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The John / repent issue is a free grace dispensationalism argument ever working to over-simplify human faith & salvation, and draw strict divisions in the ages. For them, the no repentance observation is at base re: repentance from sins - a message only to Israel - which they are concerned conflicts with "faith alone in Christ" alone as they interpret it. They also work to isolate each document as a stand-alone, self-contained writing (thus no use of "repentance" seems meaningful). Have you seen the isolated booklets containing only GJohn?
- To repent at root means to think differently, to change your mind
- Just because the word "repent" is not used, does not mean the concept is not there
- The signs in John were written to cause us to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God
- Christ & Son of God are titles identifying the absolute authority of Jesus in Heaven & on earth
- To believe Jesus is the Christ is to submit to His absolute authority, whether someone tells the new convert this or not
- To think we can turn to Christ / submit to His authority & continue in sin (lawlessness, unrighteousness, disobedience to God) is an absurdity
One example in John:
NET John 12:40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and turn [to me], and I would heal them."
- seeing & understanding is the prelude to repenting / changing the mind > believe & turn
Peter elaborates on the healing:
NET 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness. By his wounds you were healed.
There are already some good responses in this thread re: turning, and not isolating GJohn from the remainder of the Bible. Thanks for those.
This is very good. Paul confirms your understanding in Acts 26 when he tells the Jews first and then Gentiles the path to salvation.
John teaches that we must turn from sin. To do that means a change of heart, contrition for sin and the desire to stop. That change, itself, means repentance.
This is good.
Paul teaches the same thing in Acts 26: ACTS 26:20 KJV "But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and..."
And again in Acts 24
ACTS 24:14 KJV "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers,..."
Paul taught salvation from the Law and Prophets. And so did John. It was the Christ who inspired these examples written for our admonition in the first place, before He became a man in the person of Jesus.
Good post
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