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Man's Ability to Repent
- Thread starter PreachTony
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In Acts 17:22-34 the Apostle Paul was addressing the men of Athens (17:22). Athens was a pagan city at the time ("he was observing the city full of idols" 17:16), so Paul's plea was urgent. In Acts 17:30 Paul said, "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent," Why? "because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead" (17:31).
The repentance Paul wrote about in Acts 17:30 is the same repentance that leads to life found elsewhere in Acts, "When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life"" (Acts 11:18).
These are two passages of scripture that clearly, unambiguously, and irrefutably teach that sinners must repent of their sins in order to be saved. This is the repentance that leads to life; i.e. the repentance that leads to eternal life through salvation.
And unless the evidence of scripture is still not convincing enough:
2 Corinthians 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of he world produces death.
"repentance without regret, leading to salvation" (emphasis mine).
So, yes, there is a repentance that God brings about in sinners that results in their salvation So, no repentance is not something only believers can do, although believers also repent of sin on an ongoing basis. The former is part of our justification. The latter is part of our progressive sanctification.
convicted1
Guest
I agree with this very well stated post. Where I take humberage is what DHK said here...
Now, if the Jews are God's people, and they're commanded to repent from their sins, but the NT church isn't given this same command, what does that make them? A blip on God's radar? Or better....an interruption in God's plan for Israel?
Being justified by faith is one message and one message only. Both OT saints were saved that way and so are NT saints. Salvation is by faith. Whatever happened do sola fide. Did Calvinists give up on that idea and throw it in the trash?
Think about this carefully. I don't know your testimony.
However, was there a time in your life when you repented of all your sins.
Did you remember each and every one in all your lifetime, list them all to the Lord, and then repent of them all. What you are advocating is a works salvation. It is along the lines of this:
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
--Paul is teaching that you must keep all the law from birth to death. If in your entire life you break just one law you are cursed. Now substitute the word law for sin. If you but sin just one time in your life you are cursed.
Before you were saved how many times did you break the law? How many times did you sin? Did you confess them all to the Lord.
Galatians 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
--The law doesn't save; it points us to our sinfulness.
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
--It is Christ that saved us from the law. He took that curse away.
Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
--How do we obtain the same blessing that comes from Abraham, the same salvation that the elect of the OT had, that which the Holy Spirit offers today?
It is obtained by faith; not by repenting of all your sins!
salzer mtn
Well-Known Member
I think we have a failure to communicate. When God comes to us in our sin's and regenerates us and gives us a new nature one of the things in this new nature that is revealed to us is a real revelation of what sin is in God's eyes and a repenting heart toward God. It's not that we are trying to repent of every sin we have ever committed but I think if one is truly saved, a nature you might say of repentance is with us till we leave this natural life. I agree that a dead man in sin untouched by the Holy Spirit has not a Godly sorrow because he is dead to the things of God. Some think that the new nature is given after conversion but I thing it is given in regeneration. The reason is, a dead man loves darkness and will not come to God in that state.
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DHK said:
I believe you have made your point well. I chimed in with what I believed to be strong scriptural proof that repentance is part of the salvation process.
Let me point out that the repentance that leads to life does not require the sinner to mention each and every sin he has committed and then repent of those sins. This type of repentance is holistic in nature. The sinner is repenting of their sin in general. It is not, "Lord I repent of lying last Tuesday; I repent of stealing a pencil from my classmate when I was in 3rd grade; I repent of losing my temper with my co-worker..." The repentance that leads to life is a general turning from self to God. It is a recognition of wrong (in this case sin) and a change of mind towards sin which can only come from God.
convicted1
Guest
Oh, I agree with you Brother.
I agree we don't present Him with an itemized list of our sins. It's more a matter of presenting Him with a contrite soul, a broken heart, a true realization of what damage our sinfulness has done to us, and that if He'd have mercy on us, we'd do our best, through His working in our lives, to live for Him.
But preaching repentance from sins to the Jews and preaching only to believe is two gospels.
DHK said repentance from sins was for God's people. Then in the next sentence said we, the NT church only have to believe. He's admitting the church, that which Christ died for...Eph. 5:25, isn't God's people.
Then would you agree that it is more in line with what I defined here:
http://www.baptistboard.com/showpost.php?p=2192234&postcount=86
convicted1
Guest
FTR, Brother OldRegular nailed DHK and pegged him for what he is.....a Walvoordite...
Or a fellow Baptist who holds to us being saved by Grace alone, yhru faith alone, but he disagrees with us as to if the sinner actually can produce that kind of faith by himself, or that God has to supply Him with that...
salzer mtn
Well-Known Member
One more thing about regeneration and conversion. This can happen simultaneous or a period of time between. There are some people like Spurgeon and John Bunyan that went as long as years in between regeneration and conversion. Spurgeon was as much as five years under a burden of sin before the Methodist Deacon read the passage in the pulpit in Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else. Spurgeon said he did look by faith and God saved him in that instant.
