I would like to add one. That God would have to admit he made a mistake. Because he would have to admit he did not know the person would later change his or her mind.
I would offer. The promise, our confidence, is
if he has begun the good work of His salvation in us he will keep on working with us to the end.
He is author of finishing is better than starting.... just as patience is better than pride
Every time a believer does foolish things by denying God in their new hearts they have sinned.
Remember the power we do have our earthen bodies as new creatures is not of us, its Christ in us, the anointing Holy Spirit of God The incorruptible seed.(never ending)
I would offer God who without fail always does whatsoever his soul pleases as the "first works". like;"let there be" and by a work of his faith there was that which the eyes behold. God called it good.
Our God who calls people to repent does the changing of mind. He does the first work of turning them toward Him drawing them so that they then comfort themselves (repent).
He offers us a good definition ( Jer 31:18)of what it meaning to repent.I belive showing he must do the first work or no man could turn from trusting thier own old hearts. To repent is a work of God our first love.
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.Surely after that I was turned,"I repented"; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.Jer 31:18
The word repent took a different meaning then many I have shared with. It helped myself understand what I belive it means when God repents he does not only change His mind but is comforted by the fact he will kep on comforting those he draws to His own self.
Strongs lexicon..
05162 nacham {naw-kham'}a primitive root; TWOT - 1344; v
AV - comfort 57, repent 41, comforter 9, ease 1; 108
1) to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion 1a2) to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent 1a3) to comfort oneself, be comforted 1a4) to comfort oneself, ease oneself 1b) (Piel) to comfort, console 1c) (Pual) to be comforted, be consoled 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to be sorry, have compassion 1d2) to rue, repent of 1d3) to comfort oneself, be comforted 1d4) to ease oneself
If he does not do the first works as our first experience as a labor of His love working in us turning us. Then no man could come.
It would seem the Holy Spirit gives us a beautiful example of what it means to “repent by turning to comfort one self”.
It would be the same God who first called us by the hearing of his faith and not the god of this world who would have us crucify Christ again, again, and again every time they do harden their hearts by sinning against God and not in respect to the first call of faith (our first love)
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.(hearing the word of God) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works;(believe God not man) or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Rev 2:1
The Nicolaitanes had given up that which turned them the first time in order to belive God with a new faith and they began by putting their faith in the things of men seen the temporal. after the founder of that sect,Nicole. And not the true founder of our new faith ,Christ
lol