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Does the sinner need to repent in order to be saved? I'm afraid so! Not the best of news to any who want to enjoy Heaven
while they can hold unto their sins, but this is how it stands in the
Bible, and we fail to preach the whole truth if we either neglect it or (worse
still) oppose it.
Repentance in the Bible is a change of mind, induced by faith
in the gospel message, but it is a change of mind that will lead to a change of
direction. IOW, you
can talk all you want about a change of mind, but if it doesn't
work its way through to the behaviour, then your words are empty
words.
Does this leave us open to the charge that we are preaching
salvation by faith plus works? Are we asking the sinner (say the drunkard) to
give up his sins in order to be saved? Are we preaching reformation of character
as part of the mix that leads to forgiveness of sins? We say, like Paul, at this
point not only "In no wise" but "God forbid!" The sinner has
no power in himself to forsake his sins in any Evangelical sense of the
word. He might be able to swap his sins i.e. cease being a drunkard and
become a good living Pharisee, but he cannot forsake them in the manner demanded
by the word of God. Furthermore, unless the Spirit of God has being moving upon
his heart, the sinner has no desire to forsake them. They are the darling sins
of his heart. He loves their darkness rather than the light, for his deeds are
evil (John 3:19) Only the goodness of God will lead him to repentance (Romans
2:4) and such must be given unto him (Acts 11:18) While he has a responsibility
to forsake his sins - it is never right to stay in sin - yet that same sin has
chained him and so he needs nothing less than the mighty power of God's saving
truth to set him free (John 8:32-36) Repentance preachers are not looking for reformation of
character before salvation. We do not tell (say) drunkards to go away, clean up
their lives and come back when they have been off the drink for 3 or 6 months
(zero tolerance) and then (and only then) we will explain John
3:16 to them.
A sinner hears the gospel. He learns that there is a hell for
sins and a Saviour in Jesus Christ etc. Being convicted of his sin by the power
of the Holy Spirit, he expresses his desire to be saved. We ask him: "Saved
from what?" We are not looking here for theologically precise answers. He
is a sinner from off the street and not necessarily a doctrinaire. We are not
going to nitpick his language, but we need to know why he has expressed a desire
to be saved. If he just wants to be saved from the hell below, but not
from the hell within (i.e. the chains and bondage of sin) then he has
not properly understood the gospel. That might (at least partly) be our fault.
Have we faithfully preached Christ as the Saviour of His people from their
sins? (Matthew 1:21) Did we emphasise in our message that Jesus Christ is
the One Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus
2:14) If not, then we must make up the slack here as we chat with this
interested sinner. We lay it down the line, gently but firmly, that he cannot
know peace with God if he is still living in rebellion as a sinner. God does not
save His people in their sins, much less for their sins. Is he
willing to then forsake these sins that alienate him from God and is he willing
to cast the destiny of his soul upon the finished work of Jesus Christ as the
only hope of his salvation? He affirms. We do not (as said) send him away for a
trial period. There and then, we point him to the Lamb of God in faith. If the
Spirit of God has truly being doing His work, that sinner's life will be changed
for ever - not by mere outward, man produced reformation, but by the mighty
power of the gospel that automatically makes those that be in Christ to
be new creatures. There is no more merit in repentance than there is faith.
Neither of them earn salvation for the sinner, but both are required to
bring him salvation. Christ does not pardon those who are living in brazen
rebellion.
This is the old time gospel, as proclaimed by old time
Evangelicals, both Calvinists and non Calvinists alike. Listen to John R
Rice, whose books sold in the millions:
CALLED AND CHOSEN
ReplyDeleteMatthew 22:14 For many are called , but few are chosen."
Definition of called: Invited or summoned.
Definition of chosen: Those who are eligible or suited for election. Elected and chosen are synonymous.
WHO ARE THE CALLED?
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Every person who has heard the gospel has been called. The call is not limited to a select few who have been predestined for salvation.
WHO ARE THE CHOSEN (THE ELECTED)?
The chosen are the ones who are obedient to the call of the gospel.
The chosen are those who have 1. Faith: John 3:16
The chosen are those who 2. Repent: Acts 3:19 (Repent means to make the commitment to turn from sin and turn toward God).
The chosen are those who 3. Confess: Roman 10:9-10
The chosen are those who are 4. Baptized in water: Acts 2:38
The chosen are not those who were supposedly, unconditionally selected, for salvation. The chosen have to be suited for election.
THE CALLED WHO ARE NOT CHOSEN.
Matthew 22:2-3 "the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.
Many have had the gospel preached to them, but of their own free-will have rejected the call. If men reject the gift of eternal life by rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savior; then they have been called, but not chosen.
Matthew 22:11-14 "But when the king came to look over the dinner quests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?" 13 Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called but few are chosen."
This wedding quest was disinvited. He was called but not chosen ; because he was not suitable to be chosen. Improper clothing was a big deal.
Galatalians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
DO YOU HAVE THE PROPER WEDDING CLOTHES TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
When you stand before the KING OF KINGS are you going to be speechless when He asks; where are your wedding clothes? WHAT WILL YOU SAY WHEN HE ASKS YOU WHY YOU REJECTED IMMERSION IN WATER FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS. WHAT WILL YOU ANSWER BE, WHEN JESUS ASKS YOU WHY YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITH BEING CLOTHED IN CHRIST?
MANY ARE CALLED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN!
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Thanks for dropping by. I radically disagree with your condtional election. Faith is the fruit of election, never the cause. Furthermore, if you are teaching baptismal regeneration, then I disagree radically with that too. Sorry, to be so negative, but Bible truth comes first.
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