Repentance is nothing more
than a change of direction. To repent literally means to turn around and
to go the other way.
Well if we say that we believe in “heaven and hell”, if we say that we believe in “God and the devil” . . .
if we say we that believe in “judgment after death”, but if “this belief” does not cause A CHANGE within our lives or within our heart, then what does such a belief profit us?
James tells us that it will not profit us at all because without repentance, without a change, this is a “dead faith” which does not have the power to save that a living faith has.
Well if we say that we believe in “heaven and hell”, if we say that we believe in “God and the devil” . . .
if we say we that believe in “judgment after death”, but if “this belief” does not cause A CHANGE within our lives or within our heart, then what does such a belief profit us?
James tells us that it will not profit us at all because without repentance, without a change, this is a “dead faith” which does not have the power to save that a living faith has.
John 3: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through
him might be saved.
him might be saved.
18 He that
believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The faith that is mentioned
here in this passage does not refer to a dead faith without repentance like we have been talking about (where is the
profit in saying we believe, but not living like we
believe) . . . but
rather John 3:16 refers to a living faith that has the POWER to save our soul. It is possible to believe that Jesus died on the cross and go to hell with that belief.
You see saving faith is a faith that first brings a change to our heart and this change within spills over to produce a change in our lives “without”.
rather John 3:16 refers to a living faith that has the POWER to save our soul. It is possible to believe that Jesus died on the cross and go to hell with that belief.
You see saving faith is a faith that first brings a change to our heart and this change within spills over to produce a change in our lives “without”.
If we believe that Jesus died
on the cross, then this belief should burden our heart (affect us within).
To believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins should make us feel bad (in our heart/mind), it should make us experience guilt (as we struggle within), and this guilt should result in REPENTANCE (a change of direction within) which has the power to change a dead faith into a living faith and save our eternal soul.
There is a passage of scripture that actually defines the effect of a faith that is empowered by genuine repentance . . .
We read in 2 Corinthians 5 about how things change after we are saved. The phrase “all things become new” actually tells us that NEW THINGS appear.
After we are saved, after we have repented, after we are facing a new direction we are able to see things that we could not see before we repented.
One of the first things that faith, repentance and salvation will allow us to see that we have never seen before . . . is LOVE.
To believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins should make us feel bad (in our heart/mind), it should make us experience guilt (as we struggle within), and this guilt should result in REPENTANCE (a change of direction within) which has the power to change a dead faith into a living faith and save our eternal soul.
There is a passage of scripture that actually defines the effect of a faith that is empowered by genuine repentance . . .
We read in 2 Corinthians 5 about how things change after we are saved. The phrase “all things become new” actually tells us that NEW THINGS appear.
After we are saved, after we have repented, after we are facing a new direction we are able to see things that we could not see before we repented.
One of the first things that faith, repentance and salvation will allow us to see that we have never seen before . . . is LOVE.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
behold, all things are become new.
Now when we speak of not
being able to see love BEFORE we repent toward God, we are talking about
turning our backs upon only living our lives to “get what we want” in life.
I am talking about living with the attitude “I don’t care if the money is gone when it is time for others to get theirs, I just want to make sure that I am able to get mine. The love that we have for self - is NOT Christian love at all.
It is only natural to love those who love us in return, but it is not natural to love those who mistreat us and seek to get ahead at our expense.
I am talking about living with the attitude “I don’t care if the money is gone when it is time for others to get theirs, I just want to make sure that I am able to get mine. The love that we have for self - is NOT Christian love at all.
It is only natural to love those who love us in return, but it is not natural to love those who mistreat us and seek to get ahead at our expense.
James 2: 14 What
doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and
have not works? can faith (without repentance) save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of
daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;
notwithstanding ye give them not
those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? (what good is
a love that only comforts those who love us first)
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead,
being alone.
And now we get to the concept
of Christian love as opposed to worldly or natural love.
If a brother or sister is in need, and instead of supplying that need, we just tell them that we hope they get a good meal and that we hope that they are able to stay warm at night, what good have we done?
This is a message that sounds good, but without food and blankets to accompany our words, there is no profit at all to those who are cold and hungry and neither is there any profit to us, for just talking and not doing.
If a brother or sister is in need, and instead of supplying that need, we just tell them that we hope they get a good meal and that we hope that they are able to stay warm at night, what good have we done?
This is a message that sounds good, but without food and blankets to accompany our words, there is no profit at all to those who are cold and hungry and neither is there any profit to us, for just talking and not doing.
This is an example of talking
ABOUT love but it is NOT exercising love.
We have not fulfilled the great commandment just because we have talked about what SHOULD be done.
The brother in need is still cold and hungry and we have not given any proof of love, we have only given proof that our heart it cold and that our spirit is hungry for the righteousness of God.
Hopefully we can see from this example that a dead faith has no more power to please God, than a dead love has to comfort those who are in need.
We have not fulfilled the great commandment just because we have talked about what SHOULD be done.
The brother in need is still cold and hungry and we have not given any proof of love, we have only given proof that our heart it cold and that our spirit is hungry for the righteousness of God.
Hopefully we can see from this example that a dead faith has no more power to please God, than a dead love has to comfort those who are in need.
James 1: 22 But be ye doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not
a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his
natural face in a glass:
natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his
way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of
man he was.
man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of
liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious,
and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own
heart, this man's religion is vain.
heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and
the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and
widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
1Jo 4:8 He that loveth not
knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jo 4:16 And we have known
and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
To be a doer of The Word - is allow Christian LOVE to make us different than the world around us. To be a doer of The Word is to see a reflection of our lives in The Bible - and when we see the reflection of sin in our lives
We BELIEVE God's Word concerning the condition of our lives and we then REPENT of the sin that our study of God's Word has revealed to us.
To do otherwise is to be a forgetful hearer as we do not allow the the study of God's Word to have any affect on our lives - as we spend our lives practicing religion only to worship God in vain.
We BELIEVE God's Word concerning the condition of our lives and we then REPENT of the sin that our study of God's Word has revealed to us.
To do otherwise is to be a forgetful hearer as we do not allow the the study of God's Word to have any affect on our lives - as we spend our lives practicing religion only to worship God in vain.
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