A few simple comments about this hang-up with many Baptists: Repentance, Faith, and Belief cannot be separated! Don’t beat the pulpit about one without the others.
It’s imperative not to advance your Christian walk with a one-dimensional approach to theology. To pick one word, phrase, thought, or verse from God’s Word and hang your hat on it is a shallow approach to rightly dividing God’s Word. Care must be taken, dear Christian, or the doctrine you choose may cause you to be exclusionary to other saints.
The faith and confidence we have in Christ and the Word He left us cannot be valued. Indeed, be proud of the power and prestige of the Book we have the privilege to study and share! But I issue a caution — Baptists are masters at preaching their preference, which many times cannot be supported by the Scripture.
So, I want to end this short blog with the results of a simple word search.
Hebrews tells us that the Word of God is quick and powerful! Thus, the Holy Spirit will take these words and prick the heart of the one who may need it! For your spiritual consideration, think on the following before emphasizing one word over one of the others.
In the KJV (NT ONLY)
Repent or a form of repent: 60 times
Faith or a form of faith: 280
Belief/ believe or a form thereof: 258
2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”