The good news of Jesus is for everyone because God loved the whole world and gave his only son for the entire world. But it becomes our responsibility to respond to the good news. Jesus said “repent and believe in the Gospel of God” Because he kingdom of God at hand. To be in the kingdom of God we must respond to the message of the kingdom of God. How do we respond to this message? Jesus said we must respond to this message by repenting and believing.
why is repentance an important aspect in salvation just not believe in the gospel?
We cannot believe in the gospel without turning away from our past life. Your past life was never driven by the the words of christ rather it was according to he human philosophy and sinful nature. Gospel of Jesus not just about the forgiveness of sin and punishment, it is also about the deliverance from the sin, your past sinful life style. Before we heard the gospel we were not the citizens of the kingdom of God. I become the part of God’s kingdom by leaving my old kingdom i.e devils kingdom and breaking all allegiances with the devil and coming into the new kingdom where God is the king.
Repentance or “Metanoia” means change of mind. This change of mind should result in the action and this action is the result of the believing; so repentance happens when we here the good news of God and a repented sinner must believe in the righteousness of God. Repentance alone is not enough to save us, even though God expects believers to turn from their sins. Repentance without faith could become remorse, and remorse can destroy people who carry a burden of guilt. Bible constantly reminds us we are saved by faith through the Grace of God. So repentance and believing in the good news of Jesus is two side of the same coin. So the salvation is invalid with out both the sides.
So God wants us to be a repenting believer always and marks of the repenting believer is this that we will be fruitful. A fruitful Christianity is only possible by a repenting believer. Let me finish with two verses from scripture. Ephesians 4:22-24 says “in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. God’s word reminds us that But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2).
