If you used to be Christian, but have a period of time for like 1 year where God, Bible, Church etc. doesn't catch your attention, or you don't even seem to care, is repentance when (or if) returning to faith, a must?
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CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
Repentance more than once?
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DanuckInUSA
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I would question how a Christian who is living in the Lord can abandon it. I would suggest that person find Christ and then go get baptised once they can not live without the Lord.
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Peripatetic
Restless mind, peaceful soul.
Sometimes life's distractions can create some distance. Most lifetime Christians have gone through periods like this. In other cases, Christians don't even notice the distance. If asked, they'd say everything is fine, but the mind is anchored in worldly stuff.
Look closely at the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). You will see that the father is not so concerned about apologies and repentance when the son returns. Rather, he does this:
Notice that it says "while he was still a long way off". God already knows when a person starts to come back from a time apart... he has compassion and rejoices!
Look closely at the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). You will see that the father is not so concerned about apologies and repentance when the son returns. Rather, he does this:
Notice that it says "while he was still a long way off". God already knows when a person starts to come back from a time apart... he has compassion and rejoices!
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SharonL
Senior Veteran
When we don't feel close to God, just remember that we are the one who has moved, God does not move.
Just as you would treat a family member that has gone astray and came home, that is what you are doing, just repent for it - put your hand back in the hand of Jesus and move on with your walk.
Just as you would treat a family member that has gone astray and came home, that is what you are doing, just repent for it - put your hand back in the hand of Jesus and move on with your walk.
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Some good advice has been given you here, friend. Just remember that following Jesus and His teachings is not salvation, and it does not make one a Christian. One needs a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus by receiving Him into your heart and being devoted to Him. Then one will not wander away, for they are "born of the Spirit". Be blessed and look up always!
- 1 Watchman
- 1 Watchman
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We should repent everytime we have done something wrong. We can even repent daily, for whatever we've done that might have been wrong. Try and look for evidence that God has been with you all along.
However, You cannot be "renewed onto repentance" for that would mean crucifying Christ afresh. Hebrews 6:4-8. It won't work out, and it doesn't work that way to begin with. You can't be saved, unsaved, saved again etc. Once saved always saved, but you have to realize you probably haven't been seeking Christ the right way.
I don't know if you were baptized, but if you were the holy spirit is with you trying to convict you of evil so that you repent. If you haven't then you need to be. Sin is our basic nature, Jesus knows this and died once to forgive us of all sin. That doesn't mean we will never sin, it means that Jesus owns us, therefore we should conduct ourselves as his devoted servants. He paid the price for us, even knowing in our ignorance we are like animals compared to him, yet bad animals are eventually put down. So it is a call to live rightly and continue in this understanding that we belong to him. This is when we are "saved" in the real and from that point on in our remaining as humble servants that are owned by him, we will avoid falling away. Falling away just means we never really got it. It is different from intentional desertion which Hebrews describes.
There are many perceptions that make this difficult, mostly out of trying to live our lives and exalt ourselves as good, and thinking that Christ can be used to this end. It's hard, but sometimes God has to let go a bit to show us we haven't been following him correctly. God has always favored the heavy sinner, so that upon reaching him he would become very passionate.
See my article concerning faith and sin for more on this, as it is the same problem I have been dealing with. Rekindling a flame that was lit, but that I never fully understood. Be as children again, not as self righteous adults, but as sons and daughters of God.
Faith is not logical, but everything is spiritual, and when we put other things ahead of God and they become more important, those things become our gods.
There are various levels of acceptance. Accept Jesus with only our minds and we get nowhere. It has to touch our hearts, our souls, and our bodies.
However, You cannot be "renewed onto repentance" for that would mean crucifying Christ afresh. Hebrews 6:4-8. It won't work out, and it doesn't work that way to begin with. You can't be saved, unsaved, saved again etc. Once saved always saved, but you have to realize you probably haven't been seeking Christ the right way.
I don't know if you were baptized, but if you were the holy spirit is with you trying to convict you of evil so that you repent. If you haven't then you need to be. Sin is our basic nature, Jesus knows this and died once to forgive us of all sin. That doesn't mean we will never sin, it means that Jesus owns us, therefore we should conduct ourselves as his devoted servants. He paid the price for us, even knowing in our ignorance we are like animals compared to him, yet bad animals are eventually put down. So it is a call to live rightly and continue in this understanding that we belong to him. This is when we are "saved" in the real and from that point on in our remaining as humble servants that are owned by him, we will avoid falling away. Falling away just means we never really got it. It is different from intentional desertion which Hebrews describes.
There are many perceptions that make this difficult, mostly out of trying to live our lives and exalt ourselves as good, and thinking that Christ can be used to this end. It's hard, but sometimes God has to let go a bit to show us we haven't been following him correctly. God has always favored the heavy sinner, so that upon reaching him he would become very passionate.
See my article concerning faith and sin for more on this, as it is the same problem I have been dealing with. Rekindling a flame that was lit, but that I never fully understood. Be as children again, not as self righteous adults, but as sons and daughters of God.
Faith is not logical, but everything is spiritual, and when we put other things ahead of God and they become more important, those things become our gods.
There are various levels of acceptance. Accept Jesus with only our minds and we get nowhere. It has to touch our hearts, our souls, and our bodies.
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I like this definition of repentance as it contains the meaning of the word in a form that is easy to get
For most Christians repentance comes from a broken hearted awareness that something we have been doing has hurt God and we are not only truly sorry for having done that but we also intend not to do so again.
