(Or, Why Repentance Follows Justification but Is Born at the Moment of Faith)

Over the past few days, we’ve been reflecting on the Ordo Salutis—the order of salvation, or the sequence in which God applies the benefits of redemption to the elect. This order is not arbitrary, but is revealed in Scripture and grounded in the character of God and the nature of grace. Each step flows from the previous one in a beautiful, Spirit-wrought chain, rooted in the eternal purpose of God and accomplished by Christ.

Today, I want to slow down and reflect on one of the more delicate aspects of that order: the relationship between faith, justification, and repentance.

 A Grace That Seeks the Helpless

Let’s begin with a foundational truth:
We do not forsake sin in order to come to Christ. Rather, we come to Christ because we cannot forsake sin apart from Him.

We don’t stand before the Lord and say, “I have cleaned myself up, I’ve abandoned my old ways—now please accept me.” That’s the logic of legalism, not grace. Instead, the true cry of the gospel-awakened heart is this:

“Lord, I have sinned greatly and I am powerless to change—save me from sin’s guilt and its power.”

And that’s exactly the kind of cry Jesus came to answer. As He Himself said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

That is why He is called the Savior—not of the worthy, but of the helpless.

The Priority of Faith

In the ordo salutis, faith precedes repentance. This surprises some, but it's crucial to understand: faith is the hand that lays hold of Christ, the empty hand stretched out to receive the free gift of righteousness. And in that very moment of coming to Christ, there is already—by the Spirit’s regenerating work—a sincere desire to be free from sin. This is the seed of repentance.

As Reformed theology rightly teaches, regeneration precedes faith (John 3:3–8; 6:63, 65; Eph. 2:1, 5). The dead heart is made alive by the Spirit. Only then can the sinner believe. But once faith is present, union with Christ is immediately established. The believer is now in Christ, justified by grace, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:1; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 1:13).

From this vital union flows the power to truly repent. Why? Because the same Spirit who gave new life now writes God’s law on the heart, enables godly sorrow over sin, and turns the soul toward righteousness (Ezek. 36:26–27; Acts 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25).

Why Repentance Follows Justification

This brings us to an important clarification. Some might think that repentance must come before justification, since we must turn from sin to receive grace. But that is to confuse repentance as a condition for mercy, rather than what it truly is—a gift of mercy.

Here's the key distinction:

Justification is a judicial act—a legal declaration by God that the sinner is righteous in Christ. It is based entirely on faith in Christ alone, not on any prior obedience, repentance, or inward change.

Justification changes our standing before God—it does not change our nature. That transformative work—our dying to sin and living to righteousness—flows from our union with Christ, which begins at faith and results in the indwelling of the Spirit. So:

• Repentance is not the cause of justification.

• Nor is repentance the fruit of justification, since justification itself is a legal pronouncement.

• Rather, repentance is the fruit of union with Christ, the expression of a life already born again and joined to the risen Lord.

As the Westminster Confession puts it, faith is “not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces.” Repentance is one of those saving graces—granted by the Spirit, flowing from new life, and borne out of communion with Christ.

The Grace-Ordered Sequence

So how do these pieces fit together? Here’s the order we see in Scripture:

Regeneration → Faith → Union with Christ → Justification → Repentance → Sanctification

This protects both the freeness of grace and the transforming power of salvation. We are not justified because we repent. We repent because we are justified, and more fundamentally, because we are now united to Christ in His death and resurrection.

Final Thoughts

This truth should humble and comfort us. The call to repentance is not a demand to clean ourselves up before we are accepted. It is a call to turn to Christ in helplessness and trust—and in doing so, to find in Him both pardon and power. The same Savior who justifies the ungodly also transforms them by His Spirit, conforming them to His likeness.

He is not only mighty to forgive—He is mighty to save.