Nov. 2024 start, edited March 2025
As a new believer in Christ myself, I assumed that what I was being taught was the truth. It took me a few years to discover that was not the case, despite the good intentions of my teachers. I had to reject much of what I was taught as a new believer in Christ. It was very hard for me, and I was defensive about learning the truth that was new to me. Why is it so hard to get those who profess faith in Christ to consider a new, to them, Biblically based interpretation of scripture? These are some of the reasons why “Christians” are often unteachable.
- As I mentioned, the spirit of a new believer is eager to be taught and is very receptive to what they are being told. They are not prone to question the religious authority of any kind. This pliable spirit is open to things that, on reflection, they might actually reject. Even if what they are being taught makes no sense, they assume it is because of some personal flaw, not a problem with the information being presented.
- False doctrine often has biblical proof texts that appear to support the false doctrine. A new believer is generally unfamiliar with the Bible and has a deep trust in those who teach them, especially if biblical proof texts are used to support false doctrine.
- Once a new believer is confirmed in a belief, it is almost impossible to change that belief. Most Christians become unteachable. I am a case in point. It was nearly harder for me to give up the false teaching I was taught as a new believer than to get right with God in the first place. What a battle that was. Only God the Holy Spirit can overturn these religious prejudices. In this way, false teaching persists from one generation to the next.
- Sometimes false doctrine persists only because it has persisted for such a long time. There is a feeling of safety in numbers. No one likes to stand alone. Peer pressure is a significant power that keeps false doctrine alive. For example, for how many centuries did the church cling to the falsehood that the Earth was the center of the universe, not the sun?
- Christian leaders and ministers perpetuate ignorance and error among Christians. In this way, they maintain their position by making people believe they must come to them to understand the Word of God. How many prideful ministers think that because of their education, they know more than laypeople? They become unteachable, too. How many Pharisees in Jesus’ day were teachable?
- God allows false doctrine to persist for as long as men cherish it more than they do the Word of God. Our unbelief perpetuates false doctrine. For example, Martin Luther finally had enough of the false teaching from the Catholic Church, and he spoke out against practices and beliefs that were centuries old and unbiblical.
We are about to engage in a discussion about false teaching that is very common in the evangelical church today. I pray that you will consider the following arguments. I am open to better proof and evidence, if you think I am mistaken. See Appendix 1 for my article titled, Unteachable. I have found that very few Christians are open to learning. How about you? Silly me, I thought being teachable was a prerequisite for life with Christ.
Introduction
Of all the necessary and interesting subjects in Christianity, it is my opinion that none is more critical than the subject of repentance. I do not believe that any other truth is more important, relevant, misunderstood, and controversial today in evangelical Christianity. And there are many controversial subjects to pick from! Have you ever wondered why today’s Christianity and most professing evangelical Christians are not believable, not trustworthy, and so hypocritical? Why is it that our churches are filled with members who have such little power to impact their own families, let alone reverse the moral decline of this nation? I wonder why the numerous expressions of Christianity dominant today are not taken very seriously. Why does the typical large church service look and sound like a concert or an amusement venue? Why is it that many small churches are as ineffective as the big churches in reversing our moral decline? How can so many professing Christians deny the truth of God while proclaiming their fidelity to the Word at the same time? How is it that even “Christians” are calling evil good and good evil? What explanation do we have for this ongoing apostasy of an essential doctrine of the faith? And how is all this to be understood? The answer is not that obscure, but is controversial and, as a result, divisive.
In the first chapters of the book of Genesis, we find the true story of how sin and death entered the world that God created. The Bible informs us that men and women were made in the image and likeness of God Almighty. Adam and Eve were given many trees from which they could eat. God forbid the eating of only one tree. God told them that the day they ate of that one tree, they would die. In other words, God said to them that the day they sin against God, they will die.
The subtle (cunning, wily, insidious) serpent created doubt in Eve’s mind about why God would require such a thing, insinuating that God could not be trusted and didn’t really care about her. Then the serpent followed up with a flat-out lie and told Eve that the day she ate of the forbidden fruit, she would not die. God lied to her. The serpent convinced Eve that sin would not bring forth death the day you commit it. Eve succumbed to her fleshly appetite and to the lies of the enemy who pretended to be her friend. Adam followed suit. Their lack of trust, faith, and confidence in God brought sin, which brought death into the world.
The gospel is the story of God’s redemptive plan for sinners. Are we to believe that this redemption is limited only to the salvation from the guilt and damnation of sin? Or are we to understand gospel salvation more broadly, and that salvation is not primarily from the condemnation of sin but from our commission of sin? After all, it was the act of sin that brought guilt, damnation, and death into the world. The purpose of this article is to validate the proposition that the Bible’s gospel of salvation is to be understood more broadly, but with the emphasis on salvation from sinning primarily and only secondarily on the forgiveness of guilt and damnation. This is the missing link today, and it explains much about the weakness of the Evangelical Church in America and around the world. The history of mankind is this story. Humanity in general, and evangelical Christians in particular, has continued to believe the serpent’s lie, that the day you sin against God, you will not die. Shockingly, the Christian church and more specifically the evangelical Church in America almost universally peddles this same lie of the serpent. I am going to provide the receipts, as we say today, for that claim.
The American Evangelical “gospel” sold today is a gospel of salvation-in-sin, that only deals with the guilt and damnation of sin. It is not the gospel of salvation from sin that breaks the power of sin in our lives.One word makes all the difference. Salvation in sin is the opposite of salvation from sin. Most churches are filled with those who have never been born again to begin with, or those genuine believers who have drifted away from the truth and are backslidden. Why is that? One main reason is that repentance from sin has been removed from the equation of salvation. Most Evangelical churches, if they even mention repentance from sin, dilute the meaning of repentance to make it mean next to nothing. As a result, our evangelical churches are filled with;
- Christian drunkards and drug addicts,
- Christian liars and slanderers,
- Christian adulterers,
- Christian fornicators,
- Christian thieves,
- Christian idolaters,
- Christian gossipers,
- Christian murderers,
- Christians who are covetous,
- Christian homosexuals, pedophiles, and so on.
There is basically little to no difference between a “Christian” and the godless masses at large. A gospel, without repentance from sin, is a contradiction and is weak and powerless. All it offers is a false hope, false security, and a superficial healing at best. The sad news is that you will have no problem finding many such churches in your community. And you will have a very hard time finding an Evangelical Christian church, or any Christian Church, that is actually faithful to the Word of God and is filled with Christians who are literally righteous and holy in their daily lives. These few saints (praise God for them) refuse to be deceived by the serpent’s message, which claims that sin doesn’t bring death. Why is it that most Evangelical churches are pushing the serpent’s lie?
