Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 11
NEED_DATE
NUMBER 35, PAGE 2,7a

Repentance And Faith

Herschel E. Patton, Shelbyville, Tennessee

Throughout the world people are being taught and urged to comply with the doctrines and practices set forth in nineteen articles of faith recorded in the standard manual of those holding these beliefs. It behooves every sincere person to "search the scriptures daily" to see if these things be true. In these efforts, we are analyzing each statement in each article and measuring the statements by what the word of God says. This is a procedure urged upon people by the inspired writers. We trust that you will honestly, sincerely, and without prejudice make this investigation with us.

Article No. VIII.

"We believe the scriptures teach that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in the soul by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contribution, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus as our prophet, priest, and king, and relying on him alone as the only and all-sufficient Saviour."

Repentance And Faith As Duties

First, in this article, we are told that repentance and faith are sacred duties. Here is a statement which cannot be denied, for there are many scriptures where men are commanded to repent — commanded to believe. Anything commanded of men by the Lord becomes man's duty. Hebrews 11:6 says "he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Since man "must" believe, certainly it is his duty to do so. Acts 17:30 records Paul as saying "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent." Other verses could be given, but these certainly show that it is man's duty to believe and to repent. Keep in mind that it is declared in the first part of this article that both faith and repentance are duties. This same thing was affirmed back in article number seven where we were told that "it is the immediate duty of all to accept them (blessings of the salvation) by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith." These statements declare that man has a duty to perform with reference to faith and repentance.

Graces Miraculously Wrought

Now, having affirmed that repentance and faith are sacred duties, just look at the next statement — "and also inseparable graces, wrought in the soul by the regenerating Spirit of God." Now friends, how can repentance and faith be duties of man and at the same time be something that is done for him without effort on his part? It is the duty of citizens with certain incomes to pay State and Federal income taxes. Now, suppose these taxes were taken care of for us by the government! If the government took care of these for us, it would no longer be our duty to pay them. Yet we are told repentance and faith are duties of man and also something wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit without effort on man's part. You can see, friends, this is an impossibility. If God gives repentance and faith, then they are not duties of man. If they are duties, then they are not given of God without effort on man's part. We are cited to some scriptures which are thought to teach that repentance and faith are wrought in man's soul miraculously; to these we now give our attention.

Acts 11:18 "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." This verse is thought to teach that repentance is a gift granted by God which would keep it from being a responsibility of man. Here God is represented as granting repentance to the Gentiles; but the question is: Does He grant this through means or without means? The scriptures teach that repentance is not just being sorry, but that godly sorrow worketh or leadeth to repentance (2 Cor. 7:10); that repentance is not a reformation of life, but rather, reformation of life is fruit or proof of repentance (Matt. 3:8); and that repentance is a change of mind or change of will (Matt. 21:28-29). If we can learn how God changes one's mind, we can see how He grants repentance. It is evident from all Bible examples that this is done through or by the gospel. In the gospel men learn that it is their duty to repent. From the gospel they learn of the impending judgment, which is a motive to repent (Acts 17:30-31). From the gospel men learn of the goodness of God, which also is a motive to repent (Rom. 2:4). So it was, God granted repentance to the Gentiles by means of the gospel. He prepared Peter to go with the words of life to the house of Cornelius. They heard from Peter the word of the. Lord which resulted in their believing and being baptized. God stamped His approval upon the conversion of Gentiles by causing the Holy Spirit to "fall on them, as on the, apostles at the beginning" (Acts 11:15). The Jews in Jerusalem looked upon the whole incident as God's granting unto the Gentiles repentance unto life. The context shows that God granted to the Gentiles repentance by means of the gospel, which gospel commands repentance on man's part. Hence, it is not something granted without effort on man's part.

The next scripture listed in an effort to prove that repentance and faith are gifts of God is Ephesians 2:8. "By grace ye are saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." The thing referred to in this passage as the gift of God is salvation and not repentance and faith. Salvation is a gift of God, and is not of ourselves. We cannot save ourselves through our works or anything else separate and apart from Christ and the gospel. However, as we have repeatedly pointed out, salvation as a gift does not mitigate against the conditions upon which the gift has been promised. The passage under consideration shows that this gift is received through faith — faith on man's part, and the faith that profits is a living, working faith — one that leads through repentance and baptism. If men are going to contend that repentance and faith are gifts from God without effort on man's part, they should quit talking about them as duties. If they are going to call them duties, they should quit talking about them as gifts bestowed miraculously on man. It just can't be both ways.

