Faith Mountain Website
Discipleship Manual
Repentance and Faith
Break Line

     Repentance from dead works and faith towards God are two of the foundational truths mentioned in Hebrews:

Hebrews 6:1-2 "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."

     Repentance is the first step in building a successful foundation in the life of the believer; while faith towards God is the essence of the entire Christian walk. God commands that man repent, there is no option or choice:

Acts 17:30 "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:"

     Both repentance and faith are gifts given to us by God - we turn from our ways to follow His way. Likewise, both repentance and faith go beyond our initial experience of salvation but work actively throughout our walk of sanctification.

  1. What Does Repentance Mean?

         It means a "change of mind", or a change of heart and attitude. It means to have a radical change in one's attitude toward sin and God. There is the implication of conscious moral separation and a personal decision to forsake sin and enter fellowship with God.


  2. What Is The Importance Of Repentance?

    1. It is commanded by God - (Acts 17:30)

    2. Essential for Salvation - (Mark 1:15)

    3. It is a gift from God - (Acts 11:18, II Timothy 2:25)

    4. God desires it for all men - (II Peter 3:9)


  3. Repentance Calls For A Renunciation Of Selfconfidence And Will Initiate A Confidence In God.

    1. Our own way leads us astray. (Isaiah 53:6)

    2. We must confess our sin, turn from sin, and place our confidence in God. (Judges 10:15-16)

    3. We must repent and turn towards God. (Acts 26:19-20)

    4. We must turn from our idols and serve God. (I Thessalonians 1:8-9)


  4. What Does Repentance Provide For The Believer?

    "Justification" or right standing with God.

    1. Justification is a change in man's standing or relation before God. It is an act of God which frees penitent sinners from the guilt and penalty of sin.

    2. To justify means to declare righteous, when God justifies a man, He acquits him - not on the grounds of man's innocence, but of His own love and grace. (Romans 3:20-26)


  5. Why Do We Need Justification?

    1. Because man rebelled against God and entered into sin; there is a separation between man and God. All men are sinners by nature and are condemned by a just, righteous and holy God.

    2. Therefore, God must transfer our guilt onto His account. The death of Jesus Christ made this transfer and forgiveness of sins possible. (II Corinthians 5:21)


  6. How Do We Receive Justification?

    1. By the grace of God. (Romans 3:24, Titus 3:7)

    2. Through the blood of Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:9, Hebrews 9:22)

    3. By faith. (Romans 5:1-2, Galatians 2:16)


  7. What Are The Results Of Justification?

    1. Removal of the penalty of sin. (Romans 4:7, II Corinthians 5:19)

    2. Condemnation is gone. (Romans 8:1; 33-34)

    3. Peace with God. (Ephesians 2:14-17)

    4. Christ's righteousness is ours. (Romans 4:5, II Corinthians 5:21)


  8. What Is Faith?

         Faith means: belief, faithfulness, reliability, trust, confidence, firm persuasion, assurance, or firm conviction.

    Hebrews 11:1 (AMP Version) "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality - faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."


  9. What Causes Faith To Arise In Our Hearts?

    The Word of God.

    Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

    There are several ways that we can receive the Word of God:

    1. Preaching of the Gospel. (Titus 1:3, Romans 10:8, I Thessalonians 2:13)

    2. Through the written Word. (Luke 24:45, Psalm 119:105)

    3. In times of prayer. (II Corinthians 12:8-9, Isaiah 65:24, Jeremiah 33:3)

    4. A word of exhortation by another Christian. (Colossians 3:16)

    5. In dreams and/or visions in the last days. (Acts 2:17)


  10. How Important Is Faith?

    1. We are saved by faith. (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 5:1)

    2. The just shall live by faith. (Ephesians 1:17, Hebrews 10:38)

    3. Kept by faith. (I Peter 1:5, I John 5:4)

    4. We are healed by faith. (James 5:15)

    5. We cannot please God without faith. (Hebrews 11:5-6)

    6. We overcome difficulties by faith. (Ephesians 6:16, I John 5:4)

Faith

     Proverbs 28:13 encourages the believer that he must not only confess his sins but forsake them. We are unable to fully rely on the Lord as long as we are trusting in our own efforts. Repentance prepares us to believe, trust or have faith towards God. Faith is the key, it opens the door to pleasing our Lord; without faith we can never become firmly established in the ways of God (Isaiah 7:9). Our attempts toward making ourselves acceptable to God are futile without faith. When we have true faith God will turn our hearts from self-confidence and birth within us a desire to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14)


Review Questions
  1. What is the meaning of repentance?
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  2. Why is repentance important?
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  3. What is justification?
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  4. How do we become justified?
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  5. What are the results of justification?
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  6. What is faith?
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  7. Why is faith important?
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Go To The Next Section:
"Baptism"

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Last modified: 10/22/2002