Today’s GAN TV feature article is written by Matt Spinks
The Church Still Needs Reform—Especially in Its View of Repentance
In my last thesis, I touched on honoring and valuing church unity and the historic church in general. Yet, part of the reason I’m writing these 95 theses is because the church needs a lot of reform—quite a lot!
One key area needing reform is in our toxic misunderstandings of love… and of God. We’ve touched on several of these already, but one in particular needs more clarity:
What is the connection between repentance and forgiveness?
Do we need to repent first?
Or does God give grace first?
God Forgives First—Always
Many churches around the world misrepresent the Gospel—claiming, directly or indirectly, that God only accepts us if we repent, do penance, clean up our lives, and strive for perfection.
Search your commentaries. Read your favorite authors. Very few believers clearly say, “God forgives us long before we repent.”
Yet this truth is central to the Gospel. On this understanding hinges the very nature of unconditional love, and whether our subconscious can truly rest in safety and acceptance.
The truth in Christ goes further still:
“Everyone has always been reconciled to God in Christ from the foundation of the world.”
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… not counting their trespasses against them…”
— 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
“Christ is the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.”
— Revelation 13:8
God has never had a forgiveness problem.
He’s not waiting for us to clean up.
He is the One who first forgives, restores, and embraces.
Grace Is the Gospel—Not a Conditional Covenant
So many misunderstandings come from misreading isolated verses like Matthew 6:15 or Mark 11:26 (which isn’t even in some of the oldest manuscripts). But we must read those in light of the whole Gospel message—revealed in Jesus, not through the lens of Law.
“This is the covenant I will make… I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts… For I will be merciful… and I will remember their sins no more.”
— Hebrews 8:9–12
Notice: there are no conditions in this new covenant.
When Jesus cried out on the cross,
“Father, forgive them…”
it was before anyone repented.
This is critically important—because most people live burdened by the fear that they haven’t done enough. That they haven’t repented right. That they haven’t found favor yet.
But the Gospel isn’t like that.
Trinity isn’t like that.
You are already loved.
Already forgiven.
Already embraced.
Already included.
Grace Is the Initiator—Repentance Is the Response
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him…”
— Luke 15:20
The father ran before the son said a word.
John Calvin said,
“A man cannot apply himself seriously to repentance without knowing himself to belong to God. But no one is truly persuaded that he belongs to God unless he has first recognized God’s grace.”
God starts our transformation. God completes it.
We’ve been taught to believe it’s all on us—
that we must secure the blessed life,
initiate relationship,
earn the favor.
But that’s not the Gospel.
God took the initiative in Christ.
“While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8
Karl Barth believed this. J.B. Torrance preached it.
“Repentance is our response to grace, not a condition of grace.
Forgiveness always precedes repentance!”
— J.B. Torrance
This Is the Gospel of Unshakable Grace
We are always loved.
Always accepted.
Always celebrated.
Even when we’ve forgotten. Even before we repent.
Trinity will never stop giving Themselves to us.
And this—this is the heart-transforming power of Love.
So yes, we need repentance.
But not to earn forgiveness—
we repent because we’ve already been embraced.
Because grace came first.
✧ Scripture References
- 2 Corinthians 5:18–19
- Revelation 13:8
- Hebrews 8:9–12
- Luke 15:20
- Romans 5:8
- 1 John 4:19
- 1 John 4:18
- Romans 8:39
✧ Support This Grace-Centered Message
Believe in this kind of message and ministry?
You can support the work at:
👉 thefirehouseprojects.com/donate
🎥 Also, watch for the video version of this thesis where Matt shares more—COMING SOON!
🎥 Watch Matt on Gan TV, live or on-demand, Click here ⇒ Jubilee with Matt Spinks
Watch Thesis Seventeen below: Unity of the Church Matters!
