First believe in God's great love to you, as revealed in His gospel, and you will KNOW that you have eternal life (John 5:24).

Yes, that is excellent. Mr. Marshall is 100% correct! Marshall plainly recognizes that sinners are saved by BELIEVING THE GOSPEL; that is, he says, “to lay aside your wrong thoughts [Repentance] and believe the glad tidings [Gospel] that He proclaims to you.” This is the simplicity that is in Christ. The Gospel is simple. Anyone who simply BELIEVES IT is saved. Even a small child can do that.

If you want to go to Heaven, simply by faith (taking God at His written Word) receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full-payment for your sins, believing that Jesus was buried, but then physically resurrected from the dead three days later. This is 'THE GOSPEL' (1st Corinthians 15:1-6), by which all who BELIEVE IT are instantly and permanently saved (Romans 1:16).

So, to clarify, you don't have to change your sinful ways to be saved. Behavior modification has nothing to do with God's free gift of eternal life. God is giving you something for free; not you giving or trading something in exchange for salvation. Jesus doesn't forgive sin. You read correct. Jesus has already paid for everyone's sins with His blood. That is why the Bible calls eternal life a “free gift” three times in Romans 5:15-18. A gift is a take proposition, not a give proposition.