Let's begin with a definition.
Biblical repentance here in the Church Age is an action in which one changes his mind for the better, concerning a spiritual issue.
Repentance, as it pertains to salvation is a ONE time event, whereas repentance as it pertains to the post (after) salvation spiritual life is an ongoing and never-ending process here on Earth.
The first form of repentance has to do with salvation. Repentance, as it pertains to SALVATION, refers to changing the spiritually mindset with which we all come into this world (Psalms 51: 5). As long as we choose to be under the influence of this hostile mind set, we are incapable (Rom.8: 7) of understanding God and/or the things of God, including the Gospel Message. Scripture (Rom. 8: 7) teach that the mind set with which we all come into this world with is not merely disinterested in God and the things of God, but is actually hostile towards God and/or the things of God. If one is to be saved, THIS frame of mind must be changed (repented) if one is going to be open to a presentation of the Gospel.
While being hostile towards God and the things of God, the mindset of fallen Man IS open to all of the alternatives of religion that Man has engineered and the devil endorses! "Christian" religion (an oxymoron) is no exception.It is when (and only when) God the Holy Spirit is enabling the spiritually dead soul to understand the Gospel Message that the hearer is enabled to understand it. It is at such time(s) that the soul is given the opportunity to believe and thereby be saved. (John 3: 16, 18). While God DOES make the Gospel understandable, He does NOT force anyone to believe it. That is a choice that each and every soul must make for him/herself
One can choose to be religious or moral at any time, but he/she can only be saved in response to the call and pre-salvation (enabling) ministry of God the Holy Spirit is in operation. No one knows when he/she has received that last opportunity to listen to the TRUE Gospel Message (Heb 3: 15).
Repentance, as it pertains to salvation, refers to the change of mind that takes place when one is born again (John 3: 5, 7), rejecting the hostile (Romans 8: 7) mindset of a spiritually dead soul (as it pertains to salvation) and believing what has been communicated to him/her a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message.
Post (after) salvation repentance is critically important for maximum success throughout the course of the true post salvation spiritual life, but is NOT for the purpose of retaining the salvation that has ALREADY been received. Like ALL other post (after) salvation activities, post salvation repentance takes place after one has already settled the issue of salvation. Post salvation repentance (changing of one's mind) is part of the life long process of building and maintaining an edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 14-27), as one continues to grow in God's grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3: 18).
Failing to distinguish the difference, need, and purpose for repentance at salvation, and the difference, need, and purpose for repentance during the course of one's post salvation spiritual life opens the door to false teaching(s) and practice(s) regarding salvation and/or the execution of the TRUE post salvation spiritual life.
Repentance is often confused with remorse (feeling sorry for what we did) and forsakenness (choosing to no longer engage in the same sin in the future). There is a place for remorse and forsakenness in the life of a disciple, but discipleship is a post (AFTER) salvation activity.
I have heard many evangelists speak of "giving one's life over to Christ". This IS the plan of God, but NOT before and until one has already been saved. Commitment to the life of discipleship is NOT a requirement to receive salvation, nor does failure or success in the realm of post (after) salvation discipleship increase or diminish the integrity of the salvation that one has already received. Salvation is a "no strings attached" GIFT from God bestowed on ALL who choose to believe the TRUE Gospel Message. It never has been earned or deserved by anyone. Commitment to and enduring in the life of post salvation discipleship is the result one's chosen obedience to such passages of Scripture as 2Pet. 3: 18, John 8: 30, James 1: 22, etc., and is overt evidence that one has chosen to live for God, and no longer for self. The throne of your soul is NOT a two-seater. Either GOd or you is on it; not both. Like everything else a self-centered person does, most "Christians" entertain what they believe to be "Christianity" for what THEY expect to get out of it.
Repentance involves the changing of one's mind that may or may not include remorse or the desire to forsake the sin. Repentance is a change in mind (how one looks at a given issue). But changing how one looks at any given issue does not necessarily mean that one is going to make the necessary changes needed to forsake the sin (Rom. 6: 22, 23). Post salvation sin does NOT cause a born again believer to lose his/her salvation, but does open the door to other forms of divine discipline (Heb. 12: 6) here on Earth, and the loss of some or all heavenly rewards (1COr. 3: 12-15) that the same believer could have received in addition to life in Heaven.
It we are honest about it, there are seasons of pleasure (with a price tag- Rom. 6: 23/ Ga. 6: 7, 8) associated with some forms of sin. Scripture (Heb. 11: 25) does not dispute this. Denying oneself the immediate "pleasure" of certain sins in order to glorify God is the spiritual issue that an advancing disciple. is challenged to address. As one spiritually matures, the disciple will experience less and less of a desire to entertain many sins that he/she formerly embraced or pursued.
In many cases, these changes (repentance) of mind and actions will be used of God the Holy Spirit to draw inquirers, affording the advancing disciple the opportunity to share his/her new found faith with those he/she formerly experienced the sin. It's like a well known gossip who suddenly refuses to listen to the latest dirt being circulated or a former drunkard who passes up the next drink offered to him/her.
Having a change of mind (repentance) will not take us very far if the changed mind does not manifest itself in changed behavior. One may repent (change his/her mind) about the moral issues of some activity he/she is involved with, but still have no genuine desire to refrain from it.
Biblical repentance is something that should take place on a regular basis as the advancing disciple continues to grow in God's grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3: 18). It is an ongoing part of the building and maintaining of one's edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 24-27). If you never change your mind about spiritual issues, then you are either have learned all there is to know or you have stopped moving forward.
Angelic and human beings were both given free will to make choices. With this freedom one can change his mind for the better or for the worse, reaping either the blessings or the consequences of choices he makes on an ongoing basis.
The devil and the fallen angels, in their created status worshiped and served God. At some point in eternity past (before the creation of Man) the devil had a change of mind in which he entertained the thought of establishing a kingdom of his own in which he would be worshiped, just as God was worshiped in Heaven (Isa.14: 13:, 14). Not only did he (the devil) rebel, but was followed by at least one third of God's angels that chose to side with him.
For the angels, it was NEVER a matter of believing in the existence or seekng out the identity of the one true God. It was a matter of obedience and loyalty. In God's timing, both the devil and the fallen angels will spend all of eternity future in the lake of fire (Matt. 25: 41/ Rev. 20: 10), along with all unbelieving souls of the human race (Rev. 20: 13, 15), but that is another subject for another day. Further details on this subject can be studied in the Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict..
I make note of this fact here is this study of repentance to point out that the devil and many of the fallen angels presently have access to the every day activity here on Earth (Eph. 6: 12) and spend time trying to prevent ANY Biblical repentance from taking place. Fallen Man is predisposed to rationalize away and self justify the sin we choose to engage, as we are inherently "hostile - Rom. 8: 7) towards God and things of God without ANY help from the devil or his forces of evil. This makes Man easy targets for satanic attacks.
Unlike the generations of Man that would descend from Adam and Eve, the existence and identity of the one true God was not an issue for the first man and woman (Adam/Eve). Prior to the Fall (Gen. 3), they shared an intimate relationship and fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden. The devil is wise enough to know what the areas of weakness are in any of his intended targets. Like the angels that preceded them, the spiritual issue that Adam and Eve faced was obedience and loyalty. After listening to the voice of the devil (Gen. 3: 4, 5), the woman (Eve) was deceived into thinking that eating of the forbidden fruit would benefit (Gen. 3: 5) she and Adam. Adam, choosing to listen to the voice of the woman (Gen. 3: 17), chose to disobey God, preferring his relationship with the woman over his relationship with God.
Biblical repentance here in the Church Age is an action in which one changes his mind for the better, concerning a spiritual issue.
Repentance, as it pertains to salvation is a ONE time event, whereas repentance as it pertains to the post (after) salvation spiritual life is an ongoing and never-ending process here on Earth.
The first form of repentance has to do with salvation. Repentance, as it pertains to SALVATION, refers to changing the spiritually mindset with which we all come into this world (Psalms 51: 5). As long as we choose to be under the influence of this hostile mind set, we are incapable (Rom.8: 7) of understanding God and/or the things of God, including the Gospel Message. Scripture (Rom. 8: 7) teach that the mind set with which we all come into this world with is not merely disinterested in God and the things of God, but is actually hostile towards God and/or the things of God. If one is to be saved, THIS frame of mind must be changed (repented) if one is going to be open to a presentation of the Gospel.
While being hostile towards God and the things of God, the mindset of fallen Man IS open to all of the alternatives of religion that Man has engineered and the devil endorses! "Christian" religion (an oxymoron) is no exception.It is when (and only when) God the Holy Spirit is enabling the spiritually dead soul to understand the Gospel Message that the hearer is enabled to understand it. It is at such time(s) that the soul is given the opportunity to believe and thereby be saved. (John 3: 16, 18). While God DOES make the Gospel understandable, He does NOT force anyone to believe it. That is a choice that each and every soul must make for him/herself
One can choose to be religious or moral at any time, but he/she can only be saved in response to the call and pre-salvation (enabling) ministry of God the Holy Spirit is in operation. No one knows when he/she has received that last opportunity to listen to the TRUE Gospel Message (Heb 3: 15).
