Must we repent in order to be forgiven?

Isn't the book of 1 John a blessing. I hear new Christians told to start learning of God with the gospels, but the book of 1 John would give a complete picture of the Lord.

Amen, friend. I'm so happy I don't have to doubt just what the New Covenant is, of which my part is continual surrender of my will to God, and many promises of blessing on His part. Some regard this as "works based salvation" because they think "choice" is works and not what it is: thought. When they realize that choice is not works, then maybe they'll be willing to choose to put down the pornography and idolatrous entertainment and choose eternal life and to do "all to the glory of God" in all that they say, do, and think.

So this is salvation by your efforts?

Yes its works salvation but more important its a false Gospel message leading countless people to hell because they believe its their works that count . Many in church assume they are Christians because they look and sound Christian. That they are praying, fasting and doing all the stuff they think makes them a person in christ . Jehovah witnesses and Mormons make some Christians look like a lazy atheist compared to how ' christian ' they appear. They quote " you.ll know them by their fruits " .

The Holy Spirit is a "quickening Spirit" which indwells a person as a part of the born again process as described in Eph 2, The natural man at the time of his quickening is still spiritually dead in sins, and has the heart of stone that cannot be pricked to feel guilt of breaking a spiritual law that he thinks to be foolishness. Part of the process of the new birth is that God changes the heart of Stone to a heart of flesh whos conscience can be pricked to feel spiritual guilt. Ezk 11:19.

It would be interesting to hear what your "whole other kettle of fish" is.

What did the adulterous woman repent of BEFORE Jesus forgave and absolved her?

John 8 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus the Light of the World
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

This is works salvation, it is saying you must repent after every sin. That’s not what the word says

it says repent and you will recieve the gift of the spirit,

sadly. Much of the church has changed the meaning of repentance and made it a religious condition of which man must continue in to earn salvation

John 15:16 tells us who John is addressing in John 16:12, and it is to his apostles who he chose and ordained them to go and bring forth fruit. The apostles already have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that God gave them in the new birth, and Christ is telling them that when he goes away that he will send them the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost John 14:26 (a function of the Holy Spirit) and he will guide you into all truth.

The unregenerate, natural man will not repent of breaking a spiritual law that he cannot discern, and thinks to be foolishness. Only the regenerated child of God will repent, because he has been given the new heart of flesh that can be pricked to feel guilt.

When the regenerated child of God commits a sin, he temporary separates himself from his fellowship with God, which is referred to as a death=separation (according to Greek) because God will not fellowship sin. When he repents, God then has fellowship with him. He does not lose his eternal inheritance, because of his sin (that was forgiven on the cross). He only loses his fellowship with God, temporary, until he repents.

Can you give me the scripture that says the Holy Spirit convicts the unregenerate natural man?

According to Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV, salvation is provided by God's sacrificial grace and accepted by us through the exercise of our faith -- a purely cognitive transaction -- after which the result is the turning from sin to a life of obedience.

Works do not obtain salvation, they are the evidence salvation has been obtained -- conversely, 1 John 2:3-4 KJV says a lack of works proves you're still lost, but you guys don't wanna hear that because you want to hold on to Jesus with one hand and your porno collection with the other. Not happening.

If we have been born again and have been given a new heart of flesh that can be pricked to feel guilt to repent, then we already have eternal salvation.

The natural , unregenerate, man/woman, still has a heart of stone that cannot be pricked to feel quilt of breaking a spiritual law that he cannot discern, and thinks it to be foolishness.

I don't preach works salvation, nor do I preach your false Gospel that we can hold onto sin and Jesus at the same time.

Sorry, but there's no Spiritual Switzerland. You're either dead in the Spirit or alive in the Spirit. I realize there are Calvinists here who teach similar ideas - that the natural man is totally depraved, incapable of being reasoned with by God, etc., but I don't find it in Scripture. When it comes to "total depravity", Satan wins gold, silver, and bronze, but even he understood and obeyed Jesus when Jesus pulled rank on him.

Salvation according to Greek interpretation means "deliverance".

There is an eternal deliverance given by the sovereign grace of God, without mans works, and there are many deliverances that the regenerated child of God receives here on earth by his works of repentance.

Does this mean that you think that you do not sin?

If this is your whole kettle of fish, it does not explain anything according to the scriptures.

If you want to give glory to God; Give him honor and praise for saving you by his sovereign grace, without your help. With your theory, mankind gets credit for accepting God, instead of God accepting him.

Dan 4:33 says that God has all power over the inhabitants of the earth to accomplish his will, and that none can stay his hand. Your theory is that God wants to save all mankind to live with him in heaven, but he cannot have his will because mankind will not accept him. and he will not usurp his authority over man's will. This portrays a weak, and powerless God that you serve.

The "faith" in Eph 2:8 is not your faith, but is Jesus's faith Gal 2:16. The only spiritual faith that the regenerated child of God has is the imputed faith of Christ which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Gal 5:22.

You may not call it works salvation, but that is what it is.

Your confusion is in your misinterpretation of the salvation scriptures in accrediting them all as an eternal deliverance, which will teach you salvation by works.

Save, Saved, Salvation according to
greek interpretation means deliver, delivered, and deliverance.

There is an eternal deliverance, and there are many deliverances that the regenerated child of God receives as he sojourns here on earth.

" hold on to sin " this implies you believe that its required to stop sinning in order to be saved . This is classic works salvation. A false Gospel and disobedience against God .