(BOOK) There is No Saving Grace Without Repentance

[creationliberty]

There is No Saving Grace Without Repentance

This is the article "Is Repentance Part of Salvation?" -- which has been completely rewritten into a longer, more detailed, full length book. I will be working on it at a later date to get it to a publisher as well.

[Pilgrim Mike]

I'm truly looking forward to reading this book after it's published. I've heard about Ray comforts view on repentance but I was skeptical at first. I used to follow his ministry heavily and purchase books and tracks from that ministry. Thank you for marking the references about his view on repentance which isn't the biblical definition. I'll do what I can on my part to let the truth be made known. Again Thank you very much.

[Brian]

I am glad to see the emphasis on sorrow when one repents. Years ago when I heard Ray Comfort talk about repenting as turning away from God, there was a nagging little question in my mind, because I wondered if these people he showed who were so sinful could just turn away from that life, as if it was as easy as turning your car at the next intersection. For years, one of my favorite verses is when Paul says godly sorrow brings repentence. I realized if someone simply turns from something when instructed, it's easy to turn right back to the prior direction. But when people are full of sorrow, they really change.

[Brian]

I appreciate this other observation you made about Ray, because it's a good reminder. Similar to the phrase we are what we eat, God's word basically says we are who we associate with. This is why over time I have become more vigilant about that in my life. It seems like almost 100% of christians I know or meet seem to ignore the overwhelming theme of the bible about fleeing from evil and not associating with evil.  There are so many verses to mention. It's a good study for someone, and I've just challenged a new friend to study this topic in God's word. He seems to be trying to step out of the devil's church. But there are things like music that are holding him back. He wants to separate out, for example, associating with a Hillsong song, if he thinks a particular song speaks truth. I am trying to explain to him that we are not to separate out the speaker from the message. This is why godliness is so important to God. Otherwise it's hypocrisy.  It's a great mirror for me, as each day I know that if I speak Truth but not in love, or I'm acting ungodly, it's like a clanging instrument to another person.

[creationliberty]

I haven't shared this with our church yet, but let me give this example:

Billy Graham, many decades ago, gave what I consider to be one of the most powerful presentations on the proper doctrine of repentance that I have ever heard. And yet, I do believe that he is in hell today.

Why?

Because a man can repeat a correct doctrine that he has heard, and not understand it. A man can say one thing, and do another, and that is often the reason why we see so many contradictions in the doctrines of those men. I'm not talking about errors, but flat-out contradictions in their doctrines at different times.

All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
-Mat 23:3

This is a concept that most churchgoers have a hard time understanding. How can a man preach grace through faith, and not have grace through faith? How can a man preach godly sorrow for sin, but not have godly sorrow for sin? When this is all over, and judgement day comes, we're going to see millions of examples of it.

What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
-Phil 1:18

[Brian]

Thank you for sharing another specific example. That reference to Mat 23:3 is very timely!

[Pilgrim Mike]

Thanks for mentioning Matthew 23:3. I will circle it and reference it when I'm on the sidewalks today.

[hashed]

The concept of redundancy is explained in this book. In the case repent means "grief and sorrow" would the phrase "and it grieved him at his heart" here not be redundant:

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
-Genesis 6:6

"And God had grief and sorrow that he made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."

[creationliberty]

This is the first place the word is used, which means it is being defined by describing it in another way, so readers (from that point on) will have a general understanding of what the word means. If it was "redundant" to use it in that way in this instance, then we have to accuse dictionaries of being "redundant" and stop using them for their intended purpose.

The reason the interpretation of leavened preachers is redundant in other places of Scripture (when concerning the word 'repent') is because they depart from the definition of repentance in Gen 6:6, and create a new definition that matches their works-based false gospel; thus creating redundancy where there is none, but defining a term, which the Bible does in many cases, is not redundant.