The Gospel Call to Turn and Trust
The gospel does not only tell us what God has done in Christ. It also calls us to respond. The Bible joins this response in two clear words: repent and believe.
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19 (NIV)
Salvation through Jesus Christ is a message of redemption and hope, offered to all who will receive it. In the earlier articles we saw that God loves humanity, that our sin has separated us from Him, that we desperately need a Savior, and that Jesus has accomplished salvation through His death and resurrection.
In this article, we focus on how that salvation becomes ours personally, through repentance and faith. These are not extra works we perform to earn God’s favor. They are the way we turn from ourselves to Christ and receive what He has already done for us.
What Is Repentance?
Repentance is central to the message of the gospel. It is more than feeling sorry or guilty. Repentance is a change of mind, heart, and direction. It means turning from sin and turning to God.
As we saw in the previous articles, Scripture teaches that everyone has fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) and that the result of sin is death, both physical and spiritual (Romans 6:23). To receive the forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus purchased for us, we must turn from our sin and turn to God.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus Himself called people to repent:
“The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15 (NIV)
Repentance involves our whole person. It is:
- Honest
We agree with God about our sin instead of excusing it or blaming others. - Personal
We confess our own sin, not just sin in general or other people’s sin. - Directional
We turn from living for ourselves to live for God, beginning a new path.
God’s law, such as the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Christ, shows us what sin is. It is like a mirror that shows us we are dirty, but it cannot wash us. Repentance is turning away from the dirt the mirror has exposed. Faith is turning to the One who can truly cleanse us Jesus, whose blood washes away every sin.
Repentance is necessary because sin brings judgment, but it is also the only posture that can receive grace. Grace means undeserved favor, God giving us, at the cost of His own Son, what we could never earn. A proud hand that will not open cannot receive a gift. Repentance is like opening an empty hand to receive what God freely gives.
In the garden, Adam and Eve hid from God in shame. Repentance is the opposite of hiding. It is coming into the light, admitting the truth, and finding that God in His mercy welcomes us home. Jesus illustrated this beautifully in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32): the son “came to his senses,” left the far country, and went back to his father. Repentance is that turning of heart and direction. The father running to embrace his son pictures the grace God has for those who return to Him.
Repentance is not about feeling a certain level of emotion. It is not about feeling “bad enough” to qualify. Repentance is not about how much you feel, but about how honest you are. If you are truly turning from your sin to Christ, you have repented, even if your feelings are mixed or weak.
There is a first, decisive turning to God when we come to Christ, and then a lifelong pattern of turning away from sin whenever the Holy Spirit shows it to us.
What Is Faith?
Another essential part of the gospel message is faith. It is personal trust in God and in what He has done for us in Jesus Christ.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV)
We are saved by grace, and we receive this grace through faith. Grace means undeserved favor. Salvation is God’s free gift to us in Christ, given at the cost of His own Son, rather than a reward for our efforts.
Faith has at least three elements:
- Knowing
We know the basic truth about who Jesus is and what He has done. - Agreeing
We accept as true what God says about sin and salvation. - Trusting
We personally rely on Christ, resting our hope on Him alone.
It is important to remember that the power is not in the strength of our faith but in the One we trust. A small faith in a great Savior saves. A great faith in a false savior does not. Jesus said,
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…” Matthew 17:20 (NIV)
Even weak, trembling faith, if it is truly directed toward Jesus, is heard and received, because salvation depends on His power and His promise, not on how impressive our faith feels.
Faith is not blind. It responds to the evidence of God’s character and works:
- God’s creation points to His power and wisdom.
- Scripture reveals His promises and His faithfulness through history.
- The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus show His love and saving power.
To have faith is to take God at His Word and entrust ourselves to Him. It is not merely accepting certain facts as true, but entrusting our guilt, our life, and our future to Jesus Christ.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12 (NIV)
Through faith we receive forgiveness, a new identity as God’s children, and the hope of eternal life. Trusting Jesus as Savior and submitting to Him as Lord belong together. We cannot receive Him as Savior while knowingly rejecting Him as Lord. He saves us not only from the penalty of sin but also from its dominion, and one day from its very presence.
