REPENTANCE - A NECESSARY PREREQUISITE TO SALVATION

Act 2:38

Morning Meditation 11/7/2012

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

The word "Repent" translates, "metanoeo" and means, "a change of mind that will result in changed actions."

Acts 2:38 does not teach baptismal regeneration. It is the way Christians identify with a fellowship of believers. It is making one's profession known by being immersed in water and bringing him up again. The believer did not only die with Jesus, he was raised with Him. It is all pictured in baptism.

Acts 2:37 says, "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter charged them with the murder of the Son of God. When they heard this they ask, "Men and brethren what shall we do?" Peter told them what they had to do to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. If having the Holy Ghost as He came on Pentecost was necessary to salvation it would mean that none of the Apostles were saved until them. When one adopts a false doctrine, the next word out of his mouth will be an absurdity.

Acts 2:37 does not ask, "Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?" That question is posed in Acts 16:30-31. These Jewish brethren were asking what they would have to do to receive the Holy Spirit as they witnessed on the day of Pentecost. So, Peter answered them and included the plan of salvation in his answer.

Baptism is not necessary to salvation. It is necessary to obedience. Paul told the Church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 1:14, "I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;" Can you imagine Paul saying this if baptism were necessary to salvation.

"'For'" (as used in Acts 2:38 "for the forgiveness...") could have two meanings. If you saw a poster saying "Jesse James wanted for robbery", "for" could mean Jesse is wanted so he can commit a robbery, or is wanted because he has committed a robbery. The later sense is the correct one. So too in this passage, the word "for" signifies an action in the past. Otherwise, it would violate the entire tenor of the NT teaching on salvation by grace and not by works. -- Taken from the Greek Lexicon on Online Bible.

The beginning of the way back for those Jews who rejected the Jesus as Messiah and Saviour, is repentance.

Repentance is when we take God's side against ourselves. God has diagnosed the human race and His conclusion is found in Romans 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"

Repentance is a prerequisite to salvation. There is no man saved who has not repented. Jesus said in Luke 13:1-5, "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Jesus mentions repentance twice in these few verses. Luke quotes Jesus saying in substance, "Either turn or burn." People don't like to hear about hell. However, it is taught by Christ more than His teaching on heaven.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts. And may He give us an added burden to reach those who are standing on the precipice ready to fall into the bottomless pit. It is called hell and it is a place of no return.

In Christ

Bro. White