You need more than repentance. You need faith in Jesus, and the grace from Him that leads to the knowledge of the truth.
1. The Limits of Repentance Without Faith
Repentance, in itself, acknowledges sin and expresses a desire to turn from it. Yet, as Scripture reveals, sin’s power is not merely behavioral—it is enslaving. Repentance may stop the outward act, but it cannot by itself free the heart from sin’s grip. Without divine intervention, a person remains vulnerable to relapse, self-righteousness, or despair.
Faith in Jesus Christ, however, brings something repentance cannot produce on its own—union with the One who has authority to break the chains of sin. It is through faith that we receive grace, the divine power that not only forgives but transforms. Grace is not passive pardon; it is active deliverance.
2. The Enslaving Power of Sin — John 8:31–36
In John 8, Jesus exposes the spiritual slavery that lies beneath outward religiosity. He tells those who had “believed” in Him:
“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32)
His listeners protest that they have never been slaves. But Jesus clarifies the true nature of bondage:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34)
This statement cuts to the heart of human inability. Sins such as lying, lust, hatred, or pride are not isolated acts—they are symptoms of an enslaved will. No amount of repentance or moral resolve can dissolve that bondage. Only the Son—the One who is Truth Himself—has power to set the captive free:
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Freedom comes not by turning from sin alone, but by turning to Christ in faith. As you noted, the Son liberates through knowledge of the truth—a knowledge that comes by grace when a person believes in Him and abides in His word. This “continuing” in His word is both the evidence and the means of freedom: by holding fast to His teaching, the believer clings to His grace and walks in growing liberation.
3. Grace That Renews the Mind and Life — Ephesians 4–5
Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 4–5 mirrors this truth. The Apostle urges believers to “put off the old self” and “be renewed in the spirit of your minds” (4:22–23). This renewal is not mere moral effort; it is the work of God’s grace through faith.
He describes a spiritual exchange:
- The liar must not only stop lying but must “speak the truth” (4:25).
- The angry must not simply suppress anger but must “not let the sun go down” on it (4:26).
- The thief must “labor, doing honest work” (4:28).
In other words, repentance (turning from sin) must be accompanied by transformation (turning to righteousness)—something only grace can sustain.
Paul continues in Ephesians 5, urging believers to “be imitators of God, as beloved children” (5:1) and to “walk in love, as Christ loved us” (5:2). The same grace that saves now empowers obedience. As Jesus said, freedom is not found in lawless autonomy but in abiding in His word, where grace teaches and the Spirit strengthens.
4. The Grace That Leads to the Knowledge of the Truth
This divine pattern—repentance, faith, grace, truth—culminates in true knowledge of God. As Paul tells Timothy,
“God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 2:25)
Grace leads to truth, and truth deepens grace. The believer who abides in Christ’s word grows in understanding of the truth—not as abstract doctrine, but as living communion with the Son who sets free.
Therefore, freedom from sin’s slavery is not achieved through repentance alone, nor sustained by human resolve. It is maintained by continual dependence upon Christ’s grace, through faith that clings to Him and His word.
Conclusion
Repentance without faith may clean the surface, but faith in Jesus—through grace—liberates the soul.
Sin enslaves; repentance recognizes the chains; but only the Son breaks them.
He does so by revealing truth to those who believe, giving them grace to walk in freedom and holiness.
“You were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8)
Thus, repentance turns us from darkness; faith unites us to the Light; and grace teaches us to walk in that light—free indeed.
Endnote – on 2 Timothy 2:25
(Refers to Section 4: “The Grace That Leads to the Knowledge of the Truth”)
In 2 Timothy 2:25, Paul exhorts Timothy to correct opponents “with gentleness,” in hope that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.” The context makes clear that the “repentance” in view concerns not merely moral failings but opposition and unbelief toward the gospel message. Those being corrected were resisting apostolic teaching; thus, to repent in this sense is to turn from rejecting to receiving the gospel.
This aligns with the Lord’s own call in Mark 1:15: “Repent and believe the gospel.” Repentance and belief are not two separate steps but two sides of one act of conversion—turning from unbelief and turning to faith in Christ. Hence, repentance from opposition naturally issues in believing embrace of the proclaimed gospel, and this believing reception becomes the channel through which grace is received.
That grace, in turn, leads to “the knowledge of the truth”, a phrase that in the Pastoral Epistles denotes saving understanding of the gospel’s reality (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4; Titus 1:1). Through this gracious enlightenment, the believer is delivered from ignorance and unbelief into truth, and thereby from the enslaving power of sin itself.
Thus even here, Paul’s logic confirms that repentance alone is not sufficient; what is required is repentance unto faith, faith that receives divine grace, and grace that brings about the knowledge of the truth—and thence, genuine spiritual freedom.
By Stephen D Green using wording by AI
