Bitesize Theology by Peter Jeffery

Author:Peter Jeffery [Jeffery, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Christian Theology, General, Theology
ISBN: 9780852344477
Google: hDVSAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0852344473
Goodreads: 930528
Published: 2000-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

Think about it

1. When it comes to the human spiritual condition, how dead is dead?

2. What is the difference between religious and moral life, and spiritual life?

3. If regeneration precedes everything in salvation, does this mean that the sinner is not responsible for refusing to believe the gospel?

Further reading

Peter Jeffery, From Religion to Christ, Calvary Press

11

Repentance and faith

Turning from sin to God

Where there is true faith there will inevitably be repentance. Sometimes it is asked, which comes first; this is a pointless question because they are interdependent. Faith and repentance cannot exist without one another.

Repentance has two sides; it is a turning from sin and to God (Acts 3:19). For true repentance both these elements are essential. A man can turn from sin without turning to God. He may see the value of changing his lifestyle and decide to refrain from certain bad habits. No doubt this will do him good in many ways, but spiritually it will be useless. On the other hand, a man may turn to God and cry for mercy, but have no intention of leaving his sin. His eyes may be wet with tears and his heart as hard as stone.

True repentance involves seeing sin for what it really is; not just a character defect, but a permanent attitude of rebellion against the love and care and righteous authority of God. It is this new understanding of God and of one’s own sin that leads to true repentance. There will also be a great desire to break with the past and to live in future only to please God (Acts 26:20). That is repentance.

Faith is an unwavering trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Saviour to deal with sin (Acts 20:21; Romans 3:25). It is not merely an intellectual assent to a set of doctrines, but a coming to Christ in repentance, crying for mercy. Faith hears the truth of the gospel, believes it and then acts upon it. Saving faith progresses from a belief in certain facts to a real trusting in Christ and what he has done on our behalf and for our salvation. Faith is a response of the mind and heart to the Saviour of whom the gospel speaks (1 Ffeter 1:21).

Ongoing repentance

Repentance does not stop when we are saved. After regeneration we are still sinners and sadly we still break the law of God. The Christian life is a continual battle with sin therefore repentance has to be a daily experience. In fact it is often the case that the believer knows a deeper conviction of sin and a deeper sense of repentance after conversion than he did before. David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm 51 is an example of this.

We are to repent every day for the sin of that day. Sin that is not confessed and repented of will fester in our hearts and destroy our fellowship with God.

It's worth quoting

‘True faith is not passive but active. It requires that we meet certain conditions, that we allow the teachings of Christ to dominate our total lives from the moment we believe.

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