Bawb Posted November 18, 2021 Group: Non-Conformist Theology Followers: 2 Topic Count: 40 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 627 Content Per Day: 0.68 Reputation: 333 Days Won: 1 Joined: 10/31/2021 Status: Offline Share Posted November 18, 2021 (edited) An excerpt from a sermon by Tom Bradford of The Seed of Abraham Ministry: Salvation in Christ is a free gift from God. It comes from grace plus nothing. Yet that is true only to the point that we acknowledge that there is first before grace an eligibility test. And the eligibility test is we must sincerely repent to God for our sins against him. We must! John the Baptist spelled this out we have seen this same requirement spelled out and played out all throughout the book of Acts. We've even seen some new so-called believers that were baptized based on repentance of sins we see in Acts 19. But they had not been baptized based on the saving grace of Yeshua. Paul did not accept them as saved so the elements of both repentance from sins and trust in Christ are needed both elements now. There are numerous articles from pastors explaining their repentance and faith in Christ is the same thing that is repenting is also asking Christ into your heart. See this is the answer to how one can agree with the doctrine that says salvation comes from Christ alone grace but to somehow the same time avoid the issue of repentance is an active ingredient of salvation. I would think by now in Acts you've seen that this in no way lines up with Holy Scripture. Repentance means that you not only acknowledge that you are a sinner, but did you sincerely intend to stop sinning. The truth is you don't need Yeshua to see that. What you need is the law of Moses and you don't need Yahshua in order to repent. John the Baptist was our best example of this but once you repent and you determined to live righteously. You still owe a God a debt for all the sins you committed See repentance does not pay for your sins. Repentance only admits your sins and forces you to face the consequences. So, the next step after repentance is to find the way to pay for those sins. We learn in Leviticus that God says the only means to pay for sins in a way that provides divine forgiveness is a sinless creature must die. Surely, that leaves out the sinner, doesn't it? The only solution is an innocent substitute for centuries innocent animals were killed and laid on the altar as substitutes for sinners. With the advent of Messiah, he became the innocent substitute for us all but we have to acknowledge that. And we have to accept what he did for us and dying on the cross. In order for it to become effective then when we are immersed into that reality then we're saved. Yet scripture makes it certain we can't skip the repentance and then go straight to the salivation. But I can tell you I've run across many people who are convinced that they can do just that they can pray to receive Jesus and just intentionally go right on sinning as before because they're saved. These are the ones that are often labeled in modern times as Un-victorious Christians. To my way of thinking and according to the scripture the term Un-victorious Christians is an oxymoron. When we repent and we are saved we are handed a victory of eternal magnitude. Un-victorious means one of the elements is missing. Acts 20:21 repeats Paul's formula for salvation. He says turn from sin and put your trust in the Lord. He does not say that turning from sin IS putting your trust in the Lord. Turning from sin is an act of the human will. You must decide trust in the Lord for forgiveness of sins is an act of Divine Grace. Both elements are required. Because Paul felt he wouldn't be coming back to Ephesus he wants to declare that he has given everything the Lord has told him to give to the people of Ephesus. He has told them how to be forgiven. And if they want to ignore it then it's not his responsibility, or in the common Hebrew expression of that day "Their blood is on their own hands." End of Excerpt... What I take from one of these statements truly cuts me to the bone and brings me weeping to my knees. From the beginning YeHoVah tried to bring us back to Him. He showed us that the wages of sin are death. We didn't listen. So in order for us to feel regret, He made it clear that an innocent animal would have to die to atone for our sin. We still did not listen and were hard-hearted. So, YeHoVah sent His only begotten Son, Yeshua. This sinless, innocent man willingly died a horrible, excruciating death for the sins of man. When one understands the breadth and depth of this... How can we not feel deep regret, disappointment in ourselves, ask for forgiveness and repent? Please tell others who believe that they can continue in unrepentant sin. As stated there is forgiveness for sin, but NOT unrepentant sin. Sin is defined by the Torah, though some believe it too as nailed to the cross... I don't know about you but I see that cross every time I sin. Edited November 18, 2021 by Bawb 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBlade Posted November 18, 2021 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 68 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 2,235 Content Per Day: 1.35 Reputation: 1,137 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/06/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/25/1961 Share Posted November 18, 2021 Hmm another ministry I've never heard of before. I am starting to see a pattern here. Praise God. Jesus already died for the sin of the world. There is no more sacrifice for that sin. I should YES amen we should always always repent of any sin period. Christ said God didn't send His son to condemn the world but to save it. Again there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Feeling bad regret disappointment in myself.. thats not from God. He never ever does this. The enemy does. I remember reading one day in in the margin said something like if your heart condemns you you wont get anything from God. I got up said "I quit. My heart condemns me 24/7 (sin)". As I reached for the door He asked me "what is righteousness?" I said ok ok righteousness is right standing with God. He asked me "how do you get righteousness?" I said by believing in Jesus. I can't tell you what happened next.. I cried and cried.. it was like being blind and then you can see. HAHA