Salvation without Repentance
Salvation by grace, through faith, is uniquely offered under the New Covenant—justification without works, and despite repentance from sin.
What is repentance? The Greek word for repentance is “metanoeō”—meaning to think differently, that is, to reconsider, turn around or turn away—signifying a profound transformation of one’s thinking and behaviour, from an earthly to a divine perspective. This is not to say that repentance excludes turning away from sin; rather, it means the word has no specific exegesis of sin—the verb finds its meaning from the context in which it's used, and this is important to remember. Regarding salvation, it refers to turning away from the old life and seeking a new one through baptism. We see this illustrated in Acts 2:38, where Peter stated:
“Repent (metanoeo) and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
This verse echoes others that use the words “repent” and “be baptised” in connection with salvation. In this example, the word “repent” is not used with any reference to “sins,” but rather to turn and receive baptism. Peter’s urgency is that they "turn away" from, or "reconsider" their old life and "be baptised" in the Holy Spirit. The point being that it's baptism that leads to the forgiveness of sins, not the prior acknowledgement of sins (Rom 2:4).
The inner faith, belief, trust, or conviction—to turn, face, and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, without absolute proof or understanding. In this verse, the Greek rendering of“metanoeō” conveys the singular idea that "baptism into Christ" forgives sins and redeems an unregenerated spirit. This commentary is not attempting to minimise the scope of the word 'repentance' but to stress that salvation is a gift—it's the Christian response of turning to receive Jesus Christ, as saviour.
The Way of righteousness - Again in Matthew 21:32 "For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." Repent and believe who—John. Here the word for repent is "metamellomai" and within the context conveys the idea that even after hearing the way of righteousness, they showed "no regret or consideration" that resulted in turning to believe John and receive forgiveness from God.
Sin - is that which separates humanity from God, and, if repenting of sin could result in the unsaved being saved, then the Old Testament Law would have been sufficient—even John's baptism would suffice (Mark 1:4)—we wouldn't need a saviour in Jesus Christ to take upon himself our sins. This alone should be sufficient to invalidate the argument over "repentance of sin" as a precondition. Still, proponents continue to propagate the word sin by suggesting the preposterous idea that acknowledging it is, at least, "the evidence of genuine salvation", thus redefining “metanoeō” as a work—a precondition for salvation.
Consider the Apostle Paul. The account of Paul's conversion in Acts 9:17-18 is a detailed example of God's authority, and we don't find Saul repenting of sin before God saved him. We find Ananias going to the house where Saul was—-placing his hands on Saul, and saying, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes (Saul’s baptism), and he could see again. He got up and was baptised." The "first aorist passive indicative" in Koine Greek indicates that Paul, as the recipient of the action, "was" baptised, in the past tense. Baptism removes the scales from our eyes and allows us to see, even the sins unknown—the thoughts and actions that separated us from God in the past. Sanctification is the process of changing, or turning away from sin, after salvation— acknowledging the sins God exposes and repenting of them.
By Grace - according to Romans 3:21-31, we are justified without conditions—by God's grace—so that no one can boast. If the grace of God is a gift—free and without preconditions—then it cannot be achieved by works. If it were, grace would cease to be free. In Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul confronts those who were saved by grace but were reverting to "works" under the Law to achieve righteousness. In this instance, Paul suggested their actions were NOT from God, but detaching them from Christ, and in their false pursuit of righteousness, they were rejecting grace. Under these conditions, I would suggest that any "demand" for repentance from sin, before receiving baptism, falls under the same definition of “works” and undermines the idea that "grace through faith" is free. Their false pursuit undermined the love embedded in the word grace. The addition of conditions moves salvation away from faith, to attaining righteousness through obedience to a set of legal preconditions of our own making—thus detaching ourselves from Christ.
Delusion - results in the word repentance being applied as a “work.” Calvinists are deluded into conceiving that "grace" is a work. Delusion was the spirit confronted by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians. Essentially, it reduces a gift to a right of passage—like a sign of genuine faith before salvation can proceed. This is highly problematic as the emphasis should be placed on a change of heart rather than considering a list of sins.
God presumes responsibility for His decision to baptise and by this, He forgives our sins.
Beware Cheap Grace - Woe to those who taste the fruit of grace without acknowledging the need for change. Woe to those who embrace an Antinominian Spirit to justify the continuation of sin. It would be better if you had never tasted God's love than fall under the judgment of Jesus Christ—if that were possible. On what grounds might I question salvation, if not an unchanged, unrepentant life? Under these circumstances, salvation is questionable because sin is the animating spirit of an unregenerated life.
After Salvation, repentance, or turning away from sin, is a process that advances sanctification in the Christian journey. The Apostle Paul spoke at length about the race to win the prize and the works of righteousness that justification initiates. Repentance is the physical expression of becoming Christ-like—and without it, spiritual maturity is elusive, if not impossible. Therefore, a changed life is the spirit that acknowledges repentance.
The Galilean wedding incorporates three major ecclesiastical and eschatological doctrines, including Christ's relationship to the Church, the Rapture, and the Marriage Supper. The specifics of this wedding are unique—wherein Christ is the Bridegroom, and we—the Church, His Body—are the Bride. The Bridegroom goes to the Bride—chosen by his Father—and extends the cup (the blood of the Covenant) to her. The Bride has no set preconditions; she can accept or reject the free offer of betrothal. Upon acceptance of the cup, the spiritual authority of the Bridegroom extends to the Bride, corresponding with the Holy Spirit being uniquely imparted to the believer—not merely to justify, but to indwell, seal, and begin the process of sanctifying the marriage. At this point, the marriage is established and justified, even though the ceremony (the Marriage Supper) is yet to take place. This aspect of the Galilean wedding is echoed in the marital status of Mary and Joseph (Matt 1:18-19). At this stage, the Father departs with the Bridegroom, and the Bride must wait (Ten Virgins parable) for the Father’s decision to send his Son to retrieve his Bride (the Rapture). In the meantime, the Bridegroom departs to prepare a place for the Bride to live, in his Father's house (John 14:2: “In my Father’s house are many rooms”), and the Bride prepares herself (sanctification) for the unknown hour when the Bridegroom returns—a process that, under Jewish wedding tradition, can take up to a year.
Repentance is not the price of admission, but the evidence of having received it. Salvation is by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone (Gal. 2:15). Repentance flows naturally from a heart regenerated by the Holy Spirit, unless it's not regenerated. The Bride who freely chooses the Bridegroom will be clothed in wedding garments of holiness, and turning away from all unrighteousness will be the evidence that naturally flows from this relationship, not as the condition for it.
