Repentance

Satan is hard at work making the Gospel more difficult than it has to be, keeping people lost, and keeping saved people from resting in the finished work of the Cross. I would like to shed some light on his lies.

Repentance:

How can I know that I repented enough?

Scriptures speak of repentance being a necessary aspect of salvation. Once I am saved, how can I be sure I will not be one to whom Christ says, 'I never knew you, depart from me...'?

How can I be sure that I have repented enough?

The answer is simple, as is the majority of the Gospel. The problem with this approach is that I am assuming there is something for me to 'do' when repenting. Religious people, such as our Catholic friends, will tell us that we must feel sorry for our sins and continually repent and forsake them or we are in danger of losing our salvation.

This was a heavy burden for me when I was first converted. I went around trying to conjure up sorrow for my sin, and when that didn't work, feeling sorry that I wasn't sorry. It was ridiculous and I was making repentance into a work.

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Repentance is a 'turn toward God.' It is nothing more. The object of my turn is more important than the turn. the sincerity of my turn is second to simply turning. I cannot rest in wholeheartedness to turn, I just need to turn.

Act 26:20 But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Turning toward God always results in a turn from sin, but the focus of the turn is always God-ward, not away from sin. I do not get saved by stopping my sin. I cannot stay saved by not sinning. I must simply turn to God.

Repentance is also a turn from unbelief. I must repent of dead works, repent of false God's, repent of self-righteousness.

Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Repentance and belief are two sides of the same act, one stated negatively (stop believing in false systems, Gods for salvation etc) and one stated positively (start believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.)

The Gospel of Christ is simple, turn to God for that which I could never earn, deserve, or work through. Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief. The salvation that God offers all of humanity through the Blood of Christ is so simple it is a stumblingblock to the religious, those that would rather do it their own way. It is foolishness to the wise, who see Christ and His people as fools believing fables.

1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness

Don't let satan tell you there is work left to be done. If you are in a church that says there is, leave.

Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said,It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Thank Christ for doing what you could never do. Then live your life out of love for the God who became man to save you and me.