Having worked in Chrurches and seen how we can treat each other in Christs name I can understand why some would throw in the towel and need to head for the wilderness for a while. That is not often a fun place but it is one where God certainly is and God brings people back when the work God needs to do on their hearts has reached a point they can turn back and ask God for Gods help.
As Peripatetic has suggested the parable of the prodigal son is a good example of Gods heart waiting for us to turn back.
Some churches such as the Anglican and catholic have penitent liturgies. They are useful for those who find a formal prayer structure helps them to sort out the unthinking, daft and selfish sinful acts they do each day. Others such as some free churches find a corporate prayer with other Christians on Sunday helpful whilst others such as churches with a more charismatic spiritual expression do so as the Spirit of God prompts them to.
God never stops loving and there is no place too bad or too far away that Gods love cannot reach out to touch. When God has touched our hearts we turn back to God.
For most Christians repentance comes from a broken hearted awareness that something we have been doing has hurt God and we are not only truly sorry for having done that but we also intend not to do so again.
Having worked in Chrurches and seen how we can treat each other in Christs name I can understand why some would throw in the towel and need to head for the wilderness for a while. That is not often a fun place but it is one where God certainly is and God brings people back when the work God needs to do on their hearts has reached a point they can turn back and ask God for Gods help.
As Peripatetic has suggested the parable of the prodigal son is a good example of Gods heart waiting for us to turn back.
Some churches such as the Anglican and catholic have penitent liturgies. They are useful for those who find a formal prayer structure helps them to sort out the unthinking, daft and selfish sinful acts they do each day. Others such as some free churches find a corporate prayer with other Christians on Sunday helpful whilst others such as churches with a more charismatic spiritual expression do so as the Spirit of God prompts them to.
God never stops loving and there is no place too bad or too far away that Gods love cannot reach out to touch. When God has touched our hearts we turn back to God.
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This article Falling Away? A Study of Hebrews 6 | GraceThruFaith
clears up a TON of misconceptions. God, in his perfect plan, is perfect in both his mercy and his judgments.
In his perfect mercy he will save the repentant.
In his perfect judgment he will either punish or reward our behavior, both in heaven and on earth. Even as the works are burned, the man shall escape the fire.
He is perfect in both ways, neither can be faulted without making God out to be a liar. We are saved by Faith, and rewarded according to works in both lives.
clears up a TON of misconceptions. God, in his perfect plan, is perfect in both his mercy and his judgments.
In his perfect mercy he will save the repentant.
In his perfect judgment he will either punish or reward our behavior, both in heaven and on earth. Even as the works are burned, the man shall escape the fire.
He is perfect in both ways, neither can be faulted without making God out to be a liar. We are saved by Faith, and rewarded according to works in both lives.
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Mister_Al
Regular Member
If you're truly a Christian, then you can't turn away from God--He won't let you. He is always with you and He will never forsake you--no matter what. The very fact that you are asking how to return to your faith is proof of that.
Just tell the Lord you're sorry that you've been ignoring Him and you want to be more personal with Him and then just take it from there.
Be Blessed,
Alan
Just tell the Lord you're sorry that you've been ignoring Him and you want to be more personal with Him and then just take it from there.
Be Blessed,
Alan
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Every day we have to face that we're a little wayward. God always wants us in communication. Combine those, and it is always good to be humble, and assured that God wants us drawing near to Him.
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Grafted_in
It's great to be adopted...
You say to repent means "to turn away from sin and toward God"?
Perhaps you could explain some passages for me.
Gen 6:5-7
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Ex 13:17
17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
So in Genesis, upon God seeing the wickedness of man we read "And it [turned away from sin and toward God] the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." while in Exodus we read "And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people [turn away from sin and toward God] when they see war, and they return to Egypt:" Could you please explain those two passages?
Webster defined repentance as "the pain or grief which a person experiences in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced by his own conduct."
In many cases we know the "injury or inconvenience produced by his [or her] own conduct" is sin against the Almighty God. In many cases this grief and sorrow will convict a person to turn from sin who realizes they have sinned or are sinning against God. Repentance, within the scope of Christianity, will absolutely manifest itself by a turning away from sin and towards God; but changing direction is simply an action. Changing direction is a fruit of repentance, not the definition of repentance. By claiming that repentance is simply abstaining from sin and living righteously then salvation is by works, not grace. If by works than Jesus died for nothing. If by works we would have no New Testament, the Old Covenant would have been sufficient. I say this not to attack you personally, but I grow weary of seeing misunderstood terms lead to incorrect doctrine and beliefs. This post is to inform you- so that no false doctrine can take root from that fallacy.
To the main thread, you'd better believe that repentance is necessary. If you have been born again and ignoring God then you should feel totally desolate, you should be overwhelmed by and drowning in sorrow, you should be disgusted with yourself. You (you're not the only one who has done this, but I'm talking to you since you brought it up) have been ignoring God. This is the beginning of apostasy. Read Heb 6:4-12. You have sinned against the LORD and deep down inside you know you messed up and something needs fixed. Then, you should read Rom 8:11-17 to understand that if you are born again you are a child of God, and then read Luke 15:11-32 to understand that just as this Father welcomed back his wandering ungrateful idiot-of-a-son with gladness and joy so will your Father in heaven welcome you back. Notice however that in verse 18-20 the son realized he messed up severely, realized he was a moron, he was filled with remorse (repentance), then he decided to return to his father(turn from sin), acknowledge his sin (confession to God), and seek forgiveness (given by grace through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ). Our Father will take you back, but you must repent and return.
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