OK, a response to your article, J:
In order to understand salvation crystal-clear you must also understand genuine repentance. The first thing I would say to you if you are under conviction is this: the first thing you ought to do is repent. The Spirit of God works repentance. The Bible says, "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation" (2 Corinthians 7:10). The Spirit of God comes to your heart and begins to weigh down your heart and to tell you that you are a sinner and that you're on your way to Hell. You begin to have godly sorrow and that godly sorrow turns you to repentance. Then that repentance turns you to salvation. Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.
Jesus said, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). Peter in his Second Epistle said, "The Lord.., is longsuffering... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). This is a teaching that really needs to be taught. You need to know what true biblical repentance is.
2 Cor 7:10 is written to believers who are already saved telling them that they needed (past tense!) to repent. Specifically, the comment came with reference to their reception of his first letter (1 Cor is certainly pretty harsh at times). Paul is talking about the church's "salvation" from God's wrath. If they had not turned from the wickedness they had been practicing, Jesus would have put out the candle (cf. Rev 1-3).
So the first error is to assume that the word "salvation" has to mean "salvation from Hell." The context clearly indicates that is not what is in viewl
We have already talked about Luke 13, so I won't go into it again. 2 Peter is the same situation. The "perishing" there refers to physical death, not eternal damnation. The context is the coming Day of the Lord, but more specifically, the judgment that comes with it. The immediately preceding illustration is the Noahic flood. Just as all the world was destroyed in that judgment, so also those who don't repent will be destroyed in the judgment to come. On what basis, though, do they equate that judgment with eternal damnation? It seems far more likely that it is referring to the actual judgments that will kill millions of people! Isn't this thought, after all, perfectly parallel with Eze. 33:11? In fact, might this not be an allusion to that passage?
Look at Luke 15. I'd like to share with you what you really need to do to be saved. As you realize that you're a sinner, you realize that you're on your way to eternal destruction. You realize that the Spirit of God is speaking to your heart. "How do I repent?" you ask. In Luke 15 the Lord Jesus says this:
- "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. And He said, 'A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.' And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would vain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. "(Luke 15:10-19KJV)
I would like you to see that there are three things in this story that Jesus teaches us regarding true biblical repentance.
Isn't it interesting that the lost son was . . . a SON?!? This is not a picture of salvation. It is a picture of restoration. Now, look at the context. The Pharisees were complaining that Jesus was eating with "sinners." Clearly, those sinners were the lost sheep of the story (and the lost son in the next); the Pharisees themselves were the safe sheep and the safe son. But this second story is especially interesting, because the so-called obedient son actually less righteous than the sinning son! Why? Because he was being judgmental . . . he thought he had
earned his fathers love and rewards.
In any case, it makes much more sense to me to take this as a reference to Jesus gathering the "lost sheep of Israel" so that He can establish His kingdom. The idea has nothing to do with personal salvation and everything to do with the same thing that all the synoptics have to do with: Jesus as the Savior and King of Israel.
Forsake your sin
And he would vain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee.'
I want you to notice here first of all that repentance that is true and genuine makes a man willing to forsake his sin. The man that Jesus was talking about in this parable, this prodigal son, was willing to say,
'I need to get up and get out of this mess I'm in and I need to go to my Heavenly Father.' He was willing first of all to give up his sin. That is true repentance. Repentance produces a willingness to forsake sin.
John the Baptist came preaching the Gospel of repentance and do you know what he said? He said to the tax collector, 'You want to repent? Stop taking more from people than that which is right. '(Luke 3:12-13). Men, if you want to repent, 'he looked at the soldiers and said, 'stop robbing people by violence and be content with your wages' (Luke 3:14). He looked at the rich man and said, 'If you want to repent, go and take those two extra coats that you have and share them with someone who has none' (Luke 3:11). Could John the Baptist come to your closet and say, 'if you want to repent, maybe you ought to take one or two of those dresses and sell them and maybe you ought to take those two coats that you have and give one to the poor'?
When Jesus was on the road to Jericho, one day He stopped and there was a man up in a tree. The man's name was Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus wanted to repent. Do you know what the response was that Zach gave to the Lord Jesus? He said, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold" (Luke 19:8). Here was a man whose heart was willing to forsake his sin.
I ask you: are you willing to forsake your sin?
He is right, of course, that Jesus is calling for a genuine turning from sin, but I can't help but notice that he (rightly) ties this message into John's ministry. Now, what was John's ministry but to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah who was to
establish the kingdom.
I have no quarrel with the argument that the Jews must turn from their sin and turn to their God and Christ to receive their kingdom. That is, in fact, what the entire seven year period of the Tribulation will be about. But when you confuse that with what anyone has to do--Jew or Gentile--to receive eternal life, you get a false gospel like this one.
Confess your sin
Next I would like you to see in verse 18 the second thing that established true repentance: a willingness to confess your sin. It's coming and showing your deeds and confessing your sin before God. 1 Timothy 5:24 says, "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after." You have a choice to make. Your sins have either already gone to Heaven before you or your sins are still with you and they will follow you to judgment. Confess your sins now. Send them on ahead of you lest you die and the weight of your sin sinks you into the sides of Hell. Confess your sins and let them go before you into judgment.
Are you willing to confess your sins to God and to the people you've sinned against? The prodigal son left the pigpen. He was willing to forsake his sin and he confessed his sin to God and to man.
