Saved by Grace, Changed by Grace - Repentance, Faith, and the Life that Follows
Introduction – The Most Important Question You Will Ever Answer
There are many important questions in life.
What career will I choose?
Who will I marry?
Where will I live?
But none compare to this one:
“How can a sinful person be made right with a holy God?”
That question sits at the very heart of the Christian faith. It is not theoretical. It is personal. It is eternal.
Our doctrinal statement says:
“We believe in the necessity for salvation of repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by which the sinner is pardoned and accepted as righteous in God’s sight. This justification is imputed by the grace of God because of the atoning work of Christ, is received by faith alone and is evidenced by the Fruit of the Spirit and a holy life.”
In other words, salvation is not self-improvement.
It is not religious effort.
It is not cultural Christianity.
It is a gracious act of God, accomplished by Christ, received by faith, and evidenced by a transformed life.
Tonight, we are not merely talking about how to be saved —
we are talking about what it means to follow Jesus as a disciple who has truly been saved.
Romans 3:23–24 (NLT): “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”
Paul writes to a Roman church divided by ethnicity, background, and self-righteousness. In Romans 1–3, he dismantles every illusion of moral superiority.
“Everyone has sinned” — Greek hamartano — to miss the mark.
“Fall short” — hysterountai — continually lacking.
No exceptions. No loopholes.
Yet the thunder of judgment is followed by the music of grace:
“Freely makes us right” — dikaioo — declared righteous, not made righteous by effort.
This justification is by grace, not merit.
It is through Christ Jesus, not religious performance.
Salvation begins with God’s initiative, not man’s effort.
Tim Keller: “The gospel is this: we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
That is Romans in one sentence. Until we grasp both truths — our sin and His grace — we cannot truly follow Jesus.
I. Repentance Towards God – Turning from Sin to the Living God
Acts 20:21 (NLT): “I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.”
Repent — Greek metanoia
Not merely regret, but a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.
Repentance is not self-hatred; it is truth-telling before God.
Repentance is God-ward before it is behaviour-focused.
We are not merely turning from bad habits —
we are turning back to the God we have offended.
Illustration – The Prodigal Son
The prodigal did not rehearse excuses.
He said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.”
Repentance begins when excuses end.
Discipleship Application
In a culture that celebrates personal truth, disciples of Jesus practise biblical repentance:
Naming sin honestly
Forsaking it intentionally
Returning to God humbly
R.T. Kendall: “Repentance is not something we do in order to qualify for grace; it is the evidence that grace is already at work.”
Repentance is not the price of salvation — it is the posture of the saved.
II. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – Trusting the Finished Work of Christ (continued)
Ephesians 2:8–9 (NLT): “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
Paul makes three profound declarations here:
Salvation is by grace (charis).
This is unmerited favour—God’s own gift, initiated and completed in Christ.
Grace is not simply forgiveness; it is the power to transform a life.
Salvation comes through faith (pistis).
Faith is not mere intellectual agreement.
It is personal trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, resting entirely on His atoning work.
Salvation is not by works.
Human effort cannot earn God’s favour.
This shatters any illusion that morality or religious activity can save.
Faith, therefore, is entrusting your life to Christ, believing He has fully paid the penalty for sin, and that His resurrection secures eternal life.
John 3:16 (NLT): “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, confronting legalistic thinking with divine grace.
Greek Word Study: Believe (pisteuo) implies active trust, reliance, and surrender, not passive acknowledgment.
Modern believers are called to personal, relational faith, not cultural Christianity or generic spirituality.
Illustration – The Lifeboat
Imagine standing on a sinking ship. The lifeboat is lowered.
To be saved, you must step into the lifeboat.
Standing on the deck, wishing for safety, achieves nothing.
Faith in Jesus is stepping into the lifeboat of His atoning death and resurrection. Only trust secures rescue.
John Piper: “Faith is not first believing; faith is first forsaking. Faith is turning from ourselves to Christ.”
Faith is both relational and active. Salvation is not just believing that Jesus exists; it is believing in Jesus as your substitute and Saviour.
III. Justification by Grace – Declared Righteous Before God
Romans 5:1 (NLT): “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”
Made right – Greek dikaioo: “declared righteous.”
God credits Christ’s righteousness to the believer.
This is imputed righteousness, not earned by works.
Peace with God – eirene: reconciliation and ongoing relationship with God.
No one can achieve peace with God by moral effort. Only Christ’s substitutionary death makes it possible.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT): “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
Christ’s perfect life is exchanged for our sin.
This is the core of the Gospel—the foundation of discipleship.
Illustration – The Courtroom Analogy
Picture a courtroom where you stand guilty.
The judge pronounces you not guilty, not because of your innocence, but because someone else paid your fine in full.
This is exactly what Christ accomplished on the cross.
Charles Stanley: “Justification is God’s declaration that we are righteous in His sight because of Christ. It is the heart of the Gospel.”
Justification is the legal reality of salvation. It is not subjective feeling; it is divine verdict.
IV. Evidence of Salvation – The Fruit of the Spirit and a Holy Life
Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT): “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Salvation is not only a transaction; it is transformation.
Repentance and faith result in the Spirit’s work in daily life.
Application to 21st-Century Believers
In a world of stress, moral compromise, and social pressure, discipleship means living differently.
Love in action, patience in trial, integrity at work—these are evidences of God’s grace at work.
Max Lucado: “You cannot live what you have not received. The Holy Spirit produces in us what we cannot produce ourselves.”
A holy life is not legalism; it is the natural fruit of grace. Transformation flows from trust in Christ, not self-effort.
V. Call to Discipleship and Practical Steps
Repent Daily – Examine your heart and return to God.
Trust Fully – Rest in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
Live Spirit-Filled – Seek daily the guidance and fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Share the Gospel – Salvation is not private; it transforms community.
Anchor in Scripture – God’s Word shapes faith, obedience, and hope.
Invitation:
If you have not yet repented and trusted Jesus as your Saviour, today is the day. Step into the lifeboat. Receive God’s gift. Let Christ’s grace change you from the inside out.
Conclusion – Encouragement for the Journey
Salvation is not the end of the story; it is the beginning of discipleship.
You are forgiven, accepted, and loved.
You are called to walk in faith, to bear fruit, and to glorify God in all things.
Romans 15:13 (NLT): “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Walk boldly, knowing Christ has saved you, lives in you, and equips you for faithful service.
