Why this point? Why start off talking about repentance and faith being one and yet not the same? Well the devil has infiltrated the ranks of God's people and raises up his own theologians and preachers and twists the Gospel up to the point where those who follow them are nothing but carnal Christians or white washed sepulchers and I mean both in the unregenerate sense. It matters not if you are really in a good church or denomination the devil plants his tares in God's garden's. Blessed are you if you are a member of a church that bears a true lamp stand. Even there though if we are not on guard tares can infiltrate from the lowest to the highest posts and bring leaven, bring the cares of this world, promote the matters of men and not God's and in the end bring destruction and darkness as the lamp stand is removed. Woe to us whose turn it is stand watch and we fall asleep. "For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. " This point though is not about getting into the various twisted versions of the Gospel but simply the illuminating holy command of God's call to be reconciled unto Him: "Repent and believe in the Gospel" Again it is a Holy Command not the gutted, darkened, twisted Scripture, mere invitation men make it to be. God is not weeping helplessly at your door but comes with a Holy Sword to set the captives free and slay His enemies. How low have evil men brought down the name of our Holy God. "God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked everyday. If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts." {Old Testament} "But bring here those enemies of Mine, who did not want Me to reign over them, and slay them before Me." {New Testament} The God of the New Testament is the same God of the Old Testament and this call has been going forth since Adam fell and he and his wife Eve were called to repentance and faith in Christ, in the Seed of the woman. He who would lay down His life to ransom them from eternal death. The call continued to their Covenant children and onward through the generations and even now. No longer can we stand before God as Adam and Eve did when He first created us in His image and be found holy, blameless and pleasing in His sight. When Adam fell all mankind died before God in him. Mankind no longer bore the image of God but now bears that of the devil Satan who begot us by sin. No longer was he the son of God but the arch enemy. A man of sin and rebellion. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not." For this reason we must be born again into the Kingdom of God. We must be begotten of God in Christ, His beloved Son. He was sent by God to do His will and that being the salvation of His people and this unto God's glory in Him. Without Christ Jesus we are dead before God and unable to do His will for we are anti-God and anti-Christ "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do" but in Christ we are His new creation, in Christ sin shall no longer rule over us. In Christ we have a heart after God and make haste to heed His Holy Command for it is Words of grace and truth and eternal life. They are Words of Peace. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." It says "unto good works" not continued rebellion and warfare against God. These good works are the fruit of the Spirit. The witness of God's work in us in Christ. They don't save us nor justify us but do testify of our being children of God and not of the devil. "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother". Don't be fooled by those who put away the Law of God saying it was once a means of salvation but failed. The Bible itself is the Book of the Law and from cover to cover it reveals the ancient path, the good way and calls us receive it as truth and to walk in it. This is the Way, this is Christ the Savior of the world. This is the Law of Faith. The Word is the very Light to our feet and the Lamp unto our path. It is a Light that reveals us for what we are and that is desperately wicked sinners fallen from the glory of God and condemned. It calls us to reconciliation unto God through Christ. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. " By the Law of God, the Law of Faith the Christ is revealed: "In the volume of the book it is written of Me—" "Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." "and the Word became flesh" The command to faith though is not alone and preachers forget this. God does not command only to "believe" though one might isolate Scriptures to teach this. God commands us to "Repent and believe". Christ did not say alone "neither do I condemn you" only to leave us harlots and adulterers to more harlotry but further commanded in conjunction "go and sin no more". The first is because of His works (His life and the cross) the second is also because of His works in us by means of the first. We have become new creatures in Christ, the children of God in Him. We who were slaves to sin and lovers of death have been set free in Christ and have become slaves to righteousness and lovers of life. We who wielded a sword against God as children of the devil have become the children of God and beat such swords into plowshares. We lift up ourselves as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise in our thoughts, words and deeds being conformed to His image. The Law of God now becomes established in our standing before God (by Christ) and in our walk with Him (through the Spirit of our Lord). In His image we seek truth and readily confess with abhorrence of them our sins and look alone to Jehovah our God and Father for mercy and deliverance through Christ. We look alone to Jehovah our God to fill us with His Spirit to give us strength and lead us in the path of righteousness by the Light of His Word. God our Father lovingly says "This is My Son. Hear Him!" God the Son says "Follow Me". These words are synonymous with repent and believe. For Christ walks the straight and narrow way and the sons of men walk in the broad way that leads to destruction. Christ walks in the light and path of God's Commandments while