Nature of Repentance

The present-day Preachers and teachers have no concept of Biblical repentance and faith. You only have to ask ONE simple question to find out where they stand on this issue. (Provided you, yourself understand repentance and faith, having properly come to salvation.) It’s important to recognize at this point that you are being led by the Spirit of truth, NOT the spirit of error in these matters. Otherwise, you will NEVER be able to discern the difference between true and false repentance and dead faith.

   Ask the following question, in the EXACT terminology, with NO further explanation:

“Does a person have to stop sinning to receive Jesus?”

   If the person you are asking immediately presumes that you are asking: “Does a person have to stop sinning and then get saved!” They have NO CONCEPT of Biblical repentance! And here's why:

        1. What happens in repentance? They have NO IDEA! So they immediately assume you are saying that a person has to become perfect BEFORE they are saved. But this is NOT the issue at all! A PROCESS MUST be taking place in the salvation experience that involves a STOPPING of sin!

        2. Therefore the FOREGONE conclusion in their mind is not STOPPING sin, but CONFESSING it. Because NO ONE can stop BEFORE they are saved! And they can only struggle with it afterward. So a person is saved, ‘In their sins!’  (which is a wrong assumption from the start.)

        3. Asking another or different question makes no difference either, but only gives them the opportunity to mold words and make it sound as though they are agreeing that sin must be forsaken. Remember, when they speak of forsaking sin, they mean ‘over time’, ‘gradually’, or as you allow God to change your desires. THE design is that this happens in REPENTANCE!!

   The Biblical characteristic of true repentance (as taught by the early church and apostles) is 2Cor. 7:10-11.  “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.  For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

   For true repentance to have taken place the following MUST have occurred: 

        1. Season of deep-felt Godly sorrow for sin. (Invoked by Spirit of truth working, Jh.16:8)

        2. A crisis of conviction that cuts to the heart!  (Sin already being forsaken!)

        3. A zeal to CLEAR oneself of all wrongdoing against God. (Make restitution if necessary.)

        4. Indignation and fear that leads to a vehement desire to STOP sinning!

        5. Vindication and finally PURITY of heart!

   Every incident of repentance in Scripture follows this PROCESS. (DON’T let anyone tell you it doesn’t, and they will MOST certainly try!)  The sin STOPS HERE, The old man DIES here, and the flesh is crucified HERE! NOT afterwards. The desires and conduct are CHANGED here. (Or never will be!)

   OBEDIENCE to God follows in the NEWNESS of life and all things new! (Rom. 6:4-6, 2Cor. 5:17)  If you have NOT experienced this and have NO IDEA what it means, you are NOT BORN of the SPIRIT!!!

   You may indeed have ‘RECEIVED’ Christ, and ‘Believed’ in His Name (repeated some words) BUT the devils ALSO believe! (James 2:19) If a person is SAVED by what he DOES and NOT by faith alone! (as James affirms, JS. 2:24)  The what he DOES PART, STARTS with this REPENTANCE!

   I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds! Acts 26:20

   If your Preachers and teachers understand and actually preach this kind of repentance. CONTACT us immediately! In over 2000 inquiries, all over the world, we have found NO ONE in the churches who is even CLOSE to this! And getting this WRONG, DESTROYS the entire Gospel message.

____________________________________________