Is Repentance part of the Gospel?

[Locoponydirtman]

Repentance is as much of a gift as any, with out conviction and repentance granted by the Holy Spirit I don't that regeneration would be possible. So bless God for those gifts as well.

 

[Macabeus]

Repentance is as much of a gift as any, with out conviction and repentance granted by the Holy Spirit I don't that regeneration would be possible. So bless God for those gifts as well.

You hit the nail right on the head! Good post

 

[Macabeus]

Once again you have put the cart before the horse. So here is the biblical sequence:

1. Faith
2. Repentance
3 a. Justification, the remission of sins
3 b. The gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of eternal life, the gift of Christ
4. Regeneration
5. Sanctification
6. Glorification

There are things that happen things before faith.

Hear the Gospel

Drawn, convicted, illuminated, convinced. Pretty much one work, except drawing may be over a prolonged petiod

Then faith

God begins the work in us by drawing us.

 

[Guojing]

Some church organizations claim that repentance is not part of the gospel, and should not be mentioned.

I believe that their intention is to get as many people saved as they can, but in the process, are they filling the pews with goats who have not been born-again? Or, rather, are their pews ultimately empty because goats stay home, while still thinking they are believers?

So, I suppose the first question is, what is repentance?

Here's my definition, which I believe is biblical.

Repentance means to change our mind. We turn away from our sinful orientation. Faith means to turn toward Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith describe two sides of the same coin. They describe the same motion. We turn away from our sinful orientation and toward Jesus Christ. These two components are inseparable (Acts 20:21).

Before salvation, our fundamental orientation is sinful. We embrace sin as a way of life. We don’t care what God has to say about our actions and thoughts. When we place our faith in Christ, we are turning away from this orientation of rejecting God and towards Jesus Christ.

Repentance, like faith, is an intellectual understanding that that sin is wrong, an emotional approval of the teachings of scripture regarding sin (a sorrow for sin and hatred of it), and a personal decision to turn from it (a renouncing of sin and a decision of the will to forsake it and lead a life of obedience to Christ instead.

I borrowed parts of this definition from teachers that I enjoy.

Anyways, notice that I don't define repentance as meaning that someone needs to clean up their lives before coming to Christ, because I think that is impossible until one is united with Christ. It is, however, a fundamental turning away from one's life of sin in terms of orientation, and toward obedience to Christ.

I believe this is brought about by regeneration, and doesn't cause regeneration, unlike many here, who believe that regeneration doesn't occur until after salvation.

But, that isn't the basic question. My basic question is, how is repentance defined, and is faith and repentance part of the gospel message?

I know that some groups, particularly Independent Fundamentalist Baptists and those associated with Free Grace Movement, and the non-Reformed majority of Southern Baptists, don't even think that this heartfelt repentance and turning away from one's sinful orientation is part of the saved person's experience necessarily. They believe that simple intellectual assent to the reality of Jesus' death for their behalf is all that's involved in receiving salvation.

Groups like this lower the bar so that as many people can be saved as possible. They don't even want to discuss sin and repentance. They focus the conversation on how much God loves the person, and the decision to place their faith in Him, with no mention of repentance.

Some believe that if they can talk the person into accepting Christ, then repentance will come later. There doesn't need to be any indication that the person is broken up about their sin condition.

Personally, I think this simply fills the pews with goats for a while, and the church ends up being a bunch of goats who think they have salvation when they do not. And, if God is drawing someone, they are going to be focused on their sin condition anyways. The Holy Spirit convicts one of sinfulness and brings them to the awareness of their need for Christ and deliverance from their sins.

And, if someone hasn't reached the point where they are serious about their sins as a professing believer, they may want to consider whether they are actually saved.

What do you think?

The idea of repentance is for the Jews and can be viewed from the parable of the tenants, told in all 3 synoptic gospels. (Matthew 21:28-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19)

When Jesus and the 12 were preaching from Matt-John, they need to repent of rejecting God their Father in the OT, and believe in his Son is their promised King and Messiah, as foretold by their prophets.

But as Jesus told them in the parable of the tenants, they were wicked and decided to slay the son instead, thinking they can then take control of the vineyard. The words they told Pilate was really horrific from this perspective

Matthew 27:24 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

When Jesus was on the cross, he asked his father to forgive them for this act, because they know not what they do, the Father agreed to Jesus request.

So when Peter urged his Jewish brothers at Pentecost to repent (Acts 2:38), they are to repent from their horrific act of murdering the Son of God, and accept him once again as the Son of God and their King.

But of course they did not, so God blinded them temporary.

Repentance for Gentiles is not strictly necessary. We need to believe in Jesus's death burial and resurrection for our sins. If there is repentance, it more to repent of our works to get right with God, and rest in Jesus's finished works.

