Some church organizations claim that repentance is not part of the gospel, and should not be mentioned.
I believe that their intention is to get as many people saved as they can, but in the process, are they filling the pews with goats who have not been born-again? Or, rather, are their pews ultimately empty because goats stay home, while still thinking they are believers?
So, I suppose the first question is, what is repentance?
Here's my definition, which I believe is biblical.
Repentance means to change our mind. We turn away from our sinful orientation. Faith means to turn toward Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith describe two sides of the same coin. They describe the same motion. We turn away from our sinful orientation and toward Jesus Christ. These two components are inseparable (Acts 20:21).
Before salvation, our fundamental orientation is sinful. We embrace sin as a way of life. We don’t care what God has to say about our actions and thoughts. When we place our faith in Christ, we are turning away from this orientation of rejecting God and towards Jesus Christ.
Repentance, like faith, is an intellectual understanding that that sin is wrong, an emotional approval of the teachings of scripture regarding sin (a sorrow for sin and hatred of it), and a personal decision to turn from it (a renouncing of sin and a decision of the will to forsake it and lead a life of obedience to Christ instead.
I borrowed parts of this definition from teachers that I enjoy.
Anyways, notice that I don't define repentance as meaning that someone needs to clean up their lives before coming to Christ, because I think that is impossible until one is united with Christ. It is, however, a fundamental turning away from one's life of sin in terms of orientation, and toward obedience to Christ.
I believe this is brought about by regeneration, and doesn't cause regeneration, unlike many here, who believe that regeneration doesn't occur until after salvation.
But, that isn't the basic question. My basic question is, how is repentance defined, and is faith and repentance part of the gospel message?
I know that some groups, particularly Independent Fundamentalist Baptists and those associated with Free Grace Movement, and the non-Reformed majority of Southern Baptists, don't even think that this heartfelt repentance and turning away from one's sinful orientation is part of the saved person's experience necessarily. They believe that simple intellectual assent to the reality of Jesus' death for their behalf is all that's involved in receiving salvation.
Groups like this lower the bar so that as many people can be saved as possible. They don't even want to discuss sin and repentance. They focus the conversation on how much God loves the person, and the decision to place their faith in Him, with no mention of repentance.
Some believe that if they can talk the person into accepting Christ, then repentance will come later. There doesn't need to be any indication that the person is broken up about their sin condition.
Personally, I think this simply fills the pews with goats for a while, and the church ends up being a bunch of goats who think they have salvation when they do not. And, if God is drawing someone, they are going to be focused on their sin condition anyways. The Holy Spirit convicts one of sinfulness and brings them to the awareness of their need for Christ and deliverance from their sins.
And, if someone hasn't reached the point where they are serious about their sins as a professing believer, they may want to consider whether they are actually saved.
What do you think?
I believe that their intention is to get as many people saved as they can, but in the process, are they filling the pews with goats who have not been born-again? Or, rather, are their pews ultimately empty because goats stay home, while still thinking they are believers?
So, I suppose the first question is, what is repentance?
Here's my definition, which I believe is biblical.
Repentance means to change our mind. We turn away from our sinful orientation. Faith means to turn toward Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith describe two sides of the same coin. They describe the same motion. We turn away from our sinful orientation and toward Jesus Christ. These two components are inseparable (Acts 20:21).
Before salvation, our fundamental orientation is sinful. We embrace sin as a way of life. We don’t care what God has to say about our actions and thoughts. When we place our faith in Christ, we are turning away from this orientation of rejecting God and towards Jesus Christ.
Repentance, like faith, is an intellectual understanding that that sin is wrong, an emotional approval of the teachings of scripture regarding sin (a sorrow for sin and hatred of it), and a personal decision to turn from it (a renouncing of sin and a decision of the will to forsake it and lead a life of obedience to Christ instead.
I borrowed parts of this definition from teachers that I enjoy.
Anyways, notice that I don't define repentance as meaning that someone needs to clean up their lives before coming to Christ, because I think that is impossible until one is united with Christ. It is, however, a fundamental turning away from one's life of sin in terms of orientation, and toward obedience to Christ.
I believe this is brought about by regeneration, and doesn't cause regeneration, unlike many here, who believe that regeneration doesn't occur until after salvation.
But, that isn't the basic question. My basic question is, how is repentance defined, and is faith and repentance part of the gospel message?
I know that some groups, particularly Independent Fundamentalist Baptists and those associated with Free Grace Movement, and the non-Reformed majority of Southern Baptists, don't even think that this heartfelt repentance and turning away from one's sinful orientation is part of the saved person's experience necessarily. They believe that simple intellectual assent to the reality of Jesus' death for their behalf is all that's involved in receiving salvation.
Groups like this lower the bar so that as many people can be saved as possible. They don't even want to discuss sin and repentance. They focus the conversation on how much God loves the person, and the decision to place their faith in Him, with no mention of repentance.
Some believe that if they can talk the person into accepting Christ, then repentance will come later. There doesn't need to be any indication that the person is broken up about their sin condition.
Personally, I think this simply fills the pews with goats for a while, and the church ends up being a bunch of goats who think they have salvation when they do not. And, if God is drawing someone, they are going to be focused on their sin condition anyways. The Holy Spirit convicts one of sinfulness and brings them to the awareness of their need for Christ and deliverance from their sins.
And, if someone hasn't reached the point where they are serious about their sins as a professing believer, they may want to consider whether they are actually saved.
What do you think?
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