I still had to go to the word and make sure that was written. We, right this moment are in right standing with God. We can right now come boldly to the throne of God. This is the reason we right now seated in heavenly places. Something new was created.. we put on the new man which after God was created in righteousness and true holiness. Right now it is as Paul or GOD said.. its no longer I that sin but sin that is in me. This flesh loves to sin. We are now no longer salves to it. So yes we need to always repent of sin. Some live in the OT.. that right there, Gods words are never OLD yet Christ already came and died. What SIN can we do that He did not already die for? My kids can hurt him but .. they are my kids I love them. No matter what they do.. they are always my kids. There are some out side that I don't know.. they are not mine. GOD Is faithful to what CHRIST did. I should not have to say this.. we have no right to sin. Sin in this world brings death...that is the cost. This flesh has not been changed. I can do nothing with out Christ. I can do all things through Christ who is In me and LUKE 11 13. Forgive me.. you said some things you will not find the scripture for. Its your wording.. not what the word says about "repentance". John 3:16-17 are very clear same as Rom 10 9-10. Some get stuck on "ask Jesus into your heart". The reason they are even coming to Him is He drew them. Maybe you just worded this wrong but "Acts 20:21 repeats Paul's formula for salvation.". Pauls formula? The holy Spirit said that. Anyway praise God.. repent amen! Not here to offend nor debate. Just sharing.. I come here now and again.. sorry if it seems I don't answer....nothing personal 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bawb Posted November 18, 2021 Group: Non-Conformist Theology Followers: 2 Topic Count: 40 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 627 Content Per Day: 0.68 Reputation: 333 Days Won: 1 Joined: 10/31/2021 Status: Offline Author Share Posted November 18, 2021 (edited) Right now it is as Paul or GOD said.. its no longer I that sin but sin that is in me. This flesh loves to sin. Yes, I know the verse, I know it all too well sometimes. But I know the dross is getting burned out of me! We are now no longer slaves to it. So yes we need to always repent of sin. We are now slaves to righteousness, for we were bought for a price. Thanks for answering my post. Edited November 18, 2021 by Bawb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
appy Posted November 20, 2021 Group: Royal Member Followers: 23 Topic Count: 133 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 2,864 Content Per Day: 0.61 Reputation: 2,596 Days Won: 2 Joined: 08/07/2011 Status: Offline Share Posted November 20, 2021 There is the impression from the whole original post that Jesus is the way, but there is a catch... salvation depends upon human works. There is absolutely nothing we can do to earn God's favor. Absolutely nothing. Grace is "unmerited favor" we can't earn or buy grace. Galatians 5 : 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Why would Paul who was a Jew, and a learned pharisee to boot, say the above instead of telling us to only observe the 10 commandments. If observing the 10 commandments; (observing the sabbath really) could earn God's favor and cleanse our hearts of the stain of sin and remove our guilt, as which is being impressed upon in the original post, then there would have been no need for the cross. If Paul and the other Apostles taught that Torah keeping was necessary for salvation, as hinted in the original post, they would NOT have been persecuted by the Jews and religious leaders. For Torah keeping did not offend anyone. Not even the Romans. The cross and "grace" however, was offensive in their day. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael37 Posted November 20, 2021 Group: Servant Followers: 21 Topic Count: 245 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 7,029 Content Per Day: 3.28 Reputation: 4,941 Days Won: 2 Joined: 07/05/2018 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/23/1954 Share Posted November 20, 2021 On 11/19/2021 at 6:26 AM, Bawb said: Please tell others who believe that they can continue in unrepentant sin. As stated there is forgiveness for sin, but NOT unrepentant sin. Sin is defined by the Torah, though some believe it too as nailed to the cross... I don't know about you but I see that cross every time I sin. The LORD's Prayer is on offer, but reprobates have no use for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sower Posted November 20, 2021 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 14 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,269 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 5,891 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/09/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted November 20, 2021 On 11/18/2021 at 11:26 AM, Bawb said: Paul did not accept them as saved so the elements of both repentance from sins and trust in Christ are needed both elements now Mark 1, 15 "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" Every saved born-again believer had to repent before being saved. They changed their thinking and accepted the light of the gospel. Before I was saved I heard a verse of scripture, that I must be born again, I must be saved. This light caused me to seek more light, (my thinking was changing, Darkness was being chased out by the Light) eventually with enough light I was saved. I don't believe I knew anything about repentance of sin. I knew what I felt in my heart was what I wanted to do now, all the good stuff, but knew nothing about repentance. I knew I did not need to clean up my act in order to be saved, but that after I was saved I would begin to eliminate more and more sin day by day week by week Etc. I'm not what I want to be, But I'm Better Than I Used to Be. And to God be the glory! It's only through Christ, and the change of our thinking (repenting), that we can change our actions. I live yet not I but Christ lives in me. Now... So yes, we must repent to be saved. We have to change our thinking and allow the light to come in. It is only then that repentance of sin begins. This is my belief/under standing. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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