We may ask that if they had indeed believed, why would Peter have said that they must repent and be baptized before their sins could be forgiven and the Holy Spirit be poured out? If they had believed, why were their sins not forgiven yet, and why was the Holy Spirit not poured out yet? If we say that they had not believed, then why were they so concerned after they heard God's word? Why did they ask what they must do? We have to realize that when the word of God is preached, different people have different reactions according to their own condition. The condition in Acts was different. Some sinners feel that they have sinned, and they are sorrowful for their sins. When we preach the gospel to such people, we may never mention repentance. But some people come to believe in Him without having realized their sins. Such people must be brought back to the point of repentance. Hence, when we preach the gospel, we have to pay attention to this difference. Some have come to the Lord through repentance. We only have to ask them to believe. For others, we have to lead them to repentance and conviction concerning themselves. Even after God has given them faith and they have believed, we still must persuade them to be baptized and have a heart of repentance before their sins can be forgiven and the Holy Spirit can be poured upon them. Hence, we see that repentance can be included in faith. If a man does not repent, how can he believe? If a man does not realize that he is sick, he will not be willing to see a doctor. Moreover, repentance can also be included in salvation. Man is to believe in God's word, be forgiven, and receive the Holy Spirit after he repents. Hence, we see that Acts 3 speaks of faith also. This man is saved and healed by faith. It is so clear that what is spoken of here is faith.

When we come to chapter seventeen we see something else. Acts 17:30 says, "Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now charges all men everywhere to repent." Here, God does not tell man to believe. If it were up to us, we would surely have changed the word "repent" to "believe." But what Paul was talking about in the following verses was not a question of faith. If he were to tell us that man has sinned and that the Son of God has accomplished the work of redemption and has solved the problem of sin, then he would have to mention faith. But here Paul was talking about judgment. Verse 31 says, "Because He has set a day in which He is to judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He has designated, having furnished proof to all by raising Him from the dead." God has designated the Lord Jesus as the Judge to judge all men. At the same time, in order to let everyone know that He has designated the Lord Jesus as the Judge, God has raised Jesus from among the dead as a proof of their faith. This is why it says that we have to repent. So, this is not a question of faith here. Through His resurrection from the dead, the Lord Jesus has become a proof of our faith. He is worthy of our belief already. Now there is no need to talk about faith anymore. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is here as a proof; it is clear and beyond doubt. Now what we must do is repent for the things that we have done. Then we will be able to believe. The Lord Jesus is worthy of our belief. As long as we repent, we can believe.