Articles by: Kenneth J. Ester
False Doctrine: Saved by Repenting of Sin
Do I need to Repent of my Sin's in order to be Saved?
It is very common for Christians to believe that in order to be saved, we have to ask God to forgive us for our sins. You might be surprised to find that there is not a single instance in the Bible where this is taught. In fact, you might be even shocked to learn that someone can actually go to heaven without ever asking God to forgive them for their sins even once!
Ephesians 1:13 (NASB)
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
This is one of 19 Primary verses in the Bible that tells us exactly how we are saved. Notice what it says about what we must do to be saved? Believe! There is nothing mentioned here about asking God to forgive us for our sins.
The confusion comes from the word in Greek that they translate as "repent". Through the years, it has become a common belief that repent means to ask forgiveness of sin. That is not what it means. The true definition means to have a change of mind, or a change of heart. To reconsider. In fact, it doesn't even have anything to do with sin, unless the verse literally uses the word sin with it.
In Ephesians 1:13 as well as the other 19 verses, the key to salvation is believing. The very moment you hear the gospel and you actually believe in your heart that it is true, you have already repented, because you have already had a change of heart or mind and believed it to be true.
Mark 1:15 (NASB)
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
This is not telling us to ask God to forgive us for our sins and believe in the gospel. It is simply saying, have a change of heart and believe in the gospel.
You see, after hearing the gospel, the very moment we truly believe it to be true, we have at that moment repented. We had a change of heart and believed. At that time, God sends the Holy Spirit to enter us and He seals us with the promise of salvation.
When Jesus died on the cross, He became the last sacrifice. The only sacrifice that was truly holy enough to wash us clean of our sins. The very moment we believe that to be true, we are immediately washed clean and forgiven of our sins. Every sin we have ever committed is automatically forgiven at that time. There is no need to ask God to forgive us for sins He has already forgiven us for.
From that point forward, when we sin, we are already forgiven for those sins. Any sin we commit cannot send us to hell. We are sealed with a promise of salvation and so long as we believe in Jesus as the Lord and Savior, we will be saved in the last day. But that does not mean we should never ask for forgiveness.
When we sin, even though it will not send us to hell, it still separates us from God in our relationship with Him. Our sins will pile up until they cut us off from being able to hear God speaking to us. That is why so many Christians become saved and then fall back into a life of sin. When we ask God to forgive us for our sins, even though the sins are already forgiven, it is that act of sorrow that shows God we care about serving Him and not about living with sin. He then wipes the slate clean and our relationship with Him can continue forward with no sin to separate us from Him.
Asking forgiveness of our sins is not about salvation. It is about striving to have a closer relationship with the Lord in our daily lives.
Acts 10:43 (NASB)
43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
So what happens to someone who falls back into a life of sin?
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NASB)
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
You see, salvation is strictly about whether we have an eternity of life with God or an eternity of death in the Lake of Fire. Our relationship with God and our good works and our sin? That is all about our rewards in the New Life. Our rewards will determine how much we enjoy the afterlife. Everyone who is saved will be happy. There will be no sadness or pain or suffering. However, that does not mean we will all enjoy it the same amount. We will all know our place and know our positions and those who lived in sin even though they were still saved? They will be servants to those who lived for God and did a lot of good works. They will be happy still. They will not be jealous because they will know they are receiving their fair rewards. Yet they will not be able to enjoy the New Earth to its fullest either. Because the devil and all of his fallen angels will be in the Lake of Fire and not on the New Earth, they will not be whispering words of jealousy into our heads. So we will be happy to accept our position in life and know that God was fair and just in what He gave to us.
Also read:
Why do we need Salvation?
What did God do to Save us?
How exactly are we Saved?
Return to:
The Truth of Salvation
It is very common for Christians to believe that in order to be saved, we have to ask God to forgive us for our sins. You might be surprised to find that there is not a single instance in the Bible where this is taught. In fact, you might be even shocked to learn that someone can actually go to heaven without ever asking God to forgive them for their sins even once!
Ephesians 1:13 (NASB)
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
This is one of 19 Primary verses in the Bible that tells us exactly how we are saved. Notice what it says about what we must do to be saved? Believe! There is nothing mentioned here about asking God to forgive us for our sins.
The confusion comes from the word in Greek that they translate as "repent". Through the years, it has become a common belief that repent means to ask forgiveness of sin. That is not what it means. The true definition means to have a change of mind, or a change of heart. To reconsider. In fact, it doesn't even have anything to do with sin, unless the verse literally uses the word sin with it.
In Ephesians 1:13 as well as the other 19 verses, the key to salvation is believing. The very moment you hear the gospel and you actually believe in your heart that it is true, you have already repented, because you have already had a change of heart or mind and believed it to be true.
Mark 1:15 (NASB)
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
This is not telling us to ask God to forgive us for our sins and believe in the gospel. It is simply saying, have a change of heart and believe in the gospel.
You see, after hearing the gospel, the very moment we truly believe it to be true, we have at that moment repented. We had a change of heart and believed. At that time, God sends the Holy Spirit to enter us and He seals us with the promise of salvation.
When Jesus died on the cross, He became the last sacrifice. The only sacrifice that was truly holy enough to wash us clean of our sins. The very moment we believe that to be true, we are immediately washed clean and forgiven of our sins. Every sin we have ever committed is automatically forgiven at that time. There is no need to ask God to forgive us for sins He has already forgiven us for.
From that point forward, when we sin, we are already forgiven for those sins. Any sin we commit cannot send us to hell. We are sealed with a promise of salvation and so long as we believe in Jesus as the Lord and Savior, we will be saved in the last day. But that does not mean we should never ask for forgiveness.
When we sin, even though it will not send us to hell, it still separates us from God in our relationship with Him. Our sins will pile up until they cut us off from being able to hear God speaking to us. That is why so many Christians become saved and then fall back into a life of sin. When we ask God to forgive us for our sins, even though the sins are already forgiven, it is that act of sorrow that shows God we care about serving Him and not about living with sin. He then wipes the slate clean and our relationship with Him can continue forward with no sin to separate us from Him.
Asking forgiveness of our sins is not about salvation. It is about striving to have a closer relationship with the Lord in our daily lives.
Acts 10:43 (NASB)
43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
So what happens to someone who falls back into a life of sin?
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NASB)
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
You see, salvation is strictly about whether we have an eternity of life with God or an eternity of death in the Lake of Fire. Our relationship with God and our good works and our sin? That is all about our rewards in the New Life. Our rewards will determine how much we enjoy the afterlife. Everyone who is saved will be happy. There will be no sadness or pain or suffering. However, that does not mean we will all enjoy it the same amount. We will all know our place and know our positions and those who lived in sin even though they were still saved? They will be servants to those who lived for God and did a lot of good works. They will be happy still. They will not be jealous because they will know they are receiving their fair rewards. Yet they will not be able to enjoy the New Earth to its fullest either. Because the devil and all of his fallen angels will be in the Lake of Fire and not on the New Earth, they will not be whispering words of jealousy into our heads. So we will be happy to accept our position in life and know that God was fair and just in what He gave to us.
Also read:
Why do we need Salvation?
What did God do to Save us?
How exactly are we Saved?
Return to:
The Truth of Salvation