The Scripture does not say that Jesus Christ came to the nation of Israel and said that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, now who would like to ask me into their hearts? I see that hand.”
That is not what it says. He said, “Repent and believe the gospel.” Now men today are trusting in the fact that at least one time in their life they prayed a prayer and someone told them they were saved because they were sincere enough. And so in their salvation if you ask them, “Are you saved?” they do not say, “Yes, I am because I am looking unto Jesus and there is mighty evidence giving me assurance of being born again.” No. They say, “One time in my life I prayed a prayer.”
And they live like devils. But they prayed a prayer. And some of them... I heard of one evangelist who was coaxing a man to do that thing. Finally the man felt so uncomfortable the evangelist said, “Well, I’ll tell you what. I will pray to God for you and if it is what you want to say to God, squeeze my hands. Behold the power of God.”
Decisionism, the idolatry of decisionism. Men think they are going to heaven because they have judged the sincerity of their own decision.
Quoted from Paul Washer in his "Ten Indictments"
Showing posts with label repentance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label repentance. Show all posts
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Why Do We Repent and Turn to Christ
Why should a sinner repent? Because God deserves the obedience and love that he’s refused to give Him! Not so that he’ll go to heaven. If the only reason he repents is so that he’ll go to heaven, it’s nothing but trying to make a deal or a bargain with God.
Why should a sinner give up all his sins? Why should he be challenged to do it? Why should he make restitution when he’s coming to Christ? Because God deserves the obedience that He demands!
I have talked with people that have no assurance that sins are forgiven. They want to feel safe, before they’re willing to commit themselves to Christ. But I believe that the only ones whom God actually witnesses by His Spirit and are born of Him, are the people, whether they say it or not, that come to Jesus Christ and say something like this, "Lord Jesus, I’m going to obey you, and love you, and serve you, and do what you want me to do, as long as I live, even if I go to Hell at the end of the road, simply because you are worthy to be loved, and obeyed and served, and I’m not trying to make a deal with you!"
From "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" by Paris Reidhead
To hear the audio of this sermon, click here.
Why should a sinner give up all his sins? Why should he be challenged to do it? Why should he make restitution when he’s coming to Christ? Because God deserves the obedience that He demands!
I have talked with people that have no assurance that sins are forgiven. They want to feel safe, before they’re willing to commit themselves to Christ. But I believe that the only ones whom God actually witnesses by His Spirit and are born of Him, are the people, whether they say it or not, that come to Jesus Christ and say something like this, "Lord Jesus, I’m going to obey you, and love you, and serve you, and do what you want me to do, as long as I live, even if I go to Hell at the end of the road, simply because you are worthy to be loved, and obeyed and served, and I’m not trying to make a deal with you!"
From "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" by Paris Reidhead
To hear the audio of this sermon, click here.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Is Repentance Necessary?
I seldom hear about repentance in Christian circles today and, to be honest, until recently I felt that it was not necessary. I thought that the Holy Spirit would change you after salvation. But after studying God’s Word and after seeing so many teenagers claim to be a Christian because they said a prayer, I now have changed my mind.
Jesus said that He came to call “sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13) and his first public word he preached was “repent” (Matthew 4:17). Paul preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). In his book One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven, Mark Cahill say that, “if there is no desire to walk away from sin, the person is not really making a true heart commitment to the Savior. In John 6:44 Jesus says, ‘No One can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him.’ If God is drawing someone to Him, He would also be drawing the person away from his sin.”
In Acts 2:38 it says, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” In Acts 3:19 Peter further says, “Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”
Ray Comfort in his book The School of Biblical Evangelism states, “If repentance wasn’t necessary for salvation, why then did Jesus command that repentance be preached to all nations (Luke 24:47)? When He sent out His disciples two by two, they “preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12).”
One of the main reasons that so many people fall way from their Christian faith may be that they never truly repented in the first place. If so, they may have a false sense of their salvation. We do not have to clean ourselves up to come to God, but we do need to have the desire to turn away from sin. That does not mean that we will suddenly have no temptations or that we will no longer sin, but at least we are willing to give God control of our life.
Jesus said that He came to call “sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13) and his first public word he preached was “repent” (Matthew 4:17). Paul preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). In his book One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven, Mark Cahill say that, “if there is no desire to walk away from sin, the person is not really making a true heart commitment to the Savior. In John 6:44 Jesus says, ‘No One can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him.’ If God is drawing someone to Him, He would also be drawing the person away from his sin.”
In Acts 2:38 it says, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” In Acts 3:19 Peter further says, “Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”
Ray Comfort in his book The School of Biblical Evangelism states, “If repentance wasn’t necessary for salvation, why then did Jesus command that repentance be preached to all nations (Luke 24:47)? When He sent out His disciples two by two, they “preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12).”
One of the main reasons that so many people fall way from their Christian faith may be that they never truly repented in the first place. If so, they may have a false sense of their salvation. We do not have to clean ourselves up to come to God, but we do need to have the desire to turn away from sin. That does not mean that we will suddenly have no temptations or that we will no longer sin, but at least we are willing to give God control of our life.
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