“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30).
Federal Visionists love this verse because they think that Paul is speaking of the spread of the gospel. Notice how they equate the call to repentance with the gospel. However, this is the deadly error of mixing justification and sanctification.
The Reformed faith has always insisted upon maintaining a strict distinction between justification and sanctification. Failing to keep these doctrines separate is the leading cause of apostasy from our modern Reformation.
Justification is by faith alone. This means that repentance is excluded. Repentance has no part in justification, which means that repentance is not part of the gospel.
So, where does repentance belong? Repentance is part of sanctification.
In this verse, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent. That is, God is now declaring the message of sanctification. Thus, Paul was delivering the message of sanctification to the Athenians.
