Repentance key to Salvation
by Ivan Ho 19 Apr 2025
JESUS has done all that is needed for us to be saved by his death on the cross. But does it mean that everyone will be saved?
Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross as a ransom for MANY.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
The word ‘many‘ does not mean ‘all‘. Forgiveness of sins is available to all but not all will be saved.
Jesus says that many will perish unless they REPENT.
“ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Repentance means our decision to turn away from a self-centred life of sins and turn to Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That is your personal decision which God cannot make for you.
If one repents of his sins and turns to Buddhism or other religions and tries to do good to save himself, he will not be saved. The only way to salvation is for individuals to repent and follow Jesus. Jesus cannot do the repentance for you nor can he force you to follow Him. God loves you and that’s why He sent His Son Jesus to die for your sins, but you must repent and follow Him.
I can send you a friend invitation on social media but unless you accept it, we are not “friends” on our contact list. That does not mean I do not like you or anything. It just means that we cannot connect with each other on that particular social media platform.
Jesus doesn’t want to connect with us on social media but to connect with us in person in His Kingdom. The only way we can become God’s children is when we become born again into the Kingdom of His Son.
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
There were two thieves who were crucified on the cross alongside Jesus. One ridiculed and mocked Jesus but the other was repentant of his sins and asked Jesus to remember him in His Kingdom.
Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Jesus only said to the one who was repentant and asked to be accepted into His Kingdom: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Notice Luke wrote: And Jesus said to him instead of them). The repentant thief on the cross realised that he was a sinner who deserved to be condemned, and called Jesus “Lord” who was totally without sin. He had no time to do good to save himself. He was saved not because of his good deeds but because of God’s grace. The man was repentant of his sins, calling Jesus his Lord and asked Jesus to accept him into His Kingdom.
If you did me wrong, I can forgive you. But that does not necessarily mean we are friends unless you also accept my forgiveness and connect with me as your friend.
In the same way, Jesus forgives the sins of man and offers salvation to everyone but only those who accept His invitation will be saved.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Jesus died on the cross so we may have our sins forgiven. He was raised from the dead so we may live without fear and condemnation!