Originally posted by bjonson:
webdog,
So then, you don't believe a person has to repent in order to be saved?
consider God's Word:
"and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47, ESV)
Acts says this:
"And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”" (Acts 16:31, ESV)
but then says this:
"testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:21, ESV)
Looks like repentance must accompany faith...
"“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7, ESV)
"and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” " (Mark 1:15, ESV)
Jesus said this very clearly:
"and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3, ESV)
webdog, are you going to disagree with Jesus Christ on this?
Good article by Dr. Wilkin...
Repentance Isn’t Found in Paul’s Defense of His Gospel in Galatians
The gospel Paul preached to the Galatians was under attack by men we now call Judaizers (Gal 1:6-9). They were proclaiming justification by faith plus works. They did not deny the death and resurrection of Jesus or the importance of faith. They did, however, say that faith was not enough. One must also be circumcised and keep the law of Moses, they said.
Paul defends his gospel in Galatians. Chapter 2 verses 15 and 16 are his thesis statement. A man is not justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. That’s it.
Not once in Galatians do we find reference to repentance. Surely if repentance were a condition of justification Paul would say so in Galatians. That he does not proves the point.
Repentance Isn’t Found in the Only Evangelistic Book in the Bible
The Gospel of John is evangelistic (John 20:31 ). No other book is. All other books are written to those who already believe. This isn’t to say that we don’t find mention of the saving message elsewhere. But it is to say that we surely will find a full orbed presentation of the saving message in John.
The words metanoeo and metanoia, repent and repentance, are not found even once in John’s Gospel. This is the gospel of belief. Ninety-nine times pisteuo, believe, occurs. Over and over again we are told that the one who believes in Jesus has everlasting life (e.g., 3:16, 18, 36; 4:10ff.; 5:24 ; 6:47 ; 11:25 -27).
The author was a disciple of John the Baptist and was schooled in the doctrine of repentance. He speaks of repentance in the Book of Revelation. That we don’t find it in his evangelistic book is telling.
These Aren’t Arguments from Silence
Some would object that these are arguments from silence. Actually, as Zane Hodges has shown in his book Harmony with God, they are arguments about silence.
If I wrote a book on the best basketball players in the NBA today and I did not mention Karl Malone, it would be clear that I didn’t consider him one of the best today. My failure to mention him would be an argument about silence, not from it. So too on this issue. That Galatians and John are dealing with justification and yet neither mentions repentance is proof that repentance is not a condition of justification/eternal life.
The Sole Condition of Justification is Faith in Jesus
Galatians 2:15-16 makes this clear. So does John 6:47. And so do over 150 other passages in the Bible.
Therefore, unless repentance is another name for faith, then repentance cannot be a condition for eternal life.
Repentance Isn’t Faith
That repentance isn’t faith is clear in a statement like, “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15 ). It is also clear in the many passages which call upon believers to repent.
Repentance is a decision to turn from one’s sins and get right with God (Luke 15). This is something which believers who are out of fellowship with God are called upon do. However, even unbelievers can decide to turn from their sins in an effort to get right with God. Their repentance, though not a condition of eternal life, might result in God opening their eyes to the truth of the gospel (Acts 10:1-11:18; 16:13-15).
Conclusion: Repentance Isn’t a Condition of Justification
Since justification is by faith alone, it isn’t by also by repentance or baptism or discipleship or commitment or works or anything else. The sole condition of justification before God is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Calvinists who say that repentance is a condition of justification need to rethink their position. They are contradicting themselves and denying the key cry of the Reformation: Sola Fide, by faith alone.
Of course, non-Calvinists who cling to repentance as a condition of eternal life likewise need to reconsider. Both need to realize that if the sole condition of eternal life is believing that Jesus guarantees eternal life to all who simply believe in Him, and if they have never believed that, then they are lost no matter how committed they are, no matter how much they love God, no matter how sincere they are, and no matter how orthodox the rest of their theology may be.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31 ). That’s it. That truly is good news.
and exactly nails where 'Arminianism', and 'Calvinism', are, in fact, identical. The final analysis is that one is really saved by something other than grace through faith! 
The protestations by any are meaningless when one can and does say because your works or lifestyle, or whatever, do not live up to MY 
