Genuine Repentance

[pop james]

Genuine Repentance is a work of GOD in the human heart(acts 11:18)
We should look at 2cor 7 for some guidence concerning repentance....verse 10 says..."Godly sorrow produces repentance...leading to salvation"...What exactly is "Godly sorrow?......It is sorrow produced in one that is of the HOLY SPIRIT. It is genuine sorrow over sin. As one grows in grace one repents over sins without ceasing for it is one of the ways we build a joyous relationship with GOD. (1 john 1:7-9)
Repentance is a gift of GOD (acts 5:31,11:18, rom 2:4)..The HOLY SPIRIT leads one to repentance. So as with faith which go's hand in hand with repentance the calling/drawing of GOD to the gospel of JESUS CHRIST is of GOD and not mans initiative......
GOD must open up the sinners heart before any conversion/repentance/faith can be realized....Just as with the dear Lydia (acts 16:14)......"GOD opened her heart"...
Notice how clearly the HOLY SPIRIT teaches the relationship between the cause and effect in the conversion of Lydia (which is exactly how ech one is saved) GOD was the one Who opened Lydias heart, that is the CAUSE, and HE did in order that she might be able to attend to the truths that Paul preached, that is the EFFECT. Now that is what the Word of GOD says!!!!Read the words themselves....If one denies that the reason that Lydia understood and believed the gospel was because GOD deliberately "opened her heart" and enabled her to believe,they are fighting GODs word. If one desperately tries to get mans free will to fit in this text, they are corrupting the Word of GOD. How dreadful and even ridiculous, to give Christ the glory for HIS work on the cross, and then give sinners the credit for the Fathers work in eternity (election) and the Spirits work in our hearts (regeneration).
It is dangerous to dishonor the Sovereign Spirit/HOLY SPIRIT to say HE will quicken us into life as soon as We give HIM our permission..................Pop

[godslove]

good post brother pop...God bless.

[cbarn]

Some interesting thoughts, pop. What jumps out at me is "God opened her heart", "God provided the gift of repentance", and "He did it". This brings the first chapter of Ephesians to mind... it's riddled with He, He, He... not me, me, me. Paul, in 1 Tim 1:16, referred to Christ's dealings with him, as a "pattern"... "to them which should hereafter believe"... that includes us.
As we consider Paul's "decision to accept Christ" on the Damascas Road. ;-) Paul wasn't responding the the sign saying "wise men still seek Him", he was actively killing Christians, thinking he was "doing God a service". And afterward he referred to his "salvation experience" as a pattern, or an example, for us.
It is dangerous to dishonor the Sovereign Spirit/HOLY SPIRIT to say HE will quicken us into life as soon as We give HIM our permission.
That's pretty far up the "ultimate in arrogance" list, isn't it.
We understand (Mat. 16:17) that if God had left us to our own "decision making"... we'd still be dead in our sins, therefore we're quick to give thanks to Him... for His so great salvation.
Rick

[LovedBubba]

Recently, oh sometime this past DEC (06), I can't really describe it as anything but what is described as in Acts 16:14 when it describes "...[Whose] heart the Lord opened..."

Not sure of the exact day... Not sure if you'd really call it a "salvation experience??"; I mean, I didn't go down to the alter and say my three hail marrys. [I did that long long time ago when I was 7 and when I was 16] What I can say is my anger just one day this past month melted away for the most part, not even sure it is all gone... I am extreamly THANKFUL compared to just before when this happened. No my illness and all its complications have not disappeared... and no I have not broken out and spoken in tougnes... I guess a few of you are going to tell me it isn't real then...

I had an extreamly great Christmas and my empathy levels have skyrocketed... Not sure what to make of this...
??
unclebubba

[m.o.m.]

Praise God, unclebubba. He is so amazing how He draws us to him. Remain in His word and in prayer. He will continue to draw you closer. I hear the wonder and awe in your words. He is an awesome God and I, too, am so full of wonder at His mercy and grace for me---such a sinner. He has been faithful to me even when I have not been faithful to Him.

Ephesians 2:8-10 teaches us:

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I would never tell you that God moving in your life as He chooses is not real. There is no magic formua (hail Mary x3, etc), but only His grace as He chooses. It is exciting to hear how He is moving in your life.

God bless!

m.o.m.

