The GospelSample

The Gospel: Faith and Repentance

I had been a pastor for many years when I became extremely convicted about something. For a long time, I had been inviting people to faith, but I hadn’t invited many to repentance. I had painted a beautiful picture of what an abundant life in Jesus could look like, but I left something very important out. The Gospel is received through both faith and repentance. My thinking was this: it would be easier to get people to put their faith in Jesus than to actually repent. It is no wonder that so many people I ministered to were unable to walk in true freedom. They had simply added Jesus to an already congested life of brokenness and idolatry.

Faith is having confidence in something. If I said that I had faith in you, I would be saying that I have confidence in you. It’s a confidence that says you are better at this than me. Faith in the Gospel is saying that you put your reliance and trust in a grounded and solid truth.

Repentance is complicated. True repentance is acknowledging that a pattern of life is dishonoring, unhealthy and destructive to yourself and those that you love. But it’s more than just being aware. It is also making an abrupt and deliberate turn from that life. It’s filling your life with new, honoring, healthy and healing practices.

This is the Gospel: God, limitless in authority and power was determined to provide an adequate solution to the disastrous pain of sin. The separation that sin has caused between humanity and God needed resolve. Jesus came to be the perfect and full payment for sin. We can enter back into harmonious relationship with God through faith in Jesus and true repentance.

Pondering the glorious gospel is like glancing at an ever-changing sunrise. Each passing through its epic storyline is a new invitation to grace, life and peace.

Prayer
Help me to put my faith in the Gospel and empower me to turn from behaviors and patterns that are destructive. Help me to revolve my life around the truths of Scripture. Set me free from guilt and shame. Help me walk in victory and freedom.