Repentance and Faith

I am still wrestling with the intrigue of my salvation. And, I am still wrestling with Conrad Mbewe’s signs of salvation. Three days ago I blogged about Mbewe’s two definite signs of salavation—ongoing repentance and faith, true faith in the living God.

While surfing the web this morning, a fellow blogger introduced me to a timely quote about those keynote traits. The quote is from a Charles Spurgeon sermon. When I read it, I shouted because it was more affirmation of what the Lord Jesus Christ continues to teach me about my salvation through Him.

Here is the Spurgeon quote. Repentance and faith are highlighted for my emphasis:

Now, the repentance that sinks a man low as hell is of no use except there is faith also that lifts him as high as heaven, and the two are perfectly consistent one with the other. A man may loathe and detest himself, and all the while he may know that Christ is able to save, and has saved him. In fact, this is how true Christians live; they repent as bitterly as for sin as if they knew they should be damned for it; but they rejoice as much in Christ as if sin were nothing at all. Oh, how blessed it is to know where these two lines meet, the stripping of repentance, and the clothing of faith! The repentance that ejects sin as an evil tenant, and the faith which admits Christ to be the sole master of the heart; the repentance which purges the soul from dead works, and the faith that fills the soul with living works; the repentance which pulls down, and the faith which builds up; the repentance that scatters stones, and the faith which puts stones together; the repentance which ordains a time to weep, and the faith that gives a time to dance— these two things together make up the work of grace within, whereby men’s souls are saved. Be it, then laid down as a great truth, most plainly written in our text, that the repentance we ought to preach is one connected with faith, and thus we may preach repentance and faith together without any difficulty whatever.

That is a beautiful reality of the Christian life, isn’t it?

I just do not think we can ever submit ourselves enough to the Lord Jesus and His will for our lives. Neither can we trust in Him enough.

I remember years ago hearing Chuck Swindol preach about the kind of man God uses. His entire message was built around this theme: the only man God uses is a broken man.

I know that statement may be hard to swallow, but it is true. It is the not the popular or the strong or the influential and or the eloquent the Lord uses. It is the broken and the contrite and the humble that are used by God. Neither is it the rich or the persuasive or the religious God uses, but it is the faithful, those who trust Him in all circumstances.

My message to you this week is to humble yourself and trust Him.