Repent and Believe

Jesus' opening command: turn from self-rule and trust the good news that the kingdom is at hand.

Key Concept

Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”Mark 1:14-15 NASB1995

• Kingdom's here now - turn from self-rule and trust the gospel today, not when habits look respectable.
• Level 1: God's kingdom is here now - stop running your own life and trust the good news today, not after every habit is clean.
• Level 2: God's kingdom is here now - stop running your own life and trust the good news today, not after you have cleaned up every habit.
• Level 3: Turn from self-rule, trust the gospel now - respectable habits are fruit, not the door price.
• Level 4: Because the kingdom arrived in Christ, delay is another form of self-leadership - belief today, not when the streak looks good.
• Level 5: Kingdom's here now - turn from self-rule and trust the gospel today, not when habits look respectable; Free Grace keeps the order straight.
• Repentance is a change of mind and direction - not a down payment on salvation.
• Belief is reliance on Christ's promise, not mere intellectual agreement.
• Under Free Grace, this pair is how life begins: receive the kingdom as gift, then live under the King's rule in response.
• There Is No Perfect Solution - the kingdom is at hand now, not when you have fixed yourself.

Examples

• I kept telling myself I would trust the coach's system once my form looked respectable - repent and believe is the door you walk through today, messy as you are.
• I kept telling myself I would trust Jesus once my habits looked respectable - it is not a finish line when you are fixed.

Note Relationships