Why is repentance necessary prior to geting saved?

A good Biblical definition of what it means to repent is, “A change of mind that results in a change of action.”

It’s essential that we admit our habitual sinful behavior … and then change our minds about Jesus Himself, recognizing and accepting that He is indeed our Lord and our Savior.

Because every human being is born with a sin nature, none of us are born into the faith as followers of Christ. We all have to repent of our sins in order to become born again, which will guarantee our entrance into heaven whenever we take our final breath at some unknown point in the future.

Peter says this in Acts 4:12 about Jesus being the only way to eternal salvation, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

2 Peter 3:8-9 says, “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

Even though you’re life circumstances at the moment might be complicated, unsteady, and confusing … putting your faith into Jesus as the baseline for identifying truth is quite simple.

You have to sincerely believe the “Easter story” … that Jesus was crucified in order to pay the price for your sins on the cross, and that He rose from the grave on the third day.

If our repentance is real and not just some kind of prayer to try and secure ‘fire insurance’ for after we die … then our lives moving forward will in fact demonstrate, through the power of the Holy Spirit who now resides within our soul (the very essence of who we are) a truly transformed life!

When you consider the risk/reward component to the single most important decision you’ll ever make in your lifetime … my prayer is that you’ll choose very thoughtfully to weigh the two options before you, surrounding where you will live for all eternity.