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Saving Faith &

Repentance
To Life & Salvation
CHAPTER 14 & 15

THE 1689 BAPTIST CONFESSION

14 Outline

I. The source of saving faith A. The personal agent involved B. The instrumental means involved II The acts of saving faith A. Embraces Bibles infallibility & excellency B. Responds appropriately to everything in Bible C. Saving faith trusts in Christ alone for salvation from sin III. The distinctiveness of saving faith A The fact of its distinctiveness 1. The fact qualified 2. The fact emphasized B. The fruit of its distinctiveness

Q90:

What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin? A: To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.

14 - Faith Defined

14 - Faith Defined
Q91:

What is faith in Jesus Christ? A: Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace , whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

14 - Faith Defined
Q95:

How is the Word made effectual to salvation? A: The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation.

Conversion: 2 Divine-Human Activities


Conversion

defined: Our willing response to the gospel call, in which we sincerely repent of sins and place our trust in Christ for salvation

Conversion: 2 Divine-Human Activities


Repentance

defined: Turning from sin Faith defined: Turning to Jesus

What Must I Do To Be Saved?


Repent?

2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 11:18; 17:30 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away Believe? 8:12-13; 10:43; 11:17; 13:39; 16:31 through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.

Acts

Why arent both always mentioned? There is only one solution to this difficulty that is logically consistent and in line with the biblical data. Though faith and repentance are distinct graces, they are so intimately connected that one never exist without the other.
Repentance and faith are distinct. Some might think, The solution is that repentance and faith are two different names for the same thing. They are synonyms. [cont.]

This would be a false conclusion for the biblical data does not permit it. Repentance and faith depict different realities
One [Greek word for repentance] means a change of mind about God and sin. The other means a turning from sin to God. Faith is a conviction of the truth and a commitment to Christ, a closely related but distinct thing. Repentance and faith are directed towards different objects (Acts 20:21). [cont.]

Repentance focuses on God and his law. Faith focuses on Christ and his grace. Repentance and faith possess different roles in salvation Faith highlights the grace that works salvation. Repentance highlights the change that salvation works.
- p.193-194

Both Intimately Connected


One

cannot exist without the other Acts 20:21; 11:17-18; 17:30, 34 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

You cannot repent unless you believe. You cannot believe unless you repent. All true faith is repentant. All true repentance is believing. Thus both are necessary to be saved

Which is prior, faith or repentance? It is an unnecessary question and the insistence that one is prior to the other is futile. There is no priority. The faith that is unto salvation is a penitent faith and the repentance that is unto life is a believing repentance. Repentance is admirably defined in the Shorter Catechism.

Q92:

Repentance Defined

life? A: Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience.

What is repentance unto

Chapter 15 Outline
I. The recipients of repentance A. Those converted at riper years especially B. All believers generally II. The nature of repentance III. The continuance of repentance IV. The provision of repentance

Chapter 15 - Paragraph 1
Some

of the elect are converted after their early years, having lived in the naturala state for a time and served various evil desires and pleasures. God gives these repentance to life as part of their effectual calling.1
a:

without the Spirit

15.1 The Recipients [Riper]


Titus

3:2-5 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Are only those converted at riper years given repentance? The answer of the Confession to the question raised above is clearly No. Both paragraphs 2 and 4 make clear that all believers repent and thus are given repentance. [cont.]

The Confession makes this out of a desire to distinguish repentance as a crisis experience from repentance as an ordinary grace. All believers are marked by ordinary grace, but not all believers will know, or need to know, repentance as a crisis experience [i.e. Manasseh, Paul, Philippian jailer] I believe our Baptist forefathers had several practical concerns in making this distinction. Chiefly, they wanted to make sure that no one could accuse them of believing that all Christians [cont.]

must have a crisis conversion like that of the Philippian jailor. They were saying, Though we insist emphatically on personal conversion, we understand that the experience of a child raised in a Christian home may be quite different from that of one who is converted without the benefit of Christian nurture as a child. Both converts will experience repentance, but both may not have a crisis conversion experience. [cont]

Do not doubt your salvation merely because you lack a crisis experience like that of some respected brother or sister in the Lord. Do not demand of others a certain type of conversion experience as a necessary mark of true grace. An emotional earthquake, radical, external changes in ones life-style, knowing the exact time of ones rebirth, an extended work of conviction by the law, immediate sudden joyall of these may accompany conversion, but none are necessary marks of true repentance.