The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth the following: “Know ye not that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, KJV, emphasis added. In evangelical Christianity today, our pastors and theologians still do not know this truth and teach the exact opposite of it. They teach that all these unrighteous “Christian” sinners that Paul mentioned are saved and are going to inherit the kingdom of God in direct and explicit contradiction to Paul, who says they are not. Isn’t that remarkable? How could anything be more obvious? Who are you going to believe? Your eternal future hangs in the balance.
To underscore his point, Paul states the following in verse 11 of this chapter. “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the LORD Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” KJV, emphasis added. If words mean anything at all, then Paul is saying that these Christians were unrighteous (sinners) and not that they are still unrighteous. Paul declares that those who will inherit the kingdom are no longer sinning and no longer unrighteous as they once were. Is there any other honest way to interpret this passage? I do not believe it. The same message is in many passages and books of the Bible. Refer to the books of Galatians, chapter 5; Ephesians, chapter 5; Romans, chapters 6 and 8; 1 John, chapters 3 and 5, among others, which convey the same message. Consider all these passages as evidence (the receipts) of my proposition regarding the meaning and critical importance of repentance.
Imagine, for a moment, what the impact on our culture would be if Christians were actually righteous, honest, and godly people. What we now have are churches filled with ‘religious’ people who claim to be Christian but are as unrighteous and as wicked as the rest of our ungodly society. These so-called Christians are committing the very same sins as the rest, but trying to convince the world and themselves that they are children of God. They pretend to love and know God, even though they live like children of the devil. What would happen if Christians actually made restitution for everything that they have stolen from others instead of trying to claim exemption from this duty? What if Christians were the most honest, had unblemished integrity, were trustworthy, kind, compassionate, faithful, loving, and holy people the world has ever seen? Would this not immediately convert a significant portion of the world? In other words, doesn’t repentance from sin (which is loving God and your neighbor) belong in the gospel of the God-Man, Jesus Christ? Paul, John, Peter, Jesus, and the uniform testimony of the prophets all taught repentance from sin. If this is true, which it is, then why do so few preach it?
“To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent (from their sins), turn to God (in faith), and do works befitting repentance (righteousness and holiness).” Acts 26:18-20, emphasis added.
What do you make of this passage of scripture? I trust you see that Paul was obedient to the heavenly vision he had received. That vision compelled him to reach out to the Jews and Gentiles alike “that they should repent, turn to God and do works befitting repentance.” Paul’s heavenly vision was one of true repentance from sin and faith in God, resulting in works of righteousness, rather than ongoing sinfulness. Paul’s vision was to “turn them from darkness to light and the power of Satan to God”. Their faith and repentance in God and Jesus Christ must be substantiated or proven by their deeds or fruit. Talk is cheap. Some “Christians” show their faith without the works/deeds of righteousness, and it reveals their profession is false. Other Christians demonstrate their true faith through their good and righteous deeds, as seen in the book of James 2:3. The only concrete test to determine who is and who is not a Christian is that their lives are transformed from darkness (sinning) to light (righteousness). Is that not what Paul is saying? Of course it is. And that is the message we should expect to hear from a holy God, is it not? And such were some of you, not such are some of you! What good is a religion that doesn’t change wicked people into good people? What good is a religion that doesn’t literally turn sinners into saints?
The following is a table of contents to help understand the true biblical definition and role of repentance in salvation. This article is Part 1 of a series and includes an introduction and the first issue or Part 1, which is to be considered now. It is titled The Heart of the Matter. Future articles will look at some or all of the following subjects:
- The Heart of the Matter. – Part 1
- Ability and Willingness. – Part 2
- The Root Cause (s). – Part 3
- Repentance Without Repentance, (ceasing to sin without ceasing to sin). – Part 4
- What Is Sin? – Part 5
- When Does The Sin Stop? – Part 6
- Death Of Repentance. – Part 7
- Repentance As A Change Of Mind Only. – Part 8
- An Opportunity That Won’t Last. – Part 9
- Early Christians Preached Repentance and Faith Validated By Deeds. – Part 10
- Repentance And Its Nature. – Part 11
- Repentance And Faith. – Part 12
- Justified And Saved In The Very Act Of Sin. – Part 13
- Will You Repent? – Part 14
The Heart of the Matter
Part 1
At a superficial level, to turn from darkness to light sounds very appealing. It does, until the cost is taken into consideration. Who wants to live and walk in darkness? The thought of walking in darkness is not at all attractive until one considers the cost of walking in the light. God has given us the choice of walking in the light or darkness. We must choose wisely because our eternal destiny hangs in the balance. But does turning from darkness to light mean that we must cease from sin, which is darkness? Or does it simply mean that we make a confession of our sins and a profession of faith in Christ while we still live in the darkness of continual sin?
In other words, “Does a person have to stop sinning to ‘receive’ Jesus Christ as their savior?” This is the question that has opened the floodgates to the very heart of Satan’s deception, sweeping the present-day church. The Doctrine of Repentance from sin-darkness and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ is a fundamental issue of both testaments. It is where initial salvation begins in the human soul, and regeneration works to bring man out from under the corrupting influence of sin and the darkness of Satan’s empire. Inoperative repentance (much like dead faith) renders salvation impossible. It also creates a false gospel where people can be pronounced and imputed to be righteous (walking in the light) while they remain sinful (walking in darkness). Can a genuine Christian live a life of light and righteousness and at the same time live in the darkness of sin? Most Christians say yes! What do you think?
It is very popular to talk about the perfect white robe of the righteousness of Christ being ours by imputation. Deceived and deceiving teachers tell Christians that when they sin, God doesn’t see their sin but the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ. Christians are told that the white robe of Christ’s righteousness covers our filthy rags of sin. I don’t know how many times I have heard or read that. I have lost count. How about you? Sometimes this is referred to as the position and practice or the standing and state theology. Our “standing” in heaven by imputation is the perfect sinlessness of Jesus Christ, even while the Christian’s actual “state” on earthis one of “a sinning believer”. This false idea casts its dark shadow over the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that “no one is turned away from their wickedness.” That phrase is from the prophet Jeremiah regarding the false pastors alive at the time and what they did not do. They did not turn the people from their sins, but actually told them not to worry about it. These false pastors told the Jews that they were safe and secure in their ongoing rebellion against God. And that is the heart of the matter.
“But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from his wickedness,” Jeremiah 23:14, emphasis added. In the prophet’s time, God sent Jeremiah to rebuke the nation of Israel, especially the false prophets, who gave the Jews a false and deceptive assurance of their salvation while in the present commission of sin. Things have not changed much over the centuries. False prophets, pastors, and teachers are doing the same thing today by preaching a gospel of salvation in the present commission of sin, not from sin. Isn’t that obvious? Satan’s words to Adam and Eve still sound forth today in evangelical churches around this nation: “You will not die the day you disobey God”. Is that not precisely what the serpent said to Eve? Of course it is. How few “Christians” actually believe it.
In the book of Jeremiah, we also have this word: “Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.” Jeremiah 12:10. Why is it so hard for most Christians to believe that the same thing is happening today? Many pastors, including evangelical pastors, are destroying God’s church/vineyard.
“Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the LORD said unto me, the prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore, thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, sword and famine shall not be in this land; by sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.” Jeremiah 14:13-17.
The true prophet of God will always expose the sins and false beliefs of the people of God, which are the foundation of their unrepentant sins. The true prophet will always confront them with the necessity and urgency of repentance. If they refuse to repent, God says, “For I will pour their wickedness upon them.” False pastors and prophets always offer sinning children of God a false belief in their security before God. They may not recognize it, but they actually believe God is partial (to them) even though God says He is impartial to all. This is one reason why there is no fear of God in Western Christianity.
The Jews had their version of what we call today Eternal Security or Once Saved, Always Saved. Jeremiah told the Jews that God did not send these lying pastors and prophets. Nor did God call them. Jeremiah warned them not to believe their false assurances of salvation in the present commission of sin. It will ultimately lead to their destruction. Jeremiah told the Jews that the false prophets, who said to them that they were safe in their sins because they were of the line of Abraham their father and because God put His name on the temple in Jerusalem; that they would not die or go into Babylonian exile and the temple would never be destroyed. The destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC was horrific. Satan’s lie from Eden, “You will not die when you sin,” echoes from the garden, to the destruction of northern and southern Israel, down to today. The same lie continues to live because of the unfaithful pastors who are destroying God’s vineyard with false teaching. Is it possible that our pastors have misled us? Jews in Jeremiah’s day didn’t believe it, because they did not want to repent of their sins. Is it really any different today?
A now-deceased YouTuber, Mike DeSario of Holding Firmly, conducted a pastoral survey asking the question, “Does a person need to stop sinning to become a Christian?” He reported that the overwhelming response to this question, from a cross-section of mainstream churches and pastors (around 250 responses), had been a resounding ‘NO’. “No, you do not have to stop sinning to ‘receive Jesus as Savior.’ To the contrary, almost everyone surveyed argued in favor of ongoing sin in the life of a believer, and not for habitual righteousness (or proper conduct) after salvation. Most all these pastors and teachers argued in favor of ongoing sinfulness in the Christian’s life. In other words, these blind guides believe that Satan was telling the truth, that all Christians live and walk in darkness and light at the same time, and that they will not die because of it.
I want to acknowledge the work of Mike DeSario. He is no longer with us except through his articles and videos. He intentionally did not copyright his material so that it might be freely shared with others. The outline and content of these articles follow his various messages on repentance. I have added my thoughts to his and edited much of his work, in writing all of these articles. But I want to acknowledge his work and express my gratitude to God for people like Mike. Praise God that there are Christian people who actually live like godly people, who know the truth and are not afraid to share it.
The pastors who responded to Mike seem to believe, contrary to scripture:
- that Christians can serve two masters at the same time,
- that Christians can walk in darkness and light at the same time,
- that a good tree can produce bad fruit and that a bad tree can produce good fruit,
- that Christians can’t know a tree by its fruit,
- that a fountain can send forth pure, sweet water and salty, bitter water,
- that Christians can be unequally yoked,
- that Christians can save their life even if they refuse to lose their life for Christ,
- that Christians do not have to deny themselves, or take up their cross,
- that Christians do not reap what they sow,
- that Christians are not required to be holy in actual literal practice,
- that Christians can forget their first love,
- that Christians can have a name that they are alive even when they are not,
- that Christians can be lukewarm and cold,
- that Christians do not need to be hot,
- that Christians only need to confess their sin to be saved, not forsake sin. I could go on, but I think you get the drift.
Those evangelical pastors, who responded to the survey, boldly proclaimed that lifelong sinning for the Christian was the foregone conclusion. And if that is true, then it must also be true, as Satan declared, that we will not die the day we sin against God, because good Christians never stop sinning against God. Is this not the heart of the matter? And this sickening pastoral response was from those who claim to be born-again, Bible believing, Spirit-filled, evangelical Christians. Imagine that. If evangelicals are so deceived, our churches and our culture are in serious trouble. Let us examine the ramifications of this shallow and false theology. Sin separates man from God just as it did in the garden. You might think (or vainly hope) that the most natural response from a Christian leader would be regarding how necessary and vital repentance is and its meaning, and not an argument in favor of a sinful Christianity. Apparently, these faithless professional pastors do not believe in the power of the truth, the atonement, or the grace of God to save us from committing sin. They believe God will remove the guilt and damnation of our sin, even when we do not stop that sin. Confessing it is all that matters.
The survey question did not ask if a person must actually forsake sins or at least be willing to forsake sin to receive Jesus. It seems very strange that none of the responses requested clarification before responding to the question. Don’t you think that is curious? No one inquired about the specific types of sins being discussed or what was meant by stopping sin. The question revealed their true feelings on the matter, and the heart of the matter. Without question or consideration of the ramifications behind their words, they have presumed to grant permission to everyone who sits under their teaching to continue to sin as a way of life. This is an accurate assessment based on the following:
- The answers to the inquiry contained no indication of the necessity that the heart at least be willing to forsake all known sin and make amends for sin already committed. There is no proof required that repentance is proven by its fruit.
- Everyone who filled out the questionnaire seems to ‘believe’ that the ‘forsaking’ or ‘stopping’ of sin happens, if it happens at all, sometime after repentance, but never fully. Their idea is that repentance, unto salvation, is only the confession of sin. Apparently, they do not believe that forsaking sin occurs during the process of true repentance. I plan to show you that Biblical repentance includes godly sorrow for sin, confession of sin, brokenness of the will, zealousness to make amends and clear oneself of all wrongdoing, and to stop sinning (forsaking sin).
- No pastor asked any further questions concerning the matter. They merely assumed that salvation occurred by ‘receiving’ Jesus into the heart, and only then did the ‘cleaning up’ process proceed. And eventually the sinning may be reduced, but never conquered. Most of them believe that repentance from sin is not a condition of receiving God’s mercy and pardon. Can that be true? Does it make any sense at all?
Can we not all agree that a ‘willingness or a desire’ to forsake all sin is a far cry from actually forsaking it? Can we agree on that? A person could be willing to stop getting drunk and stealing, even while they continue to do both. It is only when a person stops getting drunk and stops stealing that any amends can be made, the conscience cleared, and forgiveness granted. The husband who is ‘willing’ to forsake his adultery but won’t actually break the ties to the other woman has absolutely no intention whatsoever of actually repenting of his adultery. Is that not accurate? There is no godly desire to restore his broken marriage until he stops it. No person can receive forgiveness from God (or the wife) on these terms. Since God looks on the heart, the intentions must be clear and clean. God will not grant pardon to the soul serving two masters. No one can serve God and mammon at the same time. No honest Christian can serve God and an idol simultaneously. No one can love their spouse and commit adultery at the same time. (They may have some feeling of affection, but that alone is not love.) No one can love their neighbor as they love themselves and steal from their neighbor at the same time. But many Christians believe that they can do all these sinful things and be holy at the same time. God has given these “Christians” over to great deception and strong delusion, that they may believe a lie, who took pleasure in sin. That is what the word of God teaches clearly and abundantly. It is the heart of the matter, is it not?
The idea that God grants forgiveness and pardon while the soul is still in the clutches of sinful bondage would only lead to further rebellion against God. It also implies God’s permission to sin, albeit with His blessings and His grace. Only a brainwashed and deceived Christian can believe such wicked nonsense. Their idea of grace is very popular, but it is fundamentally flawed. Does that remind you of the following grace verse?
“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ….. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:15-18, KJV. In this passage, we are told explicitly that if we obey sin, the end is death, but if we obey God in righteousness, we shall not die but have eternal life. For we are told in this sixth chapter of Romans, that the wage of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. Yet most evangelical churches teach that God does, in fact, bless rebellion and sin in the children of God. What a travesty that is. We are told that the Holy Spirit is given at initial salvation to ‘empower’ the soul to godliness, self-control, and obedience to the truth. But the gift of the Holy Ghost is given only to those who obey Christ (and who have stopped sinning), and that happens first, before the gift of the Holy Ghost is given. Something is wrong.
If you can come to God, receive forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. At the same time, your soul remains in bondage to sin that translates into Christian adulterers, Christian drunkards, Christian drug addicts, Christian child molesters, Christian liars, Christian cheats, Christian thieves, Christian fornicators, and Christian homosexuals. Our churches are full of such false Christians. Since the survey only asked if ‘sin’ in general has to stop, not a specific sin, the door is wide open to any of these sinful categories. Remember, no one responding to the survey asked what kind of sin was being addressed. It all boils down to this, according to these blind guides: Jesus will forgive us if we will “receive-accept Jesus”, apologize for our sin, but not actually forsake it. This is the theology of the devil if I am not a raving madman, and ignorant of the word of God. Salvation from sin and not in sin is the very heart of the matter and the gospel.
The moral compromise in our churches and society can be traced back to this fallacious understanding of the gospel and the role of repentance from sin. People are being led to Christ, pronounced forgiven and filled with the Holy Spirit, while they remain addicted to sexual immorality, pornography, drugs, and other vile behaviors. And this is happening across the board in most evangelical churches. No evangelical denomination is exempt, regardless of their doctrinal stance on holiness, imputed righteousness, or eternal security. The answers mentioned above suggest that this poison has permeated nearly everyone’s understanding of repentance and salvation by faith.
New converts come into the Kingdom of God believing that it’s now God’s responsibility to clean them up while they remain mostly passive. They are taught that God will somehow and someday change their desires for such sins as pornography, drugs, illicit sex, covetousness, and alcohol/drugs, and so on. But in the meantime, they will live in sin and still be justified before God. They may even attend addiction classes at church or AA, buy Christian books and tapes, go to seminars, and learn to better cope with their Christian addictions and sinfulness. They are told that no one is perfect, and we shouldn’t judge one another. Such is a sampling of the ungodly pastoral advice handed out like candy in most Evangelical churches today. And that too is the heart of the matter.
In most cases, the actual repentance from sins, which is a crucial part of the cleanup process of genuine repentance, rarely occurs. Christians are deceived into thinking that God will do the cleanup when He gets around to it. In the meantime, don’t fret over your ongoing sins. God loves you and has an wonderful plan for your life, and sin is not a big deal.
Of course, they are never told that God is waiting on them to repent of their sins, while they profess to be waiting on God to make them stop sinning! What utter confusion and darkness that is taught as light by evangelicals. It is enough to make a grown man cry. “Christians” keep getting worse until sin eventually controls and dominates their entire being. They are brainwashed into believing that “Christians” sin with impunity (serpent’s first lie), vainly thinking that they are already forgiven, not just of past and present sins, but future sins as well. You heard that correctly. Forgiven now of sins you will commit in the future. Now tell me, if you can with a straight face, that this advice doesn’t encourage more sin, and I will wonder about your credulity.
Christians are constantly told that they should not fear for their souls because they are free from condemnation because they ‘received or accepted’ Christ. Their conscience soon becomes hardened to the convicting power of the Holy Ghost. God gives them over to their lusts. This should never happen, but it does most of the time. If these new converts had only been told the truth about repentance from sin and faith in God, their lives would be very different. And if they had experienced genuine Godly sorrow for their sin, and sought God with a humble and contrite heart, and set their will fully submitted to Christ in repentance, their lives would be vastly more righteous, blessed, and fruitful. Then there would be great hope, the truth, the grace of God, and their becoming a new creation in Christ will keep them from further defilement. Being told, as a new convert, that repentance from sin and making amends for wrongdoing is not a requirement creates a dead “Christian” and fills the church with unsaved but solidly deceived persons pretending to be Christians. When this happens, the overall culture of a nation suffers, as we have seen over the last century, particularly during the past 70 years.
A tale of two conversions
I once knew a man, a very selfish and wicked young man, who was searching for the truth about life. Was there no higher purpose than pursuing pleasure? Why did his conscience bother him? He was a great sinner, but he also knew there was a God over all. However, he was unsure who that God was. He knew there was absolute truth in the universe, but did not know where to find it. He searched in several places and even considered Eastern religions. They were a dead end and did not satisfy his mind or heart. Eventually, he found the Bible. He would go home and read it almost every night after work.
While reading his Bible constantly, he was under great conviction and a keen sense of guilt for many horrible sins. He knew he must clean up his act. As he cried out to the Creator God for mercy and forgiveness, God brought to his mind his many sins. He knew he must forsake all of them before God would forgive him. He also knew he must make restitution to all those he stole from, even as a young person. In great fear and apprehension of humbling himself before God and those he had stolen from, he made the decision to trust God and seek His help in doing what he believed God was demanding based on his reading of the Bible. This young man knew he must repent of his many sins, and he did so immediately, purposing with God’s help never to commit those sins again. He stopped all of them as he made peace with God. Making amends took some time to finish, but he did as he believed God required.
God filled his conscience with peace and his eyes with fountains of water as he was reconciled to the Creator and Savior God. That was a peace he had not known for many years. His life changed 180 degrees almost overnight, even though the restitution took some time to complete. Three vile sins characterized his life, and they were stopped immediately and not repeated in the decades that followed. As God brought up other things that needed to be repented of or started, he had already committed to take care of them as God directed. He received his initial instructions by reading the Bible for himself, rather than listening to what the professional clergy had to say.
Another young man was introduced to Christ in a crusade. He, too, was searching for meaning in his life and a way to ease his guilt. The evangelist’s sermon and the music were very moving. When the altar call was announced, he went down to the front, with many others, to make peace with God and become a Christian. The evangelist told him that to become a Christian, he must believe in the LORD Jesus Christ and trust Him to save him from his sins. He believed the message that Jesus was born of a virgin and came to pay the penalty for his sins on the cross, and that He arose from the grave after three days. All those who went down to the front asked Jesus to come into their heart and save them. It was very emotional and uplifting. He prayed with all the others that Jesus would forgive him of all his sins. After the short prayer, the evangelist told them that they were all now part of the family of God and that they should find a good, Bible-believing church to join.
This young man did join a local church, and it taught him that true Christians attend church and get involved. He was also told that he was born a sinner and would fight against sin all his life, even as a Christian. As a Christian, it is impossible to live without sin, as he was told, but he should ask God to help him not commit sin. He was told to do his best and trust that Christ would save him, even when he sinned. But now that he was born again, his sins would not send him to hell because Jesus paid the penalty for his past, present, and future sins. His ongoing sins would cause a break in his fellowship with God, but not his relationship to God. His life was marked with many moral failures, but he had the assurance of his salvation based on what he was taught.
The second example is what I refer to as the “fast food service model” of Christianity. The sinner is told to acknowledge specific facts or truths about Jesus and his life and death, confess you are a sinner, trust that God will forgive the penalty of your sins, say a quick prayer, and you are saved forever. No period of godly sorrow, no understanding of the requirement to forsake all of our sins, and no or little knowledge that ongoing sinful habits must all cease, for security in Christ is conditional. Repentance from sin was not an emphasis in what he was taught and was certainly not a condition of salvation.
The first example illustrates what a young man gained from reading the Bible without a pastor or evangelist to guide him through its meaning. Just reading the Bible, this young man knew he must make restitution and amends to those he had hurt, repent of his many sins, and walk in faithfulness to God for the rest of his life, or he would not inherit the Kingdom of God.
More on what the Bible says about the role of repentance in conversion
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication (proof, defense or justification)! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, NKJV, emphasis added. Let us compare this to the KJV translation.
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation (righteous anger, strong displeasure), yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear of this matter.” KJV 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, emphasis added.
In summary, from these verses, we note the following:
- Godly sorrow yields repentance from sin (not in sin), which leads to salvation
- And repentance from sin is not to be regretted, sorrowful about, or retreated from
- The sorrow of the world brings forth death
- Godly sorrow brings about carefulness about sinning, clearing of yourself from sin, righteous anger and indignation about sin, fear, vehement desire not to sin, zeal to be holy
- This brings about proof that a person is clear, clean, and pure of sin
Does anything in this passage of scripture even slightly suggest that this is not about what individuals must do but is about God’s responsibility to clean us up? Didn’t John the Baptist tell the people to ‘lay the axe to the root of sin’? When you and I cut out the roots of sin, the whole tree is destroyed. A new tree must be planted. Scripture tells us that if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things (sinful behaviors) have passed away, and all things have become new (righteous living). The old man of sin must die and be put off. The new man of righteousness must live and be put on. This is what God expects and demands from us in repentance. Repentance from sin is the work of the sinner, not God. We are not passive in repentance from sin as if God does the repenting for us. But that is what most evangelicals, including full and partial Calvinists, teach and believe.
You will recall that Zacchaeus restored fourfold what he had taken from others and gave half his possessions to the poor, in addition. All that was pledged by repentant Zacchaeus before the Lord announced his salvation, see Luke 19:1-10. Today, most of our evangelical churches tell us a different story. They tell us that salvation doesn’t require repentance from sin, just faith or trust in Christ. Moreover, these same churches tell us that God will take care of the clean-up process someday, which will never succeed until we die. Death, not Jesus Christ, is our savior from sin according to their false gospel. This pattern of repentance from sin first follows throughout the Scriptures, from the Prophets to the Apostles to the early church. How ignorant most of us are about the early church before Augustine. From what I have read, the early church rejected all of these most injurious present-day doctrines, most especially unconditional salvation in 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”. Isaiah 55:7, NKJV. Our God is great in mercy to all who call on Him. God’s mercy and pardon are conditioned on our repentance from our wickedness. God is waiting on us, “let the wicked forsake his way,” and we must not expect God to do what He demands we must do. Isn’t this obvious? There is more, please read on. Repentance from sin is our work, and the grace and help of God support this work. Are you convinced? If not, please read the following quote. All these quotes reveal the heart of the matter most clearly, don’t you think?
“Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil. Learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together; saith the LORD: though your sins be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be wiling and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Isaiah 1:16-20, KJV.
The prophet Isaiah told the Jews to “make you clean and wash you”. Clearly, this is personal repentance and is something they were to do and not wait on God to do it for them, contrary to what most evangelical Christians today believe. Make for yourself a new heart, which is precisely what happens in repentance. However, most Christians believe that this is what God does and that we are taking His work out of His hands if we attempt to do it ourselves. Such confusion and darkness. Can’t you see that this makes God ultimately responsible for our sins? What a travesty that this falsehood is not only taught, it is believed.
The prophet also told them to “put away the evil of your doings…cease to do evil. Learn to do well, seek judgment and” do works of charity and righteousness for the fatherless and widow. Again, this is what God expects of them and us (repentance) and not something God will do for them or us. Could it be any clearer? The prophet goes on to tell them that “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword.” This passage and hundreds like it are in direct contradiction to Augustinian Calvinism, which believes that God determines everything we do and don’t do. In summary, God places the burden on us to clean up our own lives, cease doing evil, learn to do good, and be obedient. Obviously, God will help us, but the burden is on us, not on God, contrary to what our pastors and teachers often tell us. These blind guides tell us that we must wait in passivity for God to change us. God demands that we repent now. God will not do it for us. Could it be any other way and make sense? I think not.
“But if the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.” Ezekiel 18:21, KJV. To live, the wicked person must cease from all sin and keep all God’s commandments. Is that not precisely what the prophet Ezekiel is saying? Of course it is. The prophet was saying this to the people of God. Life, eternal life, is conditioned on repentance from sin. This is not about physical death and physical life, for even the righteous die physically. Almost none of this truth is taught in evangelical churches today. The very idea that a person, even a Spirit-filled Christian, can stop sinning is preposterous to most evangelical Christians today. Moreover, the idea that we can obey all of God’s commands is equally abhorrent to most Christians today. How could such an Orwellian idea dominate evangelical Christianity?
Most Christian people alive today have been taught to believe that we are all born totally unable to obey God and His laws, because we are born with a sinful nature from Adam that never leaves us until we die. Most evangelical Christians believe with all their hearts that they and every other Christian will sin continuously until they die. However, they are also told not to worry about it, for they are eternally secure in their ongoing sin. Ezekiel, other prophets, the apostles, and the early church all agree and instruct us that we must repent of all sin and obey all God’s commands to have eternal life. This is supposed to happen in true repentance. True repentance from sin is the heart of the matter, is it not?
Some Christians will immediately fire back and say people like me are talking about sinless perfection or a works-based salvation. But we are not talking about working your way to heaven, nor are we talking about sinless perfection. And this is not a matter of God demanding sinless perfection before forgiveness can be granted to lawbreakers. No sinner can ever claim sinless perfection, even if they break off from their sins in repentance and never sin again. The fact is that all sinners have sinned and stand guilty before God until they break off from their wickedness in repentance. What we see in the Bible, and most especially the verses quoted, is God’s pattern. He encourages all sinners to break off from their sins against Him, and then and only then, He will show mercy and grant pardon. Think about this. How could there possibly be justice and reconciliation in the Godhead if God were to grant forgiveness and pardon while man is still in sinful rebellion against Him? The very idea of it is ridiculous, isn’t it?
You need look no further than your local evangelical churches to see the effects of the false teaching of pardon granted without the abandoning of sin. Imagine a judge pardoning a condemned criminal while standing before him with the smoking gun still in his hand, anxious to kill again when given the opportunity. However, this is precisely what we are told to believe regarding the government of God. The answers to the questions asked of the pastors and teachers categorically state that God gives mercy and pardon without our repentance from sin and without ceasing our law-breaking. That is not the truth of the Word of God, either in the Old Testament or the New Testament. If repentance is even mentioned today from the pulpit, it is only about confessing sin and not about the absolute necessity of forsaking sin. There is no clearing of sin, no godly sorrow, no amends, no carefulness about not sinning anymore, and no proof of good fruit required.
Today’s evangelical Christians are told that God forgives them while still in bondage to their many sins. Christians are also said to be filled with God’s Spirit and granted pardon while still in their sins. God does this even though they have made no effort to cease from their sins or even communicated a willingness to abandon sin someday in the future. In other words, Christians are told that repentance from sin is optional.
From what we have established Biblically thus far, the gospel truth is that sinners must confess and forsake their sins to find mercy and pardon from God. And repentance must be proven and validated by deeds of righteousness (good works and no ongoing sin). Paul preached to the Jews and Gentiles “that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet (conform with expectations of turning to God) for repentance”, see Acts 26:20. Where does the false teaching come from that God saves us in our sins never expecting or demanding us to be free of sin?
If you embrace the absurd and unbiblical doctrine of Original Sin, your mind is already brainwashed into believing that everyone (even newborn babies) is born a sinner and has no ability at all to cease from sin. Moreover, we are all born with a sinful nature that causes and forces us to sin for the rest of our lives. Even when we become Christians, this remains true. What follows are a few quotes from pastors and teachers that Mike Desario included in his material. He makes all his material free for distribution without prior approval. He was not trying to sell books.
“Jesus takes us where we are (adultery, lying, stealing, language, pride, greed, etc.), forgives us, changes us, and does for us what we cannot do for ourselves,” according to a Pastor of the First Church of the Nazarene. It is true that all of us come to Christ, the only sufficient atoning sacrifice for sin, as guilty sinners in need of cleansing and pardon. That is as far as my agreement with this pastor goes. It is not true that God “changes us and does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.” Remember the passages we just went over that say the exact opposite. To find mercy from God, sinners must confess their sins and forsake them. Sinners must cease from sin, and only then is God’s mercy granted to them, but only after they confess and forsake their sins. Many evangelical churches have no problem with telling Christians and those aspiring to become Christians that they must admit they are sinners. However, all these churches refuse to tell them that they must forsake their sins to find the mercy and forgiveness of God. Why is that? Could it be the fear of man?
The Nazarene denomination is a holiness church. How tragic that a pastor preaching holiness and believing in it would give such unholy advice. Almost all Evangelical Christian denominations believe in the lie of Original Sin and a totally depraved nature. The poison of the false doctrine of inbred sin has contaminated most of evangelical Christianity.
Another pastor said this, “The only thing a person has to do to receive Jesus is pray and ask Him to come into your heart. That is according to (John 3:16).” This is as false as the day is long. This pastor’s advice states that all it takes to receive Jesus is “to pray and ask Him to come into your heart”. Not one word is mentioned about the absolute necessity of repentance from sin. No one has ever been saved or “received Jesus” while refusing to confess and forsake their sins. If asking Jesus to come into your heart doesn’t mean repentance from sin, then it means nothing at all. It just sounds good and is simple to repeat, but it is deceptive at best.
Here is another comment from a holiness pastor, “No, Christ takes care of your sin all by Himself! He will give you the power to choose to stop sinning after you have received Him. He changes your desires as you allow Him to do it. There are no requirements to receive Christ. Not before or after. Only sincerity.” This was the response from the Church of the Nazarene. More ungodly advice from a holiness preacher. Did you catch his contradiction? He says, “there are no requirements to receive Jesus.” Immediately afterward, the Pastor states that everyone must meet the requirement of “sincerity.” Many Pastors do the exact same thing: state there are no conditions and then proceed to list the conditions. And what is even worse is that few Christians catch the apparent contradictions.
Christ takes care of our sins as He died to make atonement for us. But the conditions of salvation are repentance and faith, and only we can satisfy those conditions. Christ does not do it for us. My following comments may upset some people. In addition, before we become Christians, we have the power not to sin because we were not born sinners. If we were born sinners, who could do nothing but sin, as most Christians have been taught and believe, we would not be guilty of sin. Moreover, we would not need a savior if we were only capable of sinning. Augustinian Calvinists teach that God is the author of evil and sin. They deny it, but they either lie or are brainwashed and deceived. (See my articles on Calvinism, Compatibilism, and Augustine as well as my book, When Lies Become Truth).
