Do not think, dear reader, that, in having presented the gospel thus simply, repentance is forgotten. Faith and repentance go in one yoke. It is very clear that no one can be saved without repentance; but it is faith in Christ, as we have seen, and not repentance, that saves. “God... now commandeth all men everywhere to repent,” (Acts 17:3030And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30)).
The thoughts of thousands are astray upon this deeply important subject. Many have the idea that they have a great deal to do before they can be saved, and call their legal efforts to give up sin, and lead a moral and religious life, repentance; but this is rather a kind of penance.
Reformation Will Not Do for God.
Doing our best to please God now will not make up for a single shortcoming in the past, nor put away a single sin, any more than a man, trying to keep out of your debt at the present moment would satisfy you for a long-standing debt in the past.
Repentance is neither penance, nor self-improvement, nor reformation, nor self-justification; but exactly the opposite; namely,
the thorough judgment of self.
When a guilty sinner wakes up in his soul to the true character of God, and His wondrous goodness manifested in the unspeakable gift of Christ, he is led to self-judgment, the hatred of sin, and the loathing of the flesh. Having believed the Word of God, which condemns him. as a lost sinner, but tells him of a Saviour who came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)), he sets to his seal that God is true, owns he richly deserves the lake of fire, and accepts Christ. And the fuller his knowledge of that blessed One henceforth, the deeper will be the repentance in his soul.