May 11, 2025 - Chris From Korea
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Email Sent To: Christopher J. E. Johnson Date: May 11, 2025 [creationliberty.com] |
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"When I came to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of my sins) "
I'm sorry, but this is just wrong.
What you're teaching there is blasphemy because God repents in the Bible, if you define repent to mean that the person repenting has sin then you're teaching that God has sin which is blasphemy and a lie.
That's not repentance, repentance is a change of mind. That's why God repents in the Bible and it doesn't mean he's "turning from sin" or "feels bad for his sin" because he has no sin to turn from nor feel bad for.
Look for yourself.
Genesis 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Jonah 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
One example, Jonah 3:10 shows us God repenting and also shows that God sees turning from wicked ways (or turning from sin) as a work. And the evil here that God said he would do, but repented from doing, isn't sinful or wicked (as today evil is often defined only to mean wicked), but a punishment or harm that would've been brought to the people for their wicked ways.
Bogus bibles change this verse to remove repent so they can teach what you're teaching, that repent has anything to do with sin. I don't remember which one it was, but one of the bogus bibles out there removes the word "repent" any time God does, like Jonah 3:10 or in Genesis 6.
I don't believe we need to "go back to the Greek" or Hebrew for understanding the Word of God in the King James Bible for the English-speaking world, but the word in the New Testament is translated from "meta-noia" which is like "para-noia" or noia relating to the mind, meta meaning to change in Greek.
But this was already proven not to mean anything related to sin as God repents in the Bible. Hebrews teaches that it's unbelief that prevents us from entering in, that we shouldn't follow the example of unbelief.
We also see that when the children of Jacob/Israel were leaving Egypt, God didn't want them to repent then because repenting while leaving Egypt means going back to Egypt. (Exodus 13:17)
Salvation is by grace ALONE through faith ALONE, it's not by some emotional performance on our end. You can be completely unwilling to stop certain sins and still be saved because all Jesus repeatedly said we had to do was believe.
I used to believe stuff like you do there, but nowhere did Jesus say "feel godly sorrow for sin and maybe I'll save you if you're sorrowful enough". That's just some emotional performance of your own for your own righteousness, you haven't put all your faith in Christ to save you, but you trust in your own emotional state over your sins to save you. You're like a man who goes to sit in a chair, but you don't sit in it but hold yourself over the chair by holding onto a railing because you don't think the chair won't hold your weight or that the chair's not good enough for you.
And I know there's this verse or that verse out of context, but if you replace every instance of repent with your definition in the Bible, then you're literally saying God has sin and that's blasphemy. And if you do that and ignore every instance where God repents, then many verses don't even make sense like when the children of Israel were leaving Egypt. But if you replace repent with "change of mind" every time you see it, it makes sense; people need to change their mind to believe the gospel. The book of John, which states it's written that you may believe, never even uses the word "repent" even once. And John's epistles, he never said "you know that ye have eternal life if you are sorrowful for sin enough" he said it's for those who believe on the name of the Son of God in 1st John 5.
Even the cover art for your book about your wrong meaning of repentance is someone giving some performative act, some emotional performance, it's basically glorying in oneself and "look at how sorrowful I am for my sins, that's why I'm saved" rather than the Biblical, "I'm a wretched sinner and none of my filthy rags can buy the gift of God, only by God's mercy and grace am I saved through faith in what the Son did for me and nothing that I do for him or to show how sorrowful I am in some sort of Catholic self-flagellation emotional performance could earn or merit my salvation". It's really just self-flagellation, and it's entirely useless for the kingdom of God, you're not preaching the gospel to anyone to get them saved, you're just having your own little personal cry session. I used to do that, really, I did, and one thought that kept coming to my mind was "this is just a waste of time" and "how does this accomplish anything or help anyone else get saved?" because it doesn't, it's just a weird form of glorying in your own flesh and your own self. And I'm glad I heard real biblical preaching that exposed the repent of your sins nonsense and these other perverted definitions of "repent" like your teaching and using that again, make God a sinner.
But the Bible says, he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord.
We're justified freely by his grace, not by our own little performative act of emotion, Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Also, I glanced at your repentance page and it most certainly is teaching works salvation to say you have to go through some emotional performative act to be saved. The Bible says we're saved by faith, or by believing the gospel, not by some performative act; and it says with the heart man believeth. There are people who say you must be baptized in water to be saved, what you're teaching is you must feel sorrow for sin to be saved; that's not what the Bible teaches, the Bible teaches you must believe the gospel of the only begotten Son of God to be saved according to the scriptures.
