Jesus Christ was speaking here to the chief priests and the elders of the people in the Temple of God at that time:

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.” (Matthew 21:28-32 NKJV)

What Jesus said here to the chief priests and elders in the Temple of God at that time illustrates for us the difference between genuine biblical faith in Jesus Christ and fake faith, which is not of God, but which is of the flesh of human beings, and for show only. For faith which is genuine must result in a change of heart and mind resulting in a change of behavior. It is regretting saying, “I will not,” and now saying “yes” to God, but not just in words, but in action and in obedience to God. For this is what repentance looks like.

All of us who are born of man and woman are born into this world with flesh (sinful) natures. We are separate from God, and we are not able in our own flesh to be approved by and to be acceptable to God. So, Jesus Christ (God the Son of God) left his throne in heaven, came to earth, was born as a baby to a human mother, but was conceived of the Holy Spirit. So he was not born with a flesh nature as we are. And when he lived on the earth he never sinned, not once. And he was God incarnate (God in the flesh among us).

While he lived on the earth he healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, delivered people from demons, fed the hungry, and performed many miracles. But he also preached true biblical repentance for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God. We must, by biblical faith in Jesus Christ, deny self, die to sin daily, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. This does not make us perfect people (1 John 2:1-2), but we must obey God in practice and not make sin our practice, our habit, i.e. our way of living.

And this is the message that he was giving to these spiritual leaders of the people who appeared religious on the outside but who denied their Lord by their actions and by the choices that they made, and by how they treated Jesus Christ when he lived on the earth. For they were those who said, “I go, sir,” but who did not go, but while they criticized the Lord’s true servants who, although they had once said, “I will not,” had had that change of heart and mind resulting in a change of behavior (they repented and obeyed God).

Sadly, in our day and time, at least here in the USA this is the case, many people are professing faith in Jesus Christ, which should be a “yes” to God, to Christ our Lord. But it is lip service only. For they do not follow through with submission, surrender, and obedience to God and to his commands. Outwardly they may give an appearance of righteousness or of being people of faith in Jesus Christ, but inwardly they are selfish, prideful, immoral, wicked, and deceitful people who are still living for the desires of the flesh.

Many of them are in positions of pastor, elder, deacon, or evangelist, and many of them have gone through Bible college and seminary training, or they have been students and teachers of the Scriptures for a very long time, so they know the truth of what God’s word teaches. So they may be very skilled at speaking the Scriptures, and even some or all of the truth of the Scriptures, in order to give off an appearance of righteousness. But they are liars, adulterers, abusers, slanderers, and the willfully defiant to God.

So, if someone tells Jesus, “I believe in you,” but then does nothing to show that they are of faith which saves, then that is not true faith. For biblical faith must result in the believer denying self, dying to sin, and obeying God, in practice, or it is not faith which saves. And if the unbeliever regrets their denial of the Lord, and repents of their sins, and now commits to living for the Lord, which is evident by their surrender and their obedience to the Lord, then they have the hope of salvation and of eternal life with God.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

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