 

[p_rehbein]

The VERY FIRST Sermon Christ was repentance.

It's in the 4th Chapter of Matthew

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 

[Nehemiah6]

There are things that happen things before faith. Hear the Gospel. Drawn, convicted, illuminated, convinced. Pretty much one work, except drawing may be over a prolonged period. Then faith. God begins the work in us by drawing us.

Correct. This goes without saying. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (the Gospel). Romans 10 makes this crystal clear. Also, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all draw sinners to the Savior.

But God does NOT regenerate anyone before He gives the gift of the Spirit, and He does not give the gift of the Spirit without faith and repentance. The Calvinists seek to overturn this sequence because of their false gospel.

 

[Macabeus]

Correct. This goes without saying. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (the Gospel). Romans 10 makes this crystal clear. Also, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all draw sinners to the Savior.

But God does NOT regenerate anyone before He gives the gift of the Spirit, and He does not give the gift of the Spirit without faith and repentance. The Calvinists seek to overturn this sequence because of their false gospel.

I think regeneration and faith happen at the same time. I do not think it is one before the other. The instant you believe, you are regenerated. So I do not know the order

I am not a Calvinist, but I have talked to Calvinists that believe that faith and regeneration happen at the same time. The order salutis, (order of salvation) is not really a temporal order, ie an order in time.

 

[Nehemiah6]

I think regeneration and faith happen at the same time. I do not think it is one before the other. The instant you believe, you are regenerated. So I do not know the order

Since the Holy Spirit does the supernatural work of regeneration, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is given as a result of faith and repentance, then there is a sequence (for the sake of clarity). But in practical terms, everything listed is actually altogether.

 

[p_rehbein]

FYI:

(excerpt)

Answer: Another word for regeneration is rebirth, related to the biblical phrase “born again.” Our rebirth is distinguished from our first birth, when we were conceived physically and inherited our sin nature. The new birth is a spiritual, holy, and heavenly birth that results in our being made alive spiritually. Man in his natural state is “dead in trespasses and sins” until he is “made alive” (regenerated) by Christ. This happens when he places his faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:1).

(found here)

https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0P...ble.html/RK=2/RS=F8PraUuPTW3FtebrW5JtMDqKXXs-

 

[ForestGreenCook]

I think you misunderstand what Jesus is saying.

John 8:51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone guards My Word he shall never see death at all.”

Does that mean ANYONE who guards His word will never physically die?

No.

Jesus is talking about the true death, the second death; "their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”"

Matthew 16:26-28, " 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Revelation 21:5-8, " 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

There will be a resurrection:

Psalms 16:8-11, " 8 I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Daniel 12:1-3, " 1 “Now at that time Miḵa’ĕl shall stand up, the great head who is standing over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of distress, such as never was since there was a nation, until that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book, 2 and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth wake up, some to everlasting life, and some to reproaches, everlasting abhorrence. 3 “And those who have insight shall shine like the brightness of the expanse, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

Matthew 24:29-31, " 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The kingdom is eternal:

Revelation 21:1-4, " 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Psalm 37:29, “The righteous shall inherit the earth, and dwell in it forever.”

Revelation 21:9-27, " 9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Daniel 2:44-45, " 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Daniel 7:27-28, " 27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’ 28 “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

God created Adam from the dust of the earth and that body will decay and turn back to dust (taste death) and when the body is taken up from the grave, it will be changed to be like Christ. Our life here on earth is lived in earthen vessels of clay. There be some standing there who will not return to dust before they see Jesus return as king of his kingdom, His bride, the church. the new Jerusalem.

 

[ForestGreenCook]

FYI:

(excerpt)

Answer: Another word for regeneration is rebirth, related to the biblical phrase “born again.” Our rebirth is distinguished from our first birth, when we were conceived physically and inherited our sin nature. The new birth is a spiritual, holy, and heavenly birth that results in our being made alive spiritually. Man in his natural state is “dead in trespasses and sins” until he is “made alive” (regenerated) by Christ. This happens when he places his faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:1).

(found here)

https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0PDsBsrnZldVssAOQNXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyZnBzbDVmBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjY4MzNfMQRzZWMDc3I-/RV=2/RE=1570377132/RO=10/RU=https://www.gotquestions.org/regeneration-Bible.html/RK=2/RS=F8PraUuPTW3FtebrW5JtMDqKXXs-

You are interpreting Eph 2:1 wrong. The spiritually dead has no spiritual faith until after he is regenerated.

 

[ForestGreenCook]

Since the Holy Spirit does the supernatural work of regeneration, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is given as a result of faith and repentance, then there is a sequence (for the sake of clarity). But in practical terms, everything listed is actually altogether.

