Repentance

[clemenslee]

Is repentance about turning from sin? and is it required for salvation? I would like to hear your opinions, but keep it civil.

Repentance I believe has nothing to do with turning from sin, instead its about turning to Christ. Turning from sin is a self willed action. We turn to Christ to have HIM deal with the sin in our lives, and he will cause us if we trust in him to look at sin differently. He causes us to see sin as the wretched thing it is, but its from his molding of us into his image.

Let me give a example: Judas that betrayed Jesus, Did he turn to Christ for the sin that he committed? He recognized that he sinned and tried to turn from that sin on his own self will by returning the money that he was given. He was trying to turn his life around, but he never turned to Christ to deal with his sin, at least that I know of.

How about the 2 thieves that were crucified, The one never repented of sins, but turned to Christ for salvation. He didn't say in that final hour Lord I repent of my sin, No I ask for salvation. He said we deserve our punishment for our sin, but he turned to Christ for salvation. and Christ said you will be with me in paradise!

 

[clemenslee]

Delete

 

[FireDragon76]

Yes... what you are talking about usually fits with the Reformed/Lutheran/Anglican/Methodist view of repentance. It's something that God does in you when you turn to God. Then he gives you the desire to do good works and put to death those things that are most sinful. But that doesn't imply some kind of legalism that you might find in the holiness churches, because we continue to sin, but faith, hope, and love abounds. The holiness churches sometimes err in being moralistic about holiness, they think of holiness as external conformity to religious codes, such as not dancing, drinking, etc. etc.. True holiness is not so superficial.

The law kills your self-will, the Gospel raises you up... then Jesus comes and speaks the law as an invitation "Go and sin no more". It's no longer a commandment that crushes you.

I would say Judas was not trying to turn his life around. He was despairing and angrily threw the money back. That's not a sign of someone trying to do the right thing.

 

[brinny]

Is repentance about turning from sin? and is it required for salvation? I would like to hear your opinions, but keep it civil.

Repentance I believe has nothing to do with turning from sin, instead its about turning to Christ. Turning from sin is a self willed action. We turn to Christ to have HIM deal with the sin in our lives, and he will cause us if we trust in him to look at sin differently. He causes us to see sin as the wretched thing it is, but its from his molding of us into his image.

Let me give a example: Judas that betrayed Jesus, Did he turn to Christ for the sin that he committed? He recognized that he sinned and tried to turn from that sin on his own self will by returning the money that he was given. He was trying to turn his life around, but he never turned to Christ to deal with his sin, at least that I know of.

How about the 2 thieves that were crucified, The one never repented of sins, but turned to Christ for salvation. He didn't say in that final hour Lord I repent of my sin, No I ask for salvation. He said we deserve our punishment for our sin, but he turned to Christ for salvation. and Christ said you will be with me in paradise!

Judas never came to Christ to ask for forgiveness, and neither did He acknowledge Jesus as the Christ and testify to His Lordship. Even as he felt a "fleshly" despair at his treacherous betrayal of an "innocent" man, he never sought forgiveness from the very One Who could have forgiven him and released him from the agonizing prison of "self", "ego", and "condemnation". He died with all of it, all the while still denying Who Christ was, and refusing the grace and forgiveness that was through the very One he surely knew was the only begotten Son of the living God, the God of the living.

Tragic.

Thank you kindly.

 

[Guru03]

Repentance is this:

- You accept Jesus which leads to a change of your heart over time (it could be quicker or slower) [because of your relationship with Jesus]

 

[Hillsage]

How about the 2 thieves that were crucified, The one never repented of sins, but turned to Christ for salvation. He didn't say in that final hour Lord I repent of my sin, No I ask for salvation. He said we deserve our punishment for our sin, but he turned to Christ for salvation. and Christ said you will be with me in paradise!

I believe he did repent of his sins when he said;

Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

He admitted Jesus was basically sinless and that he and the other thief were not.

 

[bcbsr]

Is repentance about turning from sin? and is it required for salvation?

The term "repentance" is ambiguous. It can mean a change of behavior - which by implication is works. Or it can simply mean a change of attitude - that is, an INTENTION of changing one's behavior, and/or one's allegiance. But INTENTION is not a work. You can't get paid for intending to work. This difference is significant because if works are required for salvation, that's quite a different gospel than Paul described in Romans 4 and elsewhere.

 

[Open Heart]

The Hebrew word for repentance is t'shuva, and it definitely means to turn from one's sins as well as to turn back to God's way.

Mark 6:12 (TEB) So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins.

Yes, repentance is required. "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the remission of sins." Acts 2:38