When We Believe We Repent

Rev. Ernest O'Neill

That’s why I have told you, ‘Repent and believe the Gospel.’”

Repentance, loved ones, is “metanoia”. You change your mind; you change your whole attitude and your way of thinking. Do you see, loved ones, how strongly Jesus puts it? Unless you repent you will never believe the Gospel.  And why I’m saying this as a warning is because I think it’s very easy for us to philosophize here Sunday by Sunday. It’s very easy for us to become preoccupied with believing and not repent in our own lives. As a result of that, our original intellectual belief remains purely superficial and has no real faith in it at all and so we are constantly shaking.

Actually, the first step in saying you believe that you were crucified with Christ is repentance. You stop doing the things that the Holy Spirit has convicted you of often in your conscience. Now this isn't popular stuff, do you know that? The popular thing today is to say, "God will give you all the pleasure you want, whatever you’re like, whatever your attitude to him is." But do you see that’s a mockery of Jesus death on Calvary? It’s a mockery. The whole purpose of Jesus’ death was to free you so that you could obey your God.