I love it when you take my posts out of context as it gives me another change to preach Christ. Thank you!
I'll post the rest of my post to show what is being said. Although I must say you are consistent in your deceitful way of only putting up parts of people's posts to give it that "one-sided view" in order to distort what is really being said.
I have included the fact that we do agree that we change our view towards sinning as a fruit of having already repented.
Let's look at it through what scripture has to say about repentance ( changing our mind - the way we think ) concerning preaching the gospel. I know we have been taught differently through our religious upbringing and beliefs handed down to us. Let's let God's word speak life to us.
Peter preached the gospel of the grace of Christ. to Cornelius ..no word used for repentence was said
Acts 10:43-44 (NASB)
[SUP]43 [/SUP] "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."
[SUP]44 [/SUP] While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.
They were not told to "repent" here.
I love how the Holy Spirit "falls upon " them as soon as they hear about the forgiveness of sins proclaimed to them because of Christ!
Peter got in trouble with the Jewish Christians when he went back because he went into a gentile's house and preached the gospel to them...he says in Acts 11:17,18
Acts 11:17-18 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] "Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
[SUP]18 [/SUP] 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."
What was there repentance even tho the word "repent" was not used?...they changed their mind toward God and had faith in Jesus and in His complete forgiveness of sins. This is the gospel message.
Notice that it was God that granted them repentance.
New Covenant repentance is not something we conjure up on our own nor is it a work we produce.
2 Tim 2:24-25 says that God may grant them repentance so that they may know the truth. God grants the repentance..not a work we do on our own.
Paul preached the gospel of grace here in the only recorded time in scripture.
Acts 13:38-39 (NASB)
[SUP]38 [/SUP] "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,
[SUP]39 [/SUP] and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.
Again ..no telling them to "repent" was voiced here either by Paul...but Paul did tell them .." urged them to continue in the grace of God"
Both of the examples we have of New Covenant preaching about the gospel of grace had NO words of telling people to repent.
These clearly show that "repentance " was not told to them and yet they did repent.
So, repentance does not mean "turn from sin '..it means change your mind ( change your way of thinking and rely on God only for things dealing with your life) and turn to God and believe in Jesus and what He has already done.
There is a change after we come to Christ and His life in us transforms us. This is where we see the "fruit" of repentance. Fruit is not the "root" of repentance. And Yes!...this does mean to stop sinning as we rely on the life of Christ to transforms us by the Holy Spirit within us
Fruit of an exchanged life comes after we have "repented " - changed our thinking to rely on Christ's work only for salvation and this does include our view of sinning.
We all need to repent every day as we hear the beauty of our Lord proclaimed!
Brethern ...I urge you to believe in the awesome greatness and splendor of our Lord's magnificent finished work on our behalf!