the children of the dead walk in darkness and seek to break all of God's Commands and this with full contempt. Jesus says "Follow Me" for He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the gift of God to His people. He is the Seed of the Woman, the Holy One of Israel, the Israel of God. No man has peace with God but by Him. By Christ's atoning death (the Way) we belong to Him and are reconciled to God forever. This work is immutable and finished by decree and deed by the Word of God and the Word having become flesh (the Truth) accomplishing His will. In Him and because of Him alone our standing is now eternal before God (the Life) and it shows, it bears fruit immediately as He has appointed. As a honey bee does the Jehovah's will and makes honey so too are we made good trees and cannot but bear good fruit that does not wither in Christ's name. This He appointed and His Word cannot fail. Some may want to say repentance refers alone to sanctification and faith to justification and because they think this they alone cry out "Believe!" But dear friend it cannot be without "Repent!". This is not to say you have to say the two words together at every time but in explaining one yet comes the other like inseparable Siamese twins separate yet bound together. To separate and focus on one leads astray many. To say "believe" only spawns the carnal Christian. He has been misleadingly told because he has said some prayer ("the first prayer") in faith that Romans 10:13 declares He is saved. If not brought into the church for discipleship he/she wanders about carnally but is saved. They are taught that such will receive no rewards but yet will be saved. This is false (carnal Christianity and grace rewards in whole). He is told to wait for good fruits, sanctification is a long process and takes time to show but a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. "He who says, 'I know Him', and does not keep His Commandments is a liar, and the Truth is not in him." "But wilt though know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" "If we say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: " God says to turn from our wicked ways NOW, repent NOW, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness NOW, love not the world and it's wicked ways NOW. Mind you though I put the word "now" in capitals to accentuate the urgency it is because God commands us not begs us.... "those enemies of Mine, who did not want Me to reign over them" and thus we are called to be diligent to make sure of our calling and election. "I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to your Testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your Commands." What horror of horrors this temporal evil world is for it seeks to ensnare us (and does) but God says He is our strength and has set us free from bondage to sin. We are commanded to be strong in His strength, to fight the good fight and be sanctified unto Him in holiness. We are priests commanded to be consecrated to serve Him. We are commanded not to fall asleep, not to be slothful neglecting such great salvation, not to be found shipwrecked. So called carnal Christians will in horrific truth find themselves disqualified and finding no place for repentance and no strength to take hold of that which they never had to begin with. Salvation is of compassion and love, it is of mercy and justice and it is freely given according to God's will not yours. We are due condemnation, our wages for our sins (which are great in number and in extremes) is death and that eternal and in torment. We are blood thirsty men, violence against God is the works of our hands apart from Christ. We are as bad trees that cannot but bear bad fruit. The axe is laid to our root and are being made ready for the eternal fire and the worm that never dies. If you're not afraid now you will be in terror then with none to deliver from what is due and no place to hide from our Holy God who will repay in full. God yet has shown you mercy and if you struggle with assurance my brethren, "Repent and believe!" for this is the day of grace. Cling to Christ and from idols say, "Get away from me!" In your pursuit of obedience and patient waiting upon your Salvation (God Himself in Christ) He promises to ever strengthen you, mature you, purge you of the dross that encumbers you and bring such confidence that you cannot be moved or easily shaken by Satan nor this world's ways. Again, do not think faith is not joined with repentance. Do not hold to a mythical christ reduced to being a mere get out of jail free card in your wallet to which now you can lay back saying, "I got Jesus". "Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye double minded. " Beware of neglecting repentance and God's call to holiness for we are His people and He is Holy. To say sin is only to be mentioned like a blip on the scope or not focused on daily is to rob from the Gospel and the Law. It is not only to be looked at a few Sundays of the year but everyday for hell is open everyday and filling with occupancy. Sin is it's labor for entry and eternal death the wages justly due it. The Word of God is a pure holy Light. Repentance is what we are commanded to do and that is to walk in that Light. It cannot but continually admonish us for what we are and that is sinner!. To we who are either lost or saved the Word is a Light that exposes our thoughts and deeds and their intents. Nothing is hidden before God's eyes. It is with great shame and guilt to the unrepentant and unto sorrow and repentance to the believer yet the latter with great hope. Christ did not come to give us a better life on earth in terms of quality, riches, perfect health, a life without trials or tribulation but to lay down His priceless life to make atonement for our sins. He who is Light walked among us and was hated by us because we love darkness rather than the Light. He was oppressed and afflicted unto death yet He overcame the world and triumphed over sin and death delivering His people. In repentance and in faith we walk the same path. We know