Can a lost person repent, but still be lost? Yes! If the repentance was not related to faith, it brings no "justification of life" before God!
We can "repent" (change our thinking) about anything. I can repent about what kind of cereal I eat for breakfast this morning, but it doesn't justify me before God. As it relates to sin, I can repent of certain behaviors in my life, but that can't justify me before God. God said we are.......
"justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus". Romans 3:24
If we believe we contribute our justification through obedience, we need a "change of mind". But don't listen to me, read Romans chapters 3-5 and see what God says!
Justification requires me to first recognize God says I am completely wicked before Him no matter what change I bring in my mortal life. Any offering of obedience from mortal man is worthless before God (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10). I can change how I live, and I can become the most loving person the world has ever seen on the outside, but if my spirit has never been born of God, (regenerated in Christ) I'll still spend eternity in hell. The change needed for salvation is a spiritual change, and can only be made by God through a work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-7).
A believer is one who has forsaken any dependence on self righteousness, to trust completely in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Trusting only the sacrifice of His life as God in the flesh on the cross, being buried, and risen from the dead. Through faith in Christ, even though we are dead in sins, we are "quickened together with Him".
Ephesians 2:5
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:19-20
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
John 3:5-7
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
1 John 5:4-5
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:10-12
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
We can "repent" (change our thinking) about anything. I can repent about what kind of cereal I eat for breakfast this morning, but it doesn't justify me before God. As it relates to sin, I can repent of certain behaviors in my life, but that can't justify me before God. God said we are.......
"justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus". Romans 3:24
If we believe we contribute our justification through obedience, we need a "change of mind". But don't listen to me, read Romans chapters 3-5 and see what God says!
Justification requires me to first recognize God says I am completely wicked before Him no matter what change I bring in my mortal life. Any offering of obedience from mortal man is worthless before God (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10). I can change how I live, and I can become the most loving person the world has ever seen on the outside, but if my spirit has never been born of God, (regenerated in Christ) I'll still spend eternity in hell. The change needed for salvation is a spiritual change, and can only be made by God through a work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-7).
A believer is one who has forsaken any dependence on self righteousness, to trust completely in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Trusting only the sacrifice of His life as God in the flesh on the cross, being buried, and risen from the dead. Through faith in Christ, even though we are dead in sins, we are "quickened together with Him".
Ephesians 2:5
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:19-20
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
John 3:5-7
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
1 John 5:4-5
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:10-12
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
