Christians only: Repentence

[Katzpur]

Repentance is only something you do once because it is admitting that you deserve hell. How can you do that more than once?

Given the fact that no two people will state a belief in exactly the same way, please choose the option that best represents your belief concerning repentance. Then explain your response.

Vote "I agree" if you believe, as tomspug does, that if you "treat repentance as something that you must do over and over again, then Christ died FOR NO GOOD REASON AT ALL!"

Vote "I disagree" if you believe that you must continue to repent whenever you have sinned, even if you have already "been saved."

 

[tomspug]

Katzpur, did you start this thread so that you didn't have to address my points in the topic: "Christian: Do you deserve to go to heaven?"? We were kind of in the middle of this very discussion...

How about you change it to the CORRECT version:

I Agree: I believe in the teachings of Jesus and Paul.

I Disagree: Katzpur is confused because he didn't want to bother with my argument on the other topic page.

 

[Katzpur]

Katzpur, did you start this thread so that you didn't have to address my points in the topic: "Christian: Do you deserve to go to heaven?"? We were kind of in the middle of this very discussion...

I started this thread because I wanted to poll the members of RF on this topic and obviously couldn't add a poll to someone else's thread? Okay? Jeesh! I fully intend to address your points in the other thread, so calm down and have a little patience.

How about you change it to the CORRECT version:

I Agree: I believe in the teachings of Jesus and Paul.

I Disagree: Katzpur is confused because he didn't want to bother with my argument on the other topic page.

I quoted you verbatim, tomspug. Why should I change anything? I am not confused in the slightest. I just wanted to see how many people agree with you, since you seem to believe more of them interpret the scriptures the way you do than the way I do. I'll get to your argument when I get to your argument, so don't jump to conclusions about my intentions. By the way, I'm not a tomcat. I'm a sweet little female kitty cat with long, sharp claws.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Anyone ever say the prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep"?

 

[Katzpur]

Anyone ever say the prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep"?

Uh..

Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Okay, so what am I missing? Other than your vote, I mean.

 

[DallasApple]

I dont realy know the Katpur and Tom debate...

But I voted I disagree...

Once I take the Lord in my heart. And from then on I confess and repent as needed..

Otherwise why would I need the Lord at all??...Im free sailing..

Please Lord I beileive you and forgive me for all my sins past present and future ...GOODBYE see ya in Heaven...

Sorry...Not for me...

God wants a relationship with us..Similar to how we want realtionships with other people..Just so happens He is divine...So we are always in a submissive position..

But that is good...We can only serve to grow that way...

Being a faithful servant is an admirable aspiration....


Jesus Himself washed the feet of his disciples...

Blessings

Dallas

 

[ChristineES]

You have to only accept Christ once, but you need to be sorry for your sins as you do them. But it's not as if you are going to lose your salvation if you don't. I would wonder, however, about someone who sins and is not sorry about it and calls him/herself a Christian.

 

[Katzpur]

I would wonder, however, about someone who sins and it is not sorry about it and calls him/herself a Christian.

I would wonder about such a person, too. I don't believe it's my place to tell anyone who calls himself a Christian that he isn't. On the other hand, Jesus did say that there was a way that people would be able to recognize His disciples and that was by the love they showed to one another. Since none of us is perfect, and since none of us magically stops sinning once we come to the realization that Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to be forgiven of both past and future sins, it seems to me that remorse for wrong-doings of any kind is important for any Christian. If I were to sin ten times between now and the time I die, I should repent ten times. If I were to sin a thousand times between now and the time I die, I should repent a thousand times. If I don't, my profession of faith in Christ is essentially meaningless.

 

[Vasilisa Jade]

i voted disagree. I definately agree with katzpur, Dallas, and Christine. If everyone who had the desire could become a Saint, shutting out the world cold turkey, that would be marvelous. Unfortunately, most still get distracted from our path to Heavenly Father. One might move past the last wrong they committed, but a different wrong at best will inevitably be committed agian. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to grow and become stronger. That is why repentance must be done repeatedly, because strengthening ones spirituality is a life-long learning process.

i always looked at the sacrifice Jesus made as making our sins able to be repented for... period. If nothing else, even if we did need only to repent once, repeated repentance would strengthen one's relstionship with Jesus IMHO just because it would be humbling.....& make you pray more than usual.

