The purpose of this article is to clarify what the gospel is and to show that repentance is a key element of the gospel message. The gospel that doesn’t include repentance is no gospel at all, because it leaves those who believe it mired in sin, self-will and disobedience, and therefore at enmity with God.

[Galatians 1:8-10] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

The Romans Road

The Romans Road is a method of evangelism that utilizes a series of verses from Paul’s letter to Romans to present the elements of the gospel and guide a person through key concepts, hopefully leading them to the point of saying a “sinner’s prayer” to “ask Jesus into their heart.”

Here is a brief summary of the typical stages:

Stage 1: Everyone has sinned and is therefore in need of salvation.

[Romans 3:23] All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Stage 2: The penalty for sin is eternal separation from God, but there’s a free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

[Romans 6:23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Stage 3: God’s solution to sin is Christ dying on the cross for our sins even though we were still sinners.

[Romans 5:8] God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Stage 4: Our response to God’s offer should be to confess belief in Jesus Christ and His resurrection.

[Romans 10:9] If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Stage 5: The assurance of salvation

[Romans 10:13] Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Ah, I wish it was that simple…

The problem with this method is that it presents a superficial and incomplete view of the gospel. In particular, the following key elements are left out:

I’m not saying that people can’t get saved using this method. They can. But those are just a minority. The majority of those who “accept Jesus” using this method never get to a point of true repentance and surrender and are therefore not born again. They remain double-minded, superficial, worldly, carnal believers, constantly struggling with sin, lacking in commitment, living a hypocritical double life.

For far too many, the Romans Road turns out to be the road to hell.

The problem is that the Romans Road method is fundamentally flawed. That’s because the Book of Romans doesn’t show how the gospel was preached. Romans and all of Paul’s letters are written to believers, not to unbelievers. One of the primary goals of Romans and of many of Paul’s epistles is to show that the non-Jews don’t need to keep the Law of Moses to be saved. Paul never intended to say that repentance, sanctification and good works are optional.

Even many of Paul’s contemporaries misunderstood his teachings, twisting his words to mean something he never intended. That’s precisely what prompted Peter to write the following:

[2 Peter 3:16] There are some things in Paul’s letters that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

The Book of Acts

To get a clear understanding of what the gospel is, we need to turn to the only book of the Bible that shows instances of the gospel being preached: the Book of Acts.

In the first Christian sermon recorded in the Bible, the listeners were convicted by Peter’s powerful sermon and asked the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” We remember Peter’s response:

[Acts 2:38] Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Peter didn’t ask them to “accept Jesus into their heart” or to say a “sinner’s prayer.” The first thing Peter said was, “Repent!” This means repentance is an essential part of the gospel message. Is this how the gospel is preached today? The Romans Road method doesn’t mention repentance at all.

Shortly afterward, Peter preaches to those who had just witnessed the miraculous healing of the lame beggar at the temple, exhorting them:

[Acts 3:19] Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.

If people don’t repent and turn to God, their sins won’t be blotted out. They will remain as enemies of God and won’t enter heaven when they die. Do you see how crucial it is to repent and turn? Our very salvation hinges on it.

On another occasion, Peter spoke these words to the Jewish religious leaders when he and the apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin:

[Acts 5:31-32] God exalted Jesus at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

From these verses we understand that:

  1. Repentance is intrinsically linked to forgiveness of sins.
  2. Obeying God is a requirement for receiving the Holy Spirit.

Moving on to chapter 10, we find Peter preaching the Gospel to the centurion Cornelius and those close to him. Peter begins his message with the following words:

[Acts 10:34-35] Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

That means only those who fear God and do what is right are acceptable to Him. Those who don’t fear Him and don’t do what is right are not acceptable to Him. Further into the sermon, Peter chooses to emphasize faith rather than repentance:

[Acts 10:43] Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

Does the fact that repentance is not mentioned here mean that repentance is not required? Absolutely not. Remember Peter’s first sermon, where he told his hearers, “Repent and be baptized,” not mentioning faith. Does that mean faith is not required? Of course not. So, both faith and repentance are key parts of the gospel message.

Although repentance is not explicitly mentioned in Peter’s sermon, that doesn’t mean Peter didn’t preach repentance to Cornelius and those around him. We have all the reasons to believe he did, because those who heard Peter’s message did repent. In the very next chapter, this is said about them:

[Acts 11:18] To the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.

The above verse also highlights something extremely important: repentance leads to life. If it leads to life, repentance it is essential for salvation and not something optional.

Another key part of the Christian faith and message is that those who believe must remain faithful and continue in the grace of God. Regrettably, today’s churches rarely mention this truth to new believers, giving them a false impression that their initial profession of faith is enough to make it to heaven, and that remaining faithful is an optional extra.

[Acts 11:23] He exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.

[Acts 13:43] As they spoke with them, they urged them to continue in the grace of God.

Like Peter, Paul preached both faith repentance. In Lystra, he urged his listeners to turn from idols to God. Unlike modern-day preachers, who preach “faith alone” and “trust in Christ for salvation,” Paul told his hearers that they had to do something.

[Acts 14:15] We bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God.

On his way back from Lystra, Paul visited the churches he planted and encouraged the new believers to continue in the faith and not give up in the face of adversity and tribulations. That’s not something optional.

[Acts 14:22] They strengthened the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Like Peter, Paul also emphasized faith sometimes, but that doesn’t mean at all that repentance or obedience are optional.

[Acts 16:31] Believe in the LORD Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.

Even if you choose to emphasize faith, please note an important detail: faith needs to be in the Lord Jesus, and if you believe in Him as Lord, you must obey Him. Jesus tells those who call Him Lord:

[Luke 6:46] Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

Those who claim to believe in Jesus but don’t obey Him are just deceiving themselves. If Jesus is not your Lord, He is not your Savior either.

Let’s continue our journey through the Book of Acts. When preaching the Gospel in Athens, Paul’s message was repentance. Again, no mention of faith here, and no “ask Jesus into your heart.”

[Acts 17:30] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he COMMANDS all people everywhere to REPENT.

Repentance is a command, not a suggestion. The preaching of the gospel must include both faith and repentance, not only faith. That’s exactly how Paul preached the gospel. In his address to the Ephesian elders, Paul makes that very clear.

[Acts 20:20-21] I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of REPENTANCE toward God and of FAITH in our Lord Jesus Christ.

By their refusal to preach repentance, today’s preachers don’t tell the people the whole counsel of God and have therefore blood on their hands.

[Acts 20:26-27] I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Regrettably, today’s gospel preaching leaves out the “negative” aspects of the gospel for fear they might scare and offend the hearers. Unlike today’s cowardly preachers, Paul didn’t compromise the gospel message. Note the reaction the preaching of the true gospel had on Governor Felix.

[Acts 24:25] And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was terrified and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”

The Greek word translated as terrified is ἔμφοβος (émphobos) literally means “in fear” or “full of fear.”

Do people have the same reaction when hearing modern-day preachers? Not even close. The messages are superficial and don’t convict anyone.

Later on, when Paul stood before King Agrippa, he mentioned again the key elements of his gospel preaching: repent, turn to God, do good works. Interestingly enough, faith is not even mentioned here!

[Acts 26:19-20] Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.

Conclusion: repentance is not optional

In the Book of Acts, some verses mention faith but no repentance, others mention repentance but not faith, while some mention both. Putting it all together, the only reasonable conclusion is: both faith and repentance are required for salvation.

The consistent message of the entire New Testament is, “Repent or perish!”

Jesus Himself preached repentance.

[Matthew 4:17] Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

[Mark 1:15] Repent and believe in the gospel.

Those who refuse to repent will perish.

[Luke 13:3][Luke 13:5] Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Repentance is a requirement for the forgiveness of sins.

[Luke 3:3] He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

[Luke 24:47] Repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

God is patient gives all time to repent, but if they keep refusing, they will be destroyed, because without repentance, there is no forgiveness.

[2 Peter 3:9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

If you still prefer to use Romans, here are the inspired words of Paul:

[Romans 2:5] Because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Those who refuse to repent remain under God’s wrath.

The Bible is extremely clear that there is no salvation without repentance. So, why do so many of today’s preachers and pastors refuse to preach repentance? The only answer is that they fall in one of these categories:

God is extremely displeased with those ministers who don’t preach repentance. Unless they repent, these will be cut off sooner or later.

Remember that judgment starts at the house of God.