Where does the Bible say this is needed for salvation?
Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord..."
Acts 17:30 "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent."
Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"
What does this mean?
In order to be saved, you must feel bad about your sin (disobediance of God) and take steps to stop sinning further. Tell God you are sorry for disobeying him and seek out His Word to show you how you can do better, and then work hard to obey His commands.
To consider this "step" completed, you should have a pretty good idea of what sin is, why it's bad for you, why God hates it, and how to get away from it.
Responses to Common Objections:
God loves everyone. He wouldn't let anyone suffer in Hell forever.
But My Preacher/Neighbor/Friend/Parents said (something else).
Beware of false teachers and false teachings. Satan uses them to confuse people and keep them from accepting the truth. Trust the Bible, which you must study for yourself.
Our honest goal is to teach Christ's message as recorded in the Bible. If that is the honest goal of your preacher, then there should be little disagreement. If there is disagreement, we encourage you to study the Bible yourself so that you may rightly learn what the Bible teaches on this or any other topic pertaining to your faith and salvation regardless of what we or anyone else may say.
The apostle Paul taught, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Keep in mind that on judgement day, you will be responsible for your own actions or inactions and your own faith and obedience to God's Word. It will not matter what anyone else told you.
