Articles
We Must Turn to Be Saved
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Paul told King Agrippa that he “...declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance” (Acts 26.20). Paul made it clear that salvation was for all men, both Jew and Gentile. Yet, their salvation was conditioned on their repentance and turning to the Lord. If they were to repent and turn to be saved, then we too must do the same. What then, does it mean to “turn to God”?
First, we must understand what it does not mean. It does not mean belief. One cannot repent of his sins without first believing he is in sin. We believe such when we have first heard through the word of God that sin is a transgression of God’s law (1 John 3.4), that “all have sinned and fallen short the glory of God” (Rom. 3.23, ESV), and that “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6.23, ESV).
As you can see, if turning to the Lord was faith, we would be repenting then believing. The order is wrong! Further, after preaching the Lord Jesus, “a great number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11.20-21). Therefore, the turning takes place after, and never before, faith.
Additionally, one must believe before he can repent and he must turn after he believes and repents. Therefore, turning is not repenting, either. Per Scripture, repentance is always before, and never after, turning to God!
What, then, does turning to God mean? Peter told the Jews to, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3.19, ESV). Some translations render the words “turn back” as “turn to God” (NIV) or “be converted” (KJV). Peter taught that they could have their sins blotted out (forgiven) if they would repent and turn to God. In fact, this was the purpose for which Jesus came; that His people would “turn and be forgiven” (Mark 4.12).
On the day of Pentecost, Peter declared, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2.38, ESV). When Peter said, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” in Acts chapter three, he was not teaching anything different than what he had previously preached in chapter two. The two are synonymous in meaning. This is also inspired commentary on Paul’s words in Acts 26.20. Since conversion takes place after the hearer believes and repents, we can logically conclude that the converting or turning point is baptism in water for the forgiveness of sins (see Acts 22.16; Rom. 6.3-7; Col. 2.11-13; Gal. 3.27; 1 Peter 3.21, etc.).
One might argue, however, that turning to God is confession of our faith. It is true that to be saved confession is commanded of the sinner coming to Christ (Rom. 10.9-10, etc.). Be that as it may, Paul was not referring to confession when he said, “turn to God”, but to baptism, as we have already demonstrated with Acts 2.38 and Acts 3.19. Further, a confession of faith is stating what Jesus Christ claimed about Himself, that He is the Son of God. It is also a confession of commitment that he will listen and obey His Lord (see Luke 6.46). One who confesses Christ as Lord, must confess Him at every opportunity both verbally and in practice, but especially before the conversion or turning to God takes place. That is because confessing Christ may warrant a change in a man’s allegiance, but it does not change a man’s condition.
Lastly, as we have already established, faith, repentance, and confession may not be the turning point to God, but they are certainly involved in the conversion process. Without true faith mixed with love in his heart for God and a confession thereof, one will not be motivated to repent of his sins, and be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of his sins, and live a faithful life thereafter.
This is one reason why the Bible says that faith, repentance, and confession are said to save a sinner. You see, the Bible assumes that when a sinner believes, he will repent and confess, and finally, be baptized (see Rom. 6.3ff; Gal. 3.27; Col. 2.11ff; 3.1ff, etc. where the writers assume their readers have been baptized upon faith). Hence, while none of these alone are the turning point, all of them together are an expression of faith which culminates in baptism. Therefore, it can be said that belief changes a man’s heart (formally a heart bent on self to a heart looking to God), repentance changes a man’s conduct, confession changes his allegiance (from serving sin to serving Christ), and baptism changes a man’s state of condition (from dead in sin to alive in Christ). In other words, once a sinner condemned to die, the penitent-baptized-professed-believer is now a saint justified before God.
Apart from baptism, faith and its manifestations are a line that must be walked. This is evident in the fact that man is to live by faith, and all that faith demands (Rom. 1.17; Matt. 7.21). If you have not done so yet, what prevents you from believing in Christ, repenting of your sins, confessing your faith in Him, and turning to the Lord today to live faithfully unto death (Rev. 2.10)? BG