That said, I think it's unnatural for someone to get saved and not feel sorrow for their sin to some extent, but I know many saved Christians today know very little doctrine even if they know the gospel; many sins they commit they don't even know are sins, and they suffer for it in this world but they're not at risk of not being saved since they're not sorrowful for those sins... or which sins must people be sorrowful? It's just not what the Bible says. What you're teaching is almost like the Calvinists who will teach works always follow faith (or a "saving faith" and they teach a "saving faith" always has works, almost like you seem to be teaching that a "saving faith" always has some emotional performance alongside it).
Look, if someone has to feel sorrow for sin to be saved, then you're teaching faith PLUS something else. That's the plain mathematical fact of the equation. And which sins anyway must people be sorrowful for committing? Do you express sorrow for every one of your sins? What about the sins you don't know you commit or committed or forgotten about? Will you not be saved because you didn't feel sorrow for those sins? Where's the line?
Because the line in the Bible is clear, you're either in unbelief of one who has not believed, or you believe the gospel (John 3:18); those are the only two categories Christ puts people in regarding salvation. It's the same two categories in Matthew 7:21-23 where people who never did the will of the Father of seeing and believe as stated in John 6:39-40
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The people who trust in their "many wonderful works" (Matthew 7), who Jesus "never knew" are those who never believed the biblical gospel. You're adding to the gospel with your extra requirement just like the water dogs do who preach water baptism is necessary to be saved just like the Roman Catholics do.
And you have more in common with some Catholics than you think, many Catholics in the Phillipines actually whip themselves in self flagellation and what you do is emotional self flagellation. And many Catholics and even many Protestants believe you have to continually "repent" (with your wrong definition of repent) every day to "remain saved" or something.
It's just not what the Bible says, buddy.
Bottom line, you're teaching blasphemy and heresy by teaching "repent" means anything related to that person's sin as GOD REPENTS in the Bible, and GOD HAS NO SIN.
There's no argument to defend what you're teaching at this point, buddy. You can quote the "answer a matter before..." or the other one people love when they want to be heard for speaking lies, but I really don't have to read much obviously when you're teaching such an obvious lie that slanders God Almighty whether you realize it or not, that's what you're doing, and it pisses me off.
Its your pride and glorying in your own flesh and emotional act that makes you like that wrong definition of repent that even you should know is wrong as you at least use the King James Bible. You're gonna have to switch Bibles if you want to keep that definition of "repent" because GOD REPENTS IN THE BIBLE, GOD HAS NO SIN, YOU TEACH GOD IS A SINNER WHETHER YOU REALIZE IT OR NOT.
Also read Galatians 3, "Who hath bewitched you?"
"When I came to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of my sins) "
I'm sorry, but this is just wrong.
Alright, let's hear your argument. Before you begin, I just want you to know that I have a book on that subject:
There is No Saving Grace Without Repentance
I am currently in the middle of an audio series of teachings on it right now that are available on Rumble:
https://rumble.com/v6rrtx5-p1-the-word-repent-does-not-mean-turn-or-change-4-6-25.html
I'll be working to upload part 6 of that series today.
That is not what I teach, and you should really look at the book I suggested before making accusations of blasphemy. The general definition of repentance is 'grief of the heart', which God defined in Genesis 6, and this also applies to mankind, but specifically for salvation, it is godly sorrow of sins.
Again, you should look at that book to find out what it is I teach before making that claim because, if you make the claim that it is a "change of mind," you are calling God a liar, and that would be blasphemy. I'll show you:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
-Genesis 3:15
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 6:5-6
Again, you should read the book I suggested because I cover all these verses in the book. In Jonah 3, God grieved of the evil that He said He would do unto them, and did it not because of His great mercy and kindness. Here's how I help explain that in the book:
"In order to explain this more simply, I did an experiment with my wife by telling her to imagine that a little puppy had done something wrong, and while watching from across the street, imagine she saw the owner of the puppy look down at him, having his ears down in shame and sadness, and pull out a shotgun to blow the puppy's head off. As soon as I said that to my wife, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, and before she could say anything, I stopped her and said, what you are feeling right there, that grief in your heart that someone would do something so evil to that puppy who was repentant of his wrongdoing, is exactly the condition of God's heart.
