Does a change in attitude come first before a person can believe?

Question:

Is it necessary to repent, or turn from sin and toward God (whether you have performed one single action or not, I'm simply talking about a heart attitude change) to be able to see or believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin? Is that who has 'ears to hear' the gospel? The one living in an attitude of repentance from sin?

Then believing in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins gives you the power to overcome the power of it? I'm thinking Paul said something like: "Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Spirit when you believed or when you kept the law?"

So then it's the believing which gives the power of (or access to) having the Holy Spirit within yourself to be able to walk in love, etc. This Spirit was accessed by the believing. But was the ability to believe the gospel accessed by repentance? Is this understanding correct? Any true understanding of this fundamental question appreciated!

Answer:

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

You have to know what you are being asked to believe before you can believe in it. You cannot repent from sins if you do not know that your actions are sins or if you don't believe they should be considered sins. Faith is the motivation for changing your life. Think about it. Why change if you don't believe the gospel?

When Peter and the other apostles taught the first gospel lesson, the people hearing that message responded with faith: "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). In response to them hearing the gospel and believing it, Peter told them what needed to be done next: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

See: What Must I Do to be Saved? and What Saves a Person?

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