What is repentance? Is repentance necessary for salvation?
Repentance is a change of mind that turns a person from his sin toward God. It is not a work added to faith; it is the turning that faith is, seen from the other side. "God... commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30).
What the text states
The Greek metanoia means a change of mind; the Hebrew shuv means to turn. Chuck Smith glossed Acts 17:30 rightly: "to repent. That is, to turn. To turn from their own selfish ways unto Him." Repentance and faith are two sides of one motion, turning from sin is turning to Christ, which is why the same call can be stated either way: "repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). It is not a pre-qualifying work; the tax collector who cried "God be merciful to me a sinner" went home justified (Luke 18:13-14).
Free Grace theology defines saving faith more narrowly as belief in the promise, treating repentance and submission to Christ's lordship as matters of discipleship that follow salvation rather than conditions of it. Lordship salvation includes them in conversion. This platform holds with Chuck Smith that repentance is the turning inherent in true faith, never a meritorious work.
Go deeper
Checked 2026-09-29 by Darren. 59 Scripture citations verified against the KJV rows. 59 quoted fragments table-passed against the verses table. One correction: once-saved-always-saved cited “unto the day of redemption” to Eph 1:13; the phrase is Eph 4:30, corrected to (Eph 1:13, 4:30) to match the convention used in eternal-security-vs-perseverance. 18 exhibit links checked, all resolve.