Jesus teaches His disciples to preach the gospel...

[skypair]

Lk 24:46-49 "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that REPENTANCE and REMISSION OF SINS should be preached IN HIS NAME among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."

The capitalized words are exactly what Peter said at Pentecost in Acts 2:38. Can there be any doubt that salvation involves repentance on the part of the sinner? I mean, these were Jesus own instructions to the disciples regarding the gospel at Pentecost.

Here are some to the things Calvinists are preaching instead of what Jesus commanded: They call for a) "faith alone" salvation. Or they preach .. b) "believe and follow." Or they will tell you .. c) Acts 2:36-40 isn't the gospel to the Gentiles OR .. d) they will say that they were saved the moment that they believed. Or .. e) they will say repentance is sanctification, not for salvation/justification (as if "repentance unto life" doesn't mean unto salvation, Acts 11:18). I think that just about covers it .. all of the denunciations of the gospel of Jesue Christ that I've seen here.

Haven't you given me one or more of those excuses yourself?

I am very concerned that there are also folks here who believe in the "gospel of grace" (so-called) where again, repentance would be an afterthought. The name "gospel of grace" itself tells us that it is "another gospel!" "Doctrines of grace" .. it's all about the freebies, free "gifts," some like regeneration even before you hear or believe.

Jesus told the disciples to preach the gospel this way and all of those I mention above appear to disobey the Lord.

I mean, if you have any questions, ask someone who has repented and been saved .. me.

And how can it possibly lose you your salvation of belief in the gospel (same as the Calvinist) for you to pray to God repenting from sin and asking for salvation? How, pray tell, do you lose your salvation for bringing Him your broken heart with a contrite spirit for salvation?

 

[Episkopos]

When you go to a department store there is a section where perfumes are sold (colognes if you're a man). There is a free trial bottle or swab where you can get a first tryout of the product. It is free.

But if you want to own a bottle you have to dish out the money for it. The idea is that you are advertising a product in order to get buyers.

The gospel is very similar to this.

There is the free stuff...and then there is the product that costs everything.

Christ in us is given free...even the initial repentance is a gift.

But in order to abide in Christ we need to let every other thing go. We must seek God with ALL we have and are...just as we are to love God with ALL we are.

So then the kingdom of God begins with ...ALL.

It is free...but requires a full emptying in order to receive. God doesn't allow mixture of any kind.

Can we be mixed and have Christ in us? Yes!

Can we be mixed and abide in Christ? No. It is not possible.

So then the gift of a new birth according to the Spirit is a permanent thing. Abiding in Christ is dependent on our need of Him and the choices we make.

 

[skypair]

That's pretty close Episkopos. See, what God gives freely is the Spirit (= the Bible, the gospel, God's wisdom, God's grace). So yes, we receive the Spirit .. but what we are after in salvation is the Holy Ghost (= "Christ in you," the "Comforter").

Now we can only receive Christ IF we have repented from our sin. Christ doesn't come into your soul (heart along side your old sin nature and your sin-guilty conscience). So I sense that this is what you meant by "mixture," right?

Think of the heart as your image of your ideal man. Before you were saved, you may have had thoughts of being rich or famous or might have modeled that ideal after a person. But in repentance, you dash those thoughts and Jesus becomes your ideal man. That is how we get conformed to His image (Ro 8:29). :)

The same sort of thing happens to your conscience. Before you were saved, you had the notion that some sin was OK. Maybe you didn't like to do it but felt it is necessary. But after you are saved, those compromises are no longer acceptable. And this is how you have that "pure conscience before men and God" that Paul talks about. You act out of the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" which is love God and love others as yourself. :)

skypair

 

[Pamelav]

Hi. I am probably unrecognizable because I signed up in here a few years ago but dont even remember if I ever posted.
Ive been getting emails so I started browsing thru these forums.
I really wanted to talk about this subject because I have been hearing alot lately the Lord saying 'preach the Word.'
So in the past I did it in round about ways, not a direct 'you know about Jesus? He died to save us from our sins to reconcile to God...' Like to strangers. Those at the checkout counter in a store, or maybe in line somewhere.
What kind of experiences do you have with this?
Why is this in the debate forum anyway.

 

[larry2]

if you have any questions, ask someone who has repented and been saved .. me.

