When Jesus taught that people should turn away from their sins in repentance (Acts 3:26; cf. Ac 3:19 NET), the message was one of contrition (2Cor 7:10) and right relationship, not legalism.

When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways. — Acts 3:26 NLT

26: First to you, Jews will be followed by Gentiles in God’s plan for salvation. Wicked ways, from which Jews must repent (v. 19) — The Jewish Annotated New Testament (TJANT)

Justification is by faith alone (Rom 3:28), but a faith that does not grow the fruit of obedience by the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, is not true faith; it is a dead faith, and James rejects salvation by a dead and superficial faith (James 2:14-26). Genuine faith always “results” in the fruits of the faith (Ga 5:22-23 NLT; Jn 15:4-5; 1Cor 3:6-7), denying this, denies His transformative power.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, — Acts 17:30 ESV

3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. — 1 John 2:3-6 NLT (article)

Repentance is the “resulting” fruit of genuine saving faith. Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ (Acts 3:19,26; 26:18,20; 3:19; Mt 3:8 NLT; Rev 2:5). It’s the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that “produces” these changes, and rest assured, if your faith is genuine, they will come (Ga 5:22-23 NLT; Jn 15:4-5; 1Cor 3:6-7).

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. — Jesus teaching “resulting” fruit-bearing in John 15:5 (NLT), Approximately A.D. 30.

ℹ️ Disclaimer: Everyone has sin (1 Jn 1:8–10), but not everyone pursues lifestyles of indulgent sin (1Jn 3:6-10). Though we may stumble, make mistakes, and God forbid backslide, there is no such thing as a born again Christian that “practices” sin (habitually and continually pursuing a lifestyle of sin).



“The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.” ― Ecclesiastes 12:11