Featured Confession, Repentance: discerning the truth.

we have to agree to disagree.

 

My friend, the fact of the matter is, that on these doctrines there are opposite views, both with very good Bible support. At the end of the day I admit that there are truths on both sides. I used to believe for over 20 years, that a truly born again person could lose their salvation. Through personal study of the Scriptures and prayer, the Lord showed me that on this I was not right. So my position has changed. I still struggle with some passages that are very strong on the other side, but it is now stronger for what I hold to. Important as these subjects are, they are not "essential" doctrines, that are needed to save a person.

 

Oh, but they are. There is no aspect of biblical truth that is non-essential. If the Bible is actually God's word, then all of it is essential. Jesus said as much:

Matthew 4:4 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

This fact having been established, it does not mean we have to endlessly debate or do so in a manner that brings attention to ourselves rather than to God's word. That is why I am striking from my lexicon the phrase "agree to disagree". We may very well disagree but the matter is not settled until the truth wins out. Perhaps the truth will not win out in our personal interaction, but it will win out nonetheless.

 

By "essential" I mean doctrines that are required to be accepted to be saved. A person's understanding on the "extent of the Atonement" of Jesus Christ, will not determine whether they get to heaven or not! But, if someone who claims to be a true Christian, and yet rejects the Virgin Conception of Jesus Christ, or His Resurrection or Deity, etc, they cannot be saved nor make it to heaven. There are "essential" and "non essential" Doctrines in the Christian Faith.

 

I agree that there are certain doctrines that are not necessary to understand in order to come to faith in Christ. I do not expect a convert to understand the intricacies of the dichotomist vs. trichotomist debate. However, I am going to hold to my statement that all doctrines are essential. Perhaps I can qualify it to say that all doctrines are essential for growth in the life of a Christian. I am just tired of dumbing-down theology. We do far too much of that in the church.

 

I think it would be better to differentiate between "essential" and "important". ALL Doctrines taught in the Holy Bible are "important", because they are God's Word. But, ALL are not "essential" for our salvation. For example, John Stott the English Evangelical Christian, was undoubtedly born-again and is with the Lord now, though he denied that the lost would be "eternally punished" and opted for the unbiblical "annihilation" view. This is a "non essential" Doctrine, "important" as it is part of the Gospel Message, yet not one that is needed to be believed to save a person! Lloyd-Jones is quite helpful here, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/martyn-lloyd-jones-what-is-evangelical_05/

 

I believe Lord...help me in my non belief

 

Calvinism comes in many flavors.

Regeneration means the gifts of faith and repentance are given. Along with the inward and outward calls, the elect experience these gifts.

 

We do not get saved by praying a prayer, being baptized, asking Jesus into our hearts, confessing our sins, joining a church, cleaning up our lives, doing penance, taking the bread and the wine, or doing all these thing accumulative.


Salvation takes repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 20:21. Make no mistake. We cannot be a friend of Christ and remain a rebel against God. The word repent, from the Greek word “metanoia”, means a change of mind or direction. That change is not 50%, 75%, or 99%. It is 100% or we are not repenting.



God is not receiving those who almost or kind of repent. It is like the word about face which is a 180 degree turn. We turn from not wanting God fully in our lives to accepting Him fully in our lives.



When any person comes to the place where they are broken over their sin to the point they want to get right with God no matter what it will cost them they are in a state/spirit of repentance toward God.

We then take that heart we have towards God and place it on the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Master and that becomes faith. At that moment God’s grace through Christ is applied to us and we are born again, saved from eternal hell and sealed by the Spirit so that we will never again return to the practice of sinning. 1John 3:9,10.

Repentance of sin is the result of the new birth/salvation and will be part of the sanctification process and our new life with the Lord Jesus Christ, Eph 2:10. While we may sin from time to time after salvation it will not be our practice 1John 3:9,10.



John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

 

Judith said: ↑
When any person comes to the place where they are broken over their sin to the point they want to get right with God no matter what it will cost them they are in a state/spirit of repentance toward God.

saved from eternal hell and sealed by the Spirit so that we will never again return to the practice of sinning. 1John 3:9,10.

While we may sin from time to time after salvation it will not be our practice 1John 3:9,10.

Judith,

Have you ever personally known drug addicts or alcoholics who were broken over their sin to the point they wanted to get right with God no matter what it will cost them? They are repentant. They express faith. God accepts them.
(Ephesians 2:5,6)

While they may fall many times, or die in their addiction, they are eternally saved, correct?