What many leavened preachers do not understand is that God is grieved in His heart over the wicked things we have done, and He expects His children to be grieved that we have grieved our Heavenly Father by our wrongdoing. When we grieve (i.e. repent) of our sins towards God, He grieves of the evil that would be done to us in punishment for our wrongdoing, and because He is so kind, and so merciful, He turns away from His fierce anger."
Excuse me... what? When did I teach that repentance doesn't have anything to do with sin? Could you give me a quote where I taught that?
In fact, you started your letter critiquing me because you said I was teaching that repentance is "
Okay, so what does that have to do with me?
Chris, I had to laugh at that when I read it because you just said you don't need to go to a lexicon, and then immediately went to a lexicon instead of going to the context of the Scriptures. Earlier, you told me, "
I've never taught nor made an argument that God sinned, nor repented of sin. If you want to make that argument against me, then quote me where I made that argument. You're just operating on conjecture at this point, which is why I would suggest that you drop whatever you're looking at on my website and go read the book on repentance that I suggested at the beginning. Many churchgoers reject repentance for the remission of sins because they were never given the gift of godly sorrow of the wrongdoing (2Ti 2:25), and instead claim they were "saved" by turning or changing (which is the definition of 'conversion', and that happens AFTER we are saved), and that is a works-based false doctrine on salvation. In short, if you believe that repentance means "change of mind," then you are preaching a works-based gospel.
You should listen to the teaching I'm uploading today once I get it online later because we covered that exact verse. I also cover that in my book.
"Lest peradventure the people repent [i.e. grieve] when they see war, and they return to Egypt:"
Repentance is a gift from God:
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
-2Ti 2:25
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
-Acts 11:18
Furthemore, what is the first thing John the Baptist taught in his ministry? Go look it up. (Mark 1:4)
What was the first thing Jesus taught in His ministry? (Mat 4:17)
What was the first thing Jesus sent His disciples out two-by-two to teach lost sinners? (Mark 6:12)
What did Paul go out teaching when he started his ministry, and what did he teach the early church to teach sinners? (Acts 26:20)
These are not rhetorical. I would like you to answer those questions.
What you may not realize, is that you are repeating a narrative that you have been taught by pastors you've been listening to, and I'm sorry to say, they are leavened pastors preaching a false version of salvation. We are saved by grace through faith, not of works, but that faith is a repentant faith, and the reason so many people (who claim to be Christians) reject the grief and godly sorrow of repentance is because they believe they "changed their minds" of their own intellect or "turned from sin" of their own efforts to be saved, but never had understanding because they never came to godly sorrow of their sins.
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
-Mat 13:23
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
-2Co 7:9-10
Then I don't think you understand the Gospel of Salvation, nor do I think you understand what a false convert is because conversion is to turn from one's sin, and that conversion takes place by the working of the Holy Spirit in us to convict us and turn us from our sins, which is a RESULT of salvation, not the cause of it. I am not saying a Christian will never sin, but to make the argument that one is "
This is why I wrote a book called:
Why Millions of Believers on Jesus Are Going to Hell
That's a strawman fallacy. I never made that argument, so if you believe I did, quote me.
Again, you're denying the Scriptures when it says that repentance is a gift from God. If you do not believe that repentance is a gift from God, just say that clearly, so that way I know what you believe. If you believe that repentance is "performance," then you believe it is works, which means your belief is a contradiction to the doctrine of Scripture.
So how did you come to that conclusion? Because what you're implying is that I'm teaching works instead of faith, and if that is the case, quote me where you think I am teaching that. So far, you have only quoted me once, but the quote you provided was only seven words. Do you have anything else to provide evidence for your many accusations?
Again, you should read my book and go over my audio series on repentance because I have never taught that. You are accusing me on the basis of seven words, and have not read what I teach on the subject first before accusing me.
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
-Pro 18:13
Again, listen to the audio teaching coming out today. I cover that very subject and verse.
Again, I would recommend my book because I show numerous places where the Bible becomes a contradiction and makes God into a liar if you interpret "change of mind" with the word repent.
That's the same argument Steven Anderson makes, and it's faulty. There are four Gospels for a reason, and each one provides details the others do not. (I could give examples, but I don't want this letter to be too long, and I provide such examples in my books.) To answer the fallacy of that argument, the word 'love' is never used in the book of Acts, and Acts is the establishment of the church, so if we are to use the argument you have suggested (i.e. if the word doesn't appear, it doesn't apply), we would have to conclude that the church does not need to love one another.
