[JSM17]

It has been said in some of the posts that belief, repentance and confession are all the same, that they all fall under the scope of belief, when one believes, he is repenting, confessing. Therefore their argument is justified in there minds for salvation by faith alone.

Are these things the same?

[Marc]

In Acts 18:8 did they confess and repent before they were baptized?

[JSM17]

If I stand by the idea that because a passage does not mention an aspect of salvation then it is not required. If a passage says we are saved by love then does that mean that the blood of Christ does not cleanse us. If a passage says that baptism does now save you, then you will assume that one does not even have to believe. It is a no win situation for you.

Acts 26:19-21

19 "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but 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.
NASU

[Marc]

Believe can be a synecdoche for confession and repentance. It encapsulates both of them. Ephesians 1:13 reads after one "believes" they are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Again "believe" is a synecdoche that would include the fact that they had confessed and repented.

[JSM17]

That is a far stretch of the imagination.

[Marc]

Nice non-answer.

[JSM17]

You infer that in which is not implied by explicit statement talking about these various items.

Since you stand by your fathers docrtine (reformers) you must do all that is possible to do away with any works leading to salvation , so you must take repentance, confession, and baptism and find there new place for them. It is getting so far stretched from the truth that we are now calling things by the same name as to justify a false doctrine. It is the leaky bucket syndrome, eventually you will run out of buckets.

Faith is not repentance yet one will repent when he come to an understanding of what he is and who God is, this is called Godly sorrow which leads to repentance which is unto salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10) one will not repent until he first believes, but this does not make them the same thing. One who will confess without repentance does not mean that he doesn't believe he may be confused about how God is calling him. Some will believe and then call themselves Christians with out repenting because the reformers rejected your theories than these items are the same.

God does NOT show us that these things are the same.

[Marc]

In Acts 2:38 and 41 it reads that they were baptized but in Acts 2:44 it reads that all who had "believed" were together. Believed encapsulates that they had repented and had been baptized.

[JSM17]

Acts 26:24-29

24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind!Your great learning is driving you mad." 25 But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. 26 "For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. 27 "King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do." 28 Agrippa replied to Paul, " In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian." 29 And Paul said, " I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains."
NASU

It seems that Festus Believed yet was not a Christian, but based on your idea he has repented and confessed when he believed, Paul spoke of things pertaining to Christ and salvation, notice that Festus said that Paul would persuade him to become a Christian in a short time. He BELIEVED yet was not saved had not repented or confessed!

[Marc]

Some can believe and not confess (John 12:42). I never wrote that it "always" means this. It "can" mean this and I demonstrated this in the case of Acts 2:38, 41 and 44 which of course (as usual) you simply pretended I didn't even write it.

[JSM17]

Lets get to the point, Does one today have to believe, repent, confess in order to be saved, are they the same thing for you and I today?

Say I believe in Christ yet I have not understood Godly sorrow and have not come to repentance yet, am I saved if I have not repented yet believed?

[Marc]

One must believe, repent and confess in order to be saved (Romans 10:9, 10; 2 Peter 3:9).

[JSM17]

Are these things that you do or not?

If they are then, those things that you do are required for salvation, so if you do not do them then you cannot be saved and if that is the case then your salvation is conditional on whether or not you are obedient to the words of God.

[Marc]

We do them. One must do them to be saved. Yes salvation is conditional. If you believe, repent and confess you are saved. If you do not believe, repent and confess you are not saved.

[JSM17]

Well if we could establish the fact that these things are not all thing, that they are different points of obedienc, then we are on are way to coming to an understanding that salvation is not by faith alone.

That we can agree that it is Faith Repentance Confession, and of course we probably will never agree on baptism because you see a ethnical change not an ethnical progression of salvation from the jews to the Samaritians and the Gentiles.