What is Repentance?

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LW97

LW97

Senior Member
#41
Apr 10, 2018
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#41
Grandpa said:
Repentance is turning away from your own ways and your own understanding and trusting instead in the Lord Jesus Christ.

It sounds easy but if you don't already know the Lord and what He does for us then there is no way you can know what repentance even is.

Repentance isn't sadness. But sadness can lead to repentance.

Repentance isn't changing your mind. But repentance can cause you to change your mind.

Repentance isn't ceasing to sin. But repentance can cause you to cease from sin.


I don't think a person can repent unless they have TRIED to cease from sin. I don't think a person can repent unless they have TRIED to change their mind.

But just because a person wants to do something or tries to do something doesn't mean they have the power to do it.

Only in Christ can we overcome.

And repentance is a gift from God.

It doesn't feel like it at the time... lol
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AMEN
 
G

Grandpa

Senior Member
#42
Jun 24, 2011
11,551
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#42
eternally-gratefull said:
Please read what you wrote again, see if you see what I see.
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Just because we desperately need to do something doesn't mean we have the power to do it.

Those who think they DO have the power to do it are deceived, imo. And I think you hold the same opinion.
 
dcontroversal

dcontroversal

Banned
#43
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
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#43
Repentance boiled down simply means a change of mind and to agree with God concerning our state, what he requires, how to be accepted in his sight etc......
 
D

Danny1988

Active member
#44
Jun 24, 2018
410
124
43
#44
Grandpa said:
Repentance is turning away from your own ways and your own understanding and trusting instead in the Lord Jesus Christ.

It sounds easy but if you don't already know the Lord and what He does for us then there is no way you can know what repentance even is.

Repentance isn't sadness. But sadness can lead to repentance.

Repentance isn't changing your mind. But repentance can cause you to change your mind.

Repentance isn't ceasing to sin. But repentance can cause you to cease from sin.


I don't think a person can repent unless they have TRIED to cease from sin. I don't think a person can repent unless they have TRIED to change their mind.

But just because a person wants to do something or tries to do something doesn't mean they have the power to do it.

Only in Christ can we overcome.

And repentance is a gift from God.

It doesn't feel like it at the time... lol
Click to expand...
The second last line sums it all up "repentance is a gift from God".

Nobody has ever or will ever come to the Lord without that gift. So it's all the work of the Lord, we contribute a big fat ZERO to our salvation.
The only thing we bring to the table is a filthy wicked, sinful heart mind and soul that's dead in sin, yet many professing Christians believe they are saved in that condition because they made a wise choice to believe. That denies God the glory He deserves and it puts the wicked sinner on Gods throne. It's a lie straight from the pits of hell
 
Chester

Chester

Senior Member
#45
May 23, 2016
4,274
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#45
Danny1988 said:
The second last line sums it all up "repentance is a gift from God".

Nobody has ever or will ever come to the Lord without that gift. So it's all the work of the Lord, we contribute a big fat ZERO to our salvation.
The only thing we bring to the table is a filthy wicked, sinful heart mind and soul that's dead in sin, yet many professing Christians believe they are saved in that condition because they made a wise choice to believe. That denies God the glory He deserves and it puts the wicked sinner on Gods throne. It's a lie straight from the pits of hell
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What you say certainly is one side of the picture . . . and it is not that I disagree . . . but what you are missing is that we are created in the image of God.
 
D

Danny1988

Active member
#46
Jun 24, 2018
410
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#46
Chester said:
What you say certainly is one side of the picture . . . and it is not that I disagree . . . but what you are missing is that we are created in the image of God.
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Absolutely true, we were made in the image of God but we have a slight problem. We are born dead in our trespasses and sins, dead people cannot choose to believe the Gospel to bring about salvation. God must give us the gift of faith before we can get off first base.
 
S

shrume

Senior Member
#47
Jun 26, 2017
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#47
Where does the Bible say anything about repentance being a gift?
 
