'Why do you call me Lord, Lord & not do what I tell you?'
'Unless you believe that I AM--you will die in your sins.'
Luke 13:1-9 At that time, some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed on them: Do you think that they were more sinful than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
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Isaiah 5:1-7)
6Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree & haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it & fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”
2 Tim 2:23-26 But reject foolish & ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach & forbearing. He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them REPENTANCE LEADING TO THE ACKNOWLEDGING OF THE TRUTH. Then they will come to their senses & escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them CAPTIVE to his will.
Repentance means a change of mind that leads to a change in direction & behavior because of the changing one's mind.
People change their mind concerning WHO Jesus is. People change their mind concerning Jesus is holy & His death on the cross & His shed blood can atone for their trespasses against a holy God, whose laws we have broken. This breaking of His laws separates us from a right relationship with God. Only Jesus Christ can remove & bring reconciliation with Him & forgiveness of sins.
As one evangelist once said: "In order to get a person thoroughly saved one must get them to recognize they are thoroughly lost & in need of the Savior of the world." (as those in Samaria discovered in John 4).