Inseparable

We are also told in this article that repentance and faith are INSEPARABLE graces. This would mean that it is impossible for one to do one of these things and not do the other. However, on the day of Pentecost Peter preached the gospel, and the statement "they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" shows they believed. In answer to this question Peter said "repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:37-38).

Notice he commanded repentance, but did not mention faith — why? The reason is evident. They had already believed but still needed to repent and be baptized. There are numerous statements in the New Testament of people believing but refusing to confess him, or who would not, and so far as we know, never did repent. All this, of course, would be impossible if faith and repentance were inseparable.

The Order

Another thing that should be mentioned in connection with this article is the order set forth for repentance and faith. Believers in these articles of faith believe repentance comes before faith; hence, we have that order stated in this article. If they are inseparable, how could there be an order? More than once in these articles we are cited to Mark 16:15 which says: "repent ye, and believe the gospel." This verse is thought to present the order of repentance and faith for the alien sinner, but to so teach is to pervert the scripture. The Jews were taught by John the Baptist, the twelve, the seventy, and by Jesus "To repent and believe the gospel"; to "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"; "to repent and believe on him that shall come." However, we must remember these Jews were God's children, under the first covenant, and John was sent to them preaching repentance. They had transgressed the law and corrupted the worship prescribed in the law, yet were believers in God. Jesus called them hypocrites and applied to them the prophecy of drawing nigh with their mouth and honouring him with their lips, but with their hearts far from him (Matt. 15:7-9). It is no wonder, then, that these were called upon to repent. They were told to repent and to believe the glad tidings of the near approach of the reign of the Messiah. At that time Christ and his kingdom had not come, but they were told to repent and to believe the glad tidings of the near approach of both the Messiah and the kingdom. Understanding this, you can see that to take these scriptures and apply them to alien sinners today a perversion of God's word. People today are not taught in the scriptures to repent and believe the glad tidings of the near approaching kingdom of Christ because Christ and his kingdom have come.

The proper order of faith and repentance can be clearly seen from the examples of conversion recorded in the book of Acts. As we have already seen, on Pentecost the order was: gospel preached — hearts pricked so as to ask for duty. This was belief. They were then commanded to repent and be baptized. In Acts 16:31 the Philippian jailor was told to believe; then the word of the Lord was spoken to him and to all that were in his house. This was necessary to his believing, since faith cometh by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). Next, we find hint washing the stripes of Paul and Silas, thus showing fruits of repentance; and then followed the baptismal service — even the same hour of the night. Preach the gospel, believe, repent and be baptized is the command of the Lord and the procedure followed as the apostles worked under the great commission.

Supplication For Mercy

We are next told, in this article, that when these inseparable graces are wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God, one is "deeply convinced of his guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ and consequently turns to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy." Friends, if the graces of repentance and faith have been wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God and a holy disposition of mind has been miraculously granted, then why should such a one plead for mercy? He has already been miraculously regenerated, and that without effort on his part; but now this one is represented as turning to God and pleading for mercy. What does one do in turning to God? Is not this effort on man's part, and is not pleading for mercy effort on man's part?

We are further informed that at the same time one turns to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy, he heartily receives the Lord Jesus as prophet, priest, and king, and relies on him alone as the only and all-sufficient Savior. Of course, in turning to God, one must accept Jesus as Savior, prophet, priest, and king because he is represented in the scriptures as filling these positions and there is no way of access to God except through Christ. (John 14:16.)

Conclusion

This eighth article presents an impossibility in stating that repentance and faith are both sacred duties and graces wrought in the soul miraculously. It violates the scriptures in contending that repentance and faith are inseparable, and in the contention that these are miraculously bestowed gifts instead of duties on the part of man. In representing the sinner as turning to God and making supplication for mercy, it contradicts the teaching of a previous article that justification is bestowed on principles of Christ's righteousness and not in consideration of any works man does. This article places stress on both repentance and faith when article number five taught that justification was solely through faith. Whether you look upon repentance and faith as duties or gifts of God, you still have no need of repentance if justification is solely through faith. Friends, articles of faith which are so contradictory, regardless of the sincerity of those professing them, just can not be sound doctrine. Let us forget about the creeds of men and be content to read and accept the scriptures.