[pop james]

My prayer is that the LORD is drawing you in a way that will result in true salvation.....one evidence of salvation (which you did not mention in your experience) is conviction.......Bubba......did you come out of this experince with a broken heart... ya know Bubba...sin will break your heart if you are a true child of GOD....When one has a true conversion they will recognize immediately that they are lost and withot hope befoe a righteous/Holy GOD. Then is when the soul desperately needs forgiveness and that is the joy of salvation knowing that you are FOREVER forgiven for your sins...past...present and future..........GOD makes it evident to the new believer that he/she is secure in HIM....oh my Bubba.....what a SAVIOUR.....what a SAVIOUR................regards.Pop

[OneJoe]

Not sure of the exact day... Not sure if you'd really call it a "salvation experience??"; I mean, I didn't go down to the alter and say my three hail marrys.

I am not sure what verses better describe the coming or indwelling of the spirit than the following.....

Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Some where along the line God chose to save us and we weren't even aware of it. Some of us later look into God's word as a mirror and see we are doing the will of God. We are producing the fruit of the spirit. I for one can not remember much as far as the past goes, but at least we can look into the word of God to see how we are living today.

Jam 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.


Onejoe

[hearthammer]

The Lord is a gentlemen, He will not force Himself upon us. This is why we must ask Him into our heart.
Behold I stand at the door knocking, if anyone opens I will come into Him....
This of course is paraphrase. He says this in three different places.
Take Care and God Bless

[pop james]

Hearthammer.........You wrote..."the LORD is a gentlemen, HE will not force Himself upon us."......I must tell you that our LORD is much more than a gentlemen to HIS own.
As for your statement concerning HIS not forcing HIMSELF upon us, only holds true for those WHO ARE NOT HIS OWN. Lets explore the word COMMAND....command means to direct with authority....give orders to...to have control and autority over ...to rule.
Now lets look at some scriptures.......GOD commanded Adam(gen 2:16)..moses(ex3:14...joshua (josh 1:9)...Christ commanded the twelve (matt 10:5)...HE commanded peter (john 21:15)..HE will command HIS children (gen 18:19)...HE said in john 15:14 "If you do whatever I say"...HE(GOD) commands ALL men(without distinction)everywhere to repent....
Can we say that GOD does NOT force Himself upon us with any validity when we look at the four fishermen in matthew 4? "Follow me" HE told them..and of course without hesitation they immediately left their nets and followed HIM because HE commanded them to.....In matt 11:28 JESUS proclaims "COME TO ME....all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I wil give you rest"...This is not an offer..it is a COMMAND....JESUS is not gently, with a mild manner of a salesman, offering spiritual rest. "COME TO ME" is in the aorist tense...it is not an offer it is a commandment using the same authority HE uses when HE commanded the fishermen to drop all they were doing/forsake all and follow HIM.....the point is that HE did not go up to those ol cuss mouth fishermen and say..well boys....I have a plan of salvation for ya...I want you to decide if you will follow me...I will go over here and play some soft music and you search your hearts and come to a decision.
Finally....look at Paul on the Damascus road....DID JESUS force Himself on Paul?........absolutely.............think about it...Pop

[cbarn]

The Lord is a gentlemen, He will not force Himself upon us. This is why we must ask Him into our heart.
Behold I stand at the door knocking, if anyone opens I will come into Him....
This of course is paraphrase. He says this in three different places.
Take Care and God Bless

Heart, that all sounds kind of noble, but it's simply not true. Pop mentioned a pretty convincing point regarding Paul, and Paul's conversion the Bible calls a "pattern". Frankly, I'm quite happy God didn't sit waiting for me to "choose Him"... I wouldn't have "done" it... and neither would you.
There are many verses pulled from their context to try make them say something never intended... Revelation 3:20 that you cited being one of the popular ones. That was written to the angel of the Church at Laodicea... for believers who had grown "luke warm" toward God. It is NOT an "invitation" to "ask Him into our heart", since nowhere in the Bible are we instructed to do so...and more importantly because... unless He becomes a little less than a gentleman and does something against our will, we will not come to Him for life.
That "something" He does, through being a bit less than a gentleman, is taking dead sinners and regenerating them... making them born again... while they were dead.
Again and again... consider just how far man fell in the Fall. Thanks to the Lord, for His so great salvation.
The ball's been served, I'm sure a rebound is on the way, just not sure from which court.
Rick

[LovedBubba]

I had saved Pop James doc to my computer (I hope it is not illegal??) to go over later, and really took a look at carefully tonight. It really is eye opening on election. The opening post is "a stand alone sermon"

uncle bubba...