Ask Mr. Religion
☞☞☞☞Presbyterian (PCA) 	
Gold Subscriber
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
Following my discussion of regeneration, the not unexpected rejoinder was offered up:
Luke 13:3 is no more false than is Acts 11:18:
"When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, 'Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' "
Accordingly the whole counsel of Scripture should be used to reconcile what on the surface appears to be contradictory. Repentance is not a condition of the gospel offer nor a condition of salvation, strictly speaking. Repentance is never a cause of grace or a condition of grace, rather repentance is always a consequence of grace.
Not a few think that repentance is saying a prayer, sorrowful weeping, and some regret. No doubt there is an aspect of these things that may accompany repentance. But the very word repentance is pregnant with the view of actually turning from one's sins. That said, we know from Scripture that the unregenerate cannot turn from their sins until regenerated. Repentance is a fruit of the faith that comes from regeneration. Never in Scripture is repentance given a treatment that implies repentance is means to our being born-again versus the way faith is credited with the instrumentality of accomplishing one's re-birth (e.g. Eph. 2:8).
Repentance and faith are both necessary for salvation, but they are related to justification in different ways. Faith alone is the instrument by which Christ is received and rested on as Savior. Justification is by faith, not by repentance. But faith (and therefore justification) cannot exist without repentance. Repentance is as necessary to salvation by faith as the ankle is to walking. The one does not act apart from the other. I cannot come to Christ in faith without turning from sin in repentance. As one cannot have true faith without faith yielding works, so one cannot have true faith without simultaneously having repentance. Genuine repentance is the proof of one's faith.
Because of the close association between faith and repentance in Scripture (e.g., Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21; Hebrews 6:1), when we talk about conversion in terms of the logical order of salvation, we often speak of these two as alternate sides of one coin, or some similar analogy. In general, then, repentance unto life (Acts 11:18) is the ordinary, proper, and reasonable heartfelt reflex of saving faith (Heb.10:39). The Pharisees demonstrated the exact opposite reaction (Matthew 21:32). This does not negate the historical experience of salvation, whereby we are often brought to great hatred and disgust at our own sin, and turn from it to look unto Jesus (Heb.12:2), the object of our faith. But it is not the turning that delivers us nor the faculty of faith (nothing in man), but Christ the object of faith outside of man. Nor should we wish to deny that further acts of repentance even after we "first believed" may feel stronger than our earlier repentance. This only makes sense, as stronger faith only opens our heart's understanding further, both to the nature and corruption of sin, as well as the surpassing greatness of the Savior. This is but growth in grace.
“Then God also granted repentance to life to the Gentiles” (Act 11.18). The Arminians hold that it is in our power to repent. No, we can harden our hearts, but we cannot soften them. This crown of freewill has fallen from our head. No, there is not only impotency in us, but obstinacy (Acts 7:51). As Thomas Watson once wrote, therefore beg God for a repentant spirit. He can make the stony heart bleed. His is a word of creative power. See here.
AMR
Luke 13:3 is no more false than is Acts 11:18:
"When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, 'Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' "
Accordingly the whole counsel of Scripture should be used to reconcile what on the surface appears to be contradictory. Repentance is not a condition of the gospel offer nor a condition of salvation, strictly speaking. Repentance is never a cause of grace or a condition of grace, rather repentance is always a consequence of grace.
Not a few think that repentance is saying a prayer, sorrowful weeping, and some regret. No doubt there is an aspect of these things that may accompany repentance. But the very word repentance is pregnant with the view of actually turning from one's sins. That said, we know from Scripture that the unregenerate cannot turn from their sins until regenerated. Repentance is a fruit of the faith that comes from regeneration. Never in Scripture is repentance given a treatment that implies repentance is means to our being born-again versus the way faith is credited with the instrumentality of accomplishing one's re-birth (e.g. Eph. 2:8).
Repentance and faith are both necessary for salvation, but they are related to justification in different ways. Faith alone is the instrument by which Christ is received and rested on as Savior. Justification is by faith, not by repentance. But faith (and therefore justification) cannot exist without repentance. Repentance is as necessary to salvation by faith as the ankle is to walking. The one does not act apart from the other. I cannot come to Christ in faith without turning from sin in repentance. As one cannot have true faith without faith yielding works, so one cannot have true faith without simultaneously having repentance. Genuine repentance is the proof of one's faith.
Because of the close association between faith and repentance in Scripture (e.g., Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21; Hebrews 6:1), when we talk about conversion in terms of the logical order of salvation, we often speak of these two as alternate sides of one coin, or some similar analogy. In general, then, repentance unto life (Acts 11:18) is the ordinary, proper, and reasonable heartfelt reflex of saving faith (Heb.10:39). The Pharisees demonstrated the exact opposite reaction (Matthew 21:32). This does not negate the historical experience of salvation, whereby we are often brought to great hatred and disgust at our own sin, and turn from it to look unto Jesus (Heb.12:2), the object of our faith. But it is not the turning that delivers us nor the faculty of faith (nothing in man), but Christ the object of faith outside of man. Nor should we wish to deny that further acts of repentance even after we "first believed" may feel stronger than our earlier repentance. This only makes sense, as stronger faith only opens our heart's understanding further, both to the nature and corruption of sin, as well as the surpassing greatness of the Savior. This is but growth in grace.
“Then God also granted repentance to life to the Gentiles” (Act 11.18). The Arminians hold that it is in our power to repent. No, we can harden our hearts, but we cannot soften them. This crown of freewill has fallen from our head. No, there is not only impotency in us, but obstinacy (Acts 7:51). As Thomas Watson once wrote, therefore beg God for a repentant spirit. He can make the stony heart bleed. His is a word of creative power. See here.
AMR