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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

As you know, there are a lot of people who teach repentance. I teach repentance. And do I believe that you have to repent in order to be saved? I teach that you have to repent in order to be saved. Yes, I do. But of course, it’s very important. What does the word mean? And we’ll look at that. If you don’t think it’s that serious, let me just take you on a little trip with me. It is pretty bad. One of the times I was in Colorado listening to an evangelist by the name of Sam Dalton came to the church where I was assistant pastor.

And the senior pastor wasn’t going to be there for the evangelistic meetings that he had scheduled. And so he was out of town and they had a guest speaker and I’m supposed to, you know, introduce them and carry on. So they had the meetings that week and he preached the sermon on Sunday morning. Boy, he let her rip. Quote scripture and he He did a good job until He got to the invitation. Then He just simply told them that they had to turn from their sins.

And He was demonstrating what repent means. Repent means that if you’re walking this way, repent means you have to do an about face. Turn from your sins and walk this way. You have to repent of your sins. That means turn from your sins and turn to the Lord. And he demonstrated it that way. Isn’t that a wonderful illustration? Except I was sitting on the platform and everybody in the church already didn’t heard me speak a number of times on repent.

So they stared at me wondering what is he going to do? So I said to her and I let him finish. I wasn’t the senior pastor, but I figured I’m going to have to deal with this. And of course, I was really fresh out of Bible’s college. I had only been out about six months. I already done split a couple of churches, denominations, mad at me. And I mean, it just, it wasn’t my year. But this could have been my defining moment as my finest hour.

And so after the service drove with us, I said, sir, can I talk to you for a minute? He said, sure. So he came to the site. And I says, I’m really impressed by your knowledge of the Bible and you quote the scriptures and just do a wonderful job. I said, but when you got to the invitation, I have to take issue with it because I’m not sure you’re on the same page as what we are. So he listened very intently and just, you know, he was nice.

I says, you take the word repent to mean turn from your sins. And I says, by doing so, you’re asking people to stop doing the impossible. And I said, they can’t stop their sins. So how can they get saved if they have to stop their sins to do it? And he just stared at me and I said, would you do me a favor? He said, sure. And I gave him a personal evangelism handbook. And I said, now there’s a chapter in here that deals with repentance.

I want you to take it and read it. Get out your strong concordance. Look at it. Check it. He’s well, thank you. Thank you know, I’m a little squirt and he’s he’s been preaching for 40 years. So he he left and people were wondering what I was talking about but they had an idea. So anyway the next night he comes and he walks in and he says, can I talk to you? I said, sure. I thought, oh boy. He says, I read the book on repentance.

I got it my strong concordance. I checked it all out. He says, you were right. He said, I have been teaching works for salvation. He said, I can’t believe it. He says, but I have. I was wrong. He says, if you don’t mind, I’d like to apologize to the people tonight. And if you don’t mind, I would like for you to give the invitation. I said, OK. So he got a friend, priesthood. But he started off with, he says, I have to give an apology.

He said, I told you. you had to turn from your sin.” He said, but I’ve been preaching it that way for about 30-something years. He said, I want to thank this young man for explaining this to me about repentance. He apologized and he preached a great sermon. He got to the invitation. He says, Pastor, would you take over? So I came up there and I gave the invitation like I always do. And after about three or four nights of him hearing me how I do it, he learned how to did.

And I thought I almost missed that moment because I was afraid. But I was trying to figure how to do it graciously without confronting him in front of everybody. You know I could have sat there and he started going, ah, wait a minute, wait a minute. That’s heresy. No, I could have done that. No, I might have been right, but the way I did it probably would not have been very, you know, very gracious. But anyway, it’s a very important issue that many people don’t see.

And yet the difference is heaven and hell because you’re adding works to the gospel. Does the Bible teach that an unbeliever must repent in order to be saved? Yes, it does. Every time I present the gospel I teach repentance. How do I do that? When I tell people to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Because see, if you are an unbeliever and you believe, you have repented. You have changed your mind. You didn’t trust Him. Now you did trust Him.

Why did you trust Him? And you didn’t before because you changed your mind. So you’re giving somebody something by which they can make an intelligent decision. And you can’t lay out a whole bunch of things and rules and regulations and things they have to do and sins they got to turn from. you didn’t mean business. What right does a preacher have to do that? But anyway, look at the next statement. The apostle Paul said, the gospel of Christ was the power of God unto salvation to both the Jew and the Greek.

