This article was written during the time when I was still teaching at the
Philippine Missionary Baptist Seminary in Davao City, Philippines.
Send comments to Missionary Edwin Jardinel

There had been questions and arguments among the students of the seminary concerning repentance and faith during the past weeks.  Many students got confused as others tried to influence them with the idea that faith precedes repentance.  They argued that a man couldn’t repent unless he has faith, and that repentance is a result of faith.  What does the Scripture teach? Which is first, repentance or faith in Christ? Can a person feel sorry of his sins without trusting Christ?  Is it possible for a person to trust Christ without being sorry of his sins?  What’s the condition of a man who has exercised faith without repentance?  Is there a clear passage in the Scripture where faith precedes repentance?  Let’s see what the Bible says about these things:

IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO FEEL SORRY OF HIS SIN WITHOUT TRUSTING JESUS.

Esau felt sorry of his mistake or sin but he was not saved (Heb. 12:17); Judas Iscariot, according to Matt. 27: 3, repented and yet, trusted not Jesus as his Savior.  Had he trusted Christ he wouldn’t have killed himself.  Many unbelievers, just like the Roman Catholics go to church, repent and confess their sins to a priest yet they do not fully trust Jesus to deliver them from their sins. That’s why after they repented, they often found themselves committing the same sins over again because they did not rely upon Jesus who is the true deliverer of men from sins.  If repentance is a result of faith, then, individuals who were able to repent, just like Judas, Esau, and idolaters, have faith in Jesus.  However, the Bible does not say so.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO TRUST JESUS WITHOUT REALIZING AND FEELING SORRY OF HIS SINS.

Man’s nature is depraved, corrupt, and sinful.  He loves sin and he does not seek after God. (Rom.3: 10-11).  A person who loves sin won’t trust Christ.  He won’t feel the need to trust Jesus because he does not want to be delivered from sin.  He loves sinning.  In Psalms 119:113 it says, “I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love”.  There must be hatred for sin in order for a person to desire to trust God and hatred for sin is possible only when a person is submissive to the convictions of the Holy Spirit.  According to John 16:8-9, the Holy Spirit convicts the unbelieving sinner of his sins.  The Spirit rebukes the unbeliever of his sins so that he will realize and feel sorry of his sins repent, and trust Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.  The Holy Spirit does not reprove those who believe in Jesus, rather, He reproves those who do not believe in Him so that they will become guilty and repent of their sins. (John 16:8-9).  If faith precedes repentance, then the Holy Spirit rebukes those who exercised faith in Jesus so that they would repent.  But the question is, will the Spirit reprove those who are already justified by faith (Rom. 5:1)?  What particular sin will He charge and convict the believer of if he is already forgiven of all his sins?

A PERSON IS SAVED, JUSTIFIED, FORGIVEN, RECONCILED, AND SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AT THE POINT OF FAITH.

When the Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8) it always involves repentance.  Faith requires repentance just as salvation requires faith. No one can exercise faith unless he exercises repentance first just as no one can be saved unless he exercises faith first.  If a person can exercise faith without repentance, the question is, What is the condition of a person who exercised faith without repentance, is he a child of God or a child of a devil?  Is it possible for a person to be saved apart from repentance?  According to Romans 5:1, what is the result of faith, guilt and repentance or justification and peace?  If a person is already justified from all his sins, what particular sin will the Spirit lay charge, convict, and cause him to be guilty of?   In Ephesians 1:13, when is a person sealed with the Holy Spirit, after faith or after repentance?  If faith precedes repentance and the Spirit seals a person right after faith, would it be possible to be sealed with the Spirit before repentance?

THE BIBLE STATES THAT REPENTANCE PRECEDES FAITH.

You cannot find in the Bible a clear statement that faith precedes repentance.  It is mentioned many times in the Bible that repentance precedes faith (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21; Heb.6:1).  Faith is full trust or total reliance on God for deliverance from sin and its consequence.  In other passages, faith is mentioned as turning to God.  It means relying on God.  Many passages mention the words, “turn to God” after the command “repent or forsake your wicked way” (Acts 26:20; Isaiah 55: 7). A good example is the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).  He wouldn’t have thought of returning to his father had he not realize first and felt sorry of his sinful and miserable condition.  In the same way, no one will trust Christ unless he first realizes his sinful condition and feel sorry about it.  True repentance leads to faith in Christ (II Cor.7: 9-10).

MISSIONARY BAPTIST WRITERS BELIEVE THAT REPENTANCE PRECEDES FAITH

I have read many tracts, pamphlets, and books written and authored by Missionary Baptist pastors and writers, but I have never read one that places faith before repentance.  Missionary Baptist writers emphasized repentance first before faith.  Let me mention some of them: Ben Bogard, the author of “52 Doctrinal Lessons”, p.19, stated that nobody can reasonably depend on Jesus for salvation, until after he has repented from dead works, Hebrews 6:1, that is, giving up the idea of saving himself by works.  C.N. Glover, in his book Glover’s Church Manual, p.12, stated: “Repentance is followed by faith in God and His Son”.  J. R. Alexander in his debate with L. Crawford said, “The gospel offers salvation to all men on the condition of repentance and faith” (Crawford-Alexander Debate, p.125).  Albert Garner, in his book Defense of the Faith, said:  “Repentance and Faith are absolute requisites on man’s part in order to his regeneration”.  Therefore we conclude that the doctrinal position of true Missionary Baptist churches is repentance precedes faith and if you have a different view from the church, then you are a heretic.