There are three things at work to bring people toward what God calls repentance. This repentance—like true faith—is not of human origin. It is an action of God’s grace to reveal the truth about sin
November 16, 2025
and our helplessness to stop it. True repentance is a dark place that the Holy Spirit will take a person, in His perfect timing, to prepare a soul for His next work: Now faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. -Rom 10:17
You already know that when faith comes to a person and is received, salvation comes as well. The captive is set free, the blind receive their sight, the darkness gives way to light. This is the miracle of salvation.
The three things that are always at work to lead people toward repentance are: creation, the law, and the Holy Spirit. We can rest assured that each of these is at work all the time. Mankind cannot get away from them. The love of God made these testimonies so powerful and pervasive that no one escapes hearing their message if they are willing to acknowledge it.
The truth of God’s love in creation cannot be denied. It exists to provide for us beauty, food, shelter, water, and resources. Creation is so uniquely well-suited to do these things that one cannot help but ponder how it got to be this way. Romans tells us that in creation, God reveals His power and His divinity. The more our scientists learn, the more God’s power and purpose in creation becomes undeniable.
Now, in Romans, there is a verse that confuses many people:
For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that He might have mercy on them all. -Rom 11:32.
On the surface, it makes no sense that God would bind us over to dis-obedience. But we must realize that this verse is speaking about the 2nd “thing” that teaches and leads: the Law. The sinful nature within mankind is so powerful and dominant, God knew that no one could keep the Law, even if we wanted to. Instead, the law would just reveal the sin that was in us. Putting us under the Law was like binding us to the disobedience that owned us, but that we failed to see. Thus, the purpose of the Law is to reveal sin (Rom 3:20). This too leads men toward repentance. And, like creation, “all men” cannot help but acknowledge that the Law is present in this place, and that it is closely linked to God.
The third “thing” that works to bring people toward repentance is the Holy Spirit. Because we cannot see Him, He works “behind the scenes” in people’s lives. He uses experiences, creation, the Law, people, hardships, and all manner of tools to lead people toward repentance, that He might save some through the testimony that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior who took away our sins. He is everywhere, and, as with creation and the Law, “all men” are included in His work.
Once a person is saved, there are three things that testify to him or her about who they are in Christ. “For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and all three are in agreement.” 1 Jn 5:7-8. You will note that the Holy Spirit is common to both groups of three. He leads you toward repentance, and, once saved, He never leaves you
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