Featured Man's Ability to Repent

Hence the phrase "for the most part."

The difference here is a discussion for a different time.

Blessings,

The Archangel

 

I have no problem with what you say. God pleads, even begs, calls, invites, etc. people to repent. It is up to them to do that. Some will and some won't.

 

I could say to anyone, call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved Rom 10:13 but I also know whether the person I'm addressing knows it or not that unless he believes on Christ it will not accomplish anything for him to call upon Christ, Rom 10:14. Also Christ must first reveal himself to the unbeliever by his word before he will believe, Rom 10:14 and this is a work of grace. When the rich young ruler came running to Christ and ask him what good thing can I do to inherit eternal life Christ gave him an answer. This answer at first reads like a free will answer but Christ knowing the man's heart and knowing the man had not kept the law from his youth up revealed to the rich young ruler his evil heart to himself.

 

It is like this. God is the Creator, we are the created. Just because a created being poses the question, "how can a person be held accountable if he cannot repent without intervention by the Holy Spirit?" does not mean one thing. God makes the rules. Just because we do not understand His nature to its depths, does not mean it does not work. God's sovereignty and man's free will within the limits of his fallen state work in perfect harmony. So how do we respond? We have an endless debate about a subject we neither understand or will ever settle. Everything is a gift of God starting with the breath we take. We sinned, and we deserve hell. Anything that keeps us from hell is more than we deserve. God gives salvation, the Holy Spirit, confession, repentance, faith, grace, justification, sanctification, glorification and lots of other things as a gift. It is all of God and nothing of man.

 

You first say, but to prove to him that there is nothing within us that we can do of our own accord to gain salvation. This is true. but then you say, It all depends on how we react. This is a contradiction. If the rich young ruler would have came to churches of today they would have declared he was seeking the Lord because he came running, Mark 10:17 and the rich young ruler not only came running but he kneeled to Christ, which in altar call churches this is the same as coming to Christ to repent. Not only that but he called Christ good master, so they would say, he speaks like a Christian so lets Baptist him and put him in the books. The churches would probably think they had caught a big fish because by his testimony he is a keeper of the commandment, Mark 10:20. But there was no work of grace in this rich young ruler and Christ proved that.

 

"Saying to anyone" is similar to tract evangelism--passing them out to as many people as possible.
But in Paul's day he went into the midst of the city and disptued (discussed) with the Greeks daily. His heart was stirred within him when he saw the idolatry in Athens. He spoke to all that he could and with everyone that he had the opportunity. Most today lack that evangelistic zeal.
When Paul preached he knew it was God that gave the results.
Some believed and some did not.

There are claims of some Muslims of Christ revealing Himself to them in dreams or visions. They are anecdotal and as far as the Bible is concerned, suspect. So what do you mean "Christ revealing himself." All revelation comes through the Word of God.

Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
--These are rhetorical questions. There is nothing mentioned here about a special work of grace. It speaks of the responsibility of the believer to get the gospel out.

He revealed that he had not kept the law and could not keep the law to be saved. He revealed that he coveted his riches more than his desire to covet or desire after Christ. His riches were more important to him, and therefore an idol. Thus he went away sorrowful not believing.

 

There has been people in this world that are living and dead that do understand because God has revealed these things to them by the Spirit 1 Cor 2:10. Bunyan wrote books on the nature of man. Churches of the past had inquiry rooms where the pastor would examine seekers and by asking them questions and having a conversation with them the pastor could pin point where they were at in the workings of Gods grace and by that the pastor would be able to give them sound advice. In today's churches, and you know who you are there is a rush for membership and there is no examination at all.

 

So you don't think the rich your ruler had a evil heart in light of Heb 3:12 Take heed , brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God ? If you want to believe Christ reveals himself to Muslims in dreams that's your business, I don't. (How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard.) The word of God takes on life to a man when it is applied by the Holy Spirit, if not it is just a dead letter to him.

 

Well, no... not really...

The Archangel

 

All men have an evil heart--even the saved. Hebrews 3:12 is written to brethren, not the unsaved. Certainly the rich young ruler had an evil heart. That is why Jesus could so easily expose him.
I just wanted some clarity on what you meant when you said:

Also Christ must first reveal himself to the unbeliever by his word before he will believe,

 

Works have their proper place after salvation. But according to Jesus, even the ability to believe is a work of God...John 6:29...

 

No, faith isn't a work that man does. It's a gift of God bestowed unto the believer. Faith is a work of the Spirit, imo.

Faith is always active. It's never idle. If one has true faith, it produces...

ETA:If you study it out, fruits and works are the same. The fruits of the Spirit, such as faith, repentence, regeneration, salvation are works of the Spirit...

 

That reminds me of the RCC indoctrination to be a member, or churches that require a communicants class, or other churches that require signed pledges of giving and attendance, or signing an agreement of the church covenant. That is not in Scripture. In Acts, when folks were saved they were added to the church the same day, and the training came afterwards. Anything else is a man made invention.

 

What I wrote is the same as when Christ had the conversation with the rich young ruler. Many people think they have the conviction of God upon their souls but by examining them many do not. Many mistake worldly sorrow for Godly sorrow.

 

Define sorrow. Sorrow is irrelevant. How many people say: "I am sorry."
The expression "Godly sorrow" is only used in the context of Christians, and never in the context of the unbeliever.
The unbeliever needs to repent not "be sorry," or have sorrow.

Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. One will not have true faith in Christ without repentance at the same time. When a person puts their faith in Christ there is a change. He is now trusting Christ and not the world, money or anything else to provide and protect him. Thus there will be a change in his life. He is turning from one to another. Christ has become the object of his faith.
The same is true of repentance. Repentance and faith happen at the same time. You cannot have one without the other.

 

11 Cor 7:10 For Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. You will say the contents is speaking to Christians, I say, if it is then they all back slid and had to be saved all over again.