The Repentance Issue::: revisited

[pneu-engine]

I have been gathering information for quite some time now on all the aspects of salvation and how one gets saved, with special attention to the Call from God all the way to the sinner's response to receive or reject.

Here is something on repentance that I just heard yesterday from a visiting speaker to our church. Very interesting is the fact that we can learn new things everyday especially when we think we have all the details fully understood. :)

When God draws a sinner to Himself for salvation, that sinner has the opportunity to reject or accept the offer from the LORD. This is the sinner's free-will. In order to receive the gift of salvation, the sinner must first confess to God that he is indeed undone in God's sight. This confession is simply [b]"Saying the same thing"[/b] as God does about his lost condition.

At this point, repentance must come next. One particular school of thought teaches that repentance was something that the unregenerate sinner did of his own free-will, but that is simply not the case at all. [b] Repentance is a Gift from God [/b]that enables the sinner to make a clean break-away from Satan who has him tightly grasped in devilish clutches. No mortal being is a match for the devil and God knows that fully well. It is for this very reason that the LORD must step in and grant power and authority to the one desiring to repent to do it.

I'm still gathering scripture verses on this.

[UnprofitableServant]

I have been gathering information for quite some time now on all the aspects of salvation and how one gets saved, with special attention to the Call from God all the way to the sinner's response to receive or reject.

Here is something on repentance that I just heard yesterday from a visiting speaker to our church. Very interesting is the fact that we can learn new things everyday especially when we think we have all the details fully understood.

When God draws a sinner to Himself for salvation, that sinner has the opportunity to reject or accept the offer from the LORD. This is the sinner's free-will. In order to receive the gift of salvation, the sinner must first confess to God that he is indeed undone in God's sight. This confession is simply "Saying the same thing" as God does about his lost condition.

At this point, repentance must come next. One particular school of thought teaches that repentance was something that the unregenerate sinner did of his own free-will, but that is simply not the case at all. Repentance is a Gift from God that enables the sinner to make a clean break-away from Satan who has him tightly grasped in devilish clutches. No mortal being is a match for the devil and God knows that fully well. It is for this very reason that the LORD must step in and grant power and authority to the one desiring to repent to do it.

I'm still gathering scripture verses on this.

Hers something for ya to consider!
Num 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
Num 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Looks like their faith required an action, was that action repentance?
What is repentance?

[JJJ4given]

I have been gathering information for quite some time now on all the aspects of salvation and how one gets saved, with special attention to the Call from God all the way to the sinner's response to receive or reject.

Here is something on repentance that I just heard yesterday from a visiting speaker to our church. Very interesting is the fact that we can learn new things everyday especially when we think we have all the details fully understood.

When God draws a sinner to Himself for salvation, that sinner has the opportunity to reject or accept the offer from the LORD. This is the sinner's free-will. In order to receive the gift of salvation, the sinner must first confess to God that he is indeed undone in God's sight. This confession is simply "Saying the same thing" as God does about his lost condition.

At this point, repentance must come next. One particular school of thought teaches that repentance was something that the unregenerate sinner did of his own free-will, but that is simply not the case at all. Repentance is a Gift from God that enables the sinner to make a clean break-away from Satan who has him tightly grasped in devilish clutches. No mortal being is a match for the devil and God knows that fully well. It is for this very reason that the LORD must step in and grant power and authority to the one desiring to repent to do it.

I'm still gathering scripture verses on this.

Interesting... I would like to see any verses that might back up this though I don't agree with it as of yet.
I see repentance and faith in God as one action. You turn away from your sinful desires and wants and turn to God. It's like a 180 degree turn. You side with God's condemnation against yourself and trust in Jesus Christ to be your propitiation. When God reveals who you are and what Jesus Christ did on the cross you chose to either side with God against yourself or reject Christ. (When I say God I'm talking about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.)

[matie-k]

If this topic is being revisited, I'd sure like to see the first visit to the topic if someone knows what thread that was. I don't remember seeing other threads on it, but I'm very interested to hear what others have to say about it.

[Anon]

I believe in repentance...I think you have to be careful how far you go with it because Christ says we are to have faith as a child to enter into Heaven. I know children do not completely grasp "repentance" but they can know they are sinners and know that they have to be sorry for their sin to accept Christ. However its a very simple thing.

I think salvation is "turning from sin to Christ" but some carry repentance so far that you have to be sorry for every single sin, or give up every single sin...and that can cause people to doubt their salvation...i.e: "What if I wasn't repentant enough?"

[lettheredeemedsayso]

I think I understand what you are saying Kitagrl.

I believe that when we understand sin and all it did to our Savior it will change our whole outlook on sin.
The effects of sin has destroys nations,homes,families and individuals.

[John81]

I agree Suzy, there are those who get carried away with the concept of repentance and add stuff to it; not unlike the Pharisees.

I don't believe we have to repent of every single sin consciously or we are in trouble or yet lost. I believe the act of repentance is more of a change of heart, a change of lordship. We repent of sin in general (and specifically of the sins we are aware of or the Lord clearly points out to us) and we determine to give up our lordship of our own lives and accept Christ as our Lord. Once we accept Christ as our Lord, He will lead us to fully understand the repentance we "feel" and teach us further.

