Question: Some teach repentance as being “from sin” as being necessary for salvation. Seemingly impossible. 

Insightful question! So much confusion surrounds this issue.

It is true that repentance is because of sin and the need for Jesus. Sin is the problem, but not sinning is not the solution—Jesus is. Jesus saves people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). But that’s the key point. Jesus saves from sins, not us. 

The word repentance means a change of (way of) thinking. Not just an understanding in the mind or agreement in the affections, but a change of thinking. It’s a volitional transfer of trust/change of thinking. 

The descriptive word for repent is the word turn. It is surprising, yet significant, that the emphasis in the New Testament is not turning from sins but turning to Jesus to save us from our sins. There is a difference. The little phrase to save us from our sins keeps repentance Christ-focused. Only Jesus saves. We can’t turn from our sins. That’s our dire problem. But we can turn to Jesus to save us from our sins. Turning from our sins would be works. Turning to Jesus to save us from our sins is faith. 

Though the vast emphasis of New Testament wording is turning to Christ, the few times the word from is used is with the wrong object of dependence like “idols.” It is true we must turn from the wrong object of dependence to the right object of dependence. But that precision of wording reveals faith not works. 

I’ve been puzzled over the lack of clarity among evangelicals regarding repentance. It seems someone several centuries ago wrote in a commentary that repentance means to turn from sins, and many have unwittingly quoted the wording without considering the lack of clarity involved. But the biblical precision is to turn to Jesus to save from sins. One is self-effort; the other is faith in Jesus. 

While some may say “turn from your sins and turn to Jesus,” this wording still is confusing at best and misleading at worst. If you could turn from your sins, you no longer would need to turn to Jesus. Theological clarity is to turn to Jesus to save you from your sins. 

A sick person does not turn from sickness to a doctor. If he could turn from sickness, he would no longer need a doctor. A sick person turns to a doctor to deliver him from sickness. Similarly, a sinner cannot turn from his sins to Jesus. If he could turn from his sins, he would no longer need Jesus. Rather, a sinner must turn to Jesus to save him from his sins. “God be merciful to me a sinner” reveals the clarity of turning in faith to God for mercy/salvation from one’s sinful condition. 

For a more thorough discussion of repentance, see Repentance and Faith: Two Sides to One Decision. 

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