Faith or Repentance—Which Comes First?
BY DANIEL ROWLANDS | Must people repent of their sins before God grants justifying faith? Or does repentance follow faith? Which comes first—faith or repentance?
The faith that is unto salvation is a penitent faith and the repentance that is unto life is a believing repentance. — John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, p. 119.
Repentance is a critical teaching of the Word of God. We are called to proclaim it in the name of Christ Jesus everywhere (Luke 24:47). Yet a question arises: must people repent of their sins and show a changed behavior, that is a changed life, before God grants justifying faith—faith that is the instrument by which God reconciles a sinful person to himself? Or does repentance follow faith? Which comes first—faith or repentance? And how do we know…
Repentance is a turning, 180 degrees, from not only our sins, but from our "good-works" also. It is a change of mind that now believes in the finished work of Christ. It was once circumstantial, but now objective.
Of course we are to put to death sin which so easily entangles us, but we never do. It is a daily dying. If it were based on our behavior, then none have ever truly "repented". Nowhere does scripture say 'Repent of your sins". Rather "Repent, and believe."