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Featured Charles Hodge On Repentance

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by SavedByGrace, Dec 10, 2020.

  1. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    Dr Charles Hodge was a foremost theologian, who was "Reformed" in his theology. Here is an excerpt from his work on Faith & Repentance. There are some who are also "Reformed", who claim that the Biblical meaning of "Repentance", is no more than a "change of ones mind", mainly in their view towards God and the Holy Bible. They reject that it also means, "sorrow for sins, and turning from them". Starting with Dr Hodge, I will show from Reformed theologians, that the present day understanding of this, is a heresy that the devil has tricked some into believing to be taught in the Bible, and must be rejected.
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    There is no duty the necessity of which is either more obvious in itself, or more frequently asserted in the word of God, than that of repentance. Nature itself teaches us, that when we have done wrong, we should be sorry for it, and turn away from the evil. Every man feels that this is a reasonable expectation in regard to those who have offended him. Every parent, especially, looks with anxiety for the repentance of a disobedient child; and he considers nothing worthy of the name, but sincere sorrow and a return to affectionate obedience. No man need wonder, therefore, that God, who requires nothing but what is right, and who can require nothing less, commands all men everywhere to repent. The salvation offered in the gospel, though it be a salvation of sinners, is also a salvation from sin. The heaven which it promises is a heaven of holiness. The rivers of pleasure, which flow from the right hand of God, are filled with the pure waters of life. No man, therefore, can be saved who does not, by repentance, forsake his sins. This is itself a great part of salvation. The inward change of heart from the love and service of sin to the love and service of God, is the great end of the death of Christ, who gave himself for his church, "that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." A salvation for sinners, therefore, without repentance, is a contradiction.

    Hence it is that repentance is the burden of evangelical preaching. Our Saviour himself, when he began to preach, said, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And when he came into Galilee preaching the gospel, he said, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." The commission which he gave his apostles was, "That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." In the execution of this commission his disciples went forth and preached, "Repent ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Paul, in the account which he gave Agrippa of his preaching, said that he "showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance." And he called upon the elders at Ephesus to bear witness that he had taught "publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

    Repentance, then, is the great, immediate, and pressing duty of all who hear the gospel. They are called upon to forsake their sins, and to return unto God through Jesus Christ. The neglect of this duty, is the rejection of salvation. For, as we have seen, unless we repent we must perish. It is because repentance is thus indispensably necessary, that God reveals so clearly not only the evil of sin, and the terms of his law, but his infinite compassion and love; that he calls upon us to turn unto him and live, assuring us that he is "The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth," This call to repentance commonly follows men from the cradle to the grave. It is one of the first sounds which wakes the infant's ear; it is one of the last which falls on the failing senses of the dying sinner. Everything in this world is vocal with the voice of mercy. All joy and all sorrow are calls to return unto God with whom are the issues of life. Every opening grave, every church, every page of the Bible, is an admonition or an invitation. Every serious thought or anxious foreboding is the voice of God, saying, "Turn ye; for why will ye die?" It is through all these admonitions that men force their way to death. They perish, because they deliberately reject salvation.

    It is one of the mysteries of redemption, that, under the economy of mercy, all duties are graces. Though repentance is our duty, it is not less the gift of God. Those who wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction, gladly seize on such truths either as an excuse for delay, under pretence of waiting God's time, or as a palliation of the guilt of a hard and impenitent heart. But those who feel the greatness of the work required of them rejoice in the truth, and rouse themselves with new energy to their duty, no longer a hopeless task, and with all earnestness work out their own salvation, because it is God that worketh in them to will and to do according to his own pleasure.


    From: The Way of Life, chapters 6-7, by Charles Hodge
     
  2. AustinC

    AustinC Well-Known Member

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    You seem ignorant of what Hodge wrote in your quote.
    Hodge actually argues against your claim.
    Second, any Reformed person believes that repentance is more than a mental exercise. We see the repentance of the Church at Thessalonica in understanding that repentance is lived out in turning to God from idols.

    1 Thessalonians 1:6-10
    And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
     
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  3. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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  4. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    We must be Justified before we can even know what our sins plural all are!
     
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  5. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    you are REVERSING what the Bible says!!!
     
  6. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Before saved and made alive, how do we even know are a sinner?
     
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  7. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    CONVICTION by God the Holy Spirit, either directly, or through the preaching or hearing of the Gospel/Word of God!
     
  8. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Which then leads to us receiving Jesus as our Lord and savior...
    God enables us to realize I am a sinner, cannot save myself, must call upon Lord Jesus, doe snot require a list of all committed sins first confessed!
     
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  9. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    so God does or believing for us? We are nothing but a bunch of robots!
     
  10. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    We are slaves to our sin natures!
     
  11. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    even after we are saved!
     
  12. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Jesus disagrees with you here. John 8:36!
     
  13. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    so, you are saying that no Christians are in "bondage" to lust, pronography, living in sin, with anothers wife/husband? what planet are you on?
     
  14. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Saying that the lost are and must stay in bondage to the flesh, while we have a real choice now as the redeemed not to be any longer!
     
  15. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    but there are many lost that live more morally upright lives than many Christians! How can they be "in bondage to the flesh"? You are simply arguing for the sake of it, but with no real evidence.
     
  16. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    I am just stating what Jesus stated, was he wrong in his analysis?
     
  17. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    no, Jesus cannot be wrong. But interpretation is. Jesus was speaking to "believing Jews" (John 8:30, 31)
     
  18. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    He also was speaking to MANY who were to have him killed off for claiming to be "I AM"
     
  19. AustinC

    AustinC Well-Known Member

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    Do you realize you are arguing for works as the means of salvation?
    Sbg, it is clear you struggle with salvation by grace. For that, I pray God opens your heart. At present you add works to the burden.
     
  20. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    at least you make me LAUGH with your continued RUBBISH! :Roflmao:Roflmao:Roflmao
     
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