Many, many times salvation is offered merely for believing/having faith in the Lord Jesus. There is too much evidence for this forum even to accept it in a single post. For example,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus [Christ], and you shall be saved."
That being the case, belief/faith can be the only essential to salvation on man's part; though the Lord does many things for our salvation.
Repentance is metanoia = change of mind (not sorrow for sin; not turning over a new leaf). Thus the only repentance which saves is changing the mind from not trusting to trusting the Savior. It could be a change of mind from trusting works, like water baptism to trusting Him as only & sufficient Savior. It could be a change from regarding Christ as a mere "chance-giver" to trusting Him as the Savior who saves His people from their sins.
As to such persons the Lord says "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish." He is the author & perfecter of our faith. He who began a good work in you will perfect it/ bring it to completion.
This change from sinner to child of God by new birth, received when one trusts the Savior, is an instantaneous event in the present of a person's life. Later it will be a past event in His life.
This new birth is not repeated.
This has nothing to do with confessing sin in the Christian life, which should be done as soon as possible after a sin.
Instant Salvation in Past Tense
“Your faith
has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50)
Zacchaeus.
Jesus said to him, “
Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:9)
Evidence of Zacc's instant salvation is found in his instant statement:
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Luke 19:8)
Cornelius was
instantly saved when he trusted the Lord Jesus, and no water baptism was needed nor
joining any Eastern or Western organization. (see Acts 10:43-48). Compare this to what Peter said in Acts 15:11: We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that
we are saved, just as they are. (Acts 15:11)
Consider Eph 2:5 [God] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace
you have been saved.
Is there any hint of an extended process between dead & alive? Salvation is a change from death to life, with no intermediate zombie state. 2 Cor 5: Old things are passed away, behold all has become new. It is all or nothing here.
In addressing Tim on common salvation, prophet Paul remarks to Tim how the Christian's salvation is past. There is no future to transpire before Paul and Tim should call themselves saved.
[the Lord God]
who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, - 2 Tim 1:9
Again, prophet Paul wrote in Titus the truth that we presently regard ourselves as saved in the past.
he [God]
saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, (Titus 3:5)
The future continued salvation state after belief is guaranteed by the past justification by the blood of the Lord Jesus.
Since
we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Rom 5:9) Now how is anyone going to be half-way justified? You either are or you are not. The transition must be instante.
Instant Salvation Is Realized in Present Time
John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes [present tense] him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but
has passed from death to life.
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may
know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:12,13)
There is a clear dichotomy: You either have or have not the Son of God with eternal life. The change must be instantaneous. Eternal life is a present possession for the believer, not just a future reward.
Salvation is clearly presented as a present reality:
Men are divided clearly into two groups, believers and non-believers, the saved & the perishing.
he who believes has everlasting life. (John 6:47)
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to
us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor 1:18)
For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those
who are being saved and those who are perishing. (2 Cor 2:15)
It is clear the whosoever believes in Him has everlasting life and does not come into condemnation. This salvation must be instantaneous in that it is a new birth, a recreation and only depends upon trusting the SAvior (not the chance-giver). One either is a saint or an ain't. The moment a non-believer becomes a believer, he must be saved, for scripture guarantees salvation to the believer. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. It is clear that the Philippian jailer was at once saved, for he believed.
Illustration of the Saved Mentality:
Q Dost thou believe that the Lord Jesus died for thee?
A I believe it.
Q Dost thou thank him for his passion and death?
A I do thank him.
Q Dost thou believe that thou canst not be saved except by his death?
A I believe it.
Come then, while life remaineth in thee: in his death alone place thy whole trust; in naught else place any trust; to his death commit thyself wholly, with this alone cover thyself wholly; and if the Lord thy God will to judge thee, say, ‘Lord, between thy judgment and me I present the death of our Lord Jesus Christ; no otherwise can I contend with thee.’ And if he shall say that thou art a sinner, say thou: ‘Lord, I interpose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between my sins and thee. ‘If he say that thou hast deserved condemnation, say: ‘Lord, I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between my evil deserts and thee, and his merits I offer for those which I ought to have and have not.’ If he say that he is wroth with thee, say: ‘Lord, I oppose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between thy wrath and me. ‘And when thou hast completed this, say again: ‘Lord, I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between thee and me.’
< attributed to Anselm