Repentance, as it pertains to salvation, refers to the change of mind that takes place when one is born again (John 3: 5, 7), rejecting the hostile (Romans 8: 7) mindset of a spiritually dead soul (as it pertains to salvation) and believing what has been communicated to him/her a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message.
Post (after) salvation repentance is critically important for maximum success throughout the course of the true post salvation spiritual life, but is NOT for the purpose of retaining the salvation that has ALREADY been received. Like ALL other post (after) salvation activities, post salvation repentance takes place after one has already settled the issue of salvation. Post salvation repentance (changing of one's mind) is part of the life long process of building and maintaining an edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 14-27), as one continues to grow in God's grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3: 18).
Failing to distinguish the difference, need, and purpose for repentance at salvation, and the difference, need, and purpose for repentance during the course of one's post salvation spiritual life opens the door to false teaching(s) and practice(s) regarding salvation and/or the execution of the TRUE post salvation spiritual life.
Repentance is often confused with remorse (feeling sorry for what we did) and forsakenness (choosing to no longer engage in the same sin in the future). There is a place for remorse and forsakenness in the life of a disciple, but discipleship is a post (AFTER) salvation activity.
I have heard many evangelists speak of "giving one's life over to Christ". This IS the plan of God, but NOT before and until one has already been saved. Commitment to the life of discipleship is NOT a requirement to receive salvation, nor does failure or success in the realm of post (after) salvation discipleship increase or diminish the integrity of the salvation that one has already received. Salvation is a "no strings attached" GIFT from God bestowed on ALL who choose to believe the TRUE Gospel Message. It never has been earned or deserved by anyone. Commitment to and enduring in the life of post salvation discipleship is the result one's chosen obedience to such passages of Scripture as 2Pet. 3: 18, John 8: 30, James 1: 22, etc., and is overt evidence that one has chosen to live for God, and no longer for self. The throne of your soul is NOT a two-seater. Either GOd or you is on it; not both. Like everything else a self-centered person does, most "Christians" entertain what they believe to be "Christianity" for what THEY expect to get out of it.
Repentance involves the changing of one's mind that may or may not include remorse or the desire to forsake the sin. Repentance is a change in mind (how one looks at a given issue). But changing how one looks at any given issue does not necessarily mean that one is going to make the necessary changes needed to forsake the sin (Rom. 6: 22, 23). Post salvation sin does NOT cause a born again believer to lose his/her salvation, but does open the door to other forms of divine discipline (Heb. 12: 6) here on Earth, and the loss of some or all heavenly rewards (1COr. 3: 12-15) that the same believer could have received in addition to life in Heaven.
It we are honest about it, there are seasons of pleasure (with a price tag- Rom. 6: 23/ Ga. 6: 7, 8) associated with some forms of sin. Scripture (Heb. 11: 25) does not dispute this. Denying oneself the immediate "pleasure" of certain sins in order to glorify God is the spiritual issue that an advancing disciple. is challenged to address. As one spiritually matures, the disciple will experience less and less of a desire to entertain many sins that he/she formerly embraced or pursued.
In many cases, these changes (repentance) of mind and actions will be used of God the Holy Spirit to draw inquirers, affording the advancing disciple the opportunity to share his/her new found faith with those he/she formerly experienced the sin. It's like a well known gossip who suddenly refuses to listen to the latest dirt being circulated or a former drunkard who passes up the next drink offered to him/her.
Having a change of mind (repentance) will not take us very far if the changed mind does not manifest itself in changed behavior. One may repent (change his/her mind) about the moral issues of some activity he/she is involved with, but still have no genuine desire to refrain from it.
Biblical repentance is something that should take place on a regular basis as the advancing disciple continues to grow in God's grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3: 18). It is an ongoing part of the building and maintaining of one's edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 24-27). If you never change your mind about spiritual issues, then you are either have learned all there is to know or you have stopped moving forward.
Angelic and human beings were both given free will to make choices. With this freedom one can change his mind for the better or for the worse, reaping either the blessings or the consequences of choices he makes on an ongoing basis.
The devil and the fallen angels, in their created status worshiped and served God. At some point in eternity past (before the creation of Man) the devil had a change of mind in which he entertained the thought of establishing a kingdom of his own in which he would be worshiped, just as God was worshiped in Heaven (Isa.14: 13:, 14). Not only did he (the devil) rebel, but was followed by at least one third of God's angels that chose to side with him.
For the angels, it was NEVER a matter of believing in the existence or seekng out the identity of the one true God. It was a matter of obedience and loyalty. In God's timing, both the devil and the fallen angels will spend all of eternity future in the lake of fire (Matt. 25: 41/ Rev. 20: 10), along with all unbelieving souls of the human race (Rev. 20: 13, 15), but that is another subject for another day. Further details on this subject can be studied in the Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict..
I make note of this fact here is this study of repentance to point out that the devil and many of the fallen angels presently have access to the every day activity here on Earth (Eph. 6: 12) and spend time trying to prevent ANY Biblical repentance from taking place. Fallen Man is predisposed to rationalize away and self justify the sin we choose to engage, as we are inherently "hostile - Rom. 8: 7) towards God and things of God without ANY help from the devil or his forces of evil. This makes Man easy targets for satanic attacks.
Unlike the generations of Man that would descend from Adam and Eve, the existence and identity of the one true God was not an issue for the first man and woman (Adam/Eve). Prior to the Fall (Gen. 3), they shared an intimate relationship and fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden. The devil is wise enough to know what the areas of weakness are in any of his intended targets. Like the angels that preceded them, the spiritual issue that Adam and Eve faced was obedience and loyalty. After listening to the voice of the devil (Gen. 3: 4, 5), the woman (Eve) was deceived into thinking that eating of the forbidden fruit would benefit (Gen. 3: 5) she and Adam. Adam, choosing to listen to the voice of the woman (Gen. 3: 17), chose to disobey God, preferring his relationship with the woman over his relationship with God.
In antiquity God revealed Himself through nature and the physical universe (Romans 1: 18); visions/dreams (Gen. 15: 1/Gen. 28: 12/ 1Kings 3:5); direct (Gen. 12: 1/Exodus 3 4) and indirect (Heb. 1: 1) verbal communication, and via angels (Gen. 19: 1,2/ Luke 1:11, 19, 26). While the method of delivery differed, what all these events have in common is that regardless of how the information was communicated, the recipients had to make choices about what they were to do with the information with which they were being presented.
Every time the human soul processes information it either reinforces the direction that our spiritual life is taking, or it changes it for the better or the worse. Even in our sleep, the soul processes information that we most recently allowed to become a part of our soul structure. God the Holy Spirit will bring all the good information that we have stored in our subconscious minds to our conscious minds at the right moment, and the devil will bring all the evil information that we have stored in our subconscious minds to our conscious minds at the right moment. By the right moment, I am referring to the times when we must choose to make moral decisions. God will not and the devil can not violate the free will that God has given to Man, but God permits the pressure of the fallen nature and the devil to apply persuasive pressure on the soul if we choose to listen to either one. God the Holy Spirit will provide the advancing disciple with enabling power of God to recall and apply the appropriate doctrine to ANY issue that we are confronted with, IF we are obedient to such principles and commands found in Matt. 7: 24-27, 2 Pet. 3: 15,18.
One of the ways that God will discipline us for disobedience to 2 Pet. 3: 18 is to allow situations and circumstances to develop that reveal to us that we do NOT have a Biblical answer or solution.
The concept of there being eternal issues (Ecc.3:11 ), as well as the inherent knowledge (Rom. 1: 19) of good and evil is placed by God in every soul that He creates. Here in the Church Age, God spoke through the Apostles, and continues to speak through Biblically qualified pastor-teachers. In prayer, God communicates with the individual souls of Man.
The cycle of communication requires that there be a speaker, a listener, and that the intended message of the communicator is understood. Communication does NOT mean that the recipient necessarily agrees with the message, or that the recipients will make any application of it.
God the Holy Spirit speaks through the public and private study of the Bible. According to the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 20), the teaching, preaching, and study of the Word of God is the internal mission of the Church, as THIS is what makes disciples out of those who haven already been born again.
God holds each and every soul accountable based on the extent that He made Himself and His ways known to each soul during his/her time here on Earth, after having reached the age/stage of moral accountability. God holds each soul accountable for whatever information had been made available to him that he/she chose not to listen. The decision NOT to disobey 2 Pet. 3: 18 by not continuing to grow in God's grace and knowledge is a choice that one make. In the day and age of communication technology in which we live, the "no excuse" principle of Romans 1:20 applies more than ever!
The truth is that for many of those who claim to Christians, they are not interested and /or are not up for the challenge that the teaching of the Word of God brings to the soul. This is what separates the believers at large from those who pursue discipleship. ALL born again believers are forever saved and Heaven bound, but only a minority of them ever entertain or remain in discipleship. This is one area of spiritual combat that the devil has had considerable success.
For everything that God creates, the devil generates an alternative(s) that appeals to the fallen nature in Man.
Beginning with the fig leaves, Man has tried to develop his own means to address his sin or the results of it. Note that God provided animal skins (the shedding of symbolic blood) to replace the fig leaves. Man, though religious rituals has continued to try to make or keep himself (or others) "right" with God, but God views all such acts of SELF righteousness as amounting to no more than a pile of filthy rags (Isa. 64: 6). Whenever God instituted a ritual, it was ALWAYS symbolic of something that was or what had already taken place in the spiritual realm.