Romans 1, 16. He said, his ministry was to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And so when you present the gospel, we are always telling people to believe on Jesus Christ. That means to trust the Lord. Repent is not separate doctrine. Repent is just you change your mind and trust Christ is your Savior. It’s a simple thing but it needs to be explained. The next paragraph, what was the gospel of grace that He testified to both the Jew and the Greek?

Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greek repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. You change your mind about God. You change your mind about what is required to get you to heaven. I don’t think you have to change your mind about sin because I always thought adultery was wrong before I got saved and I still did after I got saved. I thought murder was wrong before and I thought it was wrong afterwards. I thought that lying was wrong before I got saved and after I got saved, I still thought it was wrong.

So I never changed my mind about sin. I changed my mind about How you get to heaven. What does God say about how to get to heaven? Because I thought you had to be good. Well, I had to repent of that. So repent is a change of mind, not just a turn from sin. You can stop smoking, but that doesn’t save you. Where’s it saved? You stop smoking. I’ll save you. Because see, that’s not what it is. And it’s a change of mind.

Now, look at the next statement. There is a great deal of confusion regarding the meaning of the word repent. the dictionary meaning used today and much different from the meaning of the four Greek words that are translated as repent or repentance. There’s man’s meaning and then there’s a Bible meaning. So don’t get all of your truth out of a dictionary because if you go to the dictionary and see what does it say? Well remember it’s based upon whether or not is that a biblical interpretation, biblical meaning or is that just somebody’s opinion of it?

And there are some words in the great that do deal with the word, you know, regret and sorrow and so forth. But that is not What is required for salvation? When it comes to salvation, it’s change of mind. Look at the next statement. Webster’s Scholastic Dictionary gives this meaning for repent to feel regret for something done or left undone to repent. To remember with self-reproach or sorrow, it gives this definition for repentance, act of repenting, sorrow for sin, penitence, contrition.

So whenever you hear that definition and you believe that definition, then of course, in order to get somebody to get saved, you get saved. to get them to feel sorry for their sins. So they’ll quit them. I do believe thattheless people need to know that they are sinners and that sin is wicked, it is wrong. And yes, we should not want to do it, but the power to stop they don’t have. A lost man cannot promise to stop sinning.

It’s impossible. It’s contrary to his nature. Once a man is saved and had the Holy Spirit living within him, then you can have power over the old sinful nature, but the desire to sin is always there.” Look at the next statement. If a man must do these things to be saved, then he merits his salvation by his good works. This message adds human effort or work to faith for salvation. Now, there is a biblical meaning that God has given to us in his word, and in the context, that makes it very easy and very simple to understand.

Look at the statement, most preachers and Bible teachers, they have heard speak about repentance, have never done number one or two for themselves. Most Christians are easily confused over its biblical meaning because they have never taken a concordance, carefully studied the passage where the term is used. They never read any books that deal exclusively with the Bible uses of the word repent. And if you get the meaning of the word repent wrong, as it relates to salvation, your conclusions for salvation will be wrong.

So that’s why so many are preaching a bad message, wrong message, because they got the wrong meaning of a word. And they want to be honest between them and God. And if that’s what they think that means, They’ll die for it. I know I’ve talked to a lot of preachers. I’ve been a lot of churches. And they love the Lord just as much as anybody else, but the body they believe you’ve got to repent of your sins to be saved.

And they can’t see how that it contradicts salvation by grace. But it does. So somehow they’re able to compartmentalize those two thoughts and never the twain shall meet. I was not clear on my presentation of the gospel, though I knew I was saved by grace. I knew you’re not saved by your works, but I was telling people, all you got to do is just let go of your sins and trust the Lord. Where did I hear that from? I heard it from other people that said that.

My home preacher preached that, so I copied, but I had never read it and studied it for myself. That’s why I put all these things in it because that’s the way I thought. And a lot of people have never done a study with it in the context and truly believe in that the gospel, if it is clear, you have to use that to understand these other words. If it contradicts salvation by grace, then there’s got to be another meaning to it because God’s Word does not contradict itself.

Have you ever read a book dealing with repentance and its various meanings and uses in the Bible? The answer to both of those questions probably no. That is one of the reasons why there is so much confusion and wrong teaching about repentance, especially as it relates to salvation. God is not the author of confusion. And Satan takes great delight in promoting such confusion about repentance. So Satan likes to take dedicated people and give them a unclear message, a wrong and a little bit of works to it along the way.

