REPENTANCE
AND FAITH
T.P.
Simmons
In
the last chapter we noticed that conversion is made up of repentance and faith.
This brings us then in our study to the consideration of
these.
I.
REPENTANCE CONSIDERED ALONE
1.
ORIGINAL WORDS
These
two words are "metanoeo" (corresponding noun form being "metanoia") and
"metamelomai"(the noun form of which does not occur in the New Testament). Only
the former word is associated with salvation. The latter word is used in Matt.
21:29 (in the case of the son that first refused to obey his father's command to
work in the vineyard, but "afterward ... repented himself and
went ); Matt. 21:32; 27:3 (in the case of Judas); Rom. 11:29; 2 Cor. 7:8,10; and
Heb. 7:21.
Concerning
these two words, Thayer says: "That 'metanoeo' is the fuller and nobler term,
expressive of moral action and issues, is indicated not only by its derivation,
but by the greater frequency of its use . . ."
2.
TWO KINDS OF REPENTANCE
There
is an evangelical repentance and there is also a legal repentance. Legal
repentance comes about wholly through fear of the
consequences of sin. This is the kind Judas experienced. Evangelical repentance
is accompanied by godly sorrow and is wrought in the heart by the regenerating
Spirit of God. It is evangelical repentance that we are considering in this
chapter.
3.
THE CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF REPENTANCE
(1)
Sin Admitted-Conviction
Man
must see himself as unlike God and in rebellion against God. He must see the
opposition between his condition and the holiness of God. He
must see that God abhors his condition and state. The recognition of sin that
enters into repentance unto salvation is concerned primarily, not with the fact
that sin brings punishment, but with the fact that sin offends God. There is, of
course, a fear of the eternal consequences of sin; but this is not the primary
thing.
This
recognition of sin is conviction, and it constitutes the intellectual element in
repentance.
(2)
Sin Abhorred-Contrition.
Godly
sorrow enters into repentance. When one sees himself as he appears before God he
is brought to regret his sin and to abhor it. This is the emotional element in
repentance.
(3)
Sin Abandoned-Conversion.
Repentance
is not complete until there is an inward abandoning of sin which leads to an
outward change of conduct. This is the voluntary or volitional element in
repentance. Thus repentance concerns the whole inner nature: intellect, emotion,
and will.
4.
REPENTANCE IS INWARD
While
true repentance always manifests itself outwardly; yet repentance of itself is
inward, according to the meaning of the original. The Scripture distinguishes
between repentance and "fruits worthy of repentance (Matt. 3:8; Acts 26:20).
5.
REPENTANCE AND PENANCE CONTRASTED
The
Roman Catholic translation of the Bible (Douay Version) substitutes "penance"
for "repentance" as a translation of "metanoeo." Thus we read from the Douay
Version: "Do penance; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 3:2); "Except
you do penance, you shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:5);
and "Testifying both to Jews and Gentiles penance toward God, and faith in our
Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). And of penance, the comment in the Douay Version
on Matt. 3:2 says: "Which word, according to the use of the scriptures, and the
holy fathers, does not only signify repentance and amendment of life, but also
punishing past sins by lasting, and such like penitential exercises." Three
things may be said concerning this comment:
(1)
It is absolutely false in saying that the "punishing of past sins by fasting,
and such like penitential exercises" is a part of the meaning of the Greek
word.
As
already noted, the Greek word signifies an inward change. "True repentance
consists of mental and spiritual emotions, and not of outward self-imposed
chastisements. Even the pious life and devotion to God which follows are
described not as repentance, but as fruits meet for repentance" (Boyce, Abstract
of Systematic Theology, p. 384). "Metanoeo" is made of "meta," meaning "after,"
and "noeo," meaning to perceive, to understand, to think upon, heed, ponder, consider.
(2)
It denies the sufficiency of Christ's satisfaction for our sins, in plain
contradiction of the Scripture (Cf. Rom. 4:7, 8; 10:4; Heb. 10:14; 1 John
1:7).
Since
Christ made a full satisfaction for our sins, there is no punishment for us to
endure, except the natural consequences of sin. God chastens the believer when
he sins, but He never punishes him either in this life or the life to come.
Punishment is retributive, and is based on "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth." Chastisement is corrective, and is based on fatherly love. Christ left
us nothing to pay, and we can truthfully sing:
"Jesus
paid it all;
All
to Him I owe.
Sin
had left a crimson stain;
He
washed it white as snow."
(3)
It implies that the temporal acts of the creature can atone for sin. The Bible
knows nothing of such a teaching. It teaches that Christ alone could make an
atonement. Even in eternity the souls in Hell will never be able to atone for
sin; for that reason there is no end to their punishment. Surely, then, the song
speaks the truth when it says:
"Could
my tears forever flow;
Could
my zeal no respite know;
These
for sin could not atone,
Thou
must save and thou alone."
6.
REPENTANCE IS A GIFT OF GOD
The
three following passages prove this:
"Him
did God exalt with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give
repentance to Israel, and remission of sins" (Acts 5:31).
"And
when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying,
Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life" (Acts
ll:18).
"The
Lord's servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach,
forbearing, in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure
God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 2:24,25).
The
meaning of this is simply that repentance is wrought in man by the quickening
power of the Holy Spirit, as we have already noted.
II.
FAITH CONSIDERED ALONE
We
have reference here to saving faith. Hence we note:
1.
SAVING FAITH DEFINED
Saving
faith is trust in and reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ as one's personal
Saviour and sin-bearer. And, since salvation includes
sanctification as well as justification, saving faith brings about a commitment
of self to Christ.