The religious alternatives that Man creates and the devil endorses are held in high esteem by those who follow accept them, but are "detestable" in the eyes of God (Luke 16: 15).
It is on this alternative(s) principle that all the false religions (Psalms 96), including Christian religion have been based and have evolved. The phrase Christian religion is an oxymoron, as true Christianity (what God has to say) and religion (what Man has added to perverted, or ignored in the Word of God) do NOT agree. When a Christian is asked if he/she is a "religious" person, the Biblical response should be, I certainly hope not!". Perhaps this will provide the advancing disciple with an opportunity to explain the critical difference between religion and spirituality.
Eternal life is NOT a matter of "if", but of where and how EVERY soul that God creates is going to experience eternity without end! Those who choose to leave this world as spiritually dead as they entered it will find themselves in the Torments of Hades upon departing this Earth, and as of the appointed time of the Rev. 20: 13, 15 event, these same souls will later find themselves in what the Bible calls the lake of fire where they will spend all of eternity.
Ever since the Fall, interaction with God began and continues to begin when any given soul accepts (believes) the God-given concept of there being "a" god that God places in each soul that He creates (Eccl. 3: 11). Most souls choose to believe that there is a god. Those who choose not to believe there is a god are atheists. In the case of the atheists, the devil either leaves them alone or promotes them and their propaganda as it serves his own agenda.
There is a difference between believing there is "a" god(s), and entering into a spiritual relationship with the God of the Bible. Believing with all one's heart in a false god will save no one. Believing in the existence of God, but rejecting His plan of salvation based on faith in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, will save NO ONE.
"NO ONE comes to the Father, but through (faith in) Me ( John 14: 6 NASB/parenthesis mine)."
Contrary to what religion has to say, there is only ONE of TWO final locations for EVERY human soul. It's Heaven or its what the Bible calls the lake of fire. Heaven is for those who have been born again, and the lake of fire is for those who are not. Case closed.
The ancient Jews believed in the existence of the God of the Bible and practiced the Biblical rituals of Judaism. Never the less, many of the Jews on Earth during the dispensation of the hypostatic union largely failed to see the very fulfillment of these symbolic rituals in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was NOT because the Old Testament Scripture did not speak of the incarnation, suffering, crucifixion, and atoning Work of the Lamb of God to come, but did not name the names of the forerunning prophet (Luke 1: 13, 76) or of the Lamb of G0d (Luke 1: 31/Luke 2:21) until just before the First Advent.
During His public ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ made it clear that He did not come to the Earth to abolish The Law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5: 17). OLd Testament Scripture pointed to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5: 39). His claim to be ALL that He was is what led to His erroneous conviction of the sin of blasphemy (Luke 22: 67-71).
The Lord Jesus Christ made it crystal clear to the unbelieving Jews of His Day what a lack of repentance (concerning Him) would mean (John 8: 24)..
"I said therefore , that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins (John 8: 24 NASB)."
The same fate awaits many "religious" persons inside and outside of the Christian Community at large, who in spite of all their religiosity are never "born again (John 3: 5, 7)." Such "religious" persons will have their day in the Court of Heaven, and after having presented their case based on their participation in religious activity and good (human) goods will be tossed into the lake of (Rev. 20: 13, 15). Like so many of VERY "religious" Jews of the Lord's day, there will be many "religious" souls inside and outside of the Christian Community during the Church Age who rely on their participation in the "religious" thinking of their day who will suffer the eternal consequences of having never been born again (John 3: 5, 7).
It is NOT God's desire (2 Pet. 3: 9), but one can take the free will that God gave him and choose to be an atheist, or choose to believe in one or more of the "gods" that are the product of the false religions (Psalms 96) of the world.
Choosing to believe in a false god will result in one being no better off than the atheist, as both groups (atheists and believers in false gods) have reservations in the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 13, 15).
As of the Church Age, it is the souls ones who are "born gain - John 3: 5, 7" that are spiritually alive (Titus 3: 5) and enter into an eternal relationship with the ONE true God of the Bible. They (believers) too, will face a judgment (evaluation) documented in 1 Cor. 3: 12-15 , but this evaluation or judgment is NOT for the purpose of revealing who stays in Heaven and who goes to Hell. The purpose of the 1 Cor. 3: 12-15 evaluation is to determine what (if any) heavenly rewards each born again believer will either receive or forfeit. The issue of the born again believer's salvation was settled HERE ON EARTH on the day they chose to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message.
Heaven is NOT for those who "earned" or "deserve" it via participating in "religious" ceremonies, rituals, or activity, or via good works. Heaven is for those who were born again. Hell, or what the Bible calls the lake of fire is for those who are not (John 3: 18).
Every time the human soul processes information it either reinforces the direction that our spiritual life is taking, or it changes it for the better or the worse. Even in our sleep, the soul processes information that we most recently allowed to become a part of our soul structure. God the Holy Spirit will bring all the good information that we have stored in our subconscious minds to our conscious minds at the right moment, and the devil will bring all the evil information that we have stored in our subconscious minds to our conscious minds at the right moment. By the right moment, I am referring to the times when we must choose to make moral decisions. God will not and the devil can not violate the free will that God has given to Man, but God permits the pressure of the fallen nature and the devil to apply persuasive pressure on the soul if we choose to listen to either one. God the Holy Spirit will provide the advancing disciple with enabling power of God to recall and apply the appropriate doctrine to ANY issue that we are confronted with, IF we are obedient to such principles and commands found in Matt. 7: 24-27, 2 Pet. 3: 15,18.
One of the ways that God will discipline us for disobedience to 2 Pet. 3: 18 is to allow situations and circumstances to develop that reveal to us that we do NOT have a Biblical answer or solution.
The concept of there being eternal issues (Ecc.3:11 ), as well as the inherent knowledge (Rom. 1: 19) of good and evil is placed by God in every soul that He creates. Here in the Church Age, God spoke through the Apostles, and continues to speak through Biblically qualified pastor-teachers. In prayer, God communicates with the individual souls of Man.
The cycle of communication requires that there be a speaker, a listener, and that the intended message of the communicator is understood. Communication does NOT mean that the recipient necessarily agrees with the message, or that the recipients will make any application of it.
God the Holy Spirit speaks through the public and private study of the Bible. According to the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 20), the teaching, preaching, and study of the Word of God is the internal mission of the Church, as THIS is what makes disciples out of those who haven already been born again.
God holds each and every soul accountable based on the extent that He made Himself and His ways known to each soul during his/her time here on Earth, after having reached the age/stage of moral accountability. God holds each soul accountable for whatever information had been made available to him that he/she chose not to listen. The decision NOT to disobey 2 Pet. 3: 18 by not continuing to grow in God's grace and knowledge is a choice that one make. In the day and age of communication technology in which we live, the "no excuse" principle of Romans 1:20 applies more than ever!
The truth is that for many of those who claim to Christians, they are not interested and /or are not up for the challenge that the teaching of the Word of God brings to the soul. This is what separates the believers at large from those who pursue discipleship. ALL born again believers are forever saved and Heaven bound, but only a minority of them ever entertain or remain in discipleship. This is one area of spiritual combat that the devil has had considerable success.
For everything that God creates, the devil generates an alternative(s) that appeals to the fallen nature in Man.
Beginning with the fig leaves, Man has tried to develop his own means to address his sin or the results of it. Note that God provided animal skins (the shedding of symbolic blood) to replace the fig leaves. Man, though religious rituals has continued to try to make or keep himself (or others) "right" with God, but God views all such acts of SELF righteousness as amounting to no more than a pile of filthy rags (Isa. 64: 6). Whenever God instituted a ritual, it was ALWAYS symbolic of something that was or what had already taken place in the spiritual realm.
The religious alternatives that Man creates and the devil endorses are held in high esteem by those who follow accept them, but are "detestable" in the eyes of God (Luke 16: 15).
It is on this alternative(s) principle that all the false religions (Psalms 96), including Christian religion have been based and have evolved. The phrase Christian religion is an oxymoron, as true Christianity (what God has to say) and religion (what Man has added to perverted, or ignored in the Word of God) do NOT agree. When a Christian is asked if he/she is a "religious" person, the Biblical response should be, I certainly hope not!". Perhaps this will provide the advancing disciple with an opportunity to explain the critical difference between religion and spirituality.
Eternal life is NOT a matter of "if", but of where and how EVERY soul that God creates is going to experience eternity without end! Those who choose to leave this world as spiritually dead as they entered it will find themselves in the Torments of Hades upon departing this Earth, and as of the appointed time of the Rev. 20: 13, 15 event, these same souls will later find themselves in what the Bible calls the lake of fire where they will spend all of eternity.
Ever since the Fall, interaction with God began and continues to begin when any given soul accepts (believes) the God-given concept of there being "a" god that God places in each soul that He creates (Eccl. 3: 11). Most souls choose to believe that there is a god. Those who choose not to believe there is a god are atheists. In the case of the atheists, the devil either leaves them alone or promotes them and their propaganda as it serves his own agenda.
