Jesus’ Call to Repent and Believe
Mark 1:15
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Notice that Jesus preached both repentance and faith.
Repentance and faith work together.
Repentance turns us toward God.
Faith rests upon Christ.
Turning From Sin to Christ
Repentance is not merely turning away from bad behavior.
It is turning toward a Person—Jesus Christ.
A person may temporarily change behavior without truly turning to God.
Biblical repentance involves:
- Recognizing sin
- Agreeing with God about sin
- Turning toward Christ
- Submitting to God’s truth
Repentance does not mean becoming perfect.
It means changing direction.
Faith and Repentance Work Together
Imagine two sides of the same coin.
One side is repentance.
The other side is faith.
You cannot genuinely turn to Christ without turning away from sin and self-reliance.
Likewise, you cannot truly repent without placing your trust in Christ.
The Bible presents both as part of a genuine response to the gospel.