Bible Repentance Is Solely A Matter Of Acknowledging The Truth

Romans 3:19-20, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” 

This is so important to understand. The only purpose of God's law in salvation is to give all humanity “THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.” Very few Bible preachers correctly understand what it means to “repent” to be saved.

A man needs to know what he is being saved from. God's law shows us our iniquities and then brings us to Christ to be saved by grace. Galatians 3:24-26, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Do you see that friend? When you place your faith in Christ, the law is no longer necessary in receiving eternal life. The ONLY purpose of the law is to give people THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.

So when bad preachers tell you that you must repent “OF YOUR SINS” to be saved, they are lying to you and using the law differently than it was intended by God, to give the KNOWLEDGE OF SIN. They are requiring you to OBEY THE LAW to be saved, or to BE WILLING TO KEEP THE LAW to be saved. They say you must be willing to forsake a lifestyle of sinning. But that is not the Gospel of free grace as taught in the inspired King James Bible. Dear friend, Jesus paid your debt of sin, because you couldn't do it, and neither could I. Eternal life is a free gift from God. You don't have to give up anything, nor be willing to give up anything. Consider again this beautiful quote from Pastor Harry Ironside...

“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …

Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”

SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the sermon: What Is The Gospel?

Repentance is simply a matter of acknowledging THE TRUTH of your sinnership. 2nd Timothy 2:25, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” Repentance is entirely a matter of the heart, where a person acknowledges THE TRUTH that you are a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God; thus believing the Gospel you are saved by faith alone.