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Originally posted by EcstremeVenomThe nature of true repentance is 3 fold:
if they really feel sorry, its not something you can take advantage of. you cant just say oh well god will forgive me and do w/e you want.
1) Conviction -- where sin is admitted. Man must see himself as a lost, ruined, guilty, desperately wicked sinner without hope or help, in danger of hell. In repentance, a lost sinner not only sees himself as a sinner, but he recognizes the fact that he has sinned against a righteous and holy God. The message that Paul preached was: "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). In repentance, there will be confession of sin to God (Psa. 32:5; 51:1-4).
2) Contrition -- where sin is abhorred. When one sees himself as he appears before God, he is brought to a place where there is godly sorrow for his sin and hates it altogether.
"For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin." (Psa. 38:18); "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of ..." (2 Cor. 7:10).
To hate sin is to love God. In true repentance, there is not only the desire to escape the consequences of sin, but to be rid of sin itself as a thing displeasing to God.
3) Conversion -- where sin is abandoned. Repentance involves the forsaking of sin:
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isa. 55:7); "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Prov. 28:13).
Repentance is not only a heart broken for sin, but also from sin. We must forsake what we would have God forgive.
It should be stressed that it is not enough just to turn away from sin; one must also turn to God for salvation:
"... to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins ... should repent and turn to God ..." (Acts 26:18,20).
In true repentance, there is conviction, contrition, and conversion as one turns from his sin to Christ for salvation. Salvation is deliverance of a person from his sin, not merely from a sinful environment. Jesus Christ is the Saviour from not only the penalty and punishment of sin, but also the power of sin.
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Originally posted by 7ate9I personally know crack-addicts that have brought their addictions to God and He has set them totally free.
what about someone like a crack-addict?
No addiction is greater than God's power.
John 8:36 - If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
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Originally posted by 7ate9Do you mean it is impossible for a crack-addict to be instantly 'healed' from his addiction?
well, the point is that there are many addictions which people struggle to get out of and do not receive a flash of lightning from God, so repentence is made into an ongoing repitition.
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Originally posted by 7ate9Sure. Repentance is also a daily occurrence.
as much as one would like to believe God will instantly fix up whatever in life....... it doesn't always happen. that's not where i'm coming from, as it's the repentance which is the issue here.
now, for someone caught in an addiction/places in life/etc.... repentance doesn't have the same meaning as it can be a continual repetition.
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Originally posted by 7ate9It boils down to the same thing. People in church can be enslaved by sin in the same way that an addict is enslaved by his crack.
it isn't the same for people trapped in addictions vs those in church. repentence therefore takes on a different meaning.
In both cases repentance entails the same thing.
There’s two types of repentance. “Worldly” where a person is sorry for the consequences of what they did. Esau sought repentance for selling his birthright but to no avail. He changed his mind about his decision, but it was too late; he couldn’t get it back. He didn’t change his ways and turn to God; he was just sorry for the consequences of his actions.
Then there is “Godly” sorrow that leads to repentance that brings salvation. I realize I have sinned against God and accept His provision for my pardon through Jesus Christ. Not only am sorry for my sin but am willing to change my life style. Then, if I do sin, I am convicted of it in my heart and will ask God to forgive me. This does not necessarily mean there won’t be some consequences, but I will be forgiven.
Watering down the Gospel is not the answer. Jesus said it’s a straight and narrow way and few would find it. For many, like in the parable of the sower, they will embrace the Gospel for a while, but when trouble or temptation comes, they will abandon their faith. Other will remain steadfast. Any Christian should be exhibiting some Christ-like qualities in their life and be trying to live soberly, righteously and Godly life styles.
My wife once told me I have a lot of the mannerisms & personality traits of my dad. Shouldn’t I have some of the same traits as my Heavenly Father?
Originally posted by dj2beckerGod to Hovind: "Render unto Ceasar, b_tch!"
At least they didn't use his tax money to teach evolution in public schools. 😀
Kind of a bummer that you'll have to cancel that trip to Dinosaur Adventure Land.
Edit: For all interested, wiki is doing a good job of keeping up on the court records and press releases concerning Hovind's delinquency. Just go to wiki's entry for "Kent Hovind" and scroll to the bottom.