S
So which IS it fellas, is repentance a gift granted by the Holy Spirit or is it a command of God?
You can't have it both ways you know.
And with all this Amen-ing and agreeing going on between you all that is exactly what you're trying to do.
Stop tip toeing through the tulips.
You don't command someone to accept a gift.
Jesus said, The time has come, "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
What? Get saved first and then maybe repent if you so chose?
NO.
Repent and believe the Good News.
Repent first...then believe.
Believe how? By placing faith in Christ.
And through that faith, receive His grace.
The grace by which you are saved.
"We can only repent and forsake our ways and our thoughts after God has drawn us to Himself through lovingkindness..."
And how does He do that? How does He draw us to Himself?
Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Hear it and Repent. Hear it and believe.
Hear it and then you shall receive.
You can't have it both ways you know.
And with all this Amen-ing and agreeing going on between you all that is exactly what you're trying to do.
Stop tip toeing through the tulips.
You don't command someone to accept a gift.
Jesus said, The time has come, "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
What? Get saved first and then maybe repent if you so chose?
NO.
Repent and believe the Good News.
Repent first...then believe.
Believe how? By placing faith in Christ.
And through that faith, receive His grace.
The grace by which you are saved.
"We can only repent and forsake our ways and our thoughts after God has drawn us to Himself through lovingkindness..."
And how does He do that? How does He draw us to Himself?
Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Hear it and Repent. Hear it and believe.
Hear it and then you shall receive.
I don't think that any believer should have a problem with repentance and they should understand that repentance saves no one, but salvation by grace through faith in Christ does. Repentance is granted by God through grace and mercy. The old man Adam has no desire or capacity to repent of anything. The old man is totally depraved and dead. It is only when the light of the gospel shines unto the sinner that he can have a capacity to see and respond to the truth and you don't create that capacity by telling people to repent all the time. You create that capacity through giving them light, love and life. When we receive these three the Holy Spirit will take care of granting repentance that we might need. Your flesh can't repent of anything because it is flesh and it is corrupt. Even if the flesh does its very best to repent with sincerity and much sorrow for sin, it has no power with God. Humility is what God honors with grace. When we receive grace then we will have the power to repent and change our mind about who God is and the direction that we were going.
Addition: Heb 12:15-17Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.