I'm sure you can see how ridiculous that would be. We have correlating Scriptures (as we are instructed to read the Bible, Isa 28:10) to prove that we are to love one another:
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
-1Pe 2:17
So, based on what you said, your argument is that you must say in your mind that "
What I find interesting, and one of the reasons I would highly recommend reading my book on repentance instead of only judging it by its cover, is that the concept of grief and godly sorrow of wrongdoing is seen MANY places throughout the Bible where the word 'repent' is never used. For example, in the signature to my emails (which you may have overlooked), I have one of my favorite verses in the Bible, which is Psalm 34:18, and it says:
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
-Psalm 34:18
Please provide a quote where I have taught self-flagellation. I'm starting to get tired of you making accusations without evidence, so provide the evidence first.
Who did you listen to? Will you share a link to the article or teaching that you listened to that convinced you of this?
That's true, but it does not change the meaning of repentance.
So you are denying the Scriptures that tell us repentance is a gift from God?
The Bible does not define repentance (i.e. grief) as works. If you think it does, provide Scripture to prove that. Turning from sin or changing one's mind is certainly work and effort, but where does the Bible say that sorrow is works?
Again, I will refer back to the first things that Christ and His apostles taught, which I showed you earlier in my response to your letter.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
-Mark 1:14-15
*eyebrow raise* (You just made my argument for me.)
That's the same fallacious argument Kent Hovind makes. For one who has been given the gifts of repentance and faith, it doesn't matter how many sins you remember or how many sins you are guilty of doing because we know we are guilty of ALL.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
-James 2:10
Good works are a result of repentance (i.e. godly sorrow of our sins), which is why Jesus said:
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
-Luke 3:8
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
-Mat 3:8
Then condemn Paul for teaching the same. I'll wait for your response letter to condemn him for his false doctrine:
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
-Acts 20:21
I already addressed that. Again, that's another fallacious argument that false preachers like Kent Hovind make.
Still to this day, I have deep regret and sorrow for things I've done, and it constantly reminds me of the mercy of God on my soul. That is because a foundation of repentance was laid in my heart by God:
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
-Heb 6:1
I already answered that, but the Holy Spirit covers me for things I miss:
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
-Romans 8:26
You weren't asking these questions because you wanted an answer. You asked these rhetorically. However, I have answered you with the Scriptures to disprove your arguments, so will you correct your errors?
Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
-Pro 15:10
Now go back and read Matthew 7 more carefully. You have it partly correct. They are arguing their works, but WHY are they arguing their works? Are they atheists that are arguing their works? No. Because they called Him "Lord," and claimed to have served Him their entire lives because they believed on Him. If they believe on Jesus their entire lives, why are they not saved?
In fact, Jesus was talking to whole crowd of people who "believed on him" (John 8:31), but a few verses later, He told them:
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
-John 8:44
I have the answer from the Scriptures, but it's not the answer you want.
I'm not going to waste my time responding to strawman arguments. Quote me if you want to make an argument against what I teach.
I already explained it in this letter, so there's no need to go over it again. Read the book if you want details, and I'm glad to respond to your inquiries if you have problems with what I wrote in the book.
You haven't read it, and the Bible says you're a fool that should be ashamed of yourself for answering the matter before you've heard it out.
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
-Pro 18:13
That's exactly what I will do because you know you're guilty of it.
That just proved my point. You refuse to hear with a heart of arrogance, not a heart of humility, being angry (with intemperance, the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit, Gal 5:22-23) instead of apt to teach and patient, as we Christians are instructed to do:
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
-2Ti 2:24
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
-2Ti 2:25
Okay, so my assessment of you so far (and this could be incorrect because it lacks details, but I can only deduce based on what you tell me in these letters) is that you had a past that led you down needless suffering, and you (rightly) want to avoid going back to that at any cost. Therefore, you immediately attached yourself to a false version of the gospel of salvation that would exclude a condition of the heart that a corrupt and demonic activity (i.e. self-flagellation) was falsely claimed by the Catholic cult to induce. However, inflicting physical pain upon oneself will NEVER produce godly sorrow because one cannot squeeze tears of repentance from his eyes to create it artificially. It is a gift from God to bring us to the humility of understanding.
Because you did not understand this, you have (sadly) allowed the antichrist Catholic cult to corrupt your mind against the doctrine of repentance (even to this day), and therefore, Catholicism is still preventing you from hearing the Gospel of Salvation. You can accuse me of all you want, you can try to justify yourself in any way you please, but I cannot fix that for you. Only the Holy Ghost can give you what you need to understand.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
-1Co 2:14
