REPENTANCE: “I don’t need to repent. Jesus died for my sins and they are already forgiven. Repentance is not necessary for salvation.” Sound familiar? If this is your approach to sin, you’re probably not doing too well.
There is a modern day teaching spreading through the church that repentance is not part of salvation, “You don’t need to repent. Just thank God for what Jesus did.” This teaching is common in some circles, minimizing the dangers of sin, putting believers at risk, and placing a road block before people who want to enter the Kingdom of God.
“Repentance is not required for salvation!” O, really! Then why on earth is the Holy Spirit convicting me of sin and righteousness? (Jn 16:8) Good question! Obviously God does want you to repent when you sin. And besides, why would you not want to repent! Personally, repentance is one of my favorite prayers, and is one way God shows me His love. He is faithful. You do not need to worry about “missing a sin,” because the Holy Spirit is constantly searching your heart to find them. God will show you what you need to deal with.
The “Repentance Requirement” is not a biblically controversial issue, regardless of what men teach. Any other position on sin is a big problem, because without repentance there is no salvation (whether you believe in Jesus or not). By the way, you might want to ask yourself, “Who would want the church to teach that repentance is unnecessary?” Repentance is a gift, and anyone who takes it from you is a thief. Who would that thief be? (This is an open-book test, so you can look up the answer in the Bible.)
Our position: “Faith and repentance are required to get saved, and faith and repentance are required to stay saved.” This is what we believe the Bible clearly teaches.
Definition of Repentance: Repentance is more than being sorry about sin, though it includes this emotion, and it is more than a change of mind. True repentance is a radical and deliberate turn or returning to God that results in a moral and ethical change in action. Keep in mind that the person you need to convince is God, and He is not fooled by religious foolishness. Our definition of repentance includes 2 Cor 7:9-10. We think this text provides a reliable guide for the human heart.
I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.
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