"Turn from Sin" to Be Saved?

"Turn from Sin" to Be Saved?

By David J. Stewart

"Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders." —Matthew 27:3

With all the talk nowadays about forsaking sins to be saved, I present Matthew 27:3 to you for consideration. Judas "repented" for betraying Jesus, and even tried to make amends by returning the money; but it wasn't genuine repentance. Obviously, forsaking sins is not Biblical repentance. If it was, then Judas would have been justified; but he went to Hell. Biblical repentance must be rooted in the Law of God. There are criminals in prison who are sorry they got caught, and likely wouldn't commit the same crime again if released; but they have never repented TOWARD God for their sins. So we see that the emotion of sorrow, forsaking the act of sin itself, and trying to make amends are not Biblical repentance.

There is a lot of fighting and misunderstanding today over the issue of repentance, and I believe God has laid it upon my heart to write this needful article. On the one hand we have the Lordship Salvation crowd, and on the other extreme those who want to label every preacher who dares mention the phrase "turn from sin" as a heretic. In particular, The Repentance Blacklist at http://www.repentanceblacklist.com. They have Bro. Lester Roloff and Dr. Oliver B. Greene listed as heretics. I know I am doing the right thing to defend these heroes of the faith, and at the same time hopefully share some Biblical insight into this critical subject, which I believe will help to clarify the matter.

Many sincere believers have differences regarding doctrinal issues, but when it comes to disagreement over the doctrine of salvation, the very foundation of our faith, the false must be exposed and the truth firmly established in the heart of every believer. If we're wrong on repentance, then we're wrong on everything else too. This necessity is markedly seen today in the debate between Lordship Salvation and Free Grace. Not merely a matter of language meaning, these two messages are diametrically opposed to each other.

John MacArthur's Heresy On Lordship Salvation

Let's start with the obvious. John MacArthur is wrong on repentance, when he states:

“Eternal security is a great spiritual truth, but it should never be presented merely as a matter of being once saved, always saved—with no regard for what you believe or do. The writer of Hebrews 12:14 states frankly that only those who continue living holy lives will enter the Lord's presence. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Kingdom Living Here and Now (pg. 150).

This is clearly unscriptural. Dr. MacArthur is teaching works salvation. Hebrews 12:14 doesn't mean that at all. To read more about what this verse does mean, and also read Dr. Oliver B. Greene's correct interpretation of this Scripture, please read John MacArthur Perverts Hebrews 12:14! Interestingly, MacArthur's recent "Revised and Updated" The MacArthur Study Bible correctly interprets this Scripture. So either Nelson Publisher's helped him write his commentary, or else he's changed his doctrine and refuses to recant his previous heretical writings. The fact is that MacArthur contradicts himself often, which certainly doesn't bode well with being touted as a "world-class scholar."

Dr. Jack Hyles and Dr. Curtis Hutson are 100% Correct Concerning Repentance

In Brother Hyle's book, Enemies of Soulwinning, in the chapter Misunderstood Repentance, he states:

So, from what must a person repent in order to be saved? He must repent of that which makes him lost. Since "believing not" makes him lost, "believing" makes him saved. In repentance there is a turning from the thing that keeps him from being saved to the thing that saves him. So, yes, there is a repentance from unbelief in order to believe. It is simply a change of direction. It means a turning around. You are going away from believing, and you decide to turn around and believe. You change your direction; you change your mind. With your will you believe and rely upon Christ to save you. In order to believe, you have to repent of unbelief. That which makes a man lost must be corrected.

Former Sword Of The Lord editor, and faithful man of God Dr. Curtis Hutson, also believed the same thing: Dr. Curtis Hutson is 100% Correct on Repentance! I think Pastor Hyles and Bro. Hutson make the best presentation of Biblical repentance. One must never forget that eternal life is a free gift, paid in full by Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19). Please read: To Him That Worketh Not and You Need HIS Righteousness!

Bro. Lester Roloff and Oliver B. Greene

The Repentance Blacklist at http://www.repentanceblacklist.com lists these men as heretics. Are they? Here's the quotes cited as heresy by the website:

“Repentance is a godly sorrow for sin. Repentance is a forsaking of sin. Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore. Repentance is permanent. It is a lifelong and an eternity-long experience. You will never love the devil again once you repent. You will never flirt with the devil as the habit of your life again once you get saved. You will never be happy living in sin; it will never satisfy; and the husks of the world will never fill your longing and hungering in your soul. Repentance is something a lot bigger than a lot of people think. It is absolutely essential if you go to heaven” (Lester Roloff, Repent or Perish, 1950s).

