09-19-2008, 02:38 PM
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Here is an email I sent to a person some months ago about repentance.. It addresses some but not all of the discussion here.
Quote:
Returning back to the original purpose of our discussion, I believe
you were concerned with my understanding of the word "repentance". If
memory serves correct, I defined it as a "turning away from sin" and
coupled it with faith in terms of a person receiving Christ as their
Savior. Your understanding of repentance was that it was a "change of
mind about Jesus" and that the change of mind occurred when a person
placed their faith in Christ. The primary difference between our two
views being that "repentance" does not mean a "turning away from sin".
To help prove your argument you cited the last verse of Acts 3.
Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him
to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
If memory serves correct and I understood your position, you believe
this passage supports the belief that "turning away from sin" is an
act of God and can only occur after a person is born again.
Therefore, according to your understanding "turning away from sin"
cannot be a condition of justification as the unregenerate person can
never turn from their sins. Furthermore, to require such a condition
is to add personal works to a person's justification thereby opposing
Sola Fide. Rather, you consider a "turning away from sin" to solely
be an act of sanctification.
Here are two points I would like you to consider:
1. "having raised up his Son Jesus" - I believe this phrase is
referring to the call of the gospel. The call of the gospel is that
God raised His Son from the dead. Peter is saying that God is using
the resurrection to turn people from their iniquity. To say it
another way, God is turning them from their iniquity through the call
of the gospel.
God sent the gospel message first to the Jews which is why Peter is
preaching this message to the people from Solomon's porch in the
temple. Granted, Peter is preaching on their condemnation for the
rejection and murder of the Messiah but notice what is written in
verse 19, "that your sins may be blotted out". All of their sins will
be blotted out, not just their rejection and murder of Jesus. If
repent meant just "change your mind about Jesus" then by implication
the phrase "that your sins may be blotted out" would only refer to
their sins of rejecting and murdering Jesus.
When one defines repentance as a change of mind about Jesus we imply
that men are only condemned for their rejection of Christ. Men are
not condemned just for their rejection of Jesus; rather, men are
condemned for all of their sins against God. John 3 makes this clear
as it says that we are condemned already, even if we do not hear the
call of the gospel. If men were only condemned for the rejection of
Christ then men would not be condemned already.
Returning to the Acts passage, Peter is focusing his preaching on
their violation of the sixth commandment, the rejection and murder of
Jesus Christ. By using the Law to speak to the people's consciences,
he is preparing them for the gospel message that God raised His Son
from the dead, so that people will turn from their iniquities (in
general) and place their faith in the Savior and have their iniquities
(all of them) blotted out.
In summary, through the call of the gospel, God will turn people from
their sins. So that when people respond to the gospel call, they will
repent (turn from their sins) and place their faith in the Jesus
Christ believing the gospel.
2. A few verses before the one you cited Peter commands the following:
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence
of the Lord;
Along with the passage from Mark that I referred to when we were
sitting at the table it is clear that God demands repentance. I
recognize that you do not deny the need for repentance but merely
challenge the view of it as a "turning away from sin". But I think
this passage shows us something interesting. Repent and converted are
listed separately. In order for a person to be justified they must
repent (turn from their sin) and place their faith in Jesus Christ
then they are converted (aka justified). In this passage, faith is
left out but when viewed within the entire context of Scripture,
repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin with only one side
specifically mentioned in this particular verse, yet with the whole
coin being present. When we repent (turn from our sin), we are at the
same time turning towards Jesus and placing our faith in Him.
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