This episode ties together several New Testament passages, highlighting how saving faith ALWAYS involves repentance. Paul summarized his mission before king Agrippa, "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins.." (Acts 26:18) The prerequisite to receiving forgiveness of sins is a turning away from sin and Satan. Additionally no one can "follow Christ," if they're "following" themselves. Self-denial, a repudiation of one's self-centered life, is foundational to being a Christian. (Matthew 16:24) The episode anticipates that preaching a gospel that includes repentance will result in fewer "conversions," for sinners naturally balk at "receiving Christ" if it requires a change of mind and lifestyle. Since genuine conversions REQUIRE repentance, and only the Holy Spirit can bring one to repentance, the evangelist should stay in his lane, faithfully preaching the naturally distasteful message of repentance and faith in Christ, while the Holy Spirit overcomes resistance and enables sinners to receive Christ as Lord. The conversion of the soul is a supernatural event where the Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting, convicting and confirming the gospel we preach.
The Limits of the Classic Diagnostic Question
This episode addresses a common misunderstanding of the gospel that is not immediately evident based on the classic diagnostic question often used by evangelists: "if you were to die today and God asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?" Many of course reveal a faulty grasp of true righteousness, saying something like "I'm basically a good person." Some actually provide a theologically correct answer, articulating that they are depending solely on the imputed righteousness of Christ. That answer however reveals correct propositional knowledge of the gospel but is not necessarily indicative of COMMITMENT or TRUST in the gospel. When people provide the correct answer to the above diagnostic question, I usually follow up with a question designed to distinguish mere "propositional faith" from true saving faith: "Are you living for Christ?" I've encountered many who concede they're not "living for Christ," after correctly stating the Biblical grounds of righteousness. Sadly confusion over Biblical faith, characterized by repentance and commitment to Christ ("living for Christ") and mere "propositional faith," assent to the truths of the gospel, is widespread among professing Christians. The latter only have the "faith" of demons (James 2:19), and the evangelist should try to correct this common misunderstanding of the gospel by pointing to the Biblical evidence of saving faith where believers "no longer live for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." (1 Peter 4:2)