Carefully notice that Bro. Roloff says, "Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore." Pastor Roloff is correctly teaching that genuine repentance brings forth a changed life; but he is not requiring a changed life to get saved.

“True repentance is sorrow for sin committed against a holy God and not only sorrow for sin, but TURNING FROM SIN, FORSAKING SIN AND TURNING TO GOD. Sin nailed the Savior to the cross and certainly that fact alone is sufficient reason why ALL WHO HAVE GENUINELY REPENTED HATE SIN AND FORSAKE SINFUL WAYS” (Oliver B. Greene, Commentary of Acts of the Apostles, Acts 2:37-38, 1969).

Carefully notice that Dr. Greene says, "ALL WHO HAVE GENUINELY REPENTED..." Again, he is speaking about the evidences of those who HAVE (already!) repented. He is not teaching Lordship Salvation.

Obviously, Brother Roloff didn't believe that a person has to cease from sinning to be saved. This is clear from his other sermons. The same is true of Dr. Greene. The interesting thing about The Repentance Blacklist is that they promote Dr. Hyles as being true in his doctrine; but Bro. Roloff as being a heretic. Folks, Dr. Hyles and Bro. Roloff were lifelong friends, who preached together and were both greatly used of the Lord to reach millions of lives. Do you think Bro. Hyles would have supported and honored Pastor Roloff if he taught heresy? No way!

Dr. John R. Rice

For some reason the author of The Repentance Blacklist hasn't added Dr. Rice's name, but they need to if they're going to be honest, because Dr. Rice preached the same thing as Dr. Greene and Bro. Roloff:

To repent literally means to have a change of mind or spirit towards God and toward sin. It means to turn from your sins, earnestly, with all your heart, and trust in Jesus Christ to save you.

SOURCE: What Must I DO To Be Saved, by Dr. John R. Rice

Considering this quote by itself, one could be misled to believe that Brother Rice was teaching Lordship Salvation; BUT, he certainly is not. Dr. Rice goes on to state...

The change in your heart, sinner, is God's part and you may be sure He will attend to that. Your part is to simply believe in Him. Whatever else is necessary in your eternal salvation, the Lord attends to when you trust in Him, or believe in Him.

SOURCE: What Must I DO To Be Saved, by Dr. John R. Rice

Did you read what Dr. Rice said?, "The change is in your heart..." This is exactly what Brother Hutson and Pastor Hyles taught. Salvation is of the heart; not of works. Salvation is of God, not man. Our part is simply to believe, but it is God who changes our heart. Dr. Rice further states...

One who believes in Christ has repented.

SOURCE: What Must I DO To Be Saved, by Dr. John R. Rice

This statement alone by Dr. John R. Rice clearly shows that he didn't believe in Lordship Salvation! Here is a quote from Dr. Curtis Hutson, with a quote which he provides from Dr. John R. Rice...

In an article in THE SWORD OF THE LORD, Dr. John R. Rice said:

"Sometimes the preacher does not himself fully understand the plan of salvation. He thinks of salvation as a process. First, there is a period of conviction, then a period of repentance, then an act of faith."

He [Dr. John R. Rice] went on to explain that when one trusts Christ as Saviour he also repents.

Dr. Rice is absolutely right. Faith and repentance are the same; they are not two separate decisions. One cannot trust Christ as Saviour without repenting or changing his mind. The very fact that he trusts Christ for salvation shows that he has changed his mind regarding sin, salvation, and God.

If one book of the Bible had to be considered "the salvation book," it would have to be the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John is printed and distributed more than any other book of the Bible. The purpose of this book is given in John 20:31, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

According to this verse, the whole purpose of the Gospel of John is that men might believe that Jesus is the Christ and believing they might have life through His name. In other words, it is written that men might be saved. Yet "repent" or "repentance" is not used one single time in the Gospel of John. On the other hand, "believe" is used more than ninety times in the twenty-one chapters.

SOURCE: Repentance: What Does the Bible Teach?

Curtis Hutson and John R. Rice are 100% in AGREEMENT on repentance! Dr. Rice further states...

"Repentance is inseparable from faith. The Greek word for repentance in the Bible simply means a change of mind; that is, a wholesome change of attitude toward sin and toward God. One who turns his heart to trust in Christ has, naturally, turned his heart away from the love of sin."

SOURCE: Dr. Rice, Here is My Question...; pg. 248, by Dr. John R. Rice, Sword Of The Lord Publishers; ISBN: 0-87398-158-8

Let us ponder the words of Jesus, who said in John 6:37, "...him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Any sinner who sincerely wants to be saved, may be saved, if he'll simply come by way of the precious blood of Jesus.

I also want to quote Dr. John R. Rice from his excellent book, "Dr. Rice, Here Is My Question...", page 248:

Question 200. Is repentance still necessary to salvation?

"Repentance is inseparable from faith. The Greek word for repentance in the Bible simply means a change of mind; that is, a wholesale change of attitude toward sin and toward God. One who turns his heart to trust in Christ has, naturally, turned his heart away from the love of sin ... It is a mistake to make a process out of salvation with repentance and faith as separate steps. They are really different parts of the same step or different ways of speaking of the same attitude of heart. One who repents, that is, has turned from rebellion and unbelief to trust Christ, has believed, of course. One who trusts in Christ has necessarily turned his heart from rebellion and rejection of Christ and so has repented."

SOURCE: "Dr. Rice, Here Is My Question..."; ISBN: 0-87398-158-8; copyright, 1962, by Viola M. Walden

I agree with Dr. Rice 100%. Don't miss what he said... "The Greek word for repentance in the Bible simply means a change of mind; that is, a wholesale change of attitude toward sin and toward God." Brother Rice doesn't define "repentance" as turning from the act of committing sin, nor even as a willingness to turn from the act of sin; but rather, as simply a change of attitude towards one's sin and the Savior. This is Biblical repentance. If you know you are a GUILTY sinner, condemned under God's Law and deserving of hellfire, then you need only believe on the Jesus Christ to be saved. Romans 3:19 tells us that the Law was given that all the world might become "GUILTY BEFORE GOD."

More Quotes from The Repentance Blacklist

Are these men all heretics? Or is there a simple explanation for the misunderstanding? ...

Just now some professedly Christian teachers are misleading many by saying that ‘repentance is only a change of mind.’ It is true that the original word does convey the idea of a change of mind; but the whole teaching of Scripture concerning the repentance which is not to be repented of is that it is a much more radical and complete change than is implied by our common phrase about changing one’s mind. The repentance that does not include sincere sorrow for sin is not the saving grace that is wrought by the Holy Spirit. God-given repentance makes men grieve in their inmost souls over the sin they have committed, and works in them a gracious hatred of evil in every shape and form. We cannot find a better definition of repentance than the one many of us learned at our mother’s knee: ‘Repentance is to leave the sin we loved before, and show that we in earnest grieve by doing so no more’” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “The Royal Saviour,” Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, England, Feb. 1, 1872).

Notice that Spurgeon said God-given repentance, "works in them a gracious hatred of evil in every shape and form." Spurgeon is talking about the FRUIT of genuine repentance; not works salvation.

The lack of preaching against sin has brought in multitudes of false professions and false beliefs. … In the New Testament concerning salvation, repentance is always a change for the better and always a repentance from sin. Biblical repentance is changing one’s mind about their sin, the Saviour, and the Scriptures, which brings about a great change of direction in their lives (Acts 3:19)” (Pastor John L. Graf, Valiant for Truth, March 1997).

Notice that Pastor Graf said Biblical repentance, "brings about a great change..." Again, he is talking about the FRUIT of genuine repentance; not forsaking one's sins to get saved.

"You cannot have salvation without repentance and the evidence of salvation is a changed life (2nd Corinthians 5:17, 2nd Peter 3:9). You don't make Jesus "Lord," He is Lord. Salvation recognizes that and humbly submits to Him. Better to confess it with the mouth and bow the knee in this life than the one to come! (Romans 10:9, Act 16:31, Philippians 2:10-11). Repentance is not a work, it is part of the salvation God grants. It is from God so we can expect real and significant change in mind, heart, direction, motives, philosophy, life (Acts 11:18, 2nd Timothy 2:25, Ephesians 2:8-10)" (Pastor Steven Pawley, Antioch Bible Baptist Church, Lockport, New York).

Notice that Pastor Pawley said, "the evidence of salvation is a changed life."

Each of these men of God are talking about the FRUIT that follows genuine Biblical repentance; and NOT the forsaking of the act of sin to be saved. I guarantee you that not one of these men of God believe that you have to forsake the act of sin as a requirement to be saved. What they do believe is that genuine repentance will bring about a changed life, as a result of saving faith, and this is certainly Biblical (James 2:18).

Repentance Towards God

You can put all the faith in Christ you want, it means nothing if you're in denial about your sins. The entire matter of salvation deals with OUR SINS. Thus, repentance is when we come to the realization that we have sinned AGAINST GOD. Notice what Joseph said to Potiphar's adulterous wife, who tried to seduce him in Genesis 39:9... "There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin AGAINST GOD?" Joseph realized that if he did commit adultery, he would be sinning AGAINST GOD! In Luke 15:21, the repentant prodigal son said... "Father, I have sinned AGAINST HEAVEN, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." Notice what king David said in Psalm 41:4... "LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned AGAINST THEE." Notice what the Apostle Paul taught in Acts 20:21... "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." You see, lost sinners need to repent TOWARDS GOD. Carefully notice in Mark 1:15 what Jesus said... "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." Notice that Jesus DIDN'T say "repent ye, and forsake your sins." No, rather, He said, "repent ye, and believe the gospel."

The Guilt of Sin

Most preachers today have lost touch with the reality of God's Law. Here's a brief quote from Jonathan Edwards' classic sermon Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God...

Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock. Were it not for the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it; the creation groans with you; the creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly; the sun does not willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth does not willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air does not willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God's enemies.

Could you imagine Joel Osteen speaking these same words to his coliseum of 44,000 followers? He'd be preaching to empty seats mighty quickly. Could you imagine Pat Robertson on The 700 Club speaking these words on national TV? He'd be finished. 2nd Timothy 4:3 tells us why... "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." Americans are spoiled rotten with pride and self-righteousness. Most Americans today only want to hear about how to get rich, prosper, and have better health. This is apostasy!

Dwight L. Moody

It was Pastor D.L. Moody who stated in his sermon Repentance:

The day will come when you will wake up and know that you have been deceived by the devil. No unrepentant sinner will ever get into Heaven, unless they forsake their sin they cannot enter there. The law of God is very plain on this point: "Except a man repent." That's the language of Scripture. And when this is so plainly set down, why is it that men fold their arms and say, "God will take me into Heaven anyway."

Was Mr. Moody teaching Lordship Salvation? After reading the entire sermon with much scrutiny, I am firmly convinced that Pastor Moody did NOT believe in Lordship Salvation. In the sermon "What Must I Do To Be Saved" by Moody, no mention is made of "forsaking one's sins" to be saved. In the sermon Repentance, Moody admits that he usually doesn't preach on repentance; but, due to pressure from critics, he does so to appease them. It is clear to me that Mr. Moody would have chose his words more carefully, if he knew someone was going to accuse him of teaching works salvation. Respectfully, I think Mr. Moody could have chosen his words better; but, in lieu of the overall context of this sermon, it is abundantly clear to me that Mr. Moody did NOT believe a person must forsake the literal ACT of sin to be saved.

What Moody meant (which is clear from reading his entire sermon) is that a person who is legitimately saved, i.e., has experienced genuine repentance, WILL have a changed life. Moody makes the following statement below which shows this...

"I heard of a man who said he had been converted, A friend asked him if he had repented. "No," said he, "I never trouble my head about it." My friends, when a man becomes converted the work has to be a little deeper than that. He has to become repentant, and try to atone for what he has done. If he is at war with anyone he has to go and be reconciled to his enemy. If he doesn't his conversion is the work of Satan."

Mr. Moody is talking about the FRUIT which evidences genuine repentance; he is not giving a plan of salvation here. D.L. Moody was simply reiterating 2nd Corinthians 5:17, which states: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature..." Carefully notice that the Word of God states, "...if any man BE IN CHRIST..." He's already in Christ. Hence, you don't forsake your sins to get saved; but rather, you forsake your sins because you ARE saved. Moody's entire sermon on repentance is aimed at the phonies who profess Christ; but, there is no signs of Christ in that person's life. We see such false conversions much today.

A Shallow Gospel vs. The Simple Gospel

Many unrepentant people today, who are proud and self-righteous, "think" they are saved simply because they "gave their life to Jesus." This is the nonsense being taught in apostate churches today, and by greedy televangelists. Judas gave his life to Jesus and went to Hell. The Pharisees gave their lives to God, and went to Hell. You'd better get BORN-AGAIN! We are saved through Jesus' blood which takes our sins away.

The great evangelist Charles Finney said...

"The severity of the Law should be unsparingly applied to the conscience until the sinner's self-righteousness is annihilated, and he stands speechless and condemned before the Holy God."

This is the only way in which a lost sinner needs to TURN FROM SIN to be saved, i.e., to stand condemned before the Holy God. This is exactly what Romans 3:19 says, "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." Salvation is simple, and we must not make it complicated to where a small child could not be saved. If you authentically realize you are a guilty sinner, and you turn to the Lord Jesus by faith to save you, then you WILL be saved (Romans 10:13)! Salvation is that simple. Salvation is receiving; not giving. It is the gift of God!

Now a shallow Gospel is when the Law of God is absent. Too many preachers today explain the CURE without the GUILT of sin. We don't hear much today about the GUILT of sin. What we do hear a lot about is the CURE. Televangelists utterly fail to preach against America's sins. All we hear is how someone was on the brink of bankruptcy, but then sent in their last $20 to The 700 Club, and now their life is a bed of roses. 2nd Peter 2:3 describes these greedy imposters in exact Words... "And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." Woe unto America's televangelists!!!

Aiden W. Tozer was a False Prophet!

Mr. Tozer unquestionably taught Lordship Salvation...

"In the Bible the offer of pardon on the part of God is conditioned upon intention to reform on the part of man. There can be no spiritual regeneration till there has been a moral reformation."

SOURCE: The Best of A.W. Tozer, Book 2, p115-117. Compiled by Warren W. Wiersbe

Wrong! Salvation is receiving; not giving. Mr. Tozer requires sinners to reform before they can be saved. This goes contrary to the plainest teachings in the Bible. Romans 4:5 states, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Mr. Tozer is teaching works salvation.

The "Salvation Army" Teaches Damnable Heresy!

Now here's a group that should be on The Repentance Blacklist. I was greatly saddened recently as I read the official doctrinal statement of the Salvation Army. If you look at the Salvation Army's list of doctrines, you'll come down to doctrine # 9, which reads as follows...

"We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ."

Doctrine # 9 above is a lie of the Devil, NOT based upon the Word of God. Lordship Salvation necessitates the doctrine of losing one's salvation. The Salvation Army is teaching the damnable heresy of works salvation. They clearly believe that one's salvation is conditional upon works.

Ray Comfort is a False Prophet!

On Ray Comfort's website, http://www.wayofthemaster.com, under the drop-down-menu "Get Equipped," there's a link titled Answers to 100 Common Questions. In this section you'll find Ray's heretical answer to the question... "Is Repentance Necessary for Salvation?" The answers are directly from The Evidence Bible, which was compiled and commented by Ray Comfort. This heresy also appears on Mr. Comfort's other website at... http://www.livingwaters.com/witnessingtool/browse.shtml. Here is Ray's unbiblical answer to the question...

Is Repentance Necessary for Salvation?

It is true that there are numerous Bible verses that speak of the promise of salvation, with no mention of repentance. These merely say to "believe" on Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9). However, the Bible makes it clear that God is holy and man is sinful, and that sin makes a separation between the two (Isaiah 59:1,2). Without repentance from sin, wicked men cannot have fellowship with a holy God. We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and until we forsake them through repentance, we cannot be made alive in Christ ...

If belief is all that is necessary for salvation, then the logical conclusion is that one need never repent. However, the Bible tells us that a false convert "believes" and yet is not saved (Luke 8:13); he remains a "worker of iniquity." Look at the warning of Scripture: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6). The Scriptures also say, "He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsakes them [repentance] shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). Jesus said that there was joy in heaven over one sinner who "repents" (Luke 15:10). If there is no repentance, there is no joy because there is no salvation.

SOURCE: http://www.livingwaters.com/witnessingtool/browse.shtml

Ray Comfort is a confused man, but I believe sincere. He puts the cart before the horse. There is a fine line between the "doctrine of Christ" (2nd John 1:9), and "doctrines of devils" (1st Timothy 4:1). Mr. Comfort teach that a person cannot be saved (i.e., made alive in Christ) until they forsake their sins. It's supposed to be the other way around! Bro. Lester Roloff has it right, whom I quoted to you earlier... "Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore." Now that's preaching brother! But you can keep the flawed doctrine that Mr. Comfort is teaching, which requires a sinner not to "live like that anymore" in order to trust Jesus. That's backwards!

John MacArthur, Ray Comfort and Aiden Tozer who all teach works salvation.

Genuine Repentance

All of the mighty Gospel preachers in the past (and faithful preachers today) believed that genuine Biblical repentance WILL produce a changed life. 2nd Corinthians 5:17 tells us that a believer is a "new creature" in Christ, former things are passed away, and all things new. I seriously doubt the salvation of most professed "Christians" today, because they have never repented. Phooey on a Gospel which preaches forgiveness without repentance. A person must repent to be saved. But repentance is NOT the forsaking of the act of sin to be saved; BUT rather, it is a lost sinner realizing that he or she is GUILTY, condemned under God's Law, deserving of hellfire—and simultaneously turning to the Lord Jesus by faith for forgiveness, Whose precious literal blood washes our sins away forever.

Repentance is Biblically "a change of mind," which causes a lost sinner to TURN to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. If there is a genuine knowledge of guilt of sin, i.e., an authentic realization of one's condemnation under the Law of God, and a sincere trust placed on Jesus as the Christ to forgive those sins, then there is salvation.

Salvation is simple, we are the sinners and Jesus is the Savior. We must not complicate salvation, and pervert the Gospel message, by requiring sinners to commit their life to Christ, or to cease from committing sin, or to surrender to Jesus in order to be saved. If genuine repentance takes place, then these changes will be evidenced over time. It sometimes takes awhile before a new believer grows in the Lord, to the point where he or she is willing to present their "bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

We must not confuse the FRUIT of a believer's faith (James 2:18-21), with the ROOT of a believer's faith (Romans 4:5). Just as with a tree, the root precedes any fruit. Although the fruit and the root are inseparably related, the fruit does not bring forth the root; but rather, the root brings forth the fruit.

Jack Chick Teaches Heresy!

I have received numerous letters from people lately, asking me to expose Chick Tracts. As you can see in the Chick Tract (title: "This Was Your Life") page 20 (pictured below), Bro. Chick defines repentance as "SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST..." This is the heresy of Lordship Salvation.

Also, on the back page of all his tracts, in step # 2, he REQUIRES lost sinners to "Be willing to turn from sin (repent)" to be saved. This again is Lordship Salvation.

If I say to my son, "You can use the car if you're willing to gas it" — the implication is clear — I expect him to fill the gas tank before he returns the car. Likewise, to require a person to "be willing to turn from sin" to be saved is implying that they MUST stop sinning in order to be saved. In other words, if you're required to be willing to do something, then it effectively becomes obligatory. I sincerely wish Mr. Chick would reword his tracts, but he is stubborn.

Brother Chick contradicts himself. On his website, his statement of faith is vastly different than his Gospel tracts:

"Salvation is the gift of God and includes the forgiveness of sins, the imputation of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, and the gift of eternal life. Union with the triune God provides all blessings in this life and the life hereafter. Salvation is received by faith alone, apart from all good works and merit."

SOURCE: http://www.chick.com/information/general/statementoffaith.asp

Yet, as you can clearly see in the Chick tract pages I've just presented to you, Bro. Chick teaches something very different. If I have to "surrender" my life to Christ, or "be willing to turn from sin," to be saved — that is Lordship Salvation! Eternal life is a free gift. Salvation is receiving; NOT giving. Jesus said, "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY" (Revelation 21:6). Did you read that... "FREELY!" Jack Chick is wrong! Folks, he's teaching millions of children through his cartoon tracts that they have to forsake sin to be saved. I was a supporter of Chick Tracts for many years, until I woke up one day and realized that Jack Chick is teaching lies. It's a shame that Mr. Chick is more of an artist than a preacher. He is doctrinally corrupt. Get mad at me if you want... you DON'T have to be willing to turn from sin to be saved. You simply need to BELIEVE on Jesus to forgive your sins!