There is a difference between believing there is "a" god(s), and entering into a spiritual relationship with the God of the Bible. Believing with all one's heart in a false god will save no one. Believing in the existence of God, but rejecting His plan of salvation based on faith in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, will save NO ONE.
"NO ONE comes to the Father, but through (faith in) Me ( John 14: 6 NASB/parenthesis mine)."
Contrary to what religion has to say, there is only ONE of TWO final locations for EVERY human soul. It's Heaven or its what the Bible calls the lake of fire. Heaven is for those who have been born again, and the lake of fire is for those who are not. Case closed.
The ancient Jews believed in the existence of the God of the Bible and practiced the Biblical rituals of Judaism. Never the less, many of the Jews on Earth during the dispensation of the hypostatic union largely failed to see the very fulfillment of these symbolic rituals in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was NOT because the Old Testament Scripture did not speak of the incarnation, suffering, crucifixion, and atoning Work of the Lamb of God to come, but did not name the names of the forerunning prophet (Luke 1: 13, 76) or of the Lamb of G0d (Luke 1: 31/Luke 2:21) until just before the First Advent.
During His public ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ made it clear that He did not come to the Earth to abolish The Law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5: 17). OLd Testament Scripture pointed to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5: 39). His claim to be ALL that He was is what led to His erroneous conviction of the sin of blasphemy (Luke 22: 67-71).
The Lord Jesus Christ made it crystal clear to the unbelieving Jews of His Day what a lack of repentance (concerning Him) would mean (John 8: 24)..
"I said therefore , that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins (John 8: 24 NASB)."
The same fate awaits many "religious" persons inside and outside of the Christian Community at large, who in spite of all their religiosity are never "born again (John 3: 5, 7)." Such "religious" persons will have their day in the Court of Heaven, and after having presented their case based on their participation in religious activity and good (human) goods will be tossed into the lake of (Rev. 20: 13, 15). Like so many of VERY "religious" Jews of the Lord's day, there will be many "religious" souls inside and outside of the Christian Community during the Church Age who rely on their participation in the "religious" thinking of their day who will suffer the eternal consequences of having never been born again (John 3: 5, 7).
It is NOT God's desire (2 Pet. 3: 9), but one can take the free will that God gave him and choose to be an atheist, or choose to believe in one or more of the "gods" that are the product of the false religions (Psalms 96) of the world.
Choosing to believe in a false god will result in one being no better off than the atheist, as both groups (atheists and believers in false gods) have reservations in the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 13, 15).
As of the Church Age, it is the souls ones who are "born gain - John 3: 5, 7" that are spiritually alive (Titus 3: 5) and enter into an eternal relationship with the ONE true God of the Bible. They (believers) too, will face a judgment (evaluation) documented in 1 Cor. 3: 12-15 , but this evaluation or judgment is NOT for the purpose of revealing who stays in Heaven and who goes to Hell. The purpose of the 1 Cor. 3: 12-15 evaluation is to determine what (if any) heavenly rewards each born again believer will either receive or forfeit. The issue of the born again believer's salvation was settled HERE ON EARTH on the day they chose to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message.
Heaven is NOT for those who "earned" or "deserve" it via participating in "religious" ceremonies, rituals, or activity, or via good works. Heaven is for those who were born again. Hell, or what the Bible calls the lake of fire is for those who are not (John 3: 18).
The ONE and ONLY way to be born again is to choose to believe in a presentation of the true Gospel Message. Those who believe are forever saved and have entered into an eternal relationship with the God of the Bible. Needless to say, the devil provides every obstacle that he is allowed to the realm of spiritual warfare (Eph. 6) to see to it that one chooses not to listen when the true Gospel is being preached. These obstacles include the promotion of all the many false Gospels out there and all the "religious" alternatives that appeal to the fallen nature in Man.
The first fatal sin that a human soul can commit is to reject the inherent knowledge of there being "a" god . This concept is placed in every soul that God creates (Eccl.3: 11). There would be no motivation for a soul to search and out and identify a god that he/she does not believe exists. As noted earlier, most souls do believe there is "a" god, but merely believing in the existence of "a" god is not the same as believing in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, articulated in a presentation of the true Gospel Message.
The devil, the fallen angels, and the demons believe in the existence of the true God (James 2: 19), but will never-the-less be spending all of eternity in the lake of fire.
John the Baptist preached a message of repentance to his fellow Jews who were anticipating the coming of a messiah.
In order to have a clear understanding of what it was that this group needed to repent (change their minds) of, one must note what were the errant thoughts that was being entertained at that time. The "target group" of the Baptist was mistakenly expecting the arrival of a "political" deliverer much like one of the "judges" or monarchs in their past history. Under the leadership of this coming political deliverer, they thought, Israel would be liberated from Roman domination; be re-established as an independent nation, and be elevated to one of global influence and domain in the community of nations.
Although there is a coming time (The Second Advent) when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to Earth and then establish such a kingdom, the primary mission of the First Advent was to accomplish His atoning Work on the cross in payment of the world's sin debt. A "suffering" Messiah was not at all what the popular expectation of the Jews was all about. When His enemies witnessed His suffering and death on the cross, many of them perceived what was acrually His greatest victory to be His final and ultimate defeat.
The true message and purpose behind John's preaching was to prepare the Jews of his day for the public appearing of the Lamb of God. Those who were baptized in water by John (John 1: 33) did so to identify themselves as ones who understood the message that John preached.
John made it clear the he (John) was not the Savior or that water baptism was to be understood as the means of securing salvation. John made it clear the baptism that IS associated with salvation involves the God the Holy Spirit (John 1: 33). The baptism that is associated with salvation is the Work of God (not clergyman) and automatically takes place as the moment of salvation when one chooses to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message. These principle is reiterated in such passages as Titus 3: 5 and Eph. 4: 30. The Apostle Paul, who was greatly used of God to establish many of the earliest local assemblies made it clear that he (Paul) was NOT sent to baptize (1 Cor. 1: 17). The "binding" spoken of in Matt. 18: 18 refers to the eternal and irreversible blessing or condemnation that each soul receives as a result of his/her decision to believe or to reject the TRUE Gospel that the Church was commissioned to proclaim (Matt. 28: 19, 20).
The true Gospel Message identifies faith (placing one full trust) in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.
If one truly fulfills the single requirement of faith by choosing to believe in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved (John 3: 16, 18), then a serious and ominous question is raised, asking for what reason would the same soul perceive the need to engage in "religious" activity to obtain or retain salvation. Having one return to or engage in "religious" activity to obtain or retain salvation is Satan's counterattack and response to one being born again. The devil can do nothing to reverse the Titus 3: 5 or Eph. 4: 30 work that took place at salvation, but he can greatly impede the forward progress in the life of the Christian who doubts the integrity of his/her salvation. There is a purpose for a rear view mirror in an automobile, but one must not keep his eyes on the road ahead!
Water baptism in the ancient world had to do with I-D-E-N-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The ONE baptism (Eph. 4: 5) that pertains to and takes place at salvation is the Work of God the Holy Spirit (Titus 3: 5 / Eph. 4: 30) and does not involve a clergyman. See the Doctrine of Baptism for more details concerning the purpose behind the various forms of baptism referenced in Scripture.
In addition to the mistaken presumption that the Lord Jesus Christ came to establish the prophesied earthly kingdom (at the First Advent), there was another popular, but errant, belief that salvation was the result of compliance with the overt rituals of the Old Testament that were practiced by the Jews at the time. Ritual void of spirituality, then or now, accomplishes NOTHING.
IF (it is not) it were possible for a soul to live his/her entire life without ever committing ONE sin, then he/she would not be in need of salvation. With the ONE exception of the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, NO ONE has ever lived up to that standard (Rom. 3: 23). Many of us are not even out of bed in the morning and have already committed some form of mental attitude sin, and NONE of us go very far into the day without having violated, via an act of omission and commission, one or more of the 300+ commands of the New Testament.
Furthermore, if one could finally get it right with repeated attempts (as those who believe in reincarnation do), then for what reason did the Lord Jesus Christ leave the glory and comfort of Heaven, taken on human form, and die a most painful and humiliating form of death on the cross? As horrific as His ordeal of physical death was, His greatest suffering was separation from God (Psalms 22:1/Matt. 27: 46) when the sin debt of the human race was poured out on His sinless humanity. To think that there ever could be ANYTHING that we could or should do to add to this work is the height of human ignorance and arrogance. This is why such attempts of self-righteousness are detestable (Luke 16: 15) and viewed as being no more than a pile of soiled rags in the eyes of God (Isa. 64: 6).
Satan, through religion, has established systems and personnel of various ranks and functions to promote his alternatives to what Scripture has ordained for the Church Age. Contrary to what religion promotes, many such offices were NEVER established, and many of their "assumed" functions NEVER assigned (by God) to ANY man or group of men. It is worth noting here, as it is often assumed that because certain things can be traced back to the earliest periods of the Church Age, that it came from God. What Scripture records is that there would be MANY false teachers and false doctrines (some taught by demons) WITHIN the Christian Community throughout the course of the Church Age.
Satan, knowing what the combined power of the state and the power of "religion" can produce, works hard at persuading the religious community to disobey the separation of Church and state that was spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 12: 17).