Chapter 15 - Paragraph 2
There

is no one who does good and does not sin.2 Even the best may fall into great sins and offenses, through the power and deceitfulness of the corruption in them, along with the strength of temptation. Therefore, God has mercifully provided in the covenant of grace that believers who sin and fall will be renewed through repentance to salvation.3

15.2 The Recipients [All]


There

is no one who does good and does not sin Eccl. 7:20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. Prov. 20:9 Who can say, I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?

15.2 The Recipients [All]


Even

the best may fall into great sins and offenses, through the power and deceitfulness of the corruption in them, along with the strength of temptation 2 Sam. 11:1-27 [King David] Luke 22:54-62 [Peters Denial]

15.2 The Recipients [All]


Therefore,

God has mercifully provided in the covenant of grace that believers who sin and fall will be renewed through repentance to salvation. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

15.2 The Recipients [All]


Luke

22:31-32 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.

15.2 The Recipients [All]


Jer.

32:40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

Chapter 15 - Paragraph 3
This

saving repentance is a gospel grace4 in which those who are made aware by the Holy Spirit of the many evils of their sin, by faith in Christ humble themselves for it with godly sorrow, hatred of it, and selfloathing.5 They pray for pardon and strength of grace and determine and endeavor by provisions from the Spirit to live before God in a well-pleasing way in everything.6

5.3 Its Nature


This

saving repentance is a gospel grace 2 Tim. 2:14-15 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

5.3 Its Nature


Acts

5:31 He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Acts 11:18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.

5.3 What is being refuted?


Lutherans

are wont [accustomed or in the habit] to stress the fact that repentance is wrought by the law and faith by the gospel. It should be borne in mind, however, that the two cannot be separated; they are simply complementary parts of the same process.- p. 487

Rom.

2 3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath

5.3 Its Nature


in

which those who are made aware by the Holy Spirit of the many evils of their sin, by faith in Christ humble themselves for it with godly sorrow, hatred of it, and self-loathing Ezek. 36:31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations.

Cor. 7 10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

5.3 Godly Sorrow


Ps.

51 1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight

5.3 Godly Sorrow


Luke

15 17 But when he came to his senses, he said, How many of my fathers hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men. 20 So he got up and came to his father

5.3 Worldly Sorrow


Matt.

27 3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? See to that yourself! 5 and he went away and hanged himself.

5.3 Its Nature


They

pray for pardon and strength of grace and determine and endeavor by provisions from the Spirit to live before God in a wellpleasing way in everything. Ps. 119:128 Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.

5.3 Its Nature


Prov.

28:13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. Ps. 119:59 I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your testimonies. Ps. 119:104 From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

5.3 Its Nature


Luke

3:8 Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father, for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

5.3 Its Nature


Acts

26:20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.

5.3 Its Nature


1

Thes. 1:9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,

Chapter 15 - Paragraph 4
Repentance

must continue throughout our lives, because of the body of death and its activities. So it is everyones duty to repent of each specific, known sin specifically. Matt. 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Luke

19:8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much. 1 Tim. 1:13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

5.4 Its Continuance

God

Chapter 15 - Paragraph 5

has made full provision through Christ in the covenant of grace to preserve believers in their salvation. Thus, although there is no sin so small that it is undeserving of damnation,8 yet there is no sin so great that it will bring damnation on those who repent.9 This makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary.

God

5.5 Its Provision

has made full provision through Christ in the covenant of grace to preserve believers in their salvation. Thus, although there is no sin so small that it is undeserving of damnation Ps. 130:3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

5.5 Its Provision


Ps.

143:2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

yet

Chapter 15 - Paragraph 5

there is no sin so great that it will bring damnation on those who repent.9 This makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary. Is. 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

Is.

5.5 Its Provision

1:16-18 Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, Says the Lord, Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

REPENTANCE seems to be a bitter pill to take, but it is to purge out the bad humour of sin. By some Antinomian spirits it is cried down as a legal doctrine; but Christ himself preached it. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, &c. Matt iv IT In his last farewell, when he was ascending to heaven, he commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name. Luke xxiv 47. Repentance is a pure gospel grace. The covenant of works would not admit of repentance; it cursed all that could not perform perfect and personal

obedience. Gal iii 10. Repentance comes in by the gospel; it is the fruit of Christs purchase that repenting sinners shall be saved. It is wrought by the ministry of the gospel, while it sets before our eyes Christ crucified. It is not arbitrary, but necessary; there is no being saved without it. Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke xiii 3. We may be thankful to God that he has left us this plank after shipwreck.

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