[TruthTalk] Repentance and Unilateral Gospel

[ShieldsFamily]

BTW, I don't think we ever resolved the meaning of Repentance.  I said it is (1)admitting your sin and (2) turning from your sin to righteousness.  Sometimes it also includes (3)making restitution or apologizing for the wrong we have done.  So what do folks think of that for starters?  I think John's statement that repentance is simply changing your ideas or way of thinking is only what must be done mentally before you can do the above.  But if you leave out the above then you have NOT repented.    Secondly, I think the idea of a Unilateral gospel (where God does it all and we do nothing in response) is a dangerous gospel.  It leaves out Repentance! It absolves us, the recipients of any and all responsibility.  It requires no change, no rejection of sin, no godly lifestyle on our part.  We are free to sit on the recliner in our holey underwear and guzzle beer all day, beating the wife and screaming at the children.  But that's okay if we are just giving mental assent.    That gospel does not enter us into the Kingdom of God, which does not start in eternity, but in fact is all around us now, and which we can enter into at this present moment.  How? By embracing the true gospel. “Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”   Izzy