Is Repentance Necessary For Salvation?

Good post; Well said!

Ed

 

'Nother good post!

Ed

 

Did Jesus say anything about "repentance", here? I musta' missed it! Wanna' give us the verses, rather than the theology, please? That is the OP, you know, - "repentance".

Ed

 

How did we suddenly get from Jesus to Trent??

Ed

 

That is exactly what "repentance from dead works" is about! And it is said to be foundational, at that!

Not sure how we suddenly get from this into Purgatory, here, , but there is such a thing as "temporal salvation" found in Scripture, for the believer. We often express it theologically as "I have been saved (from the penalty of sin); I am being saved (from the power of sin); I shall be saved (from the presence of sin)!" All the above are true, but I shall only reference the second, here- Not every reference is to "salvation of the soul", in Scripture.

Ed

 

That is exactly what "repentance from dead works" is about! And it is said to be foundational, at that!

Not sure how we suddenly get from this into Purgatory, here, , but there is such a thing as "temporal salvation" found in Scripture, for the believer. We often express it theologically as "I have been saved (from the penalty of sin); I am being saved (from the power of sin); I shall be saved (from the presence of sin)!" All the above are true, but I shall only reference the second, here- Not every reference is to "salvation of the soul", in Scripture.

BTW, the Phillipian jailer may or may not have "had a repentant heart" but Scripture does not declare this, unless one chooses to add to the words of Scripture! (Something that happens all to frequently, in these pages, I add!)

Ed

 

:laugh: :laugh:

Ed

 

Those Verses you posted say nothing about temporary salvation.

When Christ saves someone, He saves them and keeps them. He has promised this. There is no such thing as temporary salvation.

 

Linda, drop the continually appearing bit about repentance meaning turning from sin, and we agree, basically. Regardless of what Dr, John R. Rice appeared to have written, here, He believed in faith alone for salvation, and the works should follow. I agree, fully with that. But like some who have posted, I do not believe that this is 'guaranteed', else why would we have the Scriptural admonitions to the effect that we should do, and in fact, keep on doing, 'good works'?

Ed

 

While I fully agree that Christ "saves to the uttermost", and for all time, have you gotten into a ship recently? That passage alone should tell us that not "all salvation" is not necessarily "saving one from hell"! If it does, as an admitted 'landlubber', since I can't swim, and have less than no desire to be on any boat, unless I'm wearing a 'life-jacket', I'm doomed for eternity!

Ed

 

Is the other salvation you seem to be refering to that millenial stuff?

 

Not particularly, 2 Timothy. The statement was a comment to one who held that 'all salvation' was of the 'saving of the soul' variety. I don't recall addressing salvation in the millenium on the BB, and will not now, merely to keep the thread on some semblance of track.

Ed

 

Linda, there is a =couple of sentences from Dr. Ironside that is especially poignant, but unfortunately elided by many in what you quoted. It is as follows:
"Loudly declaring they are justified by faith alone, they fail to remember that "faith without works is dead"; and that justification by works before men is not to be ignored as though it were in contradiction to justification by faith before God."

Failure to grasp this is what we are really questioning on this thread. James writes "You see, then..."!
God looks on then heart, but man looks on the outside. Agreed fully. it's called out testimony, and we have a responsibility to maintain "good works", as one NT writer put it (Don't know whom without looking it up, which I don't have the time to do at the minute). ' that those who have believed might be "careful to maintain good works"'. The problem comes when one assumes the converse, whch is not declared in Scripture, namely that one who was not "careful to maintain good works" was never saved in the first place. If it were only 'looking on the outside', would you or I have ever called Lot one of the righteous saved, let alone identified him as the only person specifically identified in Scripture as "Godly", when he was the mayor of Sodom? I know I would not have, although I can't speak for you.
But we are still getting away from the real question of the OP, "Is repentance required for salvation?" I have already answered "Yes, absolutely!" I have believed, 'preached' and taught that it is, and consistently, for almost 40 years. I have just as consistently believed, 'preached', and taught that the "repentance required for salvation" is not "turning from sin" for that "additional requirement" to believe/faith in order to be saved, is not taught in Scripture.

