Hello, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. I realize that repentance is not a right. But what does one have to do to truly and honestly repent? Would one have to move to your church in order to be saved? Thanks, Joe
Your question – whether or not intentional – strikes at the very heart of the doctrine of election and reprobation. Without question, repentance is the evidence Scripture presents as necessary to discover if one of Adam’s seed has the gift of grace bestowed upon him, to wit: “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:” (Matthew 3:8) That is to say, bring forth evidence of saving faith by showing you repent in heart and deed. Repentance, like faith, is a gift — and a gift only bestowed upon those whom God has chosen to bestow faith, before the foundation of the world. Tucked into a passage in Romans 2, about the utter worthlessness of the flesh — and immediately following a most chilling exposition of God’s wrath being poured out on those who rely in any degree on the power of any creature for their salvation (Romans 1:18-32) — it states plainly that “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”. (Romans 2:4). You can read the context of those words, rather than me quoting them all here.
Christ spoke these words: “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (Matthew 13:13-15) How much more plainly can it be stated that the blindness, deafness, and hard-heartedness — the very opposite of repentance — is decreed and effectuated by God upon those He reprobates?
So, the blunt answer to your question is that you have no power to “truly and honestly repent”. If the power of God — “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,” (Psalm 110:3) — works in you, as one of the gifts of grace, you will “truly and honestly repent”. That is the beginning and the end of the Scriptural teaching on that narrow point.
As to the last question you asked, you have the analysis turned on its head. When God — “which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) — instills saving faith, and you are infused with the unquenchable desire to preach His word and minister to His saints in the earth, there is no such grudging language of “have to” do anything. The language is that of King David, to wit: “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4) Legalistic, rote religion is not part of this operation. We are described in scripture as living stones, which build of a spiritual house. Another metaphor is a body, with each member having his/her own graces and talents that contribute to the health and happiness of the body. None of this can be contrived, and we are a 100% volunteer operation — if you catch my drift. That’s why “have to” is never part of the equation. “Want to” … “passionately insist upon” … “can think of nothing else but being there” is more in line with our personal experiences.
I hope that answers your question sufficiently. We are always ready to give an answer to any who asketh us a reason of the hope that is within us … with meekness and fear, so I am pleased to provide you with a scripture-based (rather than a human-based) response.
Timothy Phelps