Chester

Chester

Senior Member
#48
May 23, 2016
4,274
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#48
Danny1988 said:
Absolutely true, we were made in the image of God but we have a slight problem. We are born dead in our trespasses and sins, dead people cannot choose to believe the Gospel to bring about salvation. God must give us the gift of faith before we can get off first base.
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LOL! You had better be more careful with your analogies.

I am surprised that a die-hard Calvinist would believe that a person can get to first base without having been given the gift of faith. Most hitters are quite happy with a single.

For myself, I do not believe we can even get to first base unless God gives us the gift of faith.
 
G

Grandpa

Senior Member
#49
Jun 24, 2011
11,551
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#49
shrume said:
Where does the Bible say anything about repentance being a gift?
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I don't know if the bible ever expressly says that repentance is a gift.

But if it leads to Salvation I consider it a gift.
 
D

Danny1988

Active member
#50
Jun 24, 2018
410
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#50
shrume said:
Where does the Bible say anything about repentance being a gift?
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I tried to explain it before b ut you failed to understand, so I'll use baby language.

Remember when you were a little boy and you received a Christmas present, then when you opened it you found a set a model airplane. You put all of the components together to build one unit, but it's made of separate components.
Likewise God gives us a gift called salvation, when we open the box we find one of the components of this gift is repentance. As you unpack it you find other things like obedience, faith, understanding, wisdom and many other gifts which are all required to bring you into eternal paradise safely and without the possibility of losing any of the necessary gifts.

These are very basic ABC's of what the Bible teaches, I can't believe I have to educate you on the very basics of the Gospel
 
D

Danny1988

Active member
#51
Jun 24, 2018
410
124
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#51
Chester said:
LOL! You had better be more careful with your analogies.

I am surprised that a die-hard Calvinist would believe that a person can get to first base without having been given the gift of faith. Most hitters are quite happy with a single.

For myself, I do not believe we can even get to first base unless God gives us the gift of faith.
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You misread what I said and you jumped to a false conclusion. Read it again then come back and apologize later, I never said a person could get off first base without the gift of faith. I said the exact opposite
 
S

shrume

Senior Member
#52
Jun 26, 2017
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#52
Grandpa said:
I don't know if the bible ever expressly says that repentance is a gift.
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It doesn't. Repentance is something we are told to do.

Ezek 18:
30) Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Mat 3:
2) And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mat 4:
17) From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mark 1:
15) And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

There are more.

But if it leads to Salvation I consider it a gift.
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Then when you decided to repent, you gave yourself the gift of repentance...
 
Chester

Chester

Senior Member
#53
May 23, 2016
4,274
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#53
Danny1988 said:
You misread what I said and you jumped to a false conclusion. Read it again then come back and apologize later, I never said a person could get off first base without the gift of faith. I said the exact opposite
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LOL! Read your own post - post # 48 - "God must give us the gift of faith before we can get off first base".

But how did you get to first base? In my post I said that we cannot even get to first base without the gift of faith!

(Just picking on your analogy for fun! -- Hitters start at home plate, not first base!)
 
S

shrume

Senior Member
#54
Jun 26, 2017
2,193
463
83
#54
Danny1988 said:
I tried to explain it before b ut you failed to understand, so I'll use baby language.

Remember when you were a little boy and you received a Christmas present, then when you opened it you found a set a model airplane. You put all of the components together to build one unit, but it's made of separate components.
Likewise God gives us a gift called salvation, when we open the box we find one of the components of this gift is repentance. As you unpack it you find other things like obedience, faith, understanding, wisdom and many other gifts which are all required to bring you into eternal paradise safely and without the possibility of losing any of the necessary gifts.

These are very basic ABC's of what the Bible teaches, I can't believe I have to educate you on the very basics of the Gospel
Click to expand...
I'll ignore your insults.

Your analogy does not work.

The gift is salvation, which we receive by choosing to believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 10:9-10; Eph 1:13; 2:8-9).
 