Most of these teachers have done, are doing, and will do so unwittingly, but a bullet fired in ignorance can be just as lethal as one that is fired with malicious intent. The blind leading the blind scenario did not begin or end with the Pharisees
It was not until the written Word of God became available to the common Man that many of the age-old traditions of Man were exposed for the products and practices of Man-made religion that they were/are. The Christian Community did not learn its lesson, as Man-made religion continues to exist, in varying degrees, within the many denominational and non-denominational sectors of the Christian Community. 1 Tim. 4: 1 and other passages teach that false teachers and false practices will only increase here in the end times. Before "repenting" (changing one's mind) about ANY spiritual issue, one should make certain that the doctrine behind the issue or practice can be Biblically substantiated.
There is a place for good deeds in the post salvation spiritual life of a born again believer, but they have NOTHING to do with the obtaining or the retaining of salvation.
James 2: 10 puts the final nail in the coffin of any hope to obtain salvation by obedience to The Law (or any other body of moral standards) when it teaches that if we have broken even one of His commandment (we ALL have), we stand as guilty as the one who has broken them all! No one is in any greater or less need for salvation than the one we face in the mirror ever day.
The age old question is that if it is not within our own means or capability, then by what means can anyone be saved. The Biblical answer \is that one is saved by faith (trusting) in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3: 16, 18). Nothing more; nothing less.
In order to maintain law and order in any society, there is a need to establish a system of law that makes distinctions between "serious" and "minor" violations of the law and affix an appropriate penalty. In the spiritual realm, a child of God can also expect more severe forms of divine discipline (Heb. 12: 6) for committing some forms of sin than others, as divine discipline can range in anything from living with a guilty conscience (Psalms 38:18up to and including physical death (Acts 5). As far as salvation is concerned, there is only ONE sin that cause anyone to find himself in the Torments of Hades and later in the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 13,1 5), and that is the sin of disbelief (John 3: 18).
Some of the Laws of the Old Testament called for the death penalty for violating many of its provisions, and called for less severe overt penalties for others. Many of these Laws reflected basic truths concerning what God viewed as moral and immoral activity. These laws applied to the ancient Hebrews who, at that time, we entering into a national covenant with God in which they were to be blessed for compliance and disciplined for disobedience. Under a theocracy, the Law of God and the law of the land were/are one in the same.
In addition to the establishing a system for the administration of justice of that day, the rituals of The Law also addressed the "sin" issue of these same acts as well, pointing to the ultimate sacrifice that would later be made by the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
When God forgave sin prior to the cross, He did so on the basis of what would be eventually be accomplished on the cross, whereas forgiveness since the cross is based on faith in what has already been accomplished on the cross. When God poured the sin debt onto the sinless and substitutionary humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ while ON THE CROSS, He had in mind every sin of every soul that had or would come into the world in the generations to come. The ONE sin that was not atoned for, was the sin of disbelief.
No one (as a group) were more dedicated to following and enforcing what they believed to be correct interpretation and application of existing Scripture of their day than the Pharisees. Yet in spite of all their religiosity, many of them were our Lord's greatest enemies. They fanatically followed and enforced The Law, but failed to see how The Law was to be fulfilled in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mechanical and ceremonial observance of The Law would save NO ONE if it did not bring the practitioner of The Law to personal faith in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ once He arrived and was announced. This was the message given to Nicodemus, a leader among the Pharisees (John 3).
The preaching of the Baptist clearly spoke of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1: 29, 33), but many who heard him speak did not comprehend what the mission of the First Advent was and was not to involve. They would not be the first group to miss the primary point of a divine mission. Many of the initial followers of the Lord Jesus Christ no longer chose to follow Him when He spoke of the true purpose of His mission. Even Peter, one of the Lord's closest disciples spoke of preventing the Lord from entering Jerusalem to complete His mission (Matt. 16: 22). Many Church Age believers have failed to identify the primary mission of the Church, even though it was clearly articulated in the Great Commission. The involvement of the Church in political agendas and religous functions that God NEVER gave to Man to perform or entertain has led the Church into some of its darkest periods of its history.
The Jews who witnessed Jesus bar Joseph (son of Joseph) growing up had no issues with the Lord Jesus Christ being a "man" (Matt. 13: 55). Many came to accept Him as a prophet, and one who was involved with miracles. Others thought that He might be the prophesied Messiah who would liberate the nation of Israel from Roman occupation and establish an earthly Kingdom of God. These high hopes were shattered when He was nailed to the cross, leaving many of His initial followers bewildered until the Resurrection and Ascension would later take place.
The first fatal sin that a human soul can commit is to reject the inherent knowledge of there being "a" god . This concept is placed in every soul that God creates (Eccl.3: 11). There would be no motivation for a soul to search and out and identify a god that he/she does not believe exists. As noted earlier, most souls do believe there is "a" god, but merely believing in the existence of "a" god is not the same as believing in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, articulated in a presentation of the true Gospel Message.
The devil, the fallen angels, and the demons believe in the existence of the true God (James 2: 19), but will never-the-less be spending all of eternity in the lake of fire.
John the Baptist preached a message of repentance to his fellow Jews who were anticipating the coming of a messiah.
In order to have a clear understanding of what it was that this group needed to repent (change their minds) of, one must note what were the errant thoughts that was being entertained at that time. The "target group" of the Baptist was mistakenly expecting the arrival of a "political" deliverer much like one of the "judges" or monarchs in their past history. Under the leadership of this coming political deliverer, they thought, Israel would be liberated from Roman domination; be re-established as an independent nation, and be elevated to one of global influence and domain in the community of nations.
Although there is a coming time (The Second Advent) when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to Earth and then establish such a kingdom, the primary mission of the First Advent was to accomplish His atoning Work on the cross in payment of the world's sin debt. A "suffering" Messiah was not at all what the popular expectation of the Jews was all about. When His enemies witnessed His suffering and death on the cross, many of them perceived what was acrually His greatest victory to be His final and ultimate defeat.
The true message and purpose behind John's preaching was to prepare the Jews of his day for the public appearing of the Lamb of God. Those who were baptized in water by John (John 1: 33) did so to identify themselves as ones who understood the message that John preached.
John made it clear the he (John) was not the Savior or that water baptism was to be understood as the means of securing salvation. John made it clear the baptism that IS associated with salvation involves the God the Holy Spirit (John 1: 33). The baptism that is associated with salvation is the Work of God (not clergyman) and automatically takes place as the moment of salvation when one chooses to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message. These principle is reiterated in such passages as Titus 3: 5 and Eph. 4: 30. The Apostle Paul, who was greatly used of God to establish many of the earliest local assemblies made it clear that he (Paul) was NOT sent to baptize (1 Cor. 1: 17). The "binding" spoken of in Matt. 18: 18 refers to the eternal and irreversible blessing or condemnation that each soul receives as a result of his/her decision to believe or to reject the TRUE Gospel that the Church was commissioned to proclaim (Matt. 28: 19, 20).
The true Gospel Message identifies faith (placing one full trust) in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.
If one truly fulfills the single requirement of faith by choosing to believe in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved (John 3: 16, 18), then a serious and ominous question is raised, asking for what reason would the same soul perceive the need to engage in "religious" activity to obtain or retain salvation. Having one return to or engage in "religious" activity to obtain or retain salvation is Satan's counterattack and response to one being born again. The devil can do nothing to reverse the Titus 3: 5 or Eph. 4: 30 work that took place at salvation, but he can greatly impede the forward progress in the life of the Christian who doubts the integrity of his/her salvation. There is a purpose for a rear view mirror in an automobile, but one must not keep his eyes on the road ahead!
Water baptism in the ancient world had to do with I-D-E-N-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The ONE baptism (Eph. 4: 5) that pertains to and takes place at salvation is the Work of God the Holy Spirit (Titus 3: 5 / Eph. 4: 30) and does not involve a clergyman. See the Doctrine of Baptism for more details concerning the purpose behind the various forms of baptism referenced in Scripture.
In addition to the mistaken presumption that the Lord Jesus Christ came to establish the prophesied earthly kingdom (at the First Advent), there was another popular, but errant, belief that salvation was the result of compliance with the overt rituals of the Old Testament that were practiced by the Jews at the time. Ritual void of spirituality, then or now, accomplishes NOTHING.
IF (it is not) it were possible for a soul to live his/her entire life without ever committing ONE sin, then he/she would not be in need of salvation. With the ONE exception of the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, NO ONE has ever lived up to that standard (Rom. 3: 23). Many of us are not even out of bed in the morning and have already committed some form of mental attitude sin, and NONE of us go very far into the day without having violated, via an act of omission and commission, one or more of the 300+ commands of the New Testament.
Furthermore, if one could finally get it right with repeated attempts (as those who believe in reincarnation do), then for what reason did the Lord Jesus Christ leave the glory and comfort of Heaven, taken on human form, and die a most painful and humiliating form of death on the cross? As horrific as His ordeal of physical death was, His greatest suffering was separation from God (Psalms 22:1/Matt. 27: 46) when the sin debt of the human race was poured out on His sinless humanity. To think that there ever could be ANYTHING that we could or should do to add to this work is the height of human ignorance and arrogance. This is why such attempts of self-righteousness are detestable (Luke 16: 15) and viewed as being no more than a pile of soiled rags in the eyes of God (Isa. 64: 6).
