Repentance - Before or After Salvation

[Jayne]

I see people debate this sometimes.  Here, other forums, in churches......

Here's my take for what it is worth - probably only two cents. 

So the question is, is repentance something that must be done before or after salvation.  In other words, does repentance save?

Yes and no. [Sorry]

•  No, not if your definition of repentance is a work to accomplish prior to God saving you.  For example, if you are convicted of the sin of drug abuse - you do not have to get rid of all the drugs or go to rehab and get clean before God will save you.  God will save you just like you are.  The getting rid of the drug life and possible rehab is evidence that God has saved you.  These works come after salvation as the Holy Spirit leads you in .....well, holiness.
•  Yes, if your definition of repentance is undergoing God's transformation and becoming a new creature in Christ.  This would include your conviction of your sin and the desire to turn from sin and to Christ as God is drawing your to him and saving you.  After salvation, you will act on those convictions/desires and turn from the sin of your past.

Think of it like this.

Can eggs, corn meal, buttermilk, baking powder, sugar [if you like sweet cornbread],  salt, butter, and a little flour turn itself into cornbread and be served as such?

Yes and no. [Again, sorry]

•   No, the ingredients have absolutely no power to mix themselves and turn themselves into anything.
•   Yes, when exposed to heat in the oven, the ingredients are radically transformed by the conduction and convection of the heat.  The ingredients are no longer what they were.  Once the cornbread is taken from the oven - you can't separate the ingredients anymore.  That nasty baking soda is no more and the sour buttermilk cannot be tasted anymore.

Repentance as a work does not save.  God saves alone and without our help.

Repentance as the miracle of God changing our hearts does save.  And our actions after salvation will be proof of that change.  Sin will be a reproach not only to God, but to us and we will flee from it.

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Jayne

[Firm Foundation]

I believe you have to repent of your sins first but trust that God will deliver you from the power of sin when he saves you.  A born again Christian is not a slave to sin.  A real Christian can't get saved as a pimp, prostitute or drug dealer by faith and continue doing those things and go to heaven.

[missmuffet]

I don't think a person would be interested in repentance unless they want to come to salvation and give their heart, their lives and their mind to God. Repentance involves a complete and irreversible change of heart, mind and actions. It recognizes that our sin is offensive to God. I am that person now but not when I first gave my life to God. It took me awhile to become a born again Christian. 

 

[johnthebaptist]

7 hours ago, Jayne said:

I see people debate this sometimes.  Here, other forums, in churches......

Here's my take for what it is worth - probably only two cents. 

So the question is, is repentance something that must be done before or after salvation.  In other words, does repentance save?

Yes and no. [Sorry]

•  No, not if your definition of repentance is a work to accomplish prior to God saving you.  For example, if you are convicted of the sin of drug abuse - you do not have to get rid of all the drugs or go to rehab and get clean before God will save you.  God will save you just like you are.  The getting rid of the drug life and possible rehab is evidence that God has saved you.  These works come after salvation as the Holy Spirit leads you in .....well, holiness.
•  Yes, if your definition of repentance is undergoing God's transformation and becoming a new creature in Christ.  This would include your conviction of your sin and the desire to turn from sin and to Christ as God is drawing your to him and saving you.  After salvation, you will act on those convictions/desires and turn from the sin of your past.

Think of it like this.

Can eggs, corn meal, buttermilk, baking powder, sugar [if you like sweet cornbread],  salt, butter, and a little flour turn itself into cornbread and be served as such?

Yes and no. [Again, sorry]

•   No, the ingredients have absolutely no power to mix themselves and turn themselves into anything.
•   Yes, when exposed to heat in the oven, the ingredients are radically transformed by the conduction and convection of the heat.  The ingredients are no longer what they were.  Once the cornbread is taken from the oven - you can't separate the ingredients anymore.  That nasty baking soda is no more and the sour buttermilk cannot be tasted anymore.

Repentance as a work does not save.  God saves alone and without our help.

Repentance as the miracle of God changing our hearts does save.  And our actions after salvation will be proof of that change.  Sin will be a reproach not only to God, but to us and we will flee from it.

 

When we sin, we allow trouble to come into our lives. The sooner we repent of out sin, the sooner we keep trouble out.

[OneLight]

Repentance is something that is done both at salvation, and throughout the rest of your life if you are in Christ.  It is not one or the other, but both.

[Reinitin]

I guess it depends on what you consider repentance. The idea I have, is if I am following after a lust of your eye, a pride of life, a desperate greed, revenge, the desire to bite some one back that bit at me and I am being to lazy and about to break my word about helping someone. I turn around and face God and hear the Words of Christ in me. To me it's the narrow path, I have to turn my back on the desires of the flesh or I would just follow them farther and farther away from the Lord and I can't do that turn around without the Spirit that helps me turn and face My Lord because the flesh and sin are more powerful then my will but my Jesus is more powerful then my will and them. 

[Blood Bought 1953]

 There was a time when you did not believe that Jesus was who He said He was.....when you “ changed your mind”  ( from the Greek Word “ metanoia” which means to have a mind change) from believing that Jesus did not exist , or that He was a good and wise man  and that was all that He was ....when you saw him as He  claimed to be— God in the flesh that died for your sins and rose from the dead (Paul’s Gospel Of 1cor15:1-4) you have repented.In your mind, you changed from believing that Jesus was of no consequence to you, to believing He was who He claimed to be and is everything as far as your Salvation is concerned.That is the repentance that draws you into faith in  Christ .That faith is what saves you .....repentance took you there.Another type of repentance ( sorrow and regret  for sinning against your Father) comes automatically after one is saved—- it’s a part of our Sanctification as God Works to change us into the image of His Son.

Edited June 21, 2019 by Blood Bought 1953

[Firm Foundation]

What you are describing BB is not repentance.  In your opinion, if a pump, prostitute or drug dealer gets saved by faith plus nothing, and they continue to be a pimp, prostitute or drug dealer till they die, will they go to heaven?  What do you believe in that regard Bloodbought?

[Blood Bought 1953]

 According to may take on things, they would be saved......According to your take , they would also be saved — just as long as they repented of all of their sins before they kicked the bucket 

 If the drug dealer got saved , according  to my beliefs , the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of him will give him a heart operation and to remain in sin will be tormenting to him.....he will either abandon the sin or God can chastise him to the point of death......that is the difference between a saved drug dealer and an unsaved one. The former will find it hard to sleep at night — the unsaved dealer will sleep like a baby.

According to your way of thinking, pushers can go on living like the devil, and if he gets “ lucky repentance” on his deathbed, he will be fit for Heaven

Edited June 22, 2019 by Blood Bought 1953