Ministry Minded: A Podcast by Step Up To Life · Step Up To Life

Has Repentance Become a Four Letter Word?

·1 hr 14 min·5 clips

Lincoln exposes how the Bible mentions repentance 75 times but calls Jesus Savior less than 20.

This episode of Ministry Minded explores the theological concept of repentance and its essential role in the Christian gospel. Hosts Lincoln and a co-host, both with decades of pastoral experience, examine why repentance is often minimized or feared in modern evangelical circles. They frame the discussion around the question of whether repentance has become a "four-letter word" in contemporary theology. The hosts recount their backgrounds in traditions where repentance was central, citing influences like Paris Reedhead, A.W. Tozer, and Leonard Ravenhill. They describe encountering the perspective that repentance is separate from initial salvation, a view they argue lacks biblical basis and stems from a fear of "works-based salvation." Lincoln presents a "steel man" argument acknowledging the Calvinistic view that a spiritually dead person cannot turn, but the hosts counter with the concept of "total depravity but not total inability," supported by prevenient grace. They reference scriptures including Romans 1, John 1:9, and Acts 17:26-27 to argue general revelation makes all people accountable and oriented toward worship. The co-host shares a personal story of a friend named Ryan who was imprisoned in Afghanistan for his faith, illustrating the lifelong "fruits" that follow genuine repentance. A key insight is the distinction between "uppercase" repentance—the internal change of mind (*metanoia*)—and "lowercase" repentance—the external "fruits in keeping with repentance." They argue much theological confusion arises from conflating these two aspects. The hosts criticize an American tendency toward "Greek" metaphysical thinking that reduces belief to mental assent, sharing the co-host's personal testimony of holding correct theology for 22 years without true saving faith. They present a five-step model from their ministry: unconcerned, concerned, conviction, repentance, and saving faith, emphasizing God initiates each step. Lincoln analyzes Matthew 7:21-23, where people who call Jesus "Lord" and perform deeds are rejected, to demonstrate that acknowledgment alone is insufficient. The conversation outlines five types of faith: head faith, dead faith (James 2), devil's faith, temporary faith, and saving faith, which is marked by unreserved commitment. They cite Jesus's command in Mark 1:15, "repent and believe," as the two-pronged gospel, and Paul's defense before King Agrippa in Acts 26, where repentance is the doorway to forgiveness. The hosts conclude that omitting repentance from the gospel message amounts to "gospel deception," likening it to a misleading car dealership advertisement that hides the full cost. The tone is conversational, educational, and pastoral, blending personal anecdote with theological exegesis. The style is friendly and reflective, with both hosts drawing deeply from their ministry experiences and scriptural study to build their case. Listeners interested in soteriology, pastoral ministry, or critiques of modern evangelical trends would find this episode compelling. Those firmly committed to a "faith alone" theology that explicitly excludes repentance from the moment of conversion might disagree with the hosts' central argument.

As heard by us

A plainspoken talk on repentance, belief, and the danger of trusting a religious resume.

Ministry Minded keeps its focus on a familiar but weighty question: what repentance means when Jesus calls people to repent and believe. It leans hard on Matthew 7 and on the risk of confusing religious activity with knowing Christ, and it does so with a plain, steady…

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Why you'd press play

You want a plainspoken warning about repent-and-believe faith and confidence in religious activity.

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