Ryrie's Summary: "Repentance/Faith in Vital Relationship"

In the landscape of modern theology, the relationship between faith and repentance is often treated as a source of confusion. Are they two separate requirements for salvation, or are they one and the same? In his 1980 teaching notes for "Soteriology and Evangelism" at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Charles Ryrie provided a masterful summary of what he called the "vital relationship" between the two. 

The biblical foundation for this relationship is rooted in Paul’s own description of his gospel ministry:

"[Paul] kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." Acts 26:20, NASB 1977.

Drawing on this preaching of Paul in Acts 26:20, as well as 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Ryrie clarifies that while a person can change their mind about sin without turning to God, one cannot truly trust Christ as Savior without both changing their mind and turning to God. Here is Ryrie's summary statement on the topic:

SUMMARY: "In Acts 26:20, quoted above, Paul preached that men 'should repent and TURN to God.' But everyone who simply believes the gospel is by that act turning to God. This is well illustrated by Paul's statement about the Thessalonians, 'How ye TURNED TO God FROM idols to serve the living and true God' (1 Thessalonians 1:9). A MAN MAY CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT HIS SINS AND YET NOT TURN TO GOD. HE MAY TURN TO SOMETHING ELSE. BUT THE MAN WHO ACKNOWLEDGES THE GOSPEL TO BE GOD'S MESSAGE OF SALVATION AND TRUSTS JESUS CHRIST AS HIS SAVIOR MUST OF NECESSITY IN SO DOING BOTH CHANGE HIS MIND AND TURN TO GOD IN THE ACT OF FAITH." (Baker, A Dispensational Theology, p. 414.)

Ryrie's summary statement reminds us that repentance and faith are like two sides of the same coin; you can't have one without the other. Therefore when a person trusts in Christ alone for salvation, they have repented! So let's be clear on what repentance is and what it's not: it is not a separate step in addition to faith alone in Christ alone, but actually is part of believing! Thus New Testament "repentance" (Gr. metanoia) is perfectly consistent with salvation by grace through faith, and how could it ever be otherwise? This understanding of repentance keeps salvation by grace completely free and also answers the charge of adding extra conditions to the gospel, because it makes clear that repentance is part of believing, not an extra step in the salvation process. This keeps the focus where it belongs: entirely on the sufficiency of Jesus Christ!

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Source: Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, "903: Soteriology and Evangelism" Teaching Notes, pp. 43-44, emphasis his. Note: This class was part of the core Th.M. curriculum as taught by Dr. Ryrie at Dallas Theological Seminary, circa 1980.