Hear him speak on YouTube (less than 5 minutes): https://bit.ly/2Nmeg4Y
This
learned man claims he did his doctoral thesis on “Repentance as a condition for
salvation” and his conclusion is that repentance is NOT required for salvation.
Only faith is required.
Radical free grace (no-lordship) proponents, like Dr. Bob Wilkin, assert that repentance is not
required for salvation, arguing that we only need to believe. To
be fair to him, the Bible does lend credence to the fact we are saved by grace
through faith.
“For
by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it
is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians
2:8-9).
However,
there are many references in scriptures that refute his assertion that
repentance is not a condition for salvation.
Faith
is a word with broad ramifications. If a person claims he believes in Jesus but
fails to make Him Lord in his life—and continues to willfully live in sin—his
belief is fake, spurious and questionable. Without repentance and obedience,
belief alone is empty. Genuine faith has to be evidenced by good works. Faith,
by itself, without works, is dead (James 2:17, James 2:26).
True
repentance involves not only believing that Jesus paid the price for our sins
but turning away from sin and turning towards God in obedience. Repentance must
involve a change in thought and behaviour—and goals, aspirations and lifestyle
as well.
A
change in behaviour, in itself, does not constitute true repentance, which
involves a change in mind, heart and will and, consequently, transformed
behaviour.
Perhaps
those like Dr. Bob, who claim that repentance is insignificant—not a condition
for salvation—have not considered the following passages:
Jesus, after emerging victorious from the temptation in the wilderness, preached: “The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the
gospel” (Mark 1:15).
Peter,
in the first sermon given at Pentecost: “Repent 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” (Acts 2: 38).
Paul
affirmed that “I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity
of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord
Jesus” (Acts 20:21).
In
his defence before King Agrippa, Paul stressed: “I preached first to those in
Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles,
that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed
by the good things they do” (Acts 26:20).
Though
he was the forerunner to Jesus, John the Baptist preached on repentance:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). He also urged the
people to bear fruits in keeping with repentance (Luke 3:8).
Christ used an incident to illustrate the fact that, unless we repent, we will
all perish. Some Galileans, while offering sacrifices in the temple of
Jerusalem, were killed by Pilate soldiers and their blood were mixed with that
of the sacrifices at the altar. To those who think that these unfortunate souls
must have been great sinners, Christ has this to say: “Do you think that these
Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they
suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless
you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2-3).
Mere
remorse for sin associated with persistent willful sinning—without a positive
change in lifestyle—will not reap salvation's ultimate reward, eternal life:
"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret,
but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
It
is strange that repentance is found in so many references above but Dr. Bob has
chosen to cherry pick those books in the Bible where it is not explicitly mentioned..
In
the video, Dr. Bob claims that in the book of John, an evangelistic gospel,
repentance is not mentioned.
However,
he has failed to mention what Jesus told the woman caught in the act of
adultery after forgiving her, “Go, and from now on, sin no more (John 8:11).
She is to forsake her adulterous lifestyle, repent of her sin, after receiving God’s forgiveness.
Also,
John 3:36 warns anyone who accepts
Christ’s invitation to believe in John 3:16 must also obey God or else face His
wrath. The believer cannot afford to be lax or careless, thinking that faith is
merely giving intellectual assent to Jesus’ claims. He must demonstrate that
his faith is genuine through obedience.
And to be obedient is to seek to live a
repentant lifestyle empowered by the Holy Spirit.
And
when the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict
the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16: 8). This conviction
of sin would lead the sinner to repent
and change his ways— godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation
(2 Corinthians 7:10). Just like King David after his adultery with Bathsheba,
the sinner will acknowledge that he has sinned against God (Psalm 51: 3-4) and
this conviction would lead him to repent.
So
though the word ‘repentance’ may be absent in the book of John, as Dr. Bob
asserts, there are at least three
instances in John’s gospel (John 8:11, John 3:36, John16: 8) that shed
light, whether directly
or indirectly,. on the fact that repentance is necessary for salvation.
Next,
Dr. Bob mentions in the video that the word ‘repentance’ is absent in the
book of Galatians. But Paul exhorted believers to walk by the Spirit and not gratify
the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5: 16). The apostle also warned that those
who pander to the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).
Despite the fact that faith is the means by which we are saved, and not good
works, which is the central thrust of Galatians, believers must walk in the
Spirit and lead repentant lives in the fear of God if they want to inherit
salvation.
In
the video, Dr. Bob also downplays the
significance of repentance by saying that it is akin to a path of wellness or wholeness
that a person chooses to follow (citing the examples of the prodigal son and an
alcoholic who stops drinking). However, he reiterates that repentance is not a
condition for salvation, thus giving the impression that repentance is like a
behavioral change, a step in
self-improvement, rather than a crucial factor that will determine where a person
will spend eternity. This kind of reasoning that downplays repentance certainly
flies in the face of what Jesus taught—unless
you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2-3). This soft approach
is also unlike the serious tone in
the teaching of John the Baptist: Bear fruits that befit repentance or face the
risk of being chopped down like a fruitless tree and burnt (Luke 3: 8-9).
Citing
the example of the Philippian jailer, Dr. Bob says there is no evidence that he
repented when he believed in Christ. But he forgot to mention the example of
Zacchaeus, who not only repented but showed its genuineness by restitution, and
this caused Jesus to say, “Today salvation has come to this house.” Why choose
a reference where repentance is not mentioned, but ignore one where repentance
is evident?
If
we think that we just need to believe in the saving virtue of Christ’s blood,
but refuse to acknowledge His lordship in our lives—through repentance and
obedience—we may be confronted by these shocking words on judgment day: “I do
not know you.”
Faith
and repentance are like two sides of the same coin. If we say we have faith, we
have to prove that its genuineness by living out a repentant lifestyle in the fear
of God (James 2:17, Philippians 2:12-13). Without holiness, no one can see God (Hebrews
12:14).
To
reiterate, Jesus warns: Unless we repent, we will all perish (Luke 13:2-3). And
Paul adds: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without
regret (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Unfortunately,
Dr. Bob has joined the ranks of liberal teachers today who give believers the
impression that the road to heaven is through a wide gate and that the journey is easy,
whereas the truth is the exact opposite.
“Enter
by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to
destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the
way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew
7:13-14).
“Strive
to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and
will not be able” (Luke 13:24).
