Featured Is repentance needed for salvation?

Repentance becomes a false addition to the gospel unless properly defined as a synonym with faith.


Joy unspeakable full of glory

 

Alex2165 simply refuses to accept the truth about repentance and sadly, I've seen numerous people turn repentance into a false addition to the gospel. The church of Christ for example basically understands faith as "mental assent" belief "conjoined with works." They will cite that “even the demons believe” (James 2:19) in their sermons and will contend that even the "faith of demons" is the same as other faith "except" for the lack of good works, which explains why they have so much faith in water baptism and other works for salvation.

They also place repentance "after" faith and understood it as moral “self-reformation.” They reverse the scriptural order of repent/believe/believe the gospel/faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. To the contrary we find:

Matthew 21:32 - For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Mark 1:15 - and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Acts 20:21 - testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

*NOTICE THE ORDER.*

In regards to belief/faith, members of the church of Christ (and other works-salvationists) often fail to understand that there is a deeper, more substantive aspect of faith which is believing/trusting/relying in Jesus Christ for eternal life, and most cannot distinguish between mere intellectual or "mental assent" belief from personal faith that is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

 

The birds of the air nesting in the mustard tree


Joy unspeakable full of glory

 

Repentance results in a change of actions, which is the fruit of repentance.

 

Repentance is not forced or legalistic for those who truly have repented. Blaspheming the God of heaven is not the fruit of repentance.

 

Of course we must choose to repent and God (out of love) is longsuffering toward us and is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

 

God commands sinners both to repent (Acts 17:30) and to believe (Acts 16:31). Both repentance and faith are necessary for salvation. Both are gracious gifts of God.

Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

God grants people repentance unto life. Those who do not repent and believe will not be saved.

 

Who says this?
Who are these hypothetical “some people”?

“Some people” wear aluminum foil hats to prevent the Aliens from reading their thoughts, but they are generally not people of influence.

 

Will you acknowledge that the letters to the churches, in Revelation, are written to believers?

Therefore, repentance is what believers do. Non-believers do not repent because they do not believe there is any need to repent.

 

God decides who will believe.
There are many who will say "Lord, Lord" and God will say "Depart from me, I never knew you." (Matt 25)

 

Is it still not needed?


Joy unspeakable full of glory

 

Turning from sin / stop sinning / promise to obey / commitment/ ect to be saved is a false message .

 

'turning from sin ' to be saved is not biblical.

 

Should Jesus under the law have said " Go sin some more " ?

 

This has been my empirical view of "salvation". It was never a secret ritual or chant in unison or a 12 step program. If you don't walk away from an encounter with the great I AM shaken to the core and changed in some way that you just can't explain, then you haven't met GOD.

It is about a fundamental realignment.
Is it about leaving something behind? Yes.
It is about moving towards something completely different. Yes.
Is it about making a choice to follow? Yes.
Is it about being irresistible drawn into a relationship? Yes.

 

Guys of course Jesus was just joking when he went around telling people to repent cause he knew no one can repent unless he sticks his hand up your back and works you like a puppet.