How can repentance and faith be required for salvation if we are saved by grace, not works?

August 17, 2024

Repentance and faith are not works we perform to be saved. They are how we receive God’s saving grace, gifts from God that do not contribute to our merit before him.

Most Christians agree that salvation is by God’s grace, not our works. It is a gift from God, not something we can earn by our own efforts. Yet, as I’ve written, the Bible also teaches that repentance and faith are necessary for salvation. This leads some to ask, “How can repentance and faith be required if we’re saved by grace? Are they not ‘works’ we perform?”

Well, no.

Repentance and faith are not works

Repentance and faith are not works in the same sense as keeping the law to justify ourselves before God or attempting to earn our way into heaven. Instead, they are the means by which we receive God’s grace.

Let me back up. Repentance and faith are themselves gifts of grace. After hearing that the Gentiles were coming to faith, the early church concluded, “God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Ac 11:18). Similarly, Paul writes to the Philippian church, “It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Php 1:29). God grants both repentance and faith. They are divine gifts, not human achievements.

These gifts are inseparable from God’s grace. He graciously opens our eyes to the reality of our sin and the beauty of Christ’s atoning work. It is he who enables us to repent and believe. They cannot be conditions for grace, or grace would cease to be grace.

What is repentance?

Repentance is a turning away from sin and a turning toward God. It involves a recognition of the seriousness of our sin, a sorrow over it, and a desire to be free from it. Genuine repentance is not mere regret or guilt but a heartfelt change of mind and direction. “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2Co 7:10).

Repentance is essential because it acknowledges the problem that separates us from God—our sin. To come to Christ for salvation without repentance would be like asking for a cure without admitting that we are sick. Jesus himself showed that repentance is central to the gospel message, preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17).

However, we should remember that repentance is not about making ourselves righteous or earning God’s favor. It humbly acknowledges our need for God’s mercy and turns to him for forgiveness. Think of the tax collector who would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner! (Lk 18:13, 14). Guilt-ridden and humbled by his sin, this man went to God empty-handed, pleading for mercy.

It is God who grants us the grace to repent, and it is God who forgives us when we do.

What is faith?

Faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. It is utter reliance on the finished work of Christ—his life, death, and resurrection—as the only basis for our right standing before God. It involves knowledge (understanding the gospel) and trust (relying on Christ for salvation).

Faith is essential because it is how we receive the righteousness of Christ. Paul, for example, speaks of “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Ro 3:22). One of Paul’s primary arguments in Romans is that our works cannot save us, yet faith can. In other words, Paul doesn’t believe faith is a human work. It’s in a category of its own. Instead, faith is the means by which we are united to Christ and his righteousness. Faith is the empty hand that receives the gift of salvation.

Again, it’s worth stressing that even faith is not something we muster on our own. It is a gift from God, given to us by his grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). Faith, like repentance, is God’s work in us, enabling us to receive the salvation he freely offers.

Grace, faith, and repentance in harmony

The apparent tension disappears when we understand that repentance and faith are gifts of God’s grace. Repentance and faith are not works we perform to be saved. Again, they are how we receive God’s saving grace. They are inseparable from the gift of salvation but do not contribute to our merit before God. Our salvation is entirely by grace, which produces repentance and faith in us.

Let’s say a man is drowning. He’s far from the shore and unable to save himself. Suddenly, a lifeguard appears, reaches out, and pulls him to safety. The lifeguard has done all the work, while the drowning man has contributed nothing to his rescue. However, he still grabbed onto the lifeguard’s hand to be saved. Grabbing the hand did not save him on its own. The lifeguard did. Grabbing his hand was simply the means by which the drowning man received the lifeguard’s rescue.

Conclusion

The biblical requirement of repentance and faith does not undermine the truth that salvation is by grace alone. On the contrary, it highlights the height, length, and breadth of God’s grace in providing salvation through Christ and granting us the repentance and faith necessary to receive it. We do not bring anything to our salvation except our need for it. God, in his grace, provides everything, including repentance and faith.

This is good news. We can rest assured that our salvation depends not on our efforts but God’s sovereign grace. Furthermore, repentance and faith are not burdensome works we must perform. They are the gifts of a loving God who desires to rescue us from our sin and draw us to himself.