Repentance for Salvation?

[Havensdad]

The poll is simple. Do you believe that in order to turn to Christ in faith, that we must simultaneously turn away from sin and the world (defined in this poll as repentance: other views of this word not withstanding), or do you believe that Christians simply receive Christ as a "ticket to heaven" and can go on living as they please?

 

[donnA]

or do you believe that Christians simply receive Christ as a "ticket to heaven" and can go on living as they please?
__________________

I'm not sure how many people actually have this view, I think it is an incorrect representation of what most people actually believe.
No one has said you can go on living as you please, when you meet Jesus theres no way you can not repent, once you see just who you are and how lacking you are, it is the desire of a christian to repent. If a christian does not have this desire theres something wrong.

 

[Havensdad]

No one has said you can go on living as you please, when you meet Jesus theres no way you can not repent, once you see just who you are and how lacking you are, it is the desire of a christian to repent. If a christian does not have this desire theres something wrong.

Donna,

There are actually a lot of people who say precisely that; you can be saved, and go on living as you please.

I am not sure if he has changed his views, but one of the reasons, in my early days of Christianity, that I stopped listening to Charles Stanley, is that I was listening to him preach one time, and he told a story of a mother who was grieving about her son, who had professed faith in Jesus, said the "sinners prayer," and then just a few weeks later had turned to drugs, pornography, etc. Stanley told her not to worry, because her son would just lose some of his reward. That is sickening heresy; instead of evangelizing her son, as she should have done, this woman undoubtedly took false comfort in her son's supposed "salvation."

 

[webdog]

There are actually a lot of people who say precisely that; you can be saved, and go on living as you please.

Yes, Paul addressed quite a few of them in his letters, so apparently he believed that as well

Your poll is strangely worded, btw, and not as clear cut as you might believe.

 

[Havensdad]

Yes, Paul addressed quite a few of them in his letters, so apparently he believed that as well

Your poll is strangely worded, btw, and not as clear cut as you might believe.

Actually, He said if they did not receive discipline, and turn, they were illegitimate sons.

Actually, he said a Christian who has been saved from sin, can no longer abide therein.

Actually, Paul commanded the unrepentant to be expelled from the church, in order that they might be saved.

And of course, John and James both make it clear, if your life is characterized by sin, you do not belong to the Lord.

 

[Havensdad]

And for a board that "is not" half Lordship, it seems funny that not a single person has voted that Salvation does not require repentance...

 

[Winman]

This was a tough question. Repentence is absolutely required for salvation. But I think many misunderstand what repentence is. Repentence is to turn from unbelief, to turn from trusting in one's own righteousness and trust Christ alone for salvation.

Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

So, repent means to turn from unbelief.

Are we supposed to turn from sin once we accept Christ? Absolutely, it is said many times in the scriptures.

2 Tim 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Now, the way I see it, if you truly and sincerely believe Jesus is the Son of God, you are going to listen to him. And it is clear that He wants us to live as good and holy life as possible.

I believe in Preservation of the Saints. We do not save ourselves, Jesus does, and we cannot keep ourselves, Jesus does. When a Christian sins he does not lose his salvation, but he does lose rewards.

1 Cor 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

 

[webdog]

And for a board that "is not" half Lordship, it seems funny that not a single person has voted that Salvation does not require repentance...

Nobody will...you just have a flawed definition of what repentance is. I believe repentance is necessary, but I do not believe YOUR definition of repentance to be the correct one.

 

[webdog]

Actually, He said if they did not receive discipline, and turn, they were illegitimate sons.

Actually, he said a Christian who has been saved from sin, can no longer abide therein.

Actually, Paul commanded the unrepentant to be expelled from the church, in order that they might be saved.

And of course, John and James both make it clear, if your life is characterized by sin, you do not belong to the Lord.

He also stated not to suppress the Spirit, meaning one can do just that. When one does that, sin reigns in the life of a true believer.

 

[Havensdad]

Nobody will...you just have a flawed definition of what repentance is. I believe repentance is necessary, but I do not believe YOUR definition of repentance to be the correct one.

Did you read the OP? I defined what is meant by repentance in this poll: in THIS poll, repentance is turning from sin and the world. If you do not believe this, you should vote "No repentance required".

Also: Please note that the majority have voted the express Lordship position.

 

[Havensdad]

He also stated not to suppress the Spirit, meaning one can do just that. When one does that, sin reigns in the life of a true believer.

And he also stated that True Believers will not continually do so. No, sir, sin "will have no dominion" (not "should have no dominion" or "might not have dominion") over you.

 

[webdog]

Did you read the OP? I defined what is meant by repentance in this poll: in THIS poll, repentance is turning from sin and the world. If you do not believe this, you should vote "No repentance required".

Also: Please note that the majority have voted the express Lordship position.

Your poll is worded so it sounds "spiritual", but not knowing your definition of it, I'm sure the majority who voted option #1 did so under this false premise.