S

shrume

Senior Member
#55
Jun 26, 2017
2,193
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#55
The gift is not faith.

The gift is salvation, which we receive BY faith.

A person gets faith by hearing the word of God. This is why we are to share our faith. We are ambassadors for Christ. We are to tell people about Christ to give them the opportunity to believe.
 
D

Danny1988

Active member
#56
Jun 24, 2018
410
124
43
#56
shrume said:
I'll ignore your insults.

Your analogy does not work.

The gift is salvation, which we receive by choosing to believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 10:9-10; Eph 1:13; 2:8-9).
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I disagree, it's a classic case of disagreement between Calvinism and Arminianism. We won't solve the problem here, it will continue long after we're gone and nobody will change their position
 
D

Danny1988

Active member
#57
Jun 24, 2018
410
124
43
#57
shrume said:
The gift is not faith.

The gift is salvation, which we receive BY faith.

A person gets faith by hearing the word of God. This is why we are to share our faith. We are ambassadors for Christ. We are to tell people about Christ to give them the opportunity to believe.
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We don't believe in a opportunistic God, our God is yes and no. None of this wishy washy stuff
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#58
#58
Grandpa said:
Just because we desperately need to do something doesn't mean we have the power to do it.

Those who think they DO have the power to do it are deceived, imo. And I think you hold the same opinion.
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My point was that he contradicted himself by saying we have to obey, yet if we do obey we are prety much in sin.

The power given to me to have faith came from gods work in my life drawing me to him, but i still had to make a choice,

But yes, i did not all of a sudden with no conviction, or teaching or anything from god just muster the power to believe.

No one i know who came to christ can say this just happened, they saw God work in their lives, but i also no alot of people i personally saw god work in their lives to open their eyes who said no,
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#59
#59
Danny1988 said:
No your understanding of the scriptures is too shallow, that's why you have so much difficulty understanding simple scripture.
If you had simple understanding you would know that my statements don't contradict each other.

In the first statement I was conveying the foolishness of believing you are saved because of your decision to believe. Nobody can believe unless God causes or forces them if you like, to believe. You will never come to believe on your own steam.

There is no contradiction, we still respond to God drawing us by believing, repenting and doing all the works related to salvation. It's pure and simple but it's hard for hardened minds to receive.

I don't need to be a Bible expert, my pastor is a better expert than anyone here. He has been appointed by God to his position to be a shepherd and we are his sheep. It sounds like you are lost with no shepherd, you should swallow your foolish pride and find a Biblical Church and start following a shepherd so you won't go astray.

It's evident that you are lost in your self delusion, remember Satan knows the Bible better than you and look at His state. What has head knowledge done for Him, yes it has cursed Him all the more. So the more you know, the greater your condemnation is because you will be held to a higher account.

My pastor said, we don't need to know the Bible to be saved. He reminded me that the thief on the cross didn't know his Bible, all he had was simple faith and that's all God needs. He's not impressed by your smug self importance and pride.
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You still cant see it,
and dude, next time you wish to judge a person on how well they know the word, take a look inside and remove the plank from your own eye.

And since you have attacked me in this post, i am done trying to help you see your own flaws, sadly you are like a few of your bretheryn, so arrogant and proud to even see when you make a mistake, to even try to correct it,

I was not arguing your doctrine, i was trying to show you an error in judgment, go ahead be a follower of men, (your pastor) i will contine to follow god and seek his advice, if i am wrong it is on me, not because i blindly followed some man, i did that for years, i learnd my mistake, i can only pray you learn yours, so anyway, you can join them (your few buddies) in my prayer list.

 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#60
#60
Grandpa said:
I don't know if the bible ever expressly says that repentance is a gift.

But if it leads to Salvation I consider it a gift.
Click to expand...
Repent is a gift,

If not for the work of god in the price of redemption, in his conviction of sin, in showing us our sin and need for him, in taking us to our knees so to speak, we would never repent to begin with.
 
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