Repent and Believe the Gospel

by Pastor Clark Jones

Jesus preached in Mark 1:15, “…the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

What does it mean to repent?

The meaning of the word itself involves a complete exchange of mind, a 180° turn in direction. Paul explained the gospel message with which he had been tasked in Acts 20:21. He wrote “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is a directional change “toward God”. Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of ownership from this world and Satan to Jesus and His kingdom. In Acts 26:17-18, Paul wrote again of this change of ownership as a turning. “Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

What is it of which we are to repent?

First of all, for what are you living? Put another way, what are you pursuing that you think is going to fulfil or satisfy you? All of humanity is looking for love, joy, peace, wealth, and personal advancement. In themselves, these are not wrong things to pursue. However, from the fall in Genesis 3 onwards, the natural state of the heart is to pursue these things through selfishness, pride, and rebellion to the God who made us, and enslave itself to what each person thinks is going to bring those things. The sin we all have is the seed of those things in the heart. Mark 7:20-23 says, “…That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

Rom 6: 21-23 says, “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The consequence of this is that our sin has separated us from God, and we need to be made right with Him. The Bible calls this justification.

On what do you depend to make you right before God?

Do you depend on the finished work of Jesus Christ or on your own works to save you? Rom 5:8,9: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”  We simply need to repent, and believe the gospel.

I Corinthians 15:1-8 tells us the true gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. That is the whole gospel.

What a blessed thought! Repentance and faith, both inseparable and mutually indispensable are the prerequisite foundation of forgiveness. They are the foundation of our future hope of joining with all other believers in receiving our final inheritance of living eternally in the presence of God in perfect love, joy, and peace. No more war, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, and no more tears: just the blessings of living in the presence of the Glory of God. Colossians 1:12-14 says, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

Turn from everything that you are pursuing and depending on in opposition to or replacement of God and believe.  Accept what Jesus did for you and entrust yourself to him in faith in His shed blood.

Is this message for someone else?

Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Jesus is quoted 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.”

What are you pursuing, and where will it take you?

What are you depending on to make you right with God?  I Peter 4:3 asks if we have had enough. “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.” This describes a life without moral control, a life of drunkenness, parties, and addiction, and a life of sacrificing everything good and decent to everything that isn’t. I Peter 4:4 describes the peer pressure that keeps many from repentance and faith. “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.” I Peter 4:5 tells us why we must leave that life, and all of those works of everything we do to try to be good enough for God, without coming to him through repentance toward God, and faith toward Jesus Christ. “Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.”

Are you ready?

Repent and believe the gospel. Jesus Christ will change your destination and your life.