They are altogether deceived

And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." Acts 19:1-4

Apollos was not the only one marked by zeal, but without accurate knowledge of Christ and the gospel. Those who knew only of the baptism of John, knew only of a religion of repentance—without forgiveness of sin. Repentance is essential, but it is because one has been forgiven, rather than a means by which one is forgiven.

Friends, the sad reality is that many, many, who profess to be Christians, are not trusting solely in Christ for salvation. They think that they must earn their salvation by being good, or at least by contributing something to their salvation by being good. They are altogether deceived, thinking that they actually can be good enough—when in fact, no one ever has, or will, or can—except Jesus!

Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. But that was not because he preached repentance. It was because he preached that people must believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."

Let us trust solely in Christ, and because of His grace, repent. And let us be sure that is the message we tell the lost and dying all around us.