The Repentance Issue::: revisited

[PastorHarrison 0]

For the time WILL {I dare say has} come when "they" will NOT ENDURE sound doctrine. Grace isn't a blank check that wipes away the scriptures. Faith isn't a decision. Repentance isn't a work. Suggesting that Greek is needed to clarify English is humorously ignorant...like suggesting that Christ butchered the word of God by translating it from Hebrew to Greek and that all the hearers of his preaching needed a Hebrew dictionary on hand to really understand it....absurd.

Repentance is an elemental condition of heart & mind on our part wherein we, seeing ourselves as He see's us, feel truly and see clearly how revolting is the sin in which we stand....and grasp somehow how God see's it and this "seeing" and "feeling" of sin's condemnation coupled with an dawning realization of how God see's sin.... causes within us a sorrow, a regret.... a longing to be free from sin and like Him...to be seen clean in his eyes ..... A man who has professed to be "born again" who has not felt a desire to be seen as clean in God's eyes, never felt remorse or guilt or unclean in sin and had no desire to be free of it - was never saved.

How can I tell you, that Christ lives in me - whom God sent and watched him die on the cross, to cleanse me & wash me of the sin and guilt thereof - but I have never sensed, felt, realized any sorrow or regret over what had to be done, over what I was in, over what condemned me? Never did I feel soul wrending sadness over sin and feel a consuming desire to be free of it? Never did I say unto God "wash me of this sin...this stench....that I may be found of thee cleansed in the blood of the Lamb? Never did my shame bring about a desire to be washed? That desire...that sense of guilt....that sorrow of my filth, my standing.... is a condition of a penitent heart.

There are unquestionably levels of faith..... some levels of faith cannot save....some levels of faith are small and weak says the Scripture.... BUT faith can reach a point at which it becomes "saving faith". Where it is no longer weak. I suggest to you as honestly and sincerely as I know how, as a preacher under the call of God, that faith cannot touch the cross of Christ without reaching out a repentant hand.

Repentance is not a pre-salvation deed or work, but is a part of that faith which attains unto salvation.

[pneu-engine 0]

Repentance is an elemental condition of heart & mind on our part wherein we' date=' seeing ourselves as He see's us, feel truly and see clearly how revolting is the sin in which we stand....and grasp somehow how God see's it and this "seeing" and "feeling" of sin's condemnation coupled with an dawning realization of how God see's sin.... causes within us a sorrow, a regret.... a longing to be free from sin and like Him...to be seen clean in his eyes .....[/b']

That is the Gift from God that I am talking about. We did not get there by our own decision, but by God's love and mercy.

Thank you, Pastor Harrison for portraying it concisely and succinctly. :thumb .

[heartstrings 2,298]

Your constant accusations that repentance = works gets a little old. No one here is teaching works salvation, you are merely inaccurately proclaiming we are. If "repentance" is a "work" so is "belief". :roll

Woah hoss!
This ain't my quote. :cool

[Guest Guest]

Woah hoss!
This ain't my quote. :cool

I know, I was speaking to Carrierwave. It is just a quote from his post and he addressed that portion to you.

[Amaryllis 1]

This issue has been discussed many times, I know that it gets boringfor mature Christians but I've recently listened to a sermon by a famous internet preacher called Steven L. Anderson (has anyone else heard of him?) and he kept insisting that those who repent are not Christians, that repentance is adding to the true commision and he mentioned also a lot of other hard-hitting stuff.

This subject makes everything more confusing.I trust Jesus as my Saviour but I cannot ignore the NT passages that deal with repentance (Matt. 3:2; Matt. 9:13; Mark 1:15; Mark 6:12; Acts 2:38; etc.), especially since God Himself requires it.

[deafnva77 1]

YOu trust him as your savior. What is he saving you from? you can't trust him if you have no idea why he is your savior. You repent because you know you need a savior.

[pneu-engine 0]

The major groaner I have is that my O.P. was not about what repentance is, but rather that true repentance (i.e. the power and authority to turn from wickedness) is a gift that God gives to a sinner who responds in deep humility over his sin.

This issue of what repentance is and is not has been ground so fine it is like the tiniest powder.

Since my thread is already murdered to death, I wonder if a mod would be so kind as to put a padlock on it, please. :sad


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[Guest Guest]

I wonder if a mod would be so kind as to put a padlock on it, please.

Well, you do have the power to lock your own threads, but If you like I can do it for you.