My vote should consist of what repentance truly is, not "no repentance required".

 

[Havensdad]

Your poll is worded so it sounds "spiritual", but not knowing your definition of it, I'm sure the majority who voted option #1 did so under this false premise.

What they are voting for does not even include the word repentance. It is stated VERY plainly: that to be saved, we must turn away from sin and the world, and turn unto Christ. That is the Lordship Position, and it could not be written in a simpler fashion.

My vote should consist of what repentance truly is, not "no repentance required".

But this is exactly what you believe, though you might not realize it. Changing ones mind about who Christ is, MUST necessarily include a denial and turning from sin. Otherwise this change of mind is false.

Besides, I cannot be blamed for people who do not actually read the OP. They should know better.

 

[Paul Kersey]

This was a tough question. Repentence is absolutely required for salvation. But I think many misunderstand what repentence is. Repentence is to turn from unbelief, to turn from trusting in one's own righteousness and trust Christ alone for salvation.

Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

So, repent means to turn from unbelief.

Are we supposed to turn from sin once we accept Christ? Absolutely, it is said many times in the scriptures.

2 Tim 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Now, the way I see it, if you truly and sincerely believe Jesus is the Son of God, you are going to listen to him. And it is clear that He wants us to live as good and holy life as possible.

Winman,
I think defining repentance as a turning from unbelief is solid. I remember Dr. Harold Willmington, Dean of Liberty Home Bible Institute, saying that repentance is a turning from one sin (singular), not sins (plural). That one sin that needs to be turned from in unbelief. I found him to be very kind and helpful in responding to e-mails as I progressed through seminary.

 

[swaimj]

What they are voting for does not even include the word repentance. It is stated VERY plainly: that to be saved, we must turn away from sin and the world, and turn unto Christ. That is the Lordship Position, and it could not be written in a simpler fashion.

Your poll uses language that is fairly generic, that is why so many people can readily agree with it. While it may be true that the Lordship Position could not be stated any more simply, it can certainly be stated in greater detail. The statement of greater detail is the one that will produce disagreement.

 

[Steven2006]

I posted this on the Comfort thread, but it applies here as well.


IMHO it only seems natural that the moment a person places their trust and faith in Christ as their saviour they would also recognize and hate their sin and desire completely to turn from them.

I don't understand how someone could be sincere and yet at the same time be thinking "I kind of like that one sin, I will keep doing just that one"? Or could they be sincere and believe that some of their sins are not really all that bad?

 

[Havensdad]

Your poll uses language that is fairly generic, that is why so many people can readily agree with it. While it may be true that the Lordship Position could not be stated any more simply, it can certainly be stated in greater detail. The statement of greater detail is the one that will produce disagreement.

Not so. Nothing inherently in the Lordship position, is absent from the statement. Anything in addition to this, is simply different people's interpretation of that position. So people might disagree with Macarthur or others, but if you agree that salvation is "Turning from sin and the world to Christ as Lord," you believe in the Lordship position; although you might disagree with some individual's interpretation of it.

 

[swaimj]

...So people might disagree with Macarthur or others, but if you agree that salvation is "Turning from sin and the world to Christ as Lord," you believe in the Lordship position; although you might disagree with some individual's interpretation of it.

I agree and I think this basicly makes the same point I was making. The first option on your thread is a statement that a person might make but disagree with particular details that some who hold to LS might teach. So, for instance, I voted for the option but I do not use the term LS of myself because I see errors in the detailed descriptions that I hear of it from those who claim the label.

BTW, here's a question for you: In Acts, when the Lord dropped the sheet in front of Peter that was loaded with ceremonially unclean animals and the Lord said "Rise Peter, kill and eat", Peter responded "Not so, Lord". Since Peter was expressing an unwillingness to obey God's revealed will, would you say that Peter was not saved?

 

[Havensdad]

I agree and I think this basicly makes the same point I was making. The first option on your thread is a statement that a person might make but disagree with particular details that some who hold to LS might teach. So, for instance, I voted for the option but I do not use the term LS of myself because I see errors in the detailed descriptions that I hear of it from those who claim the label.

The purpose of the poll, is simply to determine how many believe in LS, not who believes in a particular man's interpretation of it. So the simple statement serves the purpose.

BTW, here's a question for you: In Acts, when the Lord dropped the sheet in front of Peter that was loaded with ceremonially unclean animals and the Lord said "Rise Peter, kill and eat", Peter responded "Not so, Lord". Since Peter was expressing an unwillingness to obey God's revealed will, would you say that Peter was not saved?

He repented. Jesus made it clear that if a man says "no" but then repents and does it, that this is obedience (Matthew 21:29).

 

[olegig]

I vote for changing my mind (repentance) from thinking I can clean myself up now by not sinning,,,
to knowing I will never be anything but a death deserving sinner and the only way out of this mess is to get in Christ who through the Holy Spirit will wash my soul daily in the blood so my sins of the flesh will not stain my soul.