that we will be hated for we become as that Light and in Him we shall overcome also. We do so unto death but as a sacrifice not for our salvation but in thanksgiving and praise because of our salvation. We love Him because He first loved us. The Gospel is not what God can do for you if you let Him. On the contrary it is God to the glory of His grace in Christ coming to save desperately wicked sinners who hate Him and in great love and mercy saving them. We are sinners saved by grace not saints improved. We must not fail to call the command to repent nor my brethren fail to heed it and ever be reminded of it daily. We are called to pick up our cross and crucify the deeds of the flesh daily. We are to walk in His Peace and be at war with Satan and this world and our own flesh's lusts. I lift up repentance because of its painful absence but in no way neglect the other half of the command which is equally gracious to him who has ears to hear. It is to believe, to trust, to rest, to hope when there was no hope, to rise and shine for our Light has come. A foundation of truth laid by the right hand of God Jesus Christ, the Gospel of your salvation not a salvation. He is the gift of God and by His works we were justified and in the Day of Judgment to be delivered by Him from wrath. In faith, hope and love we rise by the Holy Spirit to do the works as bond servants redeemed. No man may boast of any works that justifies himself nor co-labored with God to save himself. No man can say "I" in the Day of Judgment and be delivered. "Did not I do....." this or that. "Yes Lord I'm a sinner but did not I confess it, but did I not prophecy and go to church faithfully?" "I believed in believing Lord like you told me to. You gave me the ability to believe so that I could exercise it and gain salvation". "I said that first prayer Lord and I meant it and was told you had to answer me. It says it in Romans 10:13!" "You promised me! I exercised faith Lord and you were supposed to justify me because of it!" "I walked down that aisle Lord before Your people. I made profession of faith. You said "whoever believes" so I admitted I was bad and I asked you that day, May 1st, 1969 to come into my heart. I invited you Lord! I even made disciples for You teaching them the same." I......I.....I..."(wretched I ). "And by the way where are my rewards....". Such grace is like vapor, imaginary, a foundation of self in the name of a christ and sinking sand doomed to a great fall. You cannot add nor take away from the name of Christ (the Foundation) for you will stand accursed and at war with Him suffering a great fall. Obedience to the command to believe is to confess one's helplessness and utter bankruptcy of righteousness and strength to deliver one's body and soul from condemnation. This is from the very start to the very end. Faith to Faith. Obedience to the command to believe is to confess one's deeply crimson stained hands of a life of unholy warring against a holy God and these sins with all lust and hate. Before our Holy God Christ crucified is our hope and that which we cling to as our only hope. Christ resurrected because of our justification is our eternal hope made sure as He lives to intercede for us and will deliver us from wrath. He is raised up before us as our Savior and we fall to our knees beating our breast in sackcloth and ashes. It is no longer I who live but Christ in me and it is marvelous in our eyes. "Follow Me" and thus we follow our new and greater Master and our exceedingly great reward all of grace and alone to His glory. Jesus, from whose lips came grace and truth speaks faith as thus to His people, "neither do I condemn you", but this is because of justice being met with mercy at the cross. Our Lord and Savior did it all and we can only be still and know that He is Jehovah. This is believing, trusting in the finished works of Christ, trusting in everything God says He has done and will do in the name of Christ. We know we belong to God because we have been redeemed by Him in Christ. It cannot be undone nor declined. He brings you into this blessed union not of yourself in any way. It is by faith. Many want to say this means faith itself brings you into this blessed union but this is trusting in faith itself and not in Christ and you can't have both. Faith then becomes the focus, the means, the coin for an imaginary vending machine of justification that one needs to attain the Christ. This is the second point of discussion which Lord willing will be expanded on. "For by grace you have been saved through faith" God commands us to peace and to an end of war in Christ's name. The gracious King calls to bring Good News of the forgiveness of debts owed. The voice of the Great Shepherd calls for His sheep looking to bring them safely into His fold. Do you hear? Drop your sword and come in this day of grace. Do not harden your heart. Repent and believe. Be reconciled unto God in Christ and perish not in His righteous wrath against His enemies. As our Holy God says: "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" "Come to Me, all you who labor (in sin and death) and are heavy laden (with guilt and ever increasing condemnation), and I will give you rest (by His righteousness and the cross). Take My yoke upon you (follow Him as your God and King and Savior with a true vow of allegiance) and learn from Me (His Word the Bible alone being the sol authority of doctrine, the knowledge God and His will), for I am gentle and lowly in heart (the Truth, the Way and the Life sent by God to save, to deliver, to heal and not destroy) and you will find rest for your souls (now by faith but in that Great Day by sight through Jesus who is the Christ)." "Follow Me" It is intended for this site to grow and Lord willing it will. It is the intent of this ministry concerning this current article to continue in expounding the three points presented. If you have any further questions concerning these matters please, please write. If I have the answer I will share it with you. Write to me at: intothelandbyfaith-seek@yahoo.com |