Repentance and Salvation
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This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man then this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
How about you? Do you know this love? Do you know Jesus? Many people today claim to be Christians, but Jesus said, "many will say unto Me, Lord! Lord! and I will say to them I never knew you."
What frightening words that will be, however no one needs to hear those words if they have done what the scripture teaches we need to do to be saved.
The bible says that we need to have repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are both required for salvation, but what are they?
First the word that we call repent simply means a change of mind. The bible says that we must repent towards God. So to repent we must change our minds about God or towards God. Every person who is not saved has not turned to God, His way. Some do not want anything to do with God at all and some want God, but they want Him their way. Others are indifferent to Him. They do not hate Him or love Him. So to repent means that we turn from our way and turn to God His way. This happens when we come to understand that God is angry with us over our sin, but He is willing to forgive us IF we will turn to Him. At repentance we are in spirit (from the heart) saying that we now want God in our life as He decides He should be. Many people believe in God and Jesus, but they have never surrendered to Him. This only can happen when we are at the point that is described in 2 Corinthians 7:10 which reads; 10For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Then we are ready to hear the Gospel and come to faith which is the only way to be saved. Ephesians 2:8-9. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
The Gospel or good news is that God has provided a way for sinful people to be saved. The bible teaches that all people are sinners and have come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:10-18. God being just MUST punish sin, but, God being rich in mercy has provided for us a way to get right with Him and that is through His Son Jesus Christ who died for our sin and paid the price for us so we can go to heaven one day. If we will come to faith in Jesus we will be saved.
Faith is not simply believing the facts. True saving faith is more then just believing what is true. Biblical faith is committing to what we believe. For instance someone may say that they believe in Hitler. They may mean that they believe he was real without any desire to follow in what he stood for, or that they believe in what he stood for and follow all his teachings. The later is an example of biblical faith. When we come to the point that we are inwardly ready to follow God, He says all authority has been given to My Son. Hear Ye Him. In other words we turn to God by putting our faith in Christ Jesus to obey all He says. In Jeremiah 29:13 it reads like this; " 13And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
So we repent when we decide to turn to God. God then points us to His Son, Jesus Christ, and we come to faith when we put our trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Jesus said, " no man comes unto the Father, except by Me." Turning to Him alone is the only way for men to get to heaven, for there is no other name given to men by which they must be saved. So how about you? Will you believe?
When we close our eyes for that final time we need to be sure we can say what another has said;
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also who love His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
The Spirit and the Bride say COME!
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