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Luke 3; Acts 2; James 2 – What Does Repentance Look Like?
A strong argument against “faith only” is the same argument against “repentance only” which no one would make. Both faith and repentance are “mind” actions by definition, but not just taking place in the mind when Biblically lived out. Compare Luke 3 and Acts 2 with James 2. We are all familiar with the inspired phrase, “faith without works is dead;” may I suggest an equally true statement is “repentance without works is dead.” That is why we can ask, “What does repentance look like?” We could also ask, “What does faith look like?” Through inspiration we learn that words that the uninspired like to separate in salvation are divinely combined; therefore not different in salvation, just different in definition. That is why we can say that repentance is faith and faith is repentance: “I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21 HCSB). No one is saved without works both in how we respond to God and treat one another. No one is saved without faith, or without repentance because faith works, repentance works, repentance is faith, faith is repentance and so on. Over and over again these same words of salvation – faith and repentance – are connected with another word: baptism. Baptism is faith and baptism is repentance (Luke 3:3; Acts 2:38). So how can anyone be saved without baptism if one cannot be saved without faith and repentance?
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