How can the Holy Spirit be given as a result of having spiritual faith when spiritual faith is a fruit of the Spirit? You must have an orange tree before you have an orange produced by the tree.

 

[UnitedWithChrist]

Once again you have put the cart before the horse. So here is the biblical sequence:

1. Faith
2. Repentance
3 a. Justification, the remission of sins
3 b. The gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of eternal life, the gift of Christ
4. Regeneration
5. Sanctification
6. Glorification

Yours is an Arminian view of salvation.

Somehow Arminians think that faith and repentance CAUSES regeneration, rather than the opposite.

An unregenerate, stony heart cannot exercise faith and repentance. That's the fundamental flaw in non-Reformed theology.

Decisional regeneration is a product of Arminian theology, and guys like Charles Finney. Somehow they think they can coax a stony, unregenerate heart into exercising faith and repentance.

It's like coaxing a corpse to get up and walk and talk.

Read Ephesians 2:1-10. God must make the unsaved person alive again (a spiritual resurrection).

Also, Ezekiel 36:25-26

25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Somehow Arminians, freewillers, or synergists want to take the credit for salvation, so they turn faith and repentance into the cause of the salvation. They don't even realize or acknowledge that these parts are God's gift, too, created in a regenerate heart.

The amazing thing is that God himself gives us faith (Acts 16:14, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Peter 1:1, Philippians 1:29, Acts 3:16) and grants us repentance (Acts 11:18, 2 Timothy 2:25). Those who are saved have nothing to boast about whatsoever because of this; it is not about human works (Romans 3:20, 27-28, 4:5, 1 Corinthians 1:31, Galatians 2:16). Salvation is God’s work.

 

[UnitedWithChrist]

How can the Holy Spirit be given as a result of having spiritual faith when spiritual faith is a fruit of the Spirit? You must have an orange tree before you have an orange produced by the tree.

Correct..somehow the synergist, free-willer, Arminian (whatever) thinks that the unregenerate person can produce faith and repentance, which are gifts of God that are produced from a changed heart.

 

[UnitedWithChrist]

I am having a hard time understanding how God (a Spirit) can make the natural man, as described in 1 Cor 2:14, understand spiritual things, that he cannot discern, enough to turn, receive comfort from spiritually explaining a spiritual law that they have broken, when they cannot discern, spiritually, that they have broken a law. To me, the scriptures will not harmonize unless the natural man has been regenerated and given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as stated in Eph 2. Can you explain?

I agree. It is impossible.

Their view is called decisional regeneration. It fails to give glory to God for their salvation.

https://www.gotquestions.org/decisional-regeneration.html

 

[Hevosmies]

GLAD to see EVERYONE voted right! Welcome to the crew @UnitedWithChrist nice to see someone got the ordo salutis right!

Dont worry I ALREADY processed your membership application to the Reformed OGs and you're in! And dont say you didnt apply, lets not let DETAILS get in the way!

 

[PennEd]

I believe the "repentance" unto Salvation, is recognizing that we are sinners in need of a Savior, and therefore we are to repent of dead works to attain Salvation.

I do NOT believe this repentance means we must turn from sin in order to come to Jesus. If we could do that pre conversion, then Jesus didn't have to die.

Post conversion, the Holy Spirit empowers us to turn from sin, although because we still inhabit our sinful, dead flesh, NONE of us will be sinless, until we receive our Glorified bodies.

 

[Jhunie]

Repentance is an act or response that we must do with total humility at the foot of the cross. And so as faith. We respond on the gospel through faith. But without God’s intervention on our hearts, we cannot do as well the repentance and to have that faith. It’s God-given, that’s why we are all living by His Grace. So amazing! 😍

 

[dcontroversal]

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

metanoeó: to change one's mind or purpose

Original Word: μετανοέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: metanoeó
Phonetic Spelling: (met-an-o-eh'-o)
Definition: to change one's mind or purpose
Usage: I repent, change my mind, change the inner man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God), repent.

Verb, Present Imperative Active 2nd Person

NOT only for salvation which is eternally given, but also shows a continual action to maintain fellowship.....

Be repenting for the kingdom of heaven is at hand........

 

[FollowtheShepherd]

God created Adam from the dust of the earth and that body will decay and turn back to dust (taste death) and when the body is taken up from the grave, it will be changed to be like Christ. Our life here on earth is lived in earthen vessels of clay. There be some standing there who will not return to dust before they see Jesus return as king of his kingdom, His bride, the church. the new Jerusalem.

Intrepret it differently.

Luke 9:23-27, " 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

John 8:51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone guards My Word he shall never see death at all.”

Luke 10:26-28, " 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

Again I think this is about the 2nd death:

Revelation 20:12-15, " 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.