How Repentance and Faith Belong Together
Repentance and faith always go together. Repentance is turning from sin. Faith is turning to Christ. They are two sides of one response to the gospel.
If we try to hold on to our sin and refuse to turn from it, our “faith” in God is not genuine. We cannot cling to a life of deliberate rebellion and truly trust Christ at the same time. As we saw in the article on the fall,
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God, your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)
Our sins separate us from God. Repentance is the turning that begins to bridge that separation, as we come back to Him in humility and truth.
On the other hand, there is no true repentance without faith. If we only feel bad or try to fix ourselves, we will end up in despair or self-righteousness. Real repentance looks to God in hope. It believes that He is willing to forgive and able to change us.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
The reward is not a prize we earn by our seeking, but God Himself: forgiveness, new life, and a living relationship with Him.
Repentance without faith would leave us crushed. Faith without repentance would leave us unchanged. The gospel calls us to both: turning from sin and trusting in the Savior.
When we respond to the gospel, God Himself is at work. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, opens our eyes to our need, and helps us see the beauty and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. He leads us to say, from the heart, “Lord, I turn from my way and trust in You.”
A New Life of Ongoing Turning and Trusting
There is a moment when a person first turns to Christ. At that moment, God forgives our sins, justifies us, and makes us His own. From that point, we belong to Him forever.
At the same time, the Christian life is a lifelong journey of repentance and faith. We continue to
- Turn away from sinful attitudes, habits, and desires.
- Trust God’s promises in new situations and struggles.
- Depend on the Holy Spirit for strength to obey.
We still stumble and sin, but now we run to God instead of hiding from Him.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
The struggle against sin is not a sign that God has left us. It is actually a sign of spiritual life. Before, we drifted with the current. Now the Holy Spirit gives us strength to swim against it.
The Work of the Holy Spirit in Repentance and Faith
We do not produce repentance and faith by our own strength. They are our real response, but they are also the work of God in us.
The Holy Spirit:
- Convicts us of sin and shows us our need for a Savior.
- Opens our eyes to see Jesus as Lord and Savior.
- Gives new birth, making us spiritually alive.
- Helps us continue in a life of turning from sin and trusting Christ.
Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit comes,
“…he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8 (NIV)
Jesus told Nicodemus that no one can see or enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again (see John 3:3–8). This new birth is called regeneration. The Holy Spirit gives us new spiritual life, which opens our eyes to see Christ and enables us to turn to Him in faith. We were spiritually dead, and He makes us alive so that we can repent and believe.
“…no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3 (NIV)
Because of the Spirit’s work, we can come to God honestly, without pretending, and we can walk with Him daily in newness of life.
How You Can Respond
The gospel’s message of repentance and faith is a message of hope and redemption. In Christ, God offers forgiveness, adoption into His family, and eternal life. This gift is received, not earned.
Because God is love, as we saw in the first article, He does not turn away those who come to Him in repentance and faith. He welcomes them.
If you sense God drawing you, you can respond to Him even now:
- Be honest with God.
Tell Him the truth about your sin. Agree with what He says about it. Stop hiding. - Turn to Him.
Ask Him to forgive you and to change your heart. Turn from living for yourself and submit your life to Jesus as Lord. - Trust in Jesus Christ.
Believe that He died for your sins and rose again, and that His work is enough to save you. Rest your hope on Him alone.
This is not about saying special words or completing a ritual. It is about the posture of your heart toward God. If you are turning from sin and trusting Christ, even with a weak and trembling faith, you are responding to His call.
You may also wonder how you can know that your repentance and faith are genuine. The answer is not found in the strength of your feelings but in the One you trust. If you are looking to Christ alone for your salvation, and if you are genuinely turning from sin (however imperfectly), you can be confident that He receives you. His promise is sure, even when your faith feels small.
As you take this step:
- Talk to God regularly in prayer.
- Begin reading the Bible, especially one of the Gospels, to know Jesus better.
- Share your decision with a mature Christian or a local church where you can grow and be encouraged.
Redemption through repentance and faith means this: when we turn from sin and trust in God’s Son, our sins are forgiven, we are welcomed into God’s family, and we receive the gift of eternal life. In the next article, we will see how this redemption in Jesus Christ begins to transform every part of our lives.