Is repentance necessary to be saved?

The problem is that Christendom only associates faith with eternal (spiritual) salvation. And eternal salvation is not the context of the book of James. James is speaking to believers about something beyond eternal salvation.

That is really hard to comprehend becuase of the way churches operate today, but it is what it is. Churches think that once someone is "saved" then that is it and we can mark another notch up in the salvation belt and we just teach them to hold on for the ride until you die or Christ comes back.

How sad that we sell Scripture so short of Its True intentions.

 

"May I?" - Language Cop

"Certainly!" - Ed

'With all due respect, "pistos" is a NOUN; "PisteuO" is a verb. Hence "believe" is the verb in English; "faith" is the noun.
We don't "faith" in the Lord Jesus Christ; we "believe" in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We don't "earnestly contend for the 'believe' once delivered"; we "earnestly contend for the 'faith' once delivered".' - Language Cop

Thanks!

Ed

 

The demons can believe and tremble! See James 2:17 thru 24

 

atestring you are toting the church tradition line here, but what does James tell us about the demons believing and trembling? Does it say the demons can believe unto eternal salvation?

The faith or believing of the demons spoken of in James in not in connection with eternal salvation, so to use that as some sort of proof text for something is out of context.

 

I tend to agree, probably because something like this is stated in Scripture, although it does not read "can believe", but rather, "believe" (James 2:19). That said, J.Jump is completely correct, here, as well, in what he said in post #44. (And in Post #41, as well.)

But Language Cop wants to know what in the world does that have to do with "πιστις" (pistis) and "πιστος" (pistos) being nouns, in contrast to "πιστευω" (pisteuO) and "πεiθω" (peithO) being verbs? He says he is confused, here. (He was also 'confused' before , and in a hurry, for he failed to properly differentiate between "pistis" and "pistos", too! - Ed)

And I want to know what does the fact that 'the demons also believe there is one God' have to do with whether or not "Is repentance necessary to be saved?" FTR, I have already posted in this thread, as well as in multiple others, that I do believe repentance is necessary for salvation. And at the same time, I have posted each and every time that what is usually being purveyed as repentance "is anything but", but is rather more usually penance, and there is a vast difference between the two. (And I also add, neither the words 'repent' nor 'repentance' are found anywhere in the epistle of James.)

And in fact, although I have not previously stated this, what is really going on is a 'thinly veiled attempt' to 'backdoor' and mix works into/and grace, by various means including "Lordship salvation", confuting and mixing salvation and discipleship, or redefining "repentance" to fit the dictionary, 'religious tradition and church speak' or defining it as "turning from sin.

Secondly, the question of 'What is necessary to be saved?' goes far beyond than that of "Does someone 'believe' (something)?". The practitioners of Hinduism believe. Are they saved? Not according to what I read in Scripture.

Maybe they need to believe there is one god. Let's try that. 'Islam' believes there is one god. In fact, the demons also believe there is one god. Either of these groups saved? Again, not according to what I read in Scripture.

Let's go one step further. What about the 'Orthodox' 'Jewish' people? Apparently they believe in the Deity known in the OT variously, and in its variants, as 'Yahweh', 'Elohim' and 'Adonai'? (BTW, I believe in that same God.) And they are still 'trusting in' "the blood of bulls and goats" to cover sin, until a 'Promised One' comes along, some day. Are they saved this way? Paul, Apollos, and Peter did not seem to think so.

So I'll ask one very simple question.

"What must I do to be saved?"

Any ideas?

Ed

 

Luke 13:3
(Jesus said) I tell you no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Acts
16:30
And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
16:31
So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
16:32
Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
16:33
And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

 

The context of Luke 13:3 is not eternal salvation.

You hit the nail on the head with Acts 16:30-31. That is the only time the direct question is asked and a direct answer is given to the question of what must I do to be saved.

It is believe. We know from comparing Scripture to Scripture as to what we are to believe about Jesus Christ and that is that He died for my sins and shed His blood to atone for my sins and if I believe that I am saved. That's it. It is faith (believing) in His substitutionary death and shed blood on my behalf a sinner that saves.