I hear many of my brethren speak often about repentance. Repentance is missing from much of what is called the modern American evangelical Church. There has been a movement afoot; a remnant as you will who has come forward and began to proclaim the truth of the gospel that you must repent. Sometimes I think some have gone too far with this, going the other direction, falling into legalism, putting more enfaces on repentance than they do faith in Christ. A large portion of pastors in America never mention repentance and create many false converts who think that they can have their sin and heaven too. So we must preach sin, righteousness and judgment; preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, telling all men everywhere to repent of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ alone. There are a few who make so much of repentance that they almost never speak of faith. You must repent, that is true, but repentance does not satisfy the wrath of God for sin. No one has ever been saved from the wrath of God by turning from sin. You must turn from sin; the word of God makes that very clear. “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26-27)
Now while remaining in sin and refusing to turn from sin will condemn you; turning away from sin will not save you from the wrath of God for the sins you have already committed. The story about two of the kings of Judah; Manasseh who sinned and Josiah who repented in 2 Kings, demonstrate this very well; that the justice of God must be satisfied. That you can repent and turn from sin but that will not satisfy the justice of God. Payment must be made; God's wrath against sin must be satisfied.
King Manasseh sinned greatly against the LORD and made Judah sin with idols (2 Kings 2:11); “therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.” (2 Kings 2:12)
Now Josiah, who is the grandson of Manasseh, became king of Judah and he repented and turned Judah from idolatry and reinstituted the Passover. “Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him” (2 Kings 23:24-26).
Now while it was good that King Josiah repented and turned Judah from Idolatry this did not satisfy the wrath of God. Sins had been committed, and payment had to be made; “all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22) God’s righteous justice demands the shedding of blood for sins. "However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him." (2 Kings 23:26)
So why do I bring this up? Because if we put anything ahead of our equal to Christ completed work on the cross, they are but filthy rags before a Holy and Just God. Salvation is a gift from God; by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. Now while repentance is essential in coming to faith in Christ we are not saved by repentance; we are saved by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone! Repentance is a must for a truly converted heart and mind, but repentance does not save you from the wrath of God. The only thing that saves us from the wrath of God is the blood of Christ through faith. Praise The Lord that the wrath of God for my sins was satisfied in full by the blood of Jesus Christ through faith. For more on this read (Romans 3:21-28), I think, the most important passage in all of scripture. "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." (Romans 3:28)
Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ
