What is Repentance?

With all due respect if any, I need to believe my pastor instead of you. Our pastor has been appointed by God, he has been given the gift of shepherding a flock of sheep. So God gives men of God like him a special gift of understanding and discernment, unlike yourself who is a self appointed authority on scripture.
I'm sure you can appreciate my position, I don't listen to self appointed experts when they contradict my God appointed shepherd who has all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I believe the biggest problem in the Christian world is the vast majority rely on their own wisdom to understand the Bible.
Spiritual things can only be received and understood properly by those who have the gift of the Holy Spirit, that's why the Church has leaders and followers. I can tell your not a leader by any stretch.

Sounds good, but the Bible never calls repentance a gift.

using this line of reasoning, That means every pastor of every church of every denomination should be listened to. no matter who they are. Because, as a church pastor, they have been appointed by God.

1. Thats not true, if it was, God must be confused because you can barely get two pastors in the same room who agree on every doctrine, let alone all the different denominations out there,
2. You assume your pastor is right, if he is wrong (and he is) you are following someone who is in error (and you are)
3. You do not know my background, yet you judge, For all you know, I could be a pastor of a church who is also appointed by God, but I would not brag or puff myself up. so I probably would not tell you anyway but there are some here who know.
4. Thanks, You just gave me another reason to discontinue any and all conversations with you. You hold a man up as all knowing. so you will believe what he says no matter what.

thats called blind devotion to a man, and being a man follower and not a God follower.

What amazes me is alot you say sounds very catholic, yet you clam to be a follower of calvin, You are sadly more confused than I thought.

Not relevant.

Repentance is not a gift, it is something we are told to do. Some scripture are listed above.

If repentance is a gift, then God would give it to everyone, seeing as He wants all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4).

not revelant (I hate this term, why use it?), Faith is said to be a gift, yet we are commanded to believe,

If you did not have the gift of God, you could never repent, then you would never believe, so by the same token, Repent is a gift, Because it is something we only have the ability to do based on the gift god gave us.

And your taking things to literally. God does offer the gift to everyone, everyone does not accept or receive the gift.

Peter told everyone to repent in acts 2, If everyone could not repent, Peter wasted his breath, Yet he told only those who recieved the gift of the spirit to be baptised. because he knew not everyone would recieve

Because I don't hate it?

Faith is not a gift. The gift is salvation BY faith, which anyone can choose to have.

So you believe God saves people (giving them the "gifts" of faith and repentance) before they come to believe?

So does God give the "gifts" of faith and repentance to everyone, but some choose to reject them?

It seems like you're contradicting yourself, EG. Or maybe I'm not understanding you.

I see it as God gives repentance to those who choose to repent.

You may see it differently...

It sounds boastful, you should hate it,


If God did not offer you salvation, you would never have the opportunity to have faith, Thus by definition, Faith is a gift.

its not like your placing faith in self. which is what the world does when it rejects Christ


No and you have read enough of my posts to know this, so why do you ask?


God offered you the gift of salvation, and does what he can to try to bring you to repentance based on that gift,

You can deny it, or repent and have faith.

again, If God did not do what he does, NO ONE ON EARTH WOULD HAVE ANYTHING TO HAVE FAITH IN.

and again, your trying to make it too complicated.

This is not a calvinist issue, it is 2 brothers talking .



I could be wrong, but i think you are misunderstanding me, because you have fatalism in view.. and your trying to argue against it,of course, I could be wrong.

amen

That
OK, I get it you don't agree with Jesus when He established His Church and said the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
You are saying that the Church is corrupt and we should all go our separate ways and interpret scripture to suit our fallen sinful state. Good luck with that, but I will continue to obey Jesus and worship Him in His Church.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
(Act 17:11 KJV)

Faith is as a grain of mustard seed and He lighteth every man that cometh into the world. That, that which may be known of God is manifest in us; for God hath shewed it unto us. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that we are without excuse: So Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ; down from above) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ (The word; the faith) again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word (Christ) is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; For Christ (the word; faith in our hearts and mouths) is the end of the law (that in ink and tables of stone) for righteousness to every one that believeth.
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will no longer be in my remembrance. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. For we are a new creature created in Christ Jesus. Old things have passed away. Behold all things are new and of GOD. For it is HE that works in us both to will and do HIS good pleasure. For in him we live, and move, and have our being.

(Rom 1:19-20; 10:6-8, 4; Heb 10:14-18; Acts 17:28 )


Faith works it's work even if as small as a mustard seed before one even realizes what it is or what they actually believe.

My friend you can have Faith in and of GOD and not even know it is in and of HIM.


All good things come down from the FATHER of lights. For it is HE that works in us both to will and do HIS good pleasure. As Jesus said, "Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but GOD; He doeth the work" and GREATER works shall we do because He went unto the FATHER. But without Him we can do nothing.

TRUST NO MAN!

The goodness of GOD leads us to repentance.

(Rom 2:4)

The Rev. Jim Jones would have loved to have you in his congregation.
Please by all means tell your Pastor how you feel about him. If he does not correct you, please invite him to become a member here. I would love to talk to him.

Asking God to forgive you of your sin..saying "im sorry..please forgive me" ...and then trying not to sin again

Praise GOD! That is certainly part of it. Would you say repentance comes from within? From the heart? From our inner most being. From a change that starts from within?

Absolutely..cant as for forgiveness if you werent convicted of your sin inwardly..this conviction via Holy Spirit...