Repenting is not the same as believing the gospel of Jesus Christ, because repenting is commanded first. If repenting of sinning were the same as believing Jesus, then of course no man unrepented of sinning, is believing Jesus. An unrepented unbelieving.
However, repenting is the same as believing in something, just not necessarily the gospel of Jesus Christ. Men repent of things, because we believe that a good result will come, that we are looking for. We repent of how we eat, drink, act, work, live etc... with the faith that it produces a better life. But that is not believing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The simple point is that all men ought to repent of sinning regardless. In Acts 17, all men everywhere are commanded to repent of sinning, which means all unbelievers. Believing followers of Jesus Christ are not commanded to repent, because they already have repented of dead works. They are not unrepented sinners still.
Men repent all the time. They do so to become Buddhists, Muslims, Jewish converts, etc.. Men repent for religious and professional reasons, as well as simple health and better lives.
Repenting of sinning and corrupt living is smart, intelligent, and standard procedure to avoid self-corruption and destruction of our own lives.
What is unique about Jesus' command to repent, is that now the common command of God for all men to repent, can be followed with believing His gospel for pure newborn birth of God like Jesus. No other religion and philosophy and mysticism of man requiring repentance of past living, can create a whole new pure and sinless creature of God like Jesus Himself.
And with receiving His Spirit and divine nature, we are given a whole new heart of faith in Jesus, to obey Him and be a doer of His righteousness, rather than a doer of unrighteousness as before.
Only those that repent of sinning first (like all unbelieving sinners are commanded to do), that then go on to follow Jesus, can not only become doers of good deeds, but also remain without wrinkle and spot of sinning as at the beginning of their repentance and faith, when perfectly newborn of God.
Only by repenting can we ever become a believer of His gospel, because without repenting we are still the same as all unrepented men everywhere: The unrepentant can no more become believers in Jesus' gospel nor be His disciples, than unrepentant men can become believers in Buddha and follow his ways.
Only those repenting and also believing Jesus the Lamb of God, can become new pure born sons of God like Jesus in the first place.
And so, no man is saved by God and newborn of God by repenting alone, nor by repenting to follow Buddha or Mohammed or Krishna, but only by repenting and also believing His gospel of the cross.
And of course, no man has even begun to believe anything new in his life, without first repenting to become what they seek after. That especially includes being pure born anew by God to walk in all holy manner as Jesus walked.
Unrepented sinners don't even come to God to believe and be justified by Him. They don't even come to the way of better health to believe in a new way of eating and drinking for it.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
The unrepented sinners of the world hate the light of God's reproof and judgment. They don't even want to believe Him nor it.
So with unrepented gluttons that hate to even look in the mirror.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
However, repenting is the same as believing in something, just not necessarily the gospel of Jesus Christ. Men repent of things, because we believe that a good result will come, that we are looking for. We repent of how we eat, drink, act, work, live etc... with the faith that it produces a better life. But that is not believing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The simple point is that all men ought to repent of sinning regardless. In Acts 17, all men everywhere are commanded to repent of sinning, which means all unbelievers. Believing followers of Jesus Christ are not commanded to repent, because they already have repented of dead works. They are not unrepented sinners still.
Men repent all the time. They do so to become Buddhists, Muslims, Jewish converts, etc.. Men repent for religious and professional reasons, as well as simple health and better lives.
Repenting of sinning and corrupt living is smart, intelligent, and standard procedure to avoid self-corruption and destruction of our own lives.
What is unique about Jesus' command to repent, is that now the common command of God for all men to repent, can be followed with believing His gospel for pure newborn birth of God like Jesus. No other religion and philosophy and mysticism of man requiring repentance of past living, can create a whole new pure and sinless creature of God like Jesus Himself.
And with receiving His Spirit and divine nature, we are given a whole new heart of faith in Jesus, to obey Him and be a doer of His righteousness, rather than a doer of unrighteousness as before.
Only those that repent of sinning first (like all unbelieving sinners are commanded to do), that then go on to follow Jesus, can not only become doers of good deeds, but also remain without wrinkle and spot of sinning as at the beginning of their repentance and faith, when perfectly newborn of God.
Only by repenting can we ever become a believer of His gospel, because without repenting we are still the same as all unrepented men everywhere: The unrepentant can no more become believers in Jesus' gospel nor be His disciples, than unrepentant men can become believers in Buddha and follow his ways.
Only those repenting and also believing Jesus the Lamb of God, can become new pure born sons of God like Jesus in the first place.
And so, no man is saved by God and newborn of God by repenting alone, nor by repenting to follow Buddha or Mohammed or Krishna, but only by repenting and also believing His gospel of the cross.
And of course, no man has even begun to believe anything new in his life, without first repenting to become what they seek after. That especially includes being pure born anew by God to walk in all holy manner as Jesus walked.
Unrepented sinners don't even come to God to believe and be justified by Him. They don't even come to the way of better health to believe in a new way of eating and drinking for it.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
The unrepented sinners of the world hate the light of God's reproof and judgment. They don't even want to believe Him nor it.
So with unrepented gluttons that hate to even look in the mirror.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