And that can happen to anybody that in the evening time. And you may not even be aware because remember he is a master deceiver and he does a good job. That statement at the bottom of the last paragraph, believe on Jesus Christ and turn from your sin and you will be saved is a false message. just muddy, unclear. It’s a false message. The message isn’t true. Though when a person preaches it, they may believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

That’s true. And turn from your sins. Well, that’s false. But if a person believes this and trusts the Lord, he was saved not because he did the last part, but because he did the first part. But look at the next statement. Many believe that repent means turn from sin and they say a man must repent by turning from his sin in order to be saved. When such a message is preached, how will it come across to the lost person?

I know that smoking and drinking are sins, but I’ve tried to quit many times, but I can’t. I can never be saved because I can’t quit my sinning. And I’ve had people tell me this because they’ve gone to church enough to sit. So after a while when people come and they visit a church and you say, all you have to do is trust Christ’s Savior. Just raise your hand like we do it and God will save you and blah, blah, blah, blah.

And then and whenever they get through, then they say something that annulls it, contradicts everything they said. When he got through, he just told them they weren’t saved. He as much as said, you are not really saved because you will not do this. But he asked, you defied his authority. And you did not come forward and confess it before everybody. In other words, between you and God wasn’t enough. Makes me a little upset. And then whenever they tell you you have to turn from your sins, you know they never tell you exactly what sin or how many sins.

If you do have to, shouldn’t all the preachers agree on exactly what sin you have to turn from? And how many sins do you have to turn from? For how long do you have to turn from them? And what if you start sinning again afterwards? See the confusion? And so that’s why you have some people say, well, if that’s what you’ve got to do, I’ll never get saved. And so when people come and they see that in a guy like me coming and I make it really clear, and I’m not going to have you stand up and come forward and I’m going to embarrass you in any way, all you’ve got to do is just let me know what I’ve said made sense.

some people will not raise their hand because they say, that’s a trick because they didn’t watch these preachers all these years. That’s a trick. That’s just to bait you and then the pressure really starts. Now we’re going to stand and sing 15 verses of just as I am. Remember, the song is just as I am. No, it’s just as you are to be. They don’t mean just as you are because now you’ve got to be willing to stop this, stop that.

You’ve got to come down here. You’ve got to do this and confess. No, it’s adding to it and it scares people to death. And then they don’t trust the preacher that makes it clear. And so now on that, if I raise my hand, I know what he’s going to do. He’s going to trick me. And he says, he’s not going to pin me against the wall and he’s going to make me stand up. Yes, he is. And that’s what they do.

So they ruin it for the rest of us that do. So I ought to make it clear. turn over, not use the paper. Doesn’t the Bible teach that repentance is necessary for salvation? Yes it does. The question then becomes what does the word repentance mean as it relates to salvation of the lost? There are four great words which come from the word repent in its translate. All these definitions come from a manual Greek lexicon of New Testament. Usually we referred to the word metinayo and metinoya.

Repentance and repent. And there’s two other words that have a little bit of a different meaning in the sense of regret and so on. But look at the number two. The definition of these two words is to change one’s mind. And the other one talks about being regret and so on. In the The word repent is used in connection with unbelievers for salvation and believers for service. So do believers have to repent at times. Yeah? You see, God wants His children to repent.

And many times you’ll see the word repent means to a change of mind that leads to a change of action. Well even if it led to a change of action, if a man is lost and he is a repent that leads to a change of action, what is it he’s supposed to repent? He’s supposed to change his mind, and the action is to believe and trust Christ as Savior. When you have trusted Christ as your Savior, see the word repent can be used for many things, many issues, not just on salvation.

You can change your mind about a lot of things. I’m gonna marry you. I change my mind. I’m gonna take this job. I change my mind. So you can change your mind about a lot of different things. But when it comes to the gospel, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, I’m gonna change my mind about trusting myself, and it leads to a change of acts. I will trust Christ as my Savior. Though we don’t use that for the simple reason, we don’t want people to think that means a change of action in your life and to stop in some sins in your life.

But it means that I am to change my mind and trust Christ as my Savior. Okay. Okay. So let’s do a little bit of this. Okay, let’s do it. Yes. Okay. And we’ll, uh, that’s, we’ll do it. Okay. Okay. I got it. Okay. Okay. Okay. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So let’s do it. Okay. So let’s do a little bit. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Either. Yeah. Okay. Repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But now, when it comes to a Christian, a Christian can also repent.

As you study the book of Revelation in chapter two and three, when it talks about the church, as it’s mentioned over and over again about the Christian, the church, repenting. And he says, you thought this, you did this and so forth, and God asked us to repent and do the first works. So Christians are supposed to repent. Change your mind. Think differently. Reconsider this. You’ve been disobedient. Rebe it. And when a Christian does that, which is wrong and lives in life of sin, God wants the Christian to change his mind and to forsake the sin.