But as I worded it (and a couple more 'followed suit') "repent is the 'flip-side' of believe", as regards eternal salvation. It is not to be a 'backloading', or a 'sneaking in the back door' into faith of works of "turning from sin", first.
I cringe at the number of individuals who attempt this, by loudly proclaiming that this unspoken self-reformation is necessary before one can be saved, and also the number that blithely proclaim that some Biblical character "first" repented (of his or her sin), and then "got saved" when Scripture says no such thing. Let Scripture speak, and let us hear, and then let us proclaim the 'free gift' of salvation by grace through faith, in 'Biblical terminology'. Then these 'false issues' will not even come up, IMO!

Let the Holy Spirit do His job of "convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment"! He does not need our help, in this. Nor does He need our help in what I call the thinking of "You gotta' get 'em 'lost', before ya' get them saved." They are already lost, without any help from any of us. The Holy Spirit reveals that, not us.

Let us do our job of preaching the truth, and persuading men. Preaching is the mode of salvation, Biblically. That is the Biblical order, IMO. We are well served to follow it.

Ed

 

Is repentence necessary for salvation? I'll put it like this. When the Holy Spirit gave me a new heart, I could not help but to litterally cry... big old alligator tears. To suddenly see His glory, to understand the He died for me while I was still spitting in His face, to come to the understanding of the great love He has for me, and to see Him hanging on that cross... for my sin. How can you not cry over such a picture? The One that I love with all my heart, soul, mind and body, hanging on that cross for me. :tear:

 

However, not everyone cries. I see no Scripture that Paul cried either on the 'Damascus Road' (or in the house later, where he was taken and was told "what he must do") or at the Philippian Jailer's point of salvation or most any other. That you cried is your testimony, and that is wonderful. But tears do not necessarily equal salvation, and Scripture does not declare such. However it does say that "Godly sorrow workd repentance". Unfortunately, it also follows these words with "worldly sorrow brings death".

So we cannot base this on sorrow, alone. Many claim to "remember their experience" when they 'walked the aisle' or 'were baptized'.

So what? The question was and is did they "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ", for that is the sole answer to "What must I do to be saved". I remember both of my 'experiences'. I cannot say for certain that I was saved at that time, although I think I was. I am certain, and became certain some years later, reading and understanding Scripture, and can say with Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded..." That is the sole Biblical requirement. :thumbsup:

Ed

FTR, what is the difference between "alligator tears" and "crocodile tears", the latter of which are certainly not tears of 'real' sorrow?

 

Alligator tears are real? lol I know not all have a visible emotional experience. But if there is no true sorrow over what Jesus did for us, why? Think of someone you love hanging on that cross in your place. Would there not be sorrow? That sorrow should produce a change in a person.

 

Please enlighten me what is the litny of salvations?

 

well now, every sincere Catholic is eaten up with sorrow over the death of Christ.......and it very often produces a drastic change in their life. They walk on their knees up flights of stairs because they are sorry. They pray the rosary multiple times daily, some are even crucified in order to re-enact Christ's sacrifice.....all over sorrow and guilt because of what Christ did on the cross.

But that is not where salvation lies. Salvation lies in the empty tomb! If Christ had remained on the cross (where Catholics leave Him and still mourn for Him) than our faith would be in vain. Christ won our salvation from death through His resurrection from the grave.

reformed, I think I understand what you are trying to say.....but be careful not to make it sound like sorrow is your "test of salvation." Some of us felt overwhelming relief and joy. I don't work for Christ because I feel sorry that He died on the cross. He died and ROSE again so that I don't have to. Im not sorry about that, and I don't think Jesus would want me to be. I work for Christ because He is my Lord and Master and that is the most natural thing for me to do. But I do not believe that Christ would want me to continue to feel burdened and/or motivated by guilt and sorrow to serve Him.