 

[Mr. Peanut]

Well, I disagree, in a sense...The Bible never tells us to, "repent of our sins", to be saved. It does say to repent toward faith toward Jesus Christ, to change from unbelief to belief in him. And that particular kind of repentance is a one time act.

Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ...repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Acts 20:21, Hebrews 6:1b

After we are saved we repent daily of sinful attitudes, behaviour, etc. as the Spirit leads us, not to obtain or maintain salvation, but to grow in grace. Once we have believed, God treats us as his adopted sons and corrects those he loves--us. This is where repentance of sin comes in, not at all to add to what Christ did for our salvation, but to help us grow. When we did repent to faith toward Christ for salvation, we also changed our mind about sin as we admitted we were sinners in need of a Saviour and trusted Christ.

The formula is: trust Christ for salvation, obey him for growth, not, stop sinning, then trust Christ. After one trusts Christ, comes just as they are, one will develop a new attitude toward sin, although they will still sin. This is a process known as sanctification. When we trusted Christ, we were justified. Now that our sins were all (past, present and future) paid for by Christ, God looks at us "just-as-if-I'd" never sinned, and God looks not at our useless "dead works of righteousness", this so-called "repenting of our sins", but at Christ's work of righteousness for us. Sanctification is where daily repenting of sin occurs. While it is correct to say because of our belief in Christ we were sanctified, our spirit was made alive, separated to God, sanctification is also an ongoing process as our body and soul begin to be conformed to the image of Christ. This is where the "chastisement of sons", the correction and leading of the Holy Spirit comes in to help us grow in grace. "in grace" means we are saved, adopted children of God. Like a newborn baby, we are "in the family" forever. Now we are growing up! Those who mature fastest repent more.

 

[Mr. Peanut]

You have to only accept Christ once, but you need to be sorry for your sins as you do them. But it's not as if you are going to lose your salvation if you don't...

Very well and simply put (what I was saying in a lengthy way above. It is two different kinds of repentance, first is matanoeo, second is matanoya. (see other thread for in-depth definitions)

 

[Sola'lor]

Repentance is a proccess. It's not something you can complete. Another word for repentance is change. We need to be constantly changing ourselves from our sinful actions. Since we cannot ever reach a point in this life where we are free from sin we must constantly repent.

 

[sojourner]

I couldn't vote -- my option wasn't included. I think one should do whatever points one toward God and deepends one's relationship with God. I don't think there's a "right" or "wrong" way to repent.

 

[tomspug]

Repentance is a proccess. It's not something you can complete. Another word for repentance is change. We need to be constantly changing ourselves from our sinful actions. Since we cannot ever reach a point in this life where we are free from sin we must constantly repent.

Do you have a Biblical passage that confirms this?

 

[Captain Civic]

If you repent once in your life, then do something wrong, do you not ask for forgiveness? That seems totally backwards to me. Believing that saying "Lord, forgive me of my sins and my future sins" and thinking that, although it may keep you in eternal salvation, what makes you think that it is right in regards to sin on Earth?

Do you not apologise when you do something wrong? If I lie to a friend, I ask for forgiveness. If I do it again, I don't need to, because I already got forgiveness for a previous act, but not this one. That's really obtuse thought.

 

[Mister Emu]

...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

...let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

I disagree with the idea that you repent once and only once... you should repent of every sin...

 

[tomspug]

I don't disagree with you. However, do you believe SALVATION requires you to repent constantly? That is the question that should be on this poll.

 

[ChristineES]

I don't disagree with you. However, do you believe SALVATION requires you to repent constantly? That is the question that should be on this poll.

Great question, too. I am a OSAS Christian, so I believe that you only have to be saved once. If you are truly saved, then you will always be sorry over every sin because God convicts those he loves. (No, I am not saying that God only loves those who are saved so no comments, )

 

[Quiddity]

Great question, too. I am a OSAS Christian, so I believe that you only have to be saved once. If you are truly saved, then you will always be sorry over every sin because God convicts those he loves. (No, I am not saying that God only loves those who are saved so no comments, )

Or......you can doubt your conversion because of certain things you've done in your life and be re-born again......and again......and again.

 

[Quiddity]

I couldn't vote -- my option wasn't included. I think one should do whatever points one toward God and deepends one's relationship with God. I don't think there's a "right" or "wrong" way to repent.

What about not repenting? How exactly does that get you closer to God?

Of course we should all do things that get us closer to God, but that assumes there are things that don't get you closer to God.