2. SAVING FAITH DISTINGUISHED FROM ITS
COUNTERFEITS
This
is mere belief in the facts of revelation as matters of history, including
belief in the existence of God and that there was a man called Jesus who claimed
to be the Son of God. It can be readily seen that such belief has no saving
value.
(2)
Intellectual Assent.
This
goes a step farther, bringing mental acceptance of the things revealed of God
and Jesus Christ. Thus one who believes in the existence of God comes to believe
Him to be such a being as the Bible reveals Him to be, and
one who believes that such a person as Jesus lived comes to believe that He was
the Son of God and that He died as a sacrifice for sin. This is a step toward
saving faith, but it is not such faith.
Campbellism
teaches that saving faith is nothing more than the foregoing. It relies on such
passages as 1 John 4:15 and 5:1. But these passages must be
understood in the light of all other Scripture, and other Scripture certainly
forbids that the belief spoken of in these passages should be understood as
being mere intellectual assent to the deity of Christ. Saving faith is not
merely of the mind (intellect), but of the heart (emotions). See Rom. 10:9,10.
The belief spoken of in the above passages is such as is produced in the heart
by an experimental knowledge of Christ's
power.
Then
two facts as to the circumstances under which these expressions were uttered
throw light upon them.
A.
The danger of professing belief in the deity of Christ was such in apostolic
days that none would do so unless prompted by true faith in Him.
B.
Christianity presented such a contrast to Judaism and Paganism that none would
believe in the deity of Christ without true faith in Him. Those who had not this
faith would regard Him as an imposter.
3.
FAITH IS A GIFT OF GOD
This
is proved by the passages already quoted that designate repentance as a gift of
God; for as we shall see, repentance and faith are
inseparable graces. Each one, when appearing alone in the Scriptures, embraces
the other; for, if this were not true, the passages which mention only the one
or the other would teach that one may be saved without both repentance and
faith.
This
is proved by passages which teach that our coming to Christ and believing on Him
are the result of the working of God's power. See John 6:37, 65; Eph. 1:19, 20.
This is further proved by the fact that faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit
(Gal. 5:22).
4.
FAITH HAS NO MERIT IN ITSELF
Faith
is merely the channel through which God's justifying and sanctifying grace flows
into the soul. Faith is no more meritorious than the act of receiving a gift is
meritorious. Faith in no way is a substitute for our obedience to the law, nor
does it bring about a lowering of the law so that we can meet its demands. Faith
is once referred to as work in the Scripture (John 6:29),
not that it is of the law, but only that man is actively engaged in its
exercise. "As a gift of God and as the mere taking of undeserved mercy, it is
expressly excluded from the category of works on the basis of which man may
claim salvation (Rom. 3:28; 4:4, 5, 16). It is not the act of the full soul
bestowing, but the act of the empty soul receiving. Although this reception is
prompted by a drawing of the heart toward God, inwrought by the Holy Spirit, this drawing of the heart is not yet a conscious and developed
love: such love is the result of faith (Gal. 5:6)" (A. H. Strong Systematic
Theology, pp. 469,470).
5.
FAITH IS NECESSARILY EXPRESSES ITSELF IN WORKS
Faith
is a dynamic principle. It gives rise to love; and, therefore, works (Gal. 5:6).
Faith that does not express itself in works is a dead faith, which is just
another way of saying that it is spurious or unreal (Jas.
2:17).
6.
FAITH IS DISTINGUISHABLE FROM HOPE
Faith
and hope are very much akin; but the two terms are not synonymous. Faith and
hope differ in the following ways:
(1)
Faith is trust; hope is expectation.
The
difference here is narrow, but is such a difference as is common between various
somewhat similar terms. Both faith and hope involve "the idea of trust, but with
the use of different prepositions (Boyce). We "trust In" as an act of faith. We
"trust for" in hope.
(2)
"Faith is reliance upon something now present as known or believed, Hope is
looking forward to something in the future (Boyce.)
(3)
Christ is the object of faith; while salvation, freedom from sin, glorification,
and Heaven are the objects of hope.
(4)
Hope results from faith, and, therefore, cannot be faith. See Rom. 5:2-6;
15:4-13; Gal. 5:5; Heb. 11:1.
7.
THE GROUND OF FAITH
Christ,
objectively revealed to the mind and heart is the ground of faith. This is
implied throughout the Bible, and it is unmistakably taught in Rom. 10:11-17. We
read there that "faith cometh by hearing," and we find also there the question
(implying an impossibility): "How shall they believe on him of whom they have
not heard." The Bible knows nothing, absolutely nothing,
about a so-called secret faith that can exist apart from knowledge of Christ,
such as some Hardshells teach.
In
the Old Testament Christ was revealed, not only through types and shadows, but
through prophets, such as Isaiah. And we are told plainly that the gospel was
preached to Abraham and to Israel (Gal. 3:8; Heb.
4:2).
III.
REPENTANCE AND FAITH CONSIDERED TOGETHER
Repentance
and faith are inseparable synchronous graces. We have reference here, of course,
to that repentance (signified by "metanoeo" and "metnaoia")
which is unto salvation, and not to the kind (signified by "metamelomai") that
Judas experienced.
That
repentance and faith are synchronous or simultaneous is evident from the fact
that when a man is quickened into life there can be no lapse of time before he
repents, nor can there be any before he believes. Otherwise
we would have the new nature in rebellion against God and in unbelief. Thus
there can be no chronological order in repentance and
faith.
Another
thing which shows the inseparableness of repentance and faith is the fact that
the Scripture often mentions only one of them as the means of salvation. Because
of this fact we must think of each one, when used alone, as
comprehending the other.
In
repentance and faith, as we have already pointed out in another chapter, the
will is brought to choose righteousness as an ultimate end.