I'm not sure if I typed that clearly or not.

Our repentance is turning away from sin in a general sense and our giving up our selfish nature and accepting Christ as our Saviour and Lord. With Christ as our Lord, He will reveal to us specific areas where we need to repent (turn away from) particular sins in our lives.

Repentance is part of the first step we take in being born again, but I believe it becomes ever more specific as the we yield ourselves to the Lord and He guides us to turn from sins in our lives.

I do believe God calls us to His Son and offers us the grace we need to accept His Son.

[lettheredeemedsayso]

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

[Tim]

lettheredeemedsayso wrote:

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

And this applies to the topic of repentence in what way ?

[BroJesse]

Hers something for ya to consider!
Num 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
Num 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Looks like their faith required an action, was that action repentance?
What is repentance?

1. they had to Repent and Turn FROM their rebellion against God and Moses
2. they had to Turn TO God and His Provision of a cure for the poison that was already in their blood (just like sin) and to turn to God in Faith that God was going to keep His Word that this would be done.

Looking on a brasen serpent does nothing for you logically speaking, but it required faith to abandon any attempt to deal with the problem themselves and then to turn to God's provision. They were made to look upon the very symbol of the one who would one day be made sin for us, who knew no sin - that we might have the righteousness of God.

There was a picture of that because all those who looked upon the brasen serpent had their blood cleansed of that deadly poison and lived when prior to that, they were dying and condemned.

There was Repentance and Faith - a Turning from sin, and a Turning to God. They are 2 sides of the same coin.

[JJJ4given]

1. they had to Repent and Turn FROM their rebellion against God and Moses
2. they had to Turn TO God and His Provision of a cure for the poison that was already in their blood (just like sin) and to turn to God in Faith that God was going to keep His Word that this would be done.

Looking on a brasen serpent does nothing for you logically speaking, but it required faith to abandon any attempt to deal with the problem themselves and then to turn to God's provision. They were made to look upon the very symbol of the one who would one day be made sin for us, who knew no sin - that we might have the righteousness of God.

There was a picture of that because all those who looked upon the brasen serpent had their blood cleansed of that deadly poison and lived when prior to that, they were dying and condemned.

There was Repentance and Faith - a Turning from sin, and a Turning to God. They are 2 sides of the same coin.

Amen! Very well put! I am pleased to hear you understand this the same way I do. Repentance and faith is one action; not two!

[BroJesse]

The thief on the cross Turned from his sin (he agreed with God that justly deserved to pay for his sins) and Turned to Christ for Salvation. That was Repentance and Faith.

It was entirely by grace, he had no strength to do anything. All he could do was to turn to the Lord and ask for help.

Had he lived on and was not crucified that thief would have lived a life that reflected that decision to repent - just as the Thessalonians did. Repentance is not just a change of direction, but it continues in that new direction.

(1Th 1:6-10)
6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

v.6 They became disciples (followers of the apostles) inspite of afflictions.
v.7 they became examples to other believers (it's a visible testimony)
v.8 they became reproducing Christians (soul-winners)
v.9 they had shown visible evidence of saving grace as they Turned FROM idols and then Turned TO serve the Living God.
v.10 they lived in a manner that (holy living) that showed they were not living for the things of this world, but anticipating the Soon Return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

These are marks of a life changed through salvation.

[speerjp1]

I've heard the debate on repentance from two extremes. One extreme is the side that says no "repentance" is required for a person to be saved. The other extreme is the side that says "repentance" comes before faith.

Both of these extremes are derived from a false impression of repentance. Ironically, so are most debates on repentance.

Repentance is simply the act of turning from your sin to a Holy God. This is not something you say in order to be saved. I actually had a guy try to convince me that you had to utter the words "I repent" in order to be saved!

John the Baptist and Jesus both preached repentance. They made no indication of a difference in repenting and being born again.

I guess what I'm trying to say is along the lines of what JJJ4given posted earlier: that the problems in understanding the role of repentance in salvation arise from trying to separate the two. At the exact moment a lost person repents, he is a believer; at the exact moment a lost person believes, he repents.

Repentance after salvation still involves turning from sin to God, but it is not another salvation because repentance at the time of salvation is the start of a relationship while the repentance of a believer is to maintain that relationship with God.

[pneu-engine]

It was entirely by grace, he had no strength to do anything. All he could do was to turn to the Lord and ask for help.

Grace:::: Unmerited favor. Free, undeserved gift.

That is precisely what I was trying to describe.

True repentance that leads us to salvation is a gift from God. He knows that we are insufficient in our own strength, and in no way at all is the devil going to let us go. When we call out to God to be saved (because He first drew us), He gives us the strength to make the break from Satan and turn to Himself.

[matie-k]

From my hubby: Faith and repentance go hand in hand. They are two sides of the same coin, true faith implies repentance and vice versa. They come together as gifts from God.

PS..I agree with him. :mrgreen: