Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Acts 18:24-26

Last time we considered that, like Apollos who may have been more repentance-oriented that he was grace-oriented, so are many Christians today. We are not believing and presenting the Christian gospel accurately if our message is merely “Repent!” This time let us consider the delicate balance of faith and repentance.

If we could save ourselves by turning from sin, we wouldn’t need Jesus, and He wouldn’t have needed to die on the cross and rise from the dead. Understanding the Christian gospel begins by understanding that we have zero ability to adequately repent of our sins for salvation. Once we know that we cannot save ourselves and that we need a Savior, then we can trust in Christ to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. So we respond by trusting solely in Him and on His finished work on our behalf.

But the Christian gospel does not end there! Though repentance cannot save people, saved people—understanding what Christ has done for them—want to turn from sin to follow Jesus as the Lord of their lives. So repentance is essential as a validation of saving faith, but not a substitute for saving faith.

There is a delicate balance as we walk the tightrope of faith and repentance. We can fall off on either side. Legalism emphasizes repentance over faith in Christ. Antinomianism emphasizes God’s grace without the need for repentance as a validation of saving faith. Both are erroneous because neither is complete without the other.

May the Lord grant us understanding, lifestyles, and the ability to present our faith in light of this delicate balance!