James Melton recently published a Facebook post redefining his position on “repentance of sins for salvation” to say that one doesn’t have to repent of all their sins for salvation but that they must be willing to repent of all their sins for salvation. Too much emphasis is being put on the unsaved to stop sinning (the essence of this doctrine) rather than on the Biblically correct definition of repentance.
This man, James Melton, also goes on to discuss the necessity of a changed life in order to prove one has been “truly” saved. He goes on to give a statistic saying that if one has supposedly led 100 people to Christ but only 70 have a changed life that 100 didn’t receive Christ. The change they are insisting on is a result of repentance of sins after salvation. While I do agree that there will be a change in one’s life as they grow in the Lord I denounce this man’s assertions that a new convert will suddenly or even gradually cease from sins (or be willing to cease from all sins) after salvation.
The Bible does say in 2nd Corinthians 5:17 “that all things are become new” but it doesn’t say how instantaneous that change is made evident in a person’s life.
This also opens the door to the following line of thought: if the repentance of sins is the focus of salvation then wouldn’t it also stand to reason that a person who, twenty years after salvation, goes back into one of the sins (not all the sins) that he repented of to be saved would also be under the same scrutiny as the new convert who fell back into the old lifestyle that he “repented of?”
Let’s go a step further. If one did lead 100 people to Christ and 70 people had a change of life but thirty did not - could we declare that only 70 got saved?
We want the new convert to stop drinking alcohol, smoking, dressing immodestly, fornicating, and to start faithfully attending church 4 times a week and carry a KJV, get baptized and become a chalk artist Ruckman yuppie but don’t expect the same of those who have been saved for decades who are still gossiping busibodies!
Repentance is nothing more than a change of mind. When I Believe on Jesus for salvation and call on His name as the Bible demands it goes without saying that I have had a change of mind about my eternal destination, my sinful state and God’s righteous demands.
I have been saved since 1984. I am not sinless. I have besetting sins. I repent of those sins and strive to keep from doing those sins. There has been a change in my life. I was passed from death unto life. I love the brethren. I have had answered prayer. I long for the coming of Christ. I am indwelled by the Holy Ghost. I have fellowship with the Father.
New converts need to be followed up on. “Cults are the unpaid bills of the Church.” Van Baalen. (Chaos of the Cults)
When we don’t follow up on them we cannot expect them to grow in the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment