The Dangers of A Watered Down Repentance
The word repent is from the Greek word "metanoneia" which means "a change in mind which results to a change in purpose." One of the problems today is how often is the late Plymouth pastor's book "Except Ye Repent" by Dr. Harry Allen Ironside has been misrepresented and misquoted to say that repentance is merely a change of mind. I remembered how Atty. Zigfred M. Diaz himself had said, "How dare today's IFB crowd misquote H.A. Ironside." H.A. Ironside was calling for repentance from the flock, to tell them that repentance is needed. Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Repentance in itself does not save. Judas Iscariot did repent but he hanged himself later rather than ask forgiveness from the Lord Jesus Christ. However repentance is called in Scripture to repent and believe the Gospel. Notice what Mark 1:15 writes the command to, "Repent ye and believe the Gospel." Even if the word repent does not appear in the Book of John but repentance is still preached. Just like the word Bible and Trinity do not appear in the Bible, but it is certainly defined by the pages in Scripture. The Bible is clear that repentance is necessary for the heart to savingly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance is always a step one towards salvation.
The problem today is when we teach that repentance of sin is works salvation. Luke 24:47 is clear abut the preaching of the repentance of sins. The verse says, "And REPENTANCE and REMISSION of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." The Bible calls for repentance in preaching. Acts 2:38 is a call for repentance. Repentance is always preached and you cannot deny repentance. To say that you can be saved without repentance is one heretical idea that leads to false conversions. False converts do not possess eternal security. An eternally secure person lives differently from the world. The fact he or she is counted for righteousness, makes him act in the ways of righteousness by God's grace.
Now we must differentiate repentance from working. When you repent, you change your mind which later, changes in purpose. Good works is the fruit, not the root of salvation and repentance digs the ground for believing. Today, it's common for modernistic evangelism to criticize preachers who are hard and condemn the doctrine of easy prayerism. Easy prayerism is not repentance, it's just merely reciting the words of another and then claiming one is saved but no change happens after that. The idea of salvation without a change of heart is an absurd school of thought that must be removed.
So why cannot a sinner truly believe until he repents of sin? To those who try to appeal to John to teach a repentless salvation should think again. John 3:19-20 warns that those who do evil hates the light and that they refuse to come to the light, lest their deeds be reproved and that he that does truth comes into the light. For one, you cannot really truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with the unrepentant heart. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says that godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be pretend of but the sorrow of the world works death. Godly sorrow comes when the person realizes he or she has offended a holy, righteous God who demands that if you expect to work for your salvation, don't even sin one bit. This godly sorrow has the sinner realizing that he or she falls short of his or her efforts and that he or she needs salvation through Jesus Christ.
What I can observe is how people can refuse to be saved because they love sin. An illustration would be one person who was told about salvation. He was offended by the preacher for preaching about sin. He was living in with another man's wife and even sired a daughter by her. He thought nothing was wrong with what he did as long as he went to Confession, he prayed the Rosary, he attended Mass and participated in the activities of his local Roman Catholic parish. He even thinks nothing is wrong with him. After being told about salvation by Jesus Christ alone, he was offended because he had observed how Christians have a very high standard of morality. The born again Christian detests the pleasures of the sinful world. He or she has a strong ground for God. A Christian man views adultery as abominable, a Christian woman views feminazism as a dangerous school of thought. The Christian's purpose is not to please the world but to please God. After he saw these changes, he refused to be changed.
This can be seen in the New Testament with the account of John the Baptist. John the Baptist condemned Herod Antipas for taking his brother Philip's wife Herodias as a live-in partner. To make matters worse, according to Josephus, Herodias was also the half-niece of Herod Antipas, daughter of his much older half-brother Aristobulus. The Herods had a record of concubinage and incest. Berenice of the Herods was also soon later known to have lived in with her brother according to historical accounts. For Herodias, the message against sin was very offensive that she had John the Baptist locked up. Herod Antipas could have gotten saved if he wasn't listening to that wicked witch Herodias who manipulated him. After a dance number by Herodias' daughter Salome, Herod Antipas only cared about his reputation rather than repentance. He could have chosen to break that vow because it was wrong but instead, he chose to carry it on which he again, refused to repent and be saved.
The problem ended up with making repentance as watered down as possible to be palatable to the world. It's sickening how many people claim to be converted because of some decision card, contract, easy prayer repeat after me evangelism, the idea that a Christian can live like the rest of the world even after they are saved, the idea that I'm saved and I can sin all I want have eternal security. No such people do not possess eternal security. Their Antinomianism is just as fatal as the work salvationist's Arminianism. While the Arminian brags that salvation is initially by faith then he or she is left to the rest of it, the Antinomian brags about salvation but like the Arminian, hit a hard road to sin. Both ways are Satanic and deceptive. A true Christian cannot fall away.
What about the thief on the cross? Certainly the thief didn't need to do good works to be saved but works were manifested in the process. In Luke 23:39-43 we see the impenitent thief and the penitent thief. Earlier on, he was joining his companion in mocking Jesus but he had a sudden change of heart. When you take a look at the words of the thief, he soon rebuked his companion. He finally said, "Dost thou not fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And indeed we justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amiss." The penitent thief saw himself now as vile, he acknowledged he deserved to be crucified but Jesus did not. With this in mind, he saw Jesus as the sinless one who did nothing. He saw Jesus now as the Son of God who died for his sins. Unlike the other thief who went to Hell, this thief could have not said, "Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom..." from his heart would have he not repented of his sins and saw himself deserving and Christ as non-deserving.
So what about Acts 16? Again, it's frequently misquoted. Acts 16:31 should not be taken out of context. What we see here is the jailer together with Paul and Silas. One must understand the context of Scripture. Today we have people who just cherry pick the Scriptures than take it in context. In Acts 16, we have the seven points towards repentance and salvation. First, the jailer had witnessed the miraculous power of God. Second, he was deeply stirred to the point of self-despair. Third, he felt the need for enlightenment. Fourth, his self-complacency was utterly shattered for he came trembling. Fifth, he took his proper place and fell down in humility. Sixth, he showed respect and consideration. Seventh, all these events brought him to deep concern for salvation. He had seen himself as a wretched sinner in need for salvation. Remember they not only said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ", they had also spoken unto Him the Word of the Lord... meaning they preached the whole Gospel, not just stopped with verse 31.
One may also consider what Eternal Security is. Yes I believe salvation is dependent only upon the merits of Christ but it cannot be a salvation without change. When a person is truly saved, they do not completely fall away. Apostates will leave the flock proving they weren't saved (1 John 2:19) which states that if the apostates were saved, they would have stayed but their departure was proof that they were not saved. Eternal security is not just merely staying saved, it continues in the path of repentance. While I don't expect an instant maturity or a perfect repentance, but that repentance is continuous as a result of result. That repentance of sin grows even more after salvation because of the grace of God.