Satan, through religion, has established systems and personnel of various ranks and functions to promote his alternatives to what Scripture has ordained for the Church Age. Contrary to what religion promotes, many such offices were NEVER established, and many of their "assumed" functions NEVER assigned (by God) to ANY man or group of men. It is worth noting here, as it is often assumed that because certain things can be traced back to the earliest periods of the Church Age, that it came from God. What Scripture records is that there would be MANY false teachers and false doctrines (some taught by demons) WITHIN the Christian Community throughout the course of the Church Age.
Satan, knowing what the combined power of the state and the power of "religion" can produce, works hard at persuading the religious community to disobey the separation of Church and state that was spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 12: 17).
Most of these teachers have done, are doing, and will do so unwittingly, but a bullet fired in ignorance can be just as lethal as one that is fired with malicious intent. The blind leading the blind scenario did not begin or end with the Pharisees
It was not until the written Word of God became available to the common Man that many of the age-old traditions of Man were exposed for the products and practices of Man-made religion that they were/are. The Christian Community did not learn its lesson, as Man-made religion continues to exist, in varying degrees, within the many denominational and non-denominational sectors of the Christian Community. 1 Tim. 4: 1 and other passages teach that false teachers and false practices will only increase here in the end times. Before "repenting" (changing one's mind) about ANY spiritual issue, one should make certain that the doctrine behind the issue or practice can be Biblically substantiated.
There is a place for good deeds in the post salvation spiritual life of a born again believer, but they have NOTHING to do with the obtaining or the retaining of salvation.
James 2: 10 puts the final nail in the coffin of any hope to obtain salvation by obedience to The Law (or any other body of moral standards) when it teaches that if we have broken even one of His commandment (we ALL have), we stand as guilty as the one who has broken them all! No one is in any greater or less need for salvation than the one we face in the mirror ever day.
The age old question is that if it is not within our own means or capability, then by what means can anyone be saved. The Biblical answer \is that one is saved by faith (trusting) in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3: 16, 18). Nothing more; nothing less.
In order to maintain law and order in any society, there is a need to establish a system of law that makes distinctions between "serious" and "minor" violations of the law and affix an appropriate penalty. In the spiritual realm, a child of God can also expect more severe forms of divine discipline (Heb. 12: 6) for committing some forms of sin than others, as divine discipline can range in anything from living with a guilty conscience (Psalms 38:18up to and including physical death (Acts 5). As far as salvation is concerned, there is only ONE sin that cause anyone to find himself in the Torments of Hades and later in the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 13,1 5), and that is the sin of disbelief (John 3: 18).
Some of the Laws of the Old Testament called for the death penalty for violating many of its provisions, and called for less severe overt penalties for others. Many of these Laws reflected basic truths concerning what God viewed as moral and immoral activity. These laws applied to the ancient Hebrews who, at that time, we entering into a national covenant with God in which they were to be blessed for compliance and disciplined for disobedience. Under a theocracy, the Law of God and the law of the land were/are one in the same.
In addition to the establishing a system for the administration of justice of that day, the rituals of The Law also addressed the "sin" issue of these same acts as well, pointing to the ultimate sacrifice that would later be made by the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
When God forgave sin prior to the cross, He did so on the basis of what would be eventually be accomplished on the cross, whereas forgiveness since the cross is based on faith in what has already been accomplished on the cross. When God poured the sin debt onto the sinless and substitutionary humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ while ON THE CROSS, He had in mind every sin of every soul that had or would come into the world in the generations to come. The ONE sin that was not atoned for, was the sin of disbelief.
No one (as a group) were more dedicated to following and enforcing what they believed to be correct interpretation and application of existing Scripture of their day than the Pharisees. Yet in spite of all their religiosity, many of them were our Lord's greatest enemies. They fanatically followed and enforced The Law, but failed to see how The Law was to be fulfilled in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mechanical and ceremonial observance of The Law would save NO ONE if it did not bring the practitioner of The Law to personal faith in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ once He arrived and was announced. This was the message given to Nicodemus, a leader among the Pharisees (John 3).
The preaching of the Baptist clearly spoke of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1: 29, 33), but many who heard him speak did not comprehend what the mission of the First Advent was and was not to involve. They would not be the first group to miss the primary point of a divine mission. Many of the initial followers of the Lord Jesus Christ no longer chose to follow Him when He spoke of the true purpose of His mission. Even Peter, one of the Lord's closest disciples spoke of preventing the Lord from entering Jerusalem to complete His mission (Matt. 16: 22). Many Church Age believers have failed to identify the primary mission of the Church, even though it was clearly articulated in the Great Commission. The involvement of the Church in political agendas and religous functions that God NEVER gave to Man to perform or entertain has led the Church into some of its darkest periods of its history.
The Jews who witnessed Jesus bar Joseph (son of Joseph) growing up had no issues with the Lord Jesus Christ being a "man" (Matt. 13: 55). Many came to accept Him as a prophet, and one who was involved with miracles. Others thought that He might be the prophesied Messiah who would liberate the nation of Israel from Roman occupation and establish an earthly Kingdom of God. These high hopes were shattered when He was nailed to the cross, leaving many of His initial followers bewildered until the Resurrection and Ascension would later take place.
This brings us to the issue of repentance as it applies to us today, here in the dispensation of the Church Age.
As in the case of previous dispensations (periods of time), the first choice that a soul must make is to choose to believe in the knowledge of there being an eternity (Eccl. 3: 11), and therefore eternal issues to be resolved. This knowledge is placed in the heart of every soul that God creates. As noted earlier, most human souls choose to believe that there is a god. The ones that choose to believe that there is no god are atheists. If an atheist is going to be open to a presentation of the Gospel, he/she must repent (change his/her mind) and choose to believe in the existence of a god.
Either as one who believes in the existence of a god in response to the Eccl. 3: 11 knowledge that God places in the heart of every soul He creates, or one who later repents of his/her atheism, the next step is to identify and establish an eternal relationship with the TRUE God of the Bible. There is a long, long, list of "gods" that have been established by the false religions (Psalms 96) of the world. The common denominator is that ALL of the world's religion (including some "Christian religions" ) teach that one earns his way into some form of Paradise or Heaven through engaging in all the rituals of his/her chosen religion coupled with good deeds that he/she performs and the bad deeds that he/she avoids.
True Christianity, on the other hand, teaches that one is saved from the impending wrath of God awaiting all unbelievers by choosing to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message, and then glorifies God in the course of his/her post salvation spiritual life through the production of divine good.
One must REPENT (change his/her mind) concerning the identity of the one true God, if the "god" he/she presently believes in is one of the Psalms 96 "gods" of the world and not the true God of the Bible. The statement that we all worship thje same god, but refer to Him by different names and worship Him by different methods in one of the greatest areas of discepti0n that the devil has been able to promote. It matters not to the devil if one chooses atheism or to believe in one of the many false gods (Psalms 96). What the devil hates is when one chooses to believe in true God of the Bible and establishes an eternal relationship with Him via HIs ONE and only plan of salvation (John 3: 16, 18).
Here in the Church Age, there is but ONE way to forever secure an eternal relationship with the God of the Bible, as that is placing one's faith (trust) in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ AFTER being presented with the TRUE Gospel. It is God the Holy Spirit that makes the Gospel Message understandable, but it takes the conscious decision of the one receiving the information to believe it in order to be saved.
Saved from what? Saved from the Torments of Hades and the lake of fire awaiting EVERY human soul that chooses to disbelieve the Gospel (Rev. 20: 13, 15).
If and when one believes in the TRUE Gospel, he/she will automatically repent (change his/her mind) of ALL other alleged means of salvation. This incudes the ones that are promoted inside as well as outside of the "Christian" Community. The one's INSIDE of the Christian Community include all the alleged rituals and procedures that one must undergo in order to obtain or retain salvation in addition to personal faith in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ones OUTSIDE of the Christian Community include all of the various good deeds that one must fulfill in order to establish a relationship with one of the false gods of the world (Psalms 96).
Man-made religion and its practices are as much of a familial and culture issue as it is ecclesiastical. "Changing one's religion" and/or religious practices is not the issue with God, as one form of Man-made "religion" or accompanying practices is no more and no less "detestable-Luke 16: 15 NASB)" than any other. Religious ritual and attempts to make one-self "right" with God through human good deeds is what make up the pile of filthy rages referenced in Isa. 54:6. God is interested in spirituality that begins with the regeneration of the soul (Titus 3: 5) in response to one choosing to believe in the Person (Who He is) and the Work (what He did on the cross) of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Once an advancing disciples learns what "religion" (vs. spirituality) actually consists of and who and why it is promoted, he/she will see the evil in it and will have no desire to entertain it. Religion is promoted by the DEVIL and is one of the greatest means of distraction in the devil's arsenal. The devil's objective is to distract one away from hearing the TRUE Gospel, and later from identifying the true post salvation spiritual life. Religion is like rat poison. It appeals to the rat who is attracted to it. The rat not only unwittingly places himself in danger, but brings it home to the nest.
Religion is generally highly-esteemed by Man and one's rejection of it will usher in the Luke 14:26 challenge that disciples who come from a religious background will inevitably have to address.
