Here's an interesting quote by B.H. Carroll. From Way of Life Encyclopedia: Repentance
Is Repentance Necessary For Salvation?
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Linda64, Feb 20, 2007.
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When Christ saves someone, He saves them and keeps them. He has promised this. There is no such thing as temporary salvation. -
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From "Except Ye Repent" by Harry A. Ironside: Chapter 1, Repentance: Its Nature and Importance, pg. 3
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"Loudly declaring they are justified by faith alone, they fail to remember that "faith without works is dead"; and that justification by works before men is not to be ignored as though it were in contradiction to justification by faith before God."
Failure to grasp this is what we are really questioning on this thread. James writes "You see, then..."!
God looks on then heart, but man looks on the outside. Agreed fully. it's called out testimony, and we have a responsibility to maintain "good works", as one NT writer put it (Don't know whom without looking it up, which I don't have the time to do at the minute). ' that those who have believed might be "careful to maintain good works"'. The problem comes when one assumes the converse, whch is not declared in Scripture, namely that one who was not "careful to maintain good works" was never saved in the first place. If it were only 'looking on the outside', would you or I have ever called Lot one of the righteous saved, let alone identified him as the only person specifically identified in Scripture as "Godly", when he was the mayor of Sodom? I know I would not have, although I can't speak for you.
But we are still getting away from the real question of the OP, "Is repentance required for salvation?" I have already answered "Yes, absolutely!" I have believed, 'preached' and taught that it is, and consistently, for almost 40 years. I have just as consistently believed, 'preached', and taught that the "repentance required for salvation" is not "turning from sin" for that "additional requirement" to believe/faith in order to be saved, is not taught in Scripture.
But as I worded it (and a couple more 'followed suit') "repent is the 'flip-side' of believe", as regards eternal salvation. It is not to be a 'backloading', or a 'sneaking in the back door' into faith of works of "turning from sin", first.
I cringe at the number of individuals who attempt this, by loudly proclaiming that this unspoken self-reformation is necessary before one can be saved, and also the number that blithely proclaim that some Biblical character "first" repented (of his or her sin), and then "got saved" when Scripture says no such thing. Let Scripture speak, and let us hear, and then let us proclaim the 'free gift' of salvation by grace through faith, in 'Biblical terminology'. Then these 'false issues' will not even come up, IMO!
Let the Holy Spirit do His job of "convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment"! He does not need our help, in this. Nor does He need our help in what I call the thinking of "You gotta' get 'em 'lost', before ya' get them saved." They are already lost, without any help from any of us. The Holy Spirit reveals that, not us.
Let us do our job of preaching the truth, and persuading men. Preaching is the mode of salvation, Biblically. That is the Biblical order, IMO. We are well served to follow it.
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Is repentence necessary for salvation? I'll put it like this. When the Holy Spirit gave me a new heart, I could not help but to litterally cry... big old alligator tears. To suddenly see His glory, to understand the He died for me while I was still spitting in His face, to come to the understanding of the great love He has for me, and to see Him hanging on that cross... for my sin. How can you not cry over such a picture? The One that I love with all my heart, soul, mind and body, hanging on that cross for me. :tear:
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So we cannot base this on sorrow, alone. Many claim to "remember their experience" when they 'walked the aisle' or 'were baptized'.
So what? The question was and is did they "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ", for that is the sole answer to "What must I do to be saved". I remember both of my 'experiences'. I cannot say for certain that I was saved at that time, although I think I was. I am certain, and became certain some years later, reading and understanding Scripture, and can say with Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded..." That is the sole Biblical requirement. :thumbsup:
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FTR, what is the difference between "alligator tears" and "crocodile tears", the latter of which are certainly not tears of 'real' sorrow? -
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well now, every sincere Catholic is eaten up with sorrow over the death of Christ.......and it very often produces a drastic change in their life. They walk on their knees up flights of stairs because they are sorry. They pray the rosary multiple times daily, some are even crucified in order to re-enact Christ's sacrifice.....all over sorrow and guilt because of what Christ did on the cross.
But that is not where salvation lies. Salvation lies in the empty tomb! If Christ had remained on the cross (where Catholics leave Him and still mourn for Him) than our faith would be in vain. Christ won our salvation from death through His resurrection from the grave.
reformed, I think I understand what you are trying to say.....but be careful not to make it sound like sorrow is your "test of salvation." Some of us felt overwhelming relief and joy. I don't work for Christ because I feel sorry that He died on the cross. He died and ROSE again so that I don't have to. Im not sorry about that, and I don't think Jesus would want me to be. I work for Christ because He is my Lord and Master and that is the most natural thing for me to do. But I do not believe that Christ would want me to continue to feel burdened and/or motivated by guilt and sorrow to serve Him.
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