What is everyone's opinion on Ray Comfort ? Many say he is preaching Lordship salvation with the way he teaches " there's two things you have to do to be saved. You have to repent and believe. When he explains repentance he will sometimes say " turn from sins " ?
No opinion here on Ray Comfort.
Repentance is often misunderstood & misused. Invariably the word repentance is tied to everyday sins. Jesus added thoughts to the law (Matt 5:21-28) good luck controlling/repenting from every single one.
John 12:32 Jesus said; And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
(NOTE: Jesus was in fact lifted up on the cross & from the grave. Everybody is drawn to/offered salvation via God's Holy Spirit. Sadly, not everyone excepts/embraces it)
John 16:
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
(NOTE: The Holy Spirit will reprove/expose/convict everyone of, sins? NO of "SIN" singular.)
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
(NOTE: The only SIN that condemns one to eternal separation/damnation is UNBELIEF! Continued rejection of Christ's sin payment & resurrection, until/at life's end.)
Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
(NOTE: The key to this verse is found in the article "TOWARD". Repentance TOWARD God & faith TOWARD Christ)
Repentance is not a work that earns salvation, repentance is a change of mind """TOWARD God""" that results in a change of actions thru faith.
When Acts is written every Jew knew & had a covenant relationship with God. For them repent meant to flee self serving & return to God. They had a sacrificial system for dealing with sin.
For the gentile that had no covenant relationship with God & no hope (Eph 2:12). They were to acknowledge God's existence & place their faith in Jesus death (sins payment) & resurrection.
Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the word.
(NOTE: They Believed (vs43) & as Peter spoke (vs44) The Holy Spirit fell on them (vs45). NO REPENTANCE of any kind here, No water baptism, No circumcision, they brought no sin sacrifice to the Temple, No law keeping etc)
Thru faith & faith alone, placed in Jesus redemptive work & resurrection. These gentiles were given/received the baptism OF & were eternally sealed BY God's indwelling Holy Spirit (vs45) = SAVED - FINISHED TRANSACTION! Also see Eph 1:13, 2 Cor 1:22 & Eph 4:30/sealed until the day of redemption, Rom 8:38-39)
For NT believers repentance is a God given grant that comes after salvation
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life
(NOTE: God has GRANTED the gentiles repentance.)
Rom 1:5 "Through him we received grace" & apostleship "to call all the Gentiles to the obedience" "that comes from faith" for his name’s sake.
(NOTE: Gentiles are called to FAITH, which leads to obedience & repentance)
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches """of his goodness""" and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that """the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance"""?
(NOTE: It's thru the GOODNESS of GOD not thru OUR OWN great work of sin repentance, obedience or self-control. That we REPENT/change our thinking/course. It's salvations seal of indwelling Holy Spirit that leads us to REPENT/change our thinking outlook & direction).
Rom 16:26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, ""so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience"" ""that comes from faith""
(NOTE: Gentiles are brought to obedience/repentance/godly living, thru Faith)
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
(NOTE: Anyone that believes they can conquer their own sin nature, without Gods help is mistaken)
At conversion, Jesus our Great High Priest (Heb 4:14) takes away our sins, by imputing them (Rom 4:8 11, 22, 23, 24, Ja 2:23) onto himself & imputing His righteousness onto us. Once our sins have been removed, we become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor 5:21).
Ultimately, there is only one sin that Jesus payment doesn't/won't remiss/forgive/pardon: Unbelief in & the rejection of, Christ's sin payment & resurrection, until/at life's end/death. (We all die Heb 9:27). That's my story & I'm sticking to it. Peace FD