Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, Repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
God requires two things from believers: Repentance and Faith. The Apostle Paul stated this clearly when he said, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, Repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sin offends God. We are all sinners and thus, have offended God. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23) John wrote: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8) Therefore, Repentance on our part is required of us by God.
John went on to say, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Confession of our sins is just the beginning of Repentance. To repent of sin is to turn from it and stop doing it.
God wants us to live sin-free lives and the ONLY way we can do this is to place our Faith in the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross of Calvary. And there we have the other requirement for all believers: Faith in Christ and Him Crucified.
It’s not just faith to believe Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sin-free life, and performed countless Miracles. While all this is indeed true and we must believe it, those things are not to be the object of our faith. Those things prove that Jesus was and is the Son of God. Only Faith in what He accomplished on the Cross results in Salvation.
Jesus went to the Cross so you can be set free from sin. He defeated the power of Satan in our lives on Crucifixion Day. If we truly believe that, then and only then, are we truly Saved. Then and only then, are we born again to a new life IN Christ Jesus.
The old man is dead. We are no longer that person that the enemy controlled. On the contrary, we are the new man by way of our Faith in Christ Crucified and the Guidance and Leading of the Holy Spirit of God within us.
God requires two things of His children: Repentance and Faith. Christianity is a lifestyle of Repentance and Faith. Both are required for Salvation and Sanctification. When we repent and have faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit will continually do His Miraculous Work in us to change us. This is Sanctification. It is a process; a life-long process.
As we confess our sins and repent of them (turn from them) and BELIEVE Jesus nailed that particular sin to the Cross of Calvary, we can be set free from it by the Power of the Holy Spirit Who is in us. It’s a process. It’s a lifestyle that takes commitment on our part. Repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s what it means to be a Christian.
Repentance and Faith will….….turn the tide ……….in your life.
Living the life, Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