This pastor said the following, “A false belief and lie of Satan is that you have to clean yourself up and somehow be ‘good enough’ before accepting Christ. It is sinners that Christ died for, and every one of us is a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” No one I know of believes that sinners can ever be good enough to be saved. And sinners can never be called perfect. But only sinners need a savior. To “accept or receive” Christ savingly, there are conditions that must be met, such as repentance from sin and faith. Repentance is a necessary process of cleansing, and it is mandatory. This pastor is telling us that to be saved or to accept/receive Christ, repentance is optional. That is a lie right from the serpent in the garden, who said you would not die when you sin. That lie may cost you eternal life if you believe it.
Another pastor said this. “No, we are incapable of stopping sin before we receive Christ (take a look at Romans 7:14 – 8:2)…this occurs only through the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.” This falsehood is typical today in evangelical churches. Because this pastor has been brainwashed into believing in the lie of Original Sin and all that entails, he says we are incapable of stopping our sin. Not true. If we were incapable, then sin would no longer be sin. No one is guilty of breaking a law that they are incapable of obeying. Think about it. His reference to Romans 7 is also false. (See my article on Romans 7.) Romans 7 is often used to justify ongoing sinning in the life of a believer. They say Paul is the wretched man described in this section. It most certainly does not teach that. Most pastors forget the fact that Romans 6 and 8 teach the exact opposite of what they falsely proclaim Romans 7 teaches.
Here is another holiness pastor’s response from the Assemblies of God denomination: “I have been asked to respond to your question. A simple answer would be “No,” but that needs qualification. Even if you had asked, “Will a person stop sinning after receiving Christ?” the answer would still be “No,” yet also with a qualification. This is an example of a political, theological answer, which is no answer at all. It is pathetic. No wonder Christian Churches are full of hypocrites.
The following quote is not from a Nazarene Pastor but a Baptist Pastor. “The answer to this is quite simple. No. Let me explain why. ‘Sin’ means ‘Disobedience against God’, and as human beings, following the fall in the Garden of Eden, it is part of our very nature. When one becomes a Christian, you don’t stop sinning.” I expect this kind of answer from a Baptist church, as most have adopted some tenets of Calvinism. Again, we see the ubiquitous teaching of the false doctrine of inbred sin or a sinful nature from the Original Sin of Adam. This pastor goes on to declare, “When one becomes a Christian, you don’t stop sinning.” As a Baptist, he also undoubtedly believes that once a person receives Jesus, he or she is saved eternally. These Pastors believe that before we receive Jesus and after we receive Jesus, we still continue to sin. Jesus did not come to save sinners from their sins, but in their sins, according to these blind guides. Harken back to my introductory comments. These pastors teach that the gospel is all about the removal of guilt and damnation that sin brings, rather than being saved from the power and bondage of sin. How pathetic.
I repeat myself to emphasize a key point. I would expect to hear all these comments from an Evangelical Baptist and Presbyterian, but not from the Assembly of God or the Nazarene Churches. Those churches are typically known as holiness-preaching and believing churches. That is why almost no evangelical churches in the USA are free from the doctrinal and moral pollution so noticeable in our day. When holiness denominations preach a carnal gospel (a sinful Christianity), we know that the truth has fallen in the streets, as seen in Isaiah 59:14. We understand that the evangelical church is nearly completely apostate. None of these comments is evangelical or biblical, in my opinion.
If a new Christian and an existing Christian have no desire to stop sinning, how will the Holy Ghost, 1) indwell an impure temple, and, 2) how will the Holy Ghost convict either of their danger? If Christians, new and old, are told that they are already forgiven of future sins they will commit (and filled with the Holy Spirit), there is no incentive or motivation to stop sinning except to have a better reward in heaven. This teaching deadens the work of the Holy Ghost and dulls the conscience, preventing you from repenting of all behavior that is unacceptable to God. The convicting power of the Holy Ghost is most powerful during the process of genuine repentance and all that entails. Our sins must cease during this time, not after. If not, the Spirit of God will never be given. The word of God states that God gives the Holy Ghost only to those that obey God, see Acts 5:32. But most of these deceived Pastors claim that God gives His Holy Spirit to all Christians, including those who do not obey God, in contradiction to common sense and Acts 5:32. Believing the lie that sinning Christians are filled with the Holy Ghost, nothing and no one can hold back the flesh from further wickedness and transgressions. Is that not the heart of the matter?
The heart of the matter in Scripture speaks of this vital truth of turning from sin to God in repentance. “But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.” Jeremiah 23:22. The prophet Jeremiah told the Jews that those false prophets who proclaimed peace while in rebellion would have no peace and safety unless they repented of all their evil and began living for God. Refer to the early chapters of the Book of Jeremiah for further validation. These false prophets, in Jeremiah’s day, were giving the Jews (sinning children of God) a false hope and healing the wounds of the people superficially or slightly, Jeremiah 6:14. The same thing is happening today. Pastors are preaching peace and safety (the false doctrine of eternal security and imputed obedience) to Christians in their ongoing commission of sin. I pray that you do not listen to their lies and deception.
There is nothing in all the Bible that is inconsistent with this process of forsaking sinful conduct in genuine repentance and beginning to live righteously before forgiveness and pardon will be granted. It is true that sinners must come to God for forgiveness and pardon. But forgiveness and pardon are conditioned on their genuine and immediate repentance of sin. It is not true, nor is it Biblical, to presume that God will forgive and pardon sinners who have no real intention of forsaking their many sins immediately. And it is most assuredly accurate that God will never forgive or pardon those “Christians” who absolutely refuse to stop sinning. That God will forgive and pardon, without complete repentance of sin, is a lie out of the pit of hell that many so-called Christian leaders tell their members.
Is it any wonder why so few Christians are coming out of their sins? These poor deceived Christians were pronounced saved forever, forgiven, and filled with the Holy Ghost while in their sins. What could convince them now that God is dissatisfied and that He will not accept their sinful behavior and will hold them ‘accountable’ for it? Only the truth will set them free, but many so-called Christians are unteachable and refuse to hear the truth. These lost “Christian” souls will die in their sins and go to hell. Could this be one of the main reasons that today’s pastors won’t condemn sinful behavior happening in their churches? How can they judge anyone for sins they themselves have allowed in the first place? These deluded pastors also tell themselves that it is God’s responsibility to clean up His children, so who can interfere? Mike put it this way, “In addition, admonishing their behavior would only discourage them, impose unfounded guilt and make them feel unloved. Thus, the process of conviction is neutralized, and every sermon only serves to insulate them further in their delusion”. Do you agree or disagree with his comment?
Repentance is clearly defined in the pages of Scripture. The Holy Ghost imparts the wisdom of God to the unrepentant sinner, making him ‘wise’ unto salvation. In godly sorrow and deep anguish of soul, the sinner’s mind, purpose, opinions, desires, behavior, and inclinations are new. These are changed, and in consequence, there is a total change in their conduct and motives. The old man is put off and dies, and the new man is put on and comes to life. If any man or woman is in Christ, he or she is a new creation. In true repentance, the penitent sees his soul exposed to hell and himself unfit for heaven. He or she forsakes their sins with all zeal, not only because it has been ruinous to his or her soul but also because it has been offensive to God, whom they have chosen to be their LORD and Savior.