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You haven't been reading my posts closely enough. And, IMO, you haven't been accurate enough in your own terminology. That is partly what I have been trying to get at.
First, for some reason you took umbrage with the definition I gave here:
http://www.baptistboard.com/showpost.php?p=2192234&postcount=86
And secondly, you keep using the term "repenting from your sins," which I believe is inaccurate and even wrong.
The proper terminology here, if you must use "sin" is to use it in the singular to define the collective whole; "repent from your sin." If the plural is used (sins), its meaning is changed and implied that there are specific sins that need to be repented of, which is true with the believer--on a daily basis, and hence, I John 1:9.
You either were not paying attention or misunderstood.
The message of repentance preached to the Jews during the time of John the Baptist, was still during the time when the Jews were God's elect. So yes they were to repent of their sins as we (God's elect) are to repent of ours (1John 1:9). They had strayed far away from God. They were still treated as God's elect. Christ had not yet been manifest at that point, when John the Baptist came preaching a message of repentance.
Individual sins are to repented of by God's people. For example, in 1Cor.5, the man that committed incest was disciplined out of the church. Eventually he repented. And the church accepted him back. "Sins" are to be repented of (1John 1:9).
You need to quote me accurately for those things that I never said.
In the NT, those that are unsaved are commanded to believe.
Acts 16:31--"Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved."
Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God."
Rom.10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Salvation is by faith. There are very few verses in the NT that mention repentance. Why?
In the nature of faith, repentance is included. One cannot believe in Christ as Lord without repenting at the same time. But repentance is not from "sins". It is from rebellion against God, and it is submission to God. Repentance in the NT is spoken of "toward God."
That would be wrong. He can't "peg" me. I follow the teachings of the Bible, not a man.
Repentance is not only a change of mind towards God. Repentance is a turning from one thing to another. In regards to the sinner it is a change from sin to righteousness; from self to God; from pride of heart to being contrite of heart (as brother Willis indicated).
I have followed this thread closely. Others have quoted your statement that only believers can repent. That is inaccurate for reasons I stated HERE.
Unless you misspoke, I have to question why you insist that repentance is only for believers when the biblical evidence clearly indicates otherwise.
I wasn't saying that only believers can repent. I never said that. I was watching carefully the language being used. Sinners can't repent of "their sins." They can repent of "sin", a "sinful lifestyle," "rebellion," etc. One after another kept asserting they must repent of "sins" which is not true.
"Sins" plural, is what believers must repent of in order to keep their fellowship with God. One sin will break your fellowship with God. You won't lose your salvation because of one sin, but you will lose fellowship with God. Repentance on a daily basis is needful for the believer, but not for the unsaved.
DHK,
I think you will admit that one of things that happens on this board is that people are misquoted and misunderstood. People also make errors in what they are trying to communicate. That is why it is important to drill down and confirm what the other person is saying.
I do not know any well-informed Monergists who believe sinners have to itemize their sins in order to repent. If you have heard Monergists say that then they are not being consistent with the doctrines of grace. For the sinner, repentance is highly personal. It incorporates an admission that the sinner has offended a holy God, and as a consequence of their sin they deserve God's judgment and wrath. It is a mea culpa of cosmic proportions. The proof of that repentance is genuine salvation and a changed life.
Protestant
Well-Known Member
FYI: DHK is anti-Lordship Salvation which is a typical Dispensationalist view.
Wayne Grudem wrote:
Only a Roman Catholic priest would require you to list sins….especially those of a sexual nature. Such sins would require detailed examination.
Please note the Lordship implication in the title ‘Lord’ Jesus Christ.
Per Lewis Chafer.
The Savior from what? From their sins:
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Omitting the fact that Jesus saves sinners from the judgment their sins deserve is no Gospel.
Wayne Grudem wrote:
Wayne Grudem wrote:
convicted1
Guest
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbs::thumbsup:
I do believe that there must be a recognition of the sinfulness of the person, a conviction of sin, absolutely. Without the acknowledgement of sin there is no need for a savior.
Perhaps, I more than others, cringe at easy-believism preaching from preachers that I have heard before calling out "Repent of your sins and be saved." It is not a biblical invitation. The object of our faith is Christ. It is only Christ that can save.
The law cannot save. Neither can reformation. Even if I leave my sins I cannot be saved. The idea of leaving my sins behind, turning from them, is more like reformation, not regeneration. It is a false theology, or at least leads to one. The emphasis in NT salvation is in Christ. He is the one that saves. He is the one that that needs to be the object of our faith. He is the one that paid the price for our sins. Our focus needs to by on Him. He alone can save.
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