Again, I have no problem with the need to confess our sins. In context, the prodigal son had to do that to restore his fellowship with his father (notice that word--FELLOWSHIP). Likewise, the Jews will have to turn from their sins to restore their fellowship with their Father and receive their kingdom. And likewise again, we must confess our sins to have fellowship with God (see 1 John 1:8-9).
It is, of course, ridiculous to say that anyone will go to Hell for their sins. both 1 John 2:2 and Rev. 20:11ff disprove that. Jesus died for ALL sin. Sin is not the problem. People go to Hell, not for their sin, but for
not being in the Book of Life. Look at the text in revelation for yourself.
Again, this author has taken a proper thing that believers are to do to restore their fellowship and the Jews must do to receive their kingdom and falsely required unbelievers to do it to receive salvation.
Serve God
The prodigal son had a willingness to serve. By overlooking that, many people make a mistake. Look at verse 19. There this dear man comes to his father and says these words: I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Do you know how I can tell when a man is truly repenting? When a man is truly under the conviction of the Spirit of God, when a man is ready to be born again, the Bible says he will come and confess his sin; he will forsake his sin; and he will come with a heart that says, "Lord Jesus, I want to serve you. I want to serve you and I don't want my way anymore. Lord Jesus, make me a servant. Make me a servant." True repentance produces a broken heart and a willingness to serve.
Our society and the nominal churches are becoming perverted about this concept of repentance, even going so far as to claim that you can be saved without a willingness to be a servant of Christ. But listen to the words of Malachi: "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not" (Malachi 3:18).
There was a time when a different rich man came to Jesus and asked for eternal life. Jesus said, 'Go and sell all that you have and come and be My servant. Follow Me' (Matthew 19:2 1). But the rich man didn't have a repentant heart. And the Bible says that the rich man "went away sorrowful" (Matthew 19:22). He turned to His disciples, and Peter looked up to Him and said, 'Lord, we have forsaken all to follow Thee' (Matthew 19:27).
Too much to comment on here . . .
1. It's interesting to note that while the PS does indeed ask his father to make him a slave, but that hardly denotes a
desire to serve. On the contrary, it simply means that,
even in servanthood, he would have it better. In the second place, it is more interesting to note that the father NEVER LETS THE SON MAKE HIS SPEECH! While the son was still a long way off, before he could say anything, the father went out to him and exalted to him to his rightful place.
By extension, God isn't interested in our desire to serve him anymore than that father was interested in his son being a servant. Yet this author says that we must make that speech . . . goes against the text.
2. The Mal. passage was directed at Jewish people with no reference to eternal salvation (by all means, check the context)
3. We have talked about the RYR. Jesus wasn't giving him the Gospel. He was showing him his sinfulness and NEED for the Gospel. Thus, this author wrongly takes Jesus' challenge as the Gospel of Grace. He totally missed the point.
Have you truly repented?
I would ask you: have you truly repented? Was there a time in your life when you realized you were a sinner, when you realized you were under the judgment of God, on your way to Hell, and you felt the conviction of the Spirit? Did you come to the Lord Jesus and confess your sin? Did you come to the Lord Jesus and forsake your sin? Did you come to the Lord Jesus and say, "Lord, I want to be your servant"? That is true biblical repentance. if you do that you are following the steps in the example that Jesus gave of the Prodigal Son. I wonder: where is your heart on this subject? Have you truly repented?
Jesus said, "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:33).
From my background, people are coming by the thousands down aisles to receive Christ. They are kneeling at an altar. They are being told that if they pray and ask Jesus to come into their heart that's all they need to do. They get up from that altar and they go back to their seat. And they're just as much lost and now even more lost than when they got up and went to the altar because the Lord Jesus said except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Have you truly repented?
True repentance consists of a willingness to forsake sin, a willingness to confess, and a willingness to serve Jesus. If God grants you repentance, you will do these very things. I ask you again: have you truly repented? if you've not, Jesus would say if you haven't repented you shall perish.
So I've commented on the theology of this paragraph already, but let's take it to its logical conclusion. If repenting is turning from and confessing sin and being willing to serve God, then my question is simple: who has done that? Can we partially repent, partially confess our sin, partially serve God for our salvation? I don't know about you, but I have to repent on a daily basis, confess on a daily basis, renew my desire to serve God on a daily basis. And sadly, there are days--even WEEKS--that renewal doesn't come. So how do you know when you have "repented enough"? How do you know when you have turned from enough sin? There is no possibility of assurance in this, for I guarantee you that everyone--that author included--still struggles with some sins that he was living with before his salvation experience. If he hasn't turned from it and confessed it, he must not be saved, right?!?
Finally, it seems evident to me this entire website contradicts the Bible in two places:
1. How can a person who is a sinner by nature turn from his nature if he does not have a new nature? Put simply, how can a lost person repent? Does Jer. 13:23 not show the futility of asking a sinner to turn from his sins?
2. If turning from sin, confessing, and promising to serve Jesus are all necessary to be saved, then why do verses like gen 15:6, John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 11:24-26; 20:30-31; and Acts 16:31 all say faith is sufficient? And how do we account for those who believed but expressly DID NOT confess (see John 12:42 for on example of many)?
In short, all of the things this author mentions are important--for believers. For unbelievers, there is only ONE thing he or she must do: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