This is a radical departure from a ‘confession’ or ‘apology’ to God for being sinful, that is being passed off as true salvation by today’s pastors. The truth about repentance is lost, and there is no possibility of an obedient heart made pure by faith that works by love. If the foregone conclusion is that all Christians will continue to sin in thought, word, and deed for the rest of their life, nothing under the sun is going to change the person’s sinful behaviors and make them free from the bondage of sin. Only a move of the Holy Ghost, using the truth about sin, holiness, and repentance, has any chance of succeeding. That is the heart of the matter. Without our fervent prayer and the anointing of the Holy Ghost together with the proclamation of the whole truth, do we have any hope as a people and a nation?
In the following article, we will examine what is meant by ‘willingness’ and ‘ability’ as they pertain to repentance.
Appendix 1
Unteachable
This side of heaven, we may not know precisely the doctrine of the Nicolaitans referenced in Rev. 2:15. But one thing we can all be assured of is that the One who declared that He was the Way, the Life, and the Truth hates false doctrine and lies.
Why does God hate false teaching? Because all false teaching works evil and produces harm in the universe. This is the exact opposite of what God wills or prefers to happen. False doctrine will send many to hell. Yes, there is a real place where the ungodly go if they do not repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ.
The devil, and those whom he has inspired, tell lies to deceive, if possible, even the elect of God. The devil is seeking those whom he can devour and send to hell. False doctrine is his primary method. The God of truth hates what is false, especially as it pertains to Himself and His plan of salvation. Some false beliefs may not cause harm, but others can cause significant damage and lead to dire consequences. I recommend that you read the book “Are Men Born Sinners? The Myth of Original Sin” by Alfred T. Overstreet. Much of the material in Appendices 1 and 2 is derived from his book, which in turn draws from the teachings of other teachers of the Word of God.
Is it possible that in our day, we still believe doctrines that are false? Clearly, not every contradictory opinion about doctrine, faith, and practice is true. One or all might be wrong.
As a new believer, I assumed that what I was being taught was the truth. It took me a few years to discover that was not the case, despite the good intentions of my teachers. I had to reject much of what I was taught as a new believer. It was very hard. Why is it so hard to get those who profess faith in Christ to consider a new-to-them, biblically based interpretation of scripture?
Below are some of the reasons why “Christians” are often unteachable.
- A new believer is eager to be taught. He is very receptive to things he is being told. New believers are not prone to question religious authority. This pliable spirit is open to ideas that, on reflection, they might actually reject. Even if what they are being taught makes no sense, they assume it is true because of some personal deficiency, not a problem with what they are being told to believe. Godly people never mislead others, or so they think.
- False doctrine comes with and is supported by evidence. It often cites biblical proof texts that appear to teach a false doctrine. A new believer is generally unfamiliar with the Bible and has a deep trust in those who teach them. That is especially true if Biblical proof texts are used to support the false doctrine.
- Once a new believer is instructed in a belief, it is almost impossible to change that belief. Most Christians become unteachable. I am a case in point. It was almost harder for me to give up the false teaching I was taught as a new believer than to get right with God in the first place. What a battle that was. Only God the Holy Spirit can overturn these religious prejudices. In this way, false teaching persists from one generation to the next.
- Sometimes false doctrine remains only because it has persisted for such a long time. There is a perception of safety in numbers. No one likes to stand alone. Peer pressure, or the fear of man, is a significant force that keeps false doctrine alive. For example, for how many centuries did the church cling to the falsehood that the Earth was the center of the universe, not the sun? For how many centuries has mankind worshiped idols in addition to the worship of Jehovah God or instead of the worship of God Almighty?
- Christian leaders and ministers perpetuate errors among Christians due to their deficiencies and ignorance. In this way, they maintain their position by making people believe they must come to them to understand the Word of God. How many prideful ministers think that because of their education, they know more than laypeople? They become unteachable, too. How many Pharisees in Jesus’ day were teachable and correctable? Very few.
- God allows false doctrine to carry on for as long as men cherish it more than they do the Word of God. Our unbelief perpetuates false doctrine. For example, Martin Luther finally had enough false teaching from the Roman Catholic Church, and he finally said something about practices and beliefs that were centuries old and centuries unbiblical.
Let the following quotes sink in deeply. They reflect our attitude and commitment to seeking the truth, regardless of the cost. Only the truth will set us free, according to Jesus.
“The known and willful support or perpetuation of an error or false doctrine is a crime against humanity and a sin against Him who is Truth. To cling to error or defend error when one has reason to suspect it may be error reveals a heart that does not fully love the truth for the sake of the truth.
We are supposed to be children of light, and to be afraid to shine light upon what we believe shows a love still for darkness.
To persist in a belief against evidence, to refuse evidence, or avoid proof…..shows insincerity and a lack of moral integrity.
Slavish adherence to inherited traditions, merely on the ground of their wide acceptance and long continuance, would forbid the overthrow of error and the acceptance of redeeming truth”.[i]
Consider the following words written by Charles G. Finney. He is referring to the instructions that new converts to Christ should receive immediately. “But the proper time to do this is when they are first brought in, when their minds are soft and tender, and easily yield to the truth. Then they may be led with a hair, if they believe it is the truth of God. And whatever notions of Christianity they get then, they are likely to forever cling to afterwards. It is almost impossible to get a person away from the notions he acquires when he is a young convert. You may reason with him, but he clings to them. It is often the case where people have been taught certain things when first converted, that if they afterwards get a new minister who teaches somewhat differently, they will rise up against him as if he were going to subvert the faith, carry away the church into error, and throw everything into confusion.”
Finney makes the point well that new believers must be taught correctly right from the start. If the initial instruction is deficient, it makes it exceedingly difficult to correct. Have you ever noticed how sheepish Christians are? They long for someone to tell them what to think and what to do. Many do not have the pure love for God and the truth that energizes them to think for themselves. If the blind follow the blind, both will fall into the pit.
Are you teachable? If you are, then you are an exception to the rule. It demonstrates that you possess integrity and a strong desire to seek the truth. Lastly, it shows that you are being led by the Spirit of God. The unteachable are not being led by the Spirit of God. And we know that only those who are being led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
[i] Randolf Sinks Foster Studies in Theology, 1890. He lived from about 1820 to 1903. He was a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church and a President of Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois among a few of his appointments. Most of this appendix was taken from a book by Alfred T. Overstreet copywrite 1995, Are Men Born Sinners?