If a born again believer does not repent of the idea that he/she has lost or can lose his/her salvation, he/she will remain saved but will never come to experience the confidence and peace associated with the John 8: 30 freedom that God desires each child of His to enjoy HERE on Earth.
The devil can do nothing to undo the Work of God (Titus 3: 5/Eph. 4: 30) that took place at the moment of salvation, but can do much to rattle the cages of a believer who disobeys God by not choosing to grow in His grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3: 18).
As in the case of previous dispensations (periods of time), the first choice that a soul must make is to choose to believe in the knowledge of there being an eternity (Eccl. 3: 11), and therefore eternal issues to be resolved. This knowledge is placed in the heart of every soul that God creates. As noted earlier, most human souls choose to believe that there is a god. The ones that choose to believe that there is no god are atheists. If an atheist is going to be open to a presentation of the Gospel, he/she must repent (change his/her mind) and choose to believe in the existence of a god.
Either as one who believes in the existence of a god in response to the Eccl. 3: 11 knowledge that God places in the heart of every soul He creates, or one who later repents of his/her atheism, the next step is to identify and establish an eternal relationship with the TRUE God of the Bible. There is a long, long, list of "gods" that have been established by the false religions (Psalms 96) of the world. The common denominator is that ALL of the world's religion (including some "Christian religions" ) teach that one earns his way into some form of Paradise or Heaven through engaging in all the rituals of his/her chosen religion coupled with good deeds that he/she performs and the bad deeds that he/she avoids.
True Christianity, on the other hand, teaches that one is saved from the impending wrath of God awaiting all unbelievers by choosing to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message, and then glorifies God in the course of his/her post salvation spiritual life through the production of divine good.
One must REPENT (change his/her mind) concerning the identity of the one true God, if the "god" he/she presently believes in is one of the Psalms 96 "gods" of the world and not the true God of the Bible. The statement that we all worship thje same god, but refer to Him by different names and worship Him by different methods in one of the greatest areas of discepti0n that the devil has been able to promote. It matters not to the devil if one chooses atheism or to believe in one of the many false gods (Psalms 96). What the devil hates is when one chooses to believe in true God of the Bible and establishes an eternal relationship with Him via HIs ONE and only plan of salvation (John 3: 16, 18).
Here in the Church Age, there is but ONE way to forever secure an eternal relationship with the God of the Bible, as that is placing one's faith (trust) in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ AFTER being presented with the TRUE Gospel. It is God the Holy Spirit that makes the Gospel Message understandable, but it takes the conscious decision of the one receiving the information to believe it in order to be saved.
Saved from what? Saved from the Torments of Hades and the lake of fire awaiting EVERY human soul that chooses to disbelieve the Gospel (Rev. 20: 13, 15).
If and when one believes in the TRUE Gospel, he/she will automatically repent (change his/her mind) of ALL other alleged means of salvation. This incudes the ones that are promoted inside as well as outside of the "Christian" Community. The one's INSIDE of the Christian Community include all the alleged rituals and procedures that one must undergo in order to obtain or retain salvation in addition to personal faith in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ones OUTSIDE of the Christian Community include all of the various good deeds that one must fulfill in order to establish a relationship with one of the false gods of the world (Psalms 96).
Man-made religion and its practices are as much of a familial and culture issue as it is ecclesiastical. "Changing one's religion" and/or religious practices is not the issue with God, as one form of Man-made "religion" or accompanying practices is no more and no less "detestable-Luke 16: 15 NASB)" than any other. Religious ritual and attempts to make one-self "right" with God through human good deeds is what make up the pile of filthy rages referenced in Isa. 54:6. God is interested in spirituality that begins with the regeneration of the soul (Titus 3: 5) in response to one choosing to believe in the Person (Who He is) and the Work (what He did on the cross) of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Once an advancing disciples learns what "religion" (vs. spirituality) actually consists of and who and why it is promoted, he/she will see the evil in it and will have no desire to entertain it. Religion is promoted by the DEVIL and is one of the greatest means of distraction in the devil's arsenal. The devil's objective is to distract one away from hearing the TRUE Gospel, and later from identifying the true post salvation spiritual life. Religion is like rat poison. It appeals to the rat who is attracted to it. The rat not only unwittingly places himself in danger, but brings it home to the nest.
Religion is generally highly-esteemed by Man and one's rejection of it will usher in the Luke 14:26 challenge that disciples who come from a religious background will inevitably have to address.
If a born again believer does not repent of the idea that he/she has lost or can lose his/her salvation, he/she will remain saved but will never come to experience the confidence and peace associated with the John 8: 30 freedom that God desires each child of His to enjoy HERE on Earth.
The devil can do nothing to undo the Work of God (Titus 3: 5/Eph. 4: 30) that took place at the moment of salvation, but can do much to rattle the cages of a believer who disobeys God by not choosing to grow in His grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3: 18).
This brings us to the issue of POST (after) salvation repentance, as it applies to the identification, development, and the execution of the TRUE post salvation spiritual life.
Keep in mind that, as in the case of all the other phases of the spiritual life, the devil has an alternate plan for you to consider. The devil is just as interested in your repenting (changing your mind) about God and the things of God for the worse, as God desires you to repent (change your mind) for the better. The devil will not miss a single opportunity to do so, knowing that ALL actions begin with a thought. In the day and age in which we live, the soul is bombarded every day with bits of information that can be used of the devil to plant evil seeds in the soul structure.
With the issue of salvation being forever resolved, the ADVANCING disciple must now to move to the building, maintaining, and application of his/her edified soul structure. For an advancing disciple, this is not an option, but one of the 300+ commandments of New Testament Scripture (2 Pet. 3: 18). Never-the-less, only a minority of born again believers will choose to enter into and/or remain in the challenging life of discipleship, even though the development of discipleship was /is the primary internal mission (Matt. 28: 19, 20) of the Church that God designed.
The "external" half of the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19) given to the Church that God designed calls for the proclamation of the true Gospel Message to unbelievers outside of the family of God. We have already covered in great detail the repentance that is associated with salvation. The "internal" half of the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 20) given to the Church calls for the making of disciples out of those who have already been born again (John 3: 5, 7).
What is a "disciple"?
The English word d-i-s-c-i-p-l-e is a translation of the Greek word m-a-t-h-e-t-e-s. A m-a-t-h-e-t-e-s is a technical student involved in detailed study of subject matter in a teacher-pupil environment. The "subject matter" for an advancing disciple is Bible Doctrine. The objective of discipleship is for the immediate edification of one self with the long term objective of identifying one's spiritual gift (1 Cor. 12)and assigned role in the fulfilment of the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19, 20).
In the plan that God designed for the Church Age, the ultimate evangelist and teacher is God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit selects () evangelists to proclaim the Gospel and pastor teachers to teach Bible Doctrine on the audience/congregational level, but also makes use of advancing disciples to do the same within their personal environment. Evangelists, pastor-teachers, and teachers, however, can ONLY provide information. Just as one cannot understand the TRUE Gospel without the pre-salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit, one can cannot understand relevant post salvation doctrine beyond the limited restrictions imposed by human ability. Knowledge can only take one so far. There will ALWAYS come a time when it will take our faith (trust) and the enabling (John 15: 5) power of the God the Holy Spirit to close the gap between thought and productive application of the knowledge in the spiritual realm.
God the Holy Spirit selects (1 Cor. 12: 11) specific Church Age believers to study and teach the Word of God in the capacity of a Biblically qualified and ordained pastor teacher. Religious seminaries produce religious personnel and must be distinguished from the spiritual training and qualifications that God has clearly established in Scripture for the pastor teacher. The evangelists needs only to have a solid understanding of the Goapel Message, whereas the pastor-teacher is called to teach and to preach the entire realm of Bible Doctrine.
Self-study and meditation over the Word of God should be a supplementary part of the daily life of an advancing disciple, but this is NOT an adequate alternative for the edification that one should receive from the God the Holy Spirit via an ordained pastor teacher that God has chosen to fulfill this role and purpose. Neither a pastor-teacher nor another believer can be used of God to bring another believer to the next stage of spiritual maturity that he has not first obtained for himself. Accordingly, it follows that one can not advance himself as well as he can be advanced by submitting to the teaching authority of a Bibically qualified pastor-teacher.
If we want God's best, we must to things God's way. One's choice of pastor teacher(s) is as important to the development and execution of one's post salvation spiritual life as one's choice of doctor is to one's physical well-being. Ask ten doctors or ten pastors for advice on any given subject within their own field of expertise, and you are likely to get the different and conflicting answers!
The building (2 Pet. 3: 18/John 8: 30), the maintaining (2 Cor. 13: 5), and the application (John 15: 5) of a Biblically based and edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 24-27) is a daily process. In the course of each and every day, our soul structures are bombarded with bits and pieces of iEphesiansnformation that either edify and advance, or corrupt and diminish our forward progress in the spiritual realm. This changing of the mind on ANY given issue is what the repentance that takes place during the course of the post (after) salvation spiritual life is all about.
As bits of information present themselves from the environment and people around us, it either reinforces and our thinking (good or evil) on any given subject, or it proposes a change for the better or the worse.
