1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

What Did It Take For You To Repent?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Old Union Brother, Nov 23, 2010.

  1. Old Union Brother

    Old Union Brother New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2010
    Messages:
    740
    Likes Received:
    0
    We have been batting the topic of repentance around in two different threads (It Will Cost You Everything and Is knowing Jesus as the Son of God a requirement to have eternal life or not?) I’m going to repost my reply (with a little editing) from “ It will cost you everything” and then ask a question.

    First off I believe that God calls sinners to repentance and that repentance is the works of God. When I took heed to the call, I had to repent with the Godly sorrow that Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 7:

    [9] Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
    [10] For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
    [11] For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

    and that Jesus spoke about In John 16:
    [20] Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
    [21] A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
    [22] And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
    [23] And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

    (edit from first post) I am a short believer in head religion. I had a good dose of it and it was taking be down to destruction. I believe that you can accept Jesus Christ all the daylong with your head and you will be lost. Christ has to accept you. When I took heed to the heavenly call, I had to travail in much sorrow and tears. Then at the end of my strength, I became willing to give it all over to Him to perform a work in me that only He could perform. When this happened the new birth took place with much rejoicing and joy in my heart.

    The reason for my question is that I am always interested in hearing a Brother's or Sister's experience of Grace. Now for my question. What did it take you to repent and be born again?
    :praying:


    :praying:

    A fellow servant of Christ

    Jeff
     
  2. preacher4truth

    preacher4truth Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2010
    Messages:
    8,121
    Likes Received:
    17
    Interesting

    You mention it is God that works repentance for us.

    Have you looked lately at the definition of "leadeth" "ago" (KJV) in Romans 2:4, and seen how this Greek word is used elsewhere?

    I did a short study of this, and how God does work out our repentance, and what this word truly means to the believer.

    I hope this will help you along the Way.
     
  3. freeatlast

    freeatlast New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2004
    Messages:
    10,295
    Likes Received:
    0
    It took my love for sin which brought the results of its wages to bring me to cry out to His waiting love.
     
  4. Old Union Brother

    Old Union Brother New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2010
    Messages:
    740
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thank you so much. He surely had to lead me through my travail of repentance because I sure didn't know how.
     
  5. preacher4truth

    preacher4truth Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2010
    Messages:
    8,121
    Likes Received:
    17
    YW

    A few years back, I had gotten away from God. I got myself into some sin and situations after a series of bad events. That's just the truth of the matter, and being honest.

    God did it all. He made certain things happen in my life, prevented other things from happening, to which I said "God, you can't kind of forcefully lead me down this road can you?" For lack of better words. He "ago" me back to Him, Romans 2:4.

    Anyhow, He did. He caused all the events to happen, all of them lead me to repent and come back to Him, to only His glory. Romans 2:4 is a life verse for me...and also, this whole time away from Him the verse "...he wasted his substance in riotous living" rang in my heart, to which I pleaded to God to please stop because of the great conviction, but He loved me all the way along and lead me to where I am today, all to His glory.

    And I have to say to all, He is in control, not us, in every single thing in our lives and in this world.

    :thumbs:
     
  6. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    30,285
    Likes Received:
    507
    Faith:
    Baptist
    For me to repent and believe the Gospel?

    It took total, abject, irrational FEAR.

    Reading and studying and going to various religions, wandering and trying anything. But kept coming back to utter FEAR of facing God, judgment, accountability and eternal lake of fire.

    One night I simply could not sleep in the darkness of my room. Literally got out of my bed, knelt beside it (after cracking the door open to let in a little light - I was shaking so badly) and repented in tears, calling on the love and mercy of God to save me from such an awful fate. March 17, 1957

    (I know 50 years later that God had used His Word and Spirit to convict and regenerate, giving me repentance and faith, but at that point I just knew I had no hope and needed His grace or I was doomed)

    Perfect love cast out all FEAR.
     
  7. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2007
    Messages:
    2,752
    Likes Received:
    0
    For me belief and understanding were a gradual process for me to the point of realizing that I was lost. Unlike some who heard the gospel for the first time and accept Christ, I heard it many times before realizing that I was lost and needed to be saved--not to mention having to understand what "saved" even mean.
     
  8. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2009
    Messages:
    2,274
    Likes Received:
    0
    It took the Spirit's conviction and the broad reach of grace.
     
  9. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2005
    Messages:
    9,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    As a nine-year-old, I had spent a lot of time at church. Sunday School, church, Training Union, evening service, Wednesday night, Royal Ambassadors, the works.

    I had heard a lot of sermons, many on Hell, but they never applied to me. I didn't even know what being lost or saved was.

    One Sunday morning, April 1947, during the invitation, I was suddenly filled with a sense of dread, realized that I was one of those lost people, and ran down the aisle to my Pastor. No Roman Road, no Sinner's Prayer, just questions.

    Do you understand that you are a sinner? Do you understand that the penalty of sin is Hell. Do you repent of your sin? Do you trust Christ for your salvation? Yes.

    Looking back, I can now see what happened. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes, so that I could understand. He showed me my sin and how much God hated sin. He scared me to death. He brought me to see sin the way God sees it. He drew me to repent of sin and he created faith in me.

    And God gave me a new desire, to love Him, to be obedient to him and serve him. This is truly salvation by grace.

    I have failed him many times. He has never failed me.
     
  10. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    8,292
    Likes Received:
    11
    I was completely broken and had no where else to turn but complete surrender to God. Praise God, He is sufficient for all my needs. I was too stubborn to see that for quite a while.
     
  11. Amy.G

    Amy.G New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2006
    Messages:
    13,103
    Likes Received:
    4
    Me too. That and total fear of the certainty of hell.
     
  12. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2008
    Messages:
    3,822
    Likes Received:
    1
    For me it was 3 things.

    1) I knew that all of the things, many sinfull, that I was doing that I EXPECTED would give me peace and joy and a meaningfull life werent working.

    2) I could tell, powerfully, that the christians that were occasionally witnessing to me had TRUE joy and peace and meaning in their life.

    3) I knew there was a heaven, but I didnt have any certainty that I would go there, and I sure didnt want to go to hell.



    Praise God that in due time I did the only thing that will work for eternity....I placed my faith in Christ.

    And what a wonderfull change I experienced, and continue to experience, some 28 years later!

    Glory to God!!!
     
  13. convicted1

    convicted1 Guest

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2007
    Messages:
    9,012
    Likes Received:
    28

    Dr. Bob,

    The words I bolded are some beautiful words!!!:jesus::thumbs:

    Willis
     
    #13 convicted1, Nov 24, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 24, 2010
Loading...