Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

— Acts 19:4

Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.

— John 5:24

And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

— Luke 7:50

Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

— Isaiah 64:6

Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.

— Acts 17:30

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

In Acts 19:4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” While it is not necessary to repent of your sins to be saved, you must repent (change your mind) in order to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As Acts 17:30 states, “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.” It is clear that repentance must not be taught as an extra requirement for salvation.

Repentance is not a change of life or a change of direction. A person does not need to somehow clean up his or her life in order to be saved. God does not require this extra step, or human work, for salvation because our righteousness and even our best conducts or works simply fall too short of the holy God’s standard of righteousness. Isaiah even calls our righteousness “filthy rags!” Let’s revisit God’s words concerning receiving the precious salvation. To be saved and have the everlasting life, one only needs to believe on Jesus Christ whom God sent to us and believe that through His crucifixion Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse and penalty of sin and death.