While we have no choice about some of the information that we are bombarded with, a lot of it IS a matter of choice as to what and to whom we choose to listen to each and every day. One can not play in the mud and not get dirty, nor can one choose to allow negative and/or evil information to become a part of our soul structure and not have it impact us. As for information that we have no control over, keep in mind that it is still our choice to either entertain it or to reject it BEFORE it becomes a part of our soul structure.
Just as God the Holy Spirit will bring into our conscious minds the appropriate doctrine that we (should) have stored away in our soul structure, the devil or our own fallen nature will bring into out conscious minds all the evil we have allowed to become a part of our thought processes. The objective will be for the us to convert into action the information and attitudes that we have formed in the process of daily repenting (changing out minds) one way or the other.
Not only do we change our minds (one way or the other), but we change the minds (one way of the other) by the information we communicate to others as well! This is why two of 300+ New Testament commandments is for us to ONLY speak when what we say is for the edification of others (Eph. 4: 29/Romans 14: 19). For many, compliance with just these two commands alone would reduce their conversations by 90%. Cutting off others short when they want to pass along unedifying information to us would cost us a few Luke 14: 26 relationships and "friends", but no one said that discipleship was going to be easy.
Contrary to what human viewpoint has to say, just because something is true does NOT make it all right to pass along. If there is no edification taking place, such communication is sinful on the part of those who engage in it.
When the changing of our minds is the result of acknowledging that past and/or present attitudes or actions has been and continues to be a "sin" in our lives, this repentance should motivate us to confess (1 John 1: 9) and to forsake (John 8: 11) the sin in the future. Refusing to do so is another sin.
1 John 1: 9 confession is NOT for the restoration of salvation, but for the advancement of one's post salvation spiritual life. As one becomes more and more edified, there is going to be more and more thoughts and actions that will then be seen as sin that we did not place much significance on previously. When one acknowledges the all-inclusive provision of James 2: 10 , one will learn that there is no such thing as a little sin. There is no place for self-justification or rationalizing away ANY sin.
In conclusion, Biblical repentance refers to changing one's mind. Since the Fall of Man, we ALL come into this world spiritually dead with a fallen nature that is not only disinterested in God and the things of God, but is actually hostile (Romans 7: 8) towards God and the things of God. It is the changing of this mind set that must take place. It begins with choosing to respond to the inherent knowledge of eternity and the existence of a "god". The next step is to identify the God of the Bible and His means of salvation when presented with the true Gospel Message. Once born again, there is a continuous repentance required if one is to build, maintain, and make use of an edified soul structure and be in fellowship with God.
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Keep in mind that, as in the case of all the other phases of the spiritual life, the devil has an alternate plan for you to consider. The devil is just as interested in your repenting (changing your mind) about God and the things of God for the worse, as God desires you to repent (change your mind) for the better. The devil will not miss a single opportunity to do so, knowing that ALL actions begin with a thought. In the day and age in which we live, the soul is bombarded every day with bits of information that can be used of the devil to plant evil seeds in the soul structure.
With the issue of salvation being forever resolved, the ADVANCING disciple must now to move to the building, maintaining, and application of his/her edified soul structure. For an advancing disciple, this is not an option, but one of the 300+ commandments of New Testament Scripture (2 Pet. 3: 18). Never-the-less, only a minority of born again believers will choose to enter into and/or remain in the challenging life of discipleship, even though the development of discipleship was /is the primary internal mission (Matt. 28: 19, 20) of the Church that God designed.
The "external" half of the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19) given to the Church that God designed calls for the proclamation of the true Gospel Message to unbelievers outside of the family of God. We have already covered in great detail the repentance that is associated with salvation. The "internal" half of the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 20) given to the Church calls for the making of disciples out of those who have already been born again (John 3: 5, 7).
What is a "disciple"?
The English word d-i-s-c-i-p-l-e is a translation of the Greek word m-a-t-h-e-t-e-s. A m-a-t-h-e-t-e-s is a technical student involved in detailed study of subject matter in a teacher-pupil environment. The "subject matter" for an advancing disciple is Bible Doctrine. The objective of discipleship is for the immediate edification of one self with the long term objective of identifying one's spiritual gift (1 Cor. 12)and assigned role in the fulfilment of the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19, 20).
In the plan that God designed for the Church Age, the ultimate evangelist and teacher is God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit selects () evangelists to proclaim the Gospel and pastor teachers to teach Bible Doctrine on the audience/congregational level, but also makes use of advancing disciples to do the same within their personal environment. Evangelists, pastor-teachers, and teachers, however, can ONLY provide information. Just as one cannot understand the TRUE Gospel without the pre-salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit, one can cannot understand relevant post salvation doctrine beyond the limited restrictions imposed by human ability. Knowledge can only take one so far. There will ALWAYS come a time when it will take our faith (trust) and the enabling (John 15: 5) power of the God the Holy Spirit to close the gap between thought and productive application of the knowledge in the spiritual realm.
God the Holy Spirit selects (1 Cor. 12: 11) specific Church Age believers to study and teach the Word of God in the capacity of a Biblically qualified and ordained pastor teacher. Religious seminaries produce religious personnel and must be distinguished from the spiritual training and qualifications that God has clearly established in Scripture for the pastor teacher. The evangelists needs only to have a solid understanding of the Goapel Message, whereas the pastor-teacher is called to teach and to preach the entire realm of Bible Doctrine.
Self-study and meditation over the Word of God should be a supplementary part of the daily life of an advancing disciple, but this is NOT an adequate alternative for the edification that one should receive from the God the Holy Spirit via an ordained pastor teacher that God has chosen to fulfill this role and purpose. Neither a pastor-teacher nor another believer can be used of God to bring another believer to the next stage of spiritual maturity that he has not first obtained for himself. Accordingly, it follows that one can not advance himself as well as he can be advanced by submitting to the teaching authority of a Bibically qualified pastor-teacher.
If we want God's best, we must to things God's way. One's choice of pastor teacher(s) is as important to the development and execution of one's post salvation spiritual life as one's choice of doctor is to one's physical well-being. Ask ten doctors or ten pastors for advice on any given subject within their own field of expertise, and you are likely to get the different and conflicting answers!
The building (2 Pet. 3: 18/John 8: 30), the maintaining (2 Cor. 13: 5), and the application (John 15: 5) of a Biblically based and edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 24-27) is a daily process. In the course of each and every day, our soul structures are bombarded with bits and pieces of iEphesiansnformation that either edify and advance, or corrupt and diminish our forward progress in the spiritual realm. This changing of the mind on ANY given issue is what the repentance that takes place during the course of the post (after) salvation spiritual life is all about.
As bits of information present themselves from the environment and people around us, it either reinforces and our thinking (good or evil) on any given subject, or it proposes a change for the better or the worse.
While we have no choice about some of the information that we are bombarded with, a lot of it IS a matter of choice as to what and to whom we choose to listen to each and every day. One can not play in the mud and not get dirty, nor can one choose to allow negative and/or evil information to become a part of our soul structure and not have it impact us. As for information that we have no control over, keep in mind that it is still our choice to either entertain it or to reject it BEFORE it becomes a part of our soul structure.
Just as God the Holy Spirit will bring into our conscious minds the appropriate doctrine that we (should) have stored away in our soul structure, the devil or our own fallen nature will bring into out conscious minds all the evil we have allowed to become a part of our thought processes. The objective will be for the us to convert into action the information and attitudes that we have formed in the process of daily repenting (changing out minds) one way or the other.
Not only do we change our minds (one way or the other), but we change the minds (one way of the other) by the information we communicate to others as well! This is why two of 300+ New Testament commandments is for us to ONLY speak when what we say is for the edification of others (Eph. 4: 29/Romans 14: 19). For many, compliance with just these two commands alone would reduce their conversations by 90%. Cutting off others short when they want to pass along unedifying information to us would cost us a few Luke 14: 26 relationships and "friends", but no one said that discipleship was going to be easy.
Contrary to what human viewpoint has to say, just because something is true does NOT make it all right to pass along. If there is no edification taking place, such communication is sinful on the part of those who engage in it.
When the changing of our minds is the result of acknowledging that past and/or present attitudes or actions has been and continues to be a "sin" in our lives, this repentance should motivate us to confess (1 John 1: 9) and to forsake (John 8: 11) the sin in the future. Refusing to do so is another sin.
1 John 1: 9 confession is NOT for the restoration of salvation, but for the advancement of one's post salvation spiritual life. As one becomes more and more edified, there is going to be more and more thoughts and actions that will then be seen as sin that we did not place much significance on previously. When one acknowledges the all-inclusive provision of James 2: 10 , one will learn that there is no such thing as a little sin. There is no place for self-justification or rationalizing away ANY sin.
In conclusion, Biblical repentance refers to changing one's mind. Since the Fall of Man, we ALL come into this world spiritually dead with a fallen nature that is not only disinterested in God and the things of God, but is actually hostile (Romans 7: 8) towards God and the things of God. It is the changing of this mind set that must take place. It begins with choosing to respond to the inherent knowledge of eternity and the existence of a "god". The next step is to identify the God of the Bible and His means of salvation when presented with the true Gospel Message. Once born again, there is a continuous repentance required if one is to build, maintain, and make use of an edified soul structure and be in fellowship with God.
Click HERE to return to Home Page