Hi skypair, how do you know without doubt you're saved?
What did you repent of? the stop sign you treated as a rolling stop. Possibly going 1 MPH over the speed limit?
What about following all the law all your life, and being told that wasn't sufficient; sell all you have and follow Jesus? Lk 18:22.
How about law keeping (that ministration of death - 2 Cor 3:7), as the means to enter heaven? Much of Israel attempted that.

Thanks for your time in Jesus' name. :)

 

[H. Richard]

It is a fact that no one reaches out to God until they know that they sin and can not keep God's perfect laws. Isn't that repentance???

In the following isn't the tax collector repenting???

Luke 18:10-14
10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,'God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
NKJV

Isn't the tax collector repenting???

Where, in theses verses, is it said that the tax collector quit his job and never sinned again and spent his life keeping the law?????

 

[bbyrd009]

Hi. I am probably unrecognizable because I signed up in here a few years ago but dont even remember if I ever posted.
Ive been getting emails so I started browsing thru these forums.
I really wanted to talk about this subject because I have been hearing alot lately the Lord saying 'preach the Word.'
So in the past I did it in round about ways, not a direct 'you know about Jesus? He died to save us from our sins to reconcile to God...' Like to strangers. Those at the checkout counter in a store, or maybe in line somewhere.
What kind of experiences do you have with this?
Why is this in the debate forum anyway.

maybe bc there are better translations than "preach" prolly, dunno though
ntmy :)

 

[Pamelav]

I tried this and it was soooooo awkward to a complete stranger at the minimart counter.
Maybe because someone else was listening? Well, about a year ago when I took my mother to a doctor appointment, I was all alone with the receptionist and the Lord said 'talk about me' Guess what...I didnt.
I did tho feel moved in a waiting room with only one other person present also, and did talk about how much better I felt after spending time in His Word. It happened to be a catholic charity place, so I also assumed the person at least sort of believed.
She was looking quite bummed at that time.
Im not Catholic btw. Not here to debate it.

 

[bbyrd009]

I tried this and it was soooooo awkward to a complete stranger at the minimart counter.
Maybe because someone else was listening? Well, about a year ago when I took my mother to a doctor appointment, I was all alone with the receptionist and the Lord said 'talk about me' Guess what...I didnt.
I did tho feel moved in a waiting room with only one other person present also, and did talk about how much better I felt after spending time in His Word. It happened to be a catholic charity place, so I also assumed the person at least sort of believed.
She was looking quite bummed at that time.
Im not Catholic btw. Not here to debate it.

we are prompted to "preach"/proselytize rather than "proclaim" imo bc for the most part believers don't have anything good to proclaim, and the focus on "Life, more abundantly" has been completely removed now, and if one wants to "convert" others to Death, More Abundantly they def better have a good sales pitch lol.

imo proclaim your faith in every action that is witnessed, and let them come ask you why you have Life, more abundantly; there is absolutely no instruction in the Bible for you to be confronting strangers with your belief system, at least that i can find. You were uncomfortable for a good reason, not bc you are a bad person

Why is this in the debate forum anyway.

my guess is bc the op already knows he is out of line lol, and is just advertising his new oracle bidness? :)
"I mean, if you have any questions, ask someone who has repented and been saved .. me.

"

kinda gives a whole new meaning to sky"pair" huh lol

 

[Nancy]

we are prompted to "preach"/proselytize rather than "proclaim" imo bc for the most part believers don't have anything good to proclaim, and the focus on "Life, more abundantly" has been completely removed now, and if one wants to "convert" others to Death, More Abundantly they def better have a good sales pitch lol.

imo proclaim your faith in every action that is witnessed, and let them come ask you why you have Life, more abundantly; there is absolutely no instruction in the Bible for you to be confronting strangers with your belief system, at least that i can find. You were uncomfortable for a good reason, not bc you are a bad person

my guess is bc the op already knows he is out of line lol, and is just advertising his new oracle bidness? :)
"I mean, if you have any questions, ask someone who has repented and been saved .. me.

"

kinda gives a whole new meaning to sky"pair" huh lol

"imo proclaim your faith in every action that is witnessed, and let them come ask you" <--- Spot on!
1 Peter 3:15
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

 

[Pamelav]

That's what our pastor has said on several occasions, and something he puts into practice, what you are all saying, unless it is specifically Holy Spirit led.