"Unto Repentance" and "Unto Salvation"

The phrase John the Baptist used is, “unto repentance” and you only see this phrase show up one other place in the word of God and it is dealing directly with a Jew living in a future tribulation which is followed by a Kingdom reign that has the Lord Jesus Christ reigning a thousand years on Earth, with Israel as the apple of his eye.

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.  Hebrews 6:6 

It is vital to note that Paul never used the phrase “unto repentance”.  It’s always “unto salvation” with him!  These defining and separating phrase, “unto repentance and “unto salvation” are important to noticing the distinction. Here are some examples of “unto salvation”.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:16

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:5

It is simply not the same message or associated with the same gospel.  Paul’s gospel and the gospel preached in the Gospels are just as separate as the law and grace, though both are concerning Christ. The gospel preached in the gospels was a gospel of repentance.  It was unto repentance.  The one that Believers preach is the gospel of grace, the one that Paul taught the collective Christian body of his day.

Repent or Die!

Before I get started on this hot button issue among Baptist preachers, teachers and theologians, let me say 2 things to establish somethings.  One, as respectfully as I can say it, I don’t care what C.H. Spurgeon or any other Church fore father said on this issue about repentance being essential or necessary for salvation. He ain’t the Pope man! 

I don’t know him.  He is not my friend, nor any other dead men from his era.  I have no loyalty to him, so I don’t hang my hat on what he or any other man say.  He is not my church father on this issue of repentance and neither are you pastors out there preaching it to strongly! You men can take the great Baptist positional quotes you use to bolster your positions all you want.  The matter is, “What saith the Lord?” We will look closely at it.

Secondly, No man living today should be acting or mimicking any way shape or form actions or even messages of Ezekiel, John the Baptist, or in some cases, Jesus Christ himself.  Yes, even Jesus.  Some of you don’t believe that. No man alive today standing behind any pulpit or on a street corner should be preaching like the prophets or focusing on certain things that the prophets focused on. 

This repentance theology, that has creeped in, is also bordering on the edge of a heresy, called “sinless perfection”.  Say a man repents of all their sins believing in the Lord as a preacher would tell them and as many preach but then what happens when they return to their sins?  

Now some would say here, “Oh, you know what we mean, and we don’t really believe that they need to repent of ALL their sins…”.  Then cut it out and quit saying it.  Quit preaching it so incessantly. If you have to defend your position constantly, it may not be attacks from the brethren, it may be God trying to show you something.  This repentance position is weak.

Quit trying to fool yourself and your people into thinking you have some mystical, mythical higher calling then them to tell the world and the people around you to repent of all their transgressions and abominations.  

The Manner of Paul, his Gospel and his Preaching

Acts 28:25:31 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, (Paul being an ambassador, inviting and receiving people into his home, preaching those things which concern Jesus Christ.)

31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Much has been said about Paul the Apostle. Paul has been pigeonholed by many.  Made to something he wasn’t.  We must make sure our assumptions of Paul are accurate and biblical.  Paul is so important to the body of Christ, as far as his example, and his letters.  “Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ”.  Paul didn’t say this to tell us to imitate what we see in Christ.  We are a peculiar people, yes.  Paul, and the Apostleship was a spectacle in his ministry (I Corinthians 4:9) not us.  

He followed Christ, but never imitated Christ.  He believed the prophets concerning Christ but never imitated them.  Paul was brash and hard in his own way, but you do not see unnecessary disrespect, or judgmental condescending as men claim to find in Paul.  Men do not realize, that Paul’s manner is directly contrary to this spirit we see today among many Fundamentalist of the baser sort.  Men think this way of Paul to have reason and excuse to be vitriolic and angry preachers.

Judging a Unrighteous Judgment

You may have seen some street preaching men with signs that say;

REPENT, Fornicators, Homosexuals, Liars, Thieves, Masturbators, Obama Voters, Buddhist, Dirty Dancers, Hindus, Gangster Rappers, Muslims, Drunkards, Feminists, Immodest Women, Democrats, Liberals, Evolutionists, Atheist, Potheads, Sodomites,

HELL AWAITS YOU!

I think they about covered everyone! Needless to say, it is evident our public ministries are not bringing in the public! Now, in regards to the above sign, Hell only awaits those who have rejected Jesus Christ and his blood atonement!  

People read these few “lists” in the Bible of groups of people that aren’t allowed in the Kingdom of Heaven without realizing that NO sin will pass over that eternal veil.  It’s why we must be born again.  That’s what this and other passages are simply saying.  Heaven is a Holy place with a Holy God.  Sin will not enter in because we will have glorified bodies, like Christ, when we reside in glory.  Dolts!

Reproving and Rebuking as it Relates to our Conduct in Ministry

This may shock some, but here goes, I believe not everyone you come in contact with must hear the word preached!  You gasp at this! Chalk it up how you like.  

I also believe in answering questions instead of parading biblical superiority.  I believe in “a door of utterance”, not knocking on 500 doors.  

I believe in the holy Spirit’s guidance and leading.  You just can’t understand how someone could say such a thing.  Many public ministries are simply effective only in doing something offending people.  

And they know it, and brag about it even and purposefully attempt to do it.  They think they are doing God a great service!  Our public ministry should be our examples in public, not something we do on Saturdays in front of the Gay bar!  

Public ministry is about planting and watering.  But today, it is loud angry men with bullhorns and enough scripture banners and signs to cause traffic impediment at busy intersections.

This is not effective fishing of men, or being ambassadors of Christ nor does it typify what we see from the practice of seed planting and bearing.  

We don’t preach at our plants, and fruits for not blossoming.  “Grow stupid plant”.  “Repent of your  stubbornness you filthy weed!”  We give them “nourishment”, water, sun light, time, care, patience, longsuffering, and tender care.

Don’t be ignorant of Satan’s devices. We preach against “time saving” technology but we use their same core production valued principles we preach against in public ministry. Our “Over Efficiency” in our evangelism has given way to irresponsible behavior with the word of God. 

Paul’s Wisdom on Offense and Offending.

Unintentional most times, our Christian leaders, whether pastors, evangelist, and missionaries, place a emphasis on these types of works as evidence of fruits of salvation or fruits of “I am living for God”.  

Paul tells us to bring forth fruits of repentance.  Repentance is NOT salvation.  The fruit we bring forth is because of our repentance! We  absolutely should bring forth works that meet it’s expectations.  

Our works should meet the demand of our repentance.  The love of Christ, not our repentance, should constrain us to witness and to be a testimony of the gospel.  It should be natural to us.  There is a big emphasis on should here.  The Bible uses this terminology as well.

The Lord is not willing that any SHOULD perish, but that all SHOULD come to repentance.  

Now with this in our minds what about offense?  Paul brought offense as Christ did.  Jesus Christ himself was the offense!  But Paul did not seek out occasion to offend or mock. That is the difference today between the public ministry of these great men of character from the Bible in contrast to the bully pulpit baboons we see today.