True or False: The world likes to hear about forgiveness but it hates talk of repentance.
It's Guff. Bunkum. Garbage. Balderdash.
The world loves repentance (and it hates forgiveness, but I don't have time for that post)...
If you don't believe me, go to your newsagents and open your eyes. What will you see?
“Wage war on fat.” “11 carbs you should eat.” “Improve your game.” “De-clutter your life.” "Be the You you always wanted." "New Year, New You."
We love, love, love repentance. The problem is, we're not very good at it. We can't be new. Lord knows we've tried. If only someone could give us a true repentance!! If only there really was a Me for me to be. But I can't seem to get to that me!
GOOD NEWS PEOPLE! Christ has risen from the dead into a whole new world - a world beyond sin and selfishness, beyond death and judgement, beyond your every flesh-bound limitation. And He offers it to you. Now, as a gift, you can have a properly new you! Rejoice!
Repentance is not the price to pay for all that nice salvation stuff. Repentance is your new re-oriented life, liberated from slaveries to self-justification and self-service. It's not the heavy cost you must bear for your freedom. In a deep sense it is your freedom. And it's given to you in Jesus.
Of course you must embrace this gift. But that's not the down-side that needs outweighing by salvation's benefits. It's part and parcel of our new life. So embrace the good news of repentance!
That is Good News, Glen!
We often don't embrace it. But He still loves us, anyway. We might often be faithless...but He is always faithful.
Thank you, friend.
Without the work of the Holy Spirit, as prescribed, conviction is of no good to anybody.
Indeed.
There is no conviction without the Holy Spirit.
Suppose, all of us are wrong about the big three?
1) SIN: for not personally knowing and believing in Jesus Christ;
2) WHAT IS RIGHT: for not knowing the Father and the Son by the same name; and
3) JUDGEMENT: for not knowing the inevitability of the Devil's defeat
(John 16: 5-15)
i think our love for repentance has been embedded in our genome and can be traced from our old old old ancestors. the act of repenting is pious and self gratifying. who would want?
i think our love for repentance has been embedded in our genome and can be traced from our old old old ancestors. the act of repenting is pious and self gratifying. who would not want?
Unless the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, of what is right and of judgement, our repentance is as worthless as Judas'.
i see your point. but i could not seem to find a verse that says the holy Spirit convicts the believer of sin.
If "proving to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin" (John 16: 8-9) excludes the so-called "believer", then, I am wrong!
However, the unique and exclusive revelations by the Holy Spirit and the confession by the believer about Jesus Christ are really contradictory.
John 16:8-11
New International Version (NIV)
8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
It says holy Spirit convicts about sin, because they do not believe in Jesus. those who do not believe are unbeliever. right?
the believer is convicted of righteousness.
the devil is judge.
As I understand it, the strategic context of the gospel is as follows.
The Holy Spirit came at Christ's death on the cross, a.k.a., his defining moment as Spirit-baptizing, life-giving and faith-authoring LORD.
(John 3: 14-15; 7: 37-39; 8: 21-28; 12: 32-33; 14: 6, 18-21; 16: 5-15; ff.)
That is why the Spirit proves to all people of the world that they are wrong about sin, etc.