The problem is that a willingness to turn from sin is a FRUIT (i.e. a result) of genuine repentance, and not a prerequisite to salvation. People can easily be misled by the wording in Chick tracts. Again, I think Pastor Roloff said it best, "Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore." 2nd Corinthians 5:17 tells us that salvation brings a change. But, we must never require a change, or even a willingness to change, as part of saving faith. To do so perverts the Gospel message. Salvation is WITHOUT WORKS (Romans 4:5).

Saul (later named Paul) had a miraculous conversion in Acts 9:5, and in the very next verse he said, "What wilt thou have me to do?" Many preachers use Paul's conversion as a benchmark for salvation. I think this is wrong. It is important to notice that Jesus didn't require Saul to surrender his life in order to be saved—Saul VOLUNTEERED himself as a result of having saving faith and genuine repentance.

Dr. Jack Hyles Taught the Same Thing as Dr. John R. Rice

When Dr. Hyles says that UNBELIEF is the only sin that a person needs to repent of to be saved, he is talking about literally turning from that particular sin. Keep in mind that Dr. Hyles book is titled "Misunderstood Repentance," and he is countering the heresy of Lordship Salvation which is an enemy of getting people saved. The ONLY sin which we must literally stop doing to be saved is UNBELIEF. That's it. Does a person have to stop getting drunk to be saved? No. Does a person have to stop fornicating to be saved? No. Does a person have to stop stealing to be saved? No. The only sin which a person must literally forsake (in the sense of not doing anymore) is unbelief. To say otherwise is to state the impossible, for who can forsake all their sin? (Romans 7:14-24).

Now for those of you who would wrongfully call Dr. Hyles "shallow," let me correct you by sharing with you chapter 7 from his book, Salvation Is More Than Being Saved. The chapter title is Salvation And The Law in which Bro. Hyles states:

"Coming to Christ does not give us a license to sin; it gives us even more of a hatred for sin and causes us to desire to live a life of righteousness so that we can be pleasing to our God and show our gratitude and our love to our Saviour... Jesus set me free FROM sin, not TO sin."

Clearly, Bro. Hyles believed that genuine repentance brings forth a changed life. This is what Dr. Rice meant when he said "to turn from your sins, earnestly, with all your heart." Dr. Rice was referring to the "attitude" that genuine repentance produces.

Didn't Judas Repent?

I quoted Matthew 27:3 way back at the beginning of this article because it evidences the fact that there is indeed a false type of repentance... "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders." Judas felt the emotion of sorrow, and even tried to undo the sin he had committed; but this was not genuine Biblical repentance. Judas went and hung himself, literally. This is very interesting.

You see, unlike Peter who remembered the Words of Jesus (i.e., God's Word) and wept bitterly, crying out to God for forgiveness; Judas experienced a shallow type of repentance that was void of the Law of God. Many unsaved people today are joining apostate churches which never preach against sin. Since the Law of God is not preached, there is no guilt or conviction concerning sin. As a result, millions of Americans are giving their hearts and lives to Christ; but they are not getting saved. They have churchianity without Christianity. They think they have been forgiven because they said a prayer, or have learned the philosophy of Christ; but they've never addressed the GUILT and CONDEMNATION upon them because of sin. They have never experienced genuine Biblical repentance.

Conclusion

I trust that this study of repentance has been beneficial to you. I have gladly spent several hours writing this article, and it has been my sincerest heart's desire to be as honest, Biblical and fair as possible in this critical matter. The one truth which we must never forget is that it only requires a childlike faith to be saved. Salvation is simple. So simple that Jesus likened it to walking through a door (John 10:9). So simple that Jesus likened it to drinking a glass of water—John 4:10, "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." Man has absolutely no part in God's gift of salvation. We are not saved by good works, and we cannot be lost by bad works. How can we lose that which was not ours to give in the first place? Salvation is receiving; not giving.

There is a fine line between the turning from sin that genuine repentance brings; verses the turning from sin that false prophets require for people to get saved.

Oh listen my friend, Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!" Do you have HIS righteousness? We have no righteousness of our own (Isaiah 64:6). To get to Heaven we need God's righteousness, which is found only in Christ Jesus (Romans 10:3,4).

Ye Must Be Born Again! | You Need HIS Righteousness!