There’s nothing wrong with a Christian turning from sin. Forsaken his evil way. Now in the Old Testament, you find a lot about forsaken. You’re evil way and you’re wicked ways and so forth. But that was as a nation concerning national blessings and so on. Or God would bring in judgment and you would physically be killed. A lot of consequences are taken over by another country or something. But look where this next paragraph. An unbeliever is saved from hell by faith in Christ.

A believer saves his life on earth by living for Christ and the gospel. an unbeliever is justified before God and received Christ’s righteousness by faith alone. A believer is justified before men and God for works and which God is going to reward you for when you get to heaven. So we need to discern with the Greek words for repent that are always used in connection with a man’s salvation from hell to heaven. So you have to understand that yes, There are other words in reference to the word repent, but we talk about salvation, how to be saved.

Look at your context and you’ll see that in many cases, it talks about how a man thinks, his thoughts, and then what they did. And the next statement, only two of these four Greek words are using connection with salvation. Those Greek words are metaneo and metanoia. and what he says, which means to change one’s mind. So when the Bible says a man must repent to be saved, it is saying he must change his mind to be saved, change his mind.

So what does repent mean in Acts 20, 21? It says, testify in both to the Jews. And when he uses the word testify and talking about speaking words. Speaking words, faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word that is spoken. And you’re talking about how you think toward God and about Christ. So whenever we’re talking about repentance, it has to do something with what somebody has testified about God and Christ. And so you’re trusting Christ as your Savior. Had nothing to do about turning from any of your sins because that is impossible.

That’s why you’re trusting Christ because you can’t stop your sinning. Next point. It is not another condition for salvation added to belief. Rather, it is automatically included in belief. How can you believe in Christ as your Savior unless you change your mind? The gospel of John consistently states that a lost man must believe. Yet the same book, which is God’s heaven tract, never wants uses either the word repent or repentance. When you believe, you automatically repent. The person who has believed in Christ as his Savior, as it does in John 3.16, has changed his mind from whatever he believed would save him before.

So yes, you have to change your mind. And you might have thought you had to stop being bad. Well, maybe you heard, like Nicki, you had to stop trying to be good. Because if you’re trusting in your good works to get you to heaven, what do you need to do? Repent. So you trust Christ in him alone as your only hope of salvation. Look at the next paragraph. It is evident not only from the Greek meaning, but also from the context of several passages that repent, means to change one’s mind.

And Luke chapter 13, verses one through five, which is one that many, especially evangelists like to use because they do their dead level best to get the people to feel sorry for what they’re doing, the way they’re living and stop their sinning in order to be safe. Now if you’re talking about God’s people, Well, that’s one thing. But when you’re talking about the lost man, that’s something else. Now, it’s not wrong for a lost man to know that he is a sinner.

It’s not wrong for the lost man to feel sorry for the way he is. But to think that he can stop being the way he is in order for God to save him is a different message altogether. So, Luke 13 one through five shows a very clearly repentance is a thought process. There were present at that season. that told him of the Galatians, whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, suppose ye? Now suppose it means they were thinking something.

Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, nay or no, but except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Think differently. think that’s why they perish is because they were wicked, more wicked than somebody else. That’s not the truth. He says also, I tell you, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Or those 18 upon whom the tower in Salom fell and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem.

I tell you, nay, but except you repent, you shall all likewise perish unless you change your mind. They had a problem with Christ being who He claimed to be. They said that He was Beelzebub, the Prince of Beelzebub, Prince of the Devil. That is what is called and known as the unpardonable sin. You know, God will not pardon. If you reject Christ as your Savior, because you refuse to believe that the Holy Spirit did what He did through Christ, and they give that credit to somebody of you don’t believe He is who He claimed to be, and He did what He said He would do, you don’t believe.

And so unbelief is the unpardonable sin. When you die, it’s too late. Or you’ll believe after, but it’s too late. But look what he says. In the last statement, they thought certain people had perished physically because these people were greater sinners than others. Christ told them to change their mind, or they would perish in the like manner. Their heir was in thinking that they were better than others. And by the way, they did perish just like that on down the road.

Around 68 AD to 70 AD. They had self-righteousness. They thought they were better than others. They didn’t see themselves as bad. These were really wicked. That’s why that happened to them. You see, the so-called elite, the religious leaders in Israel, they were Pharisees and they didn’t see themselves as others. Remember the little illustration that was given how that these two that went to the temple to pray, and the Pharisees said, I tithe and I do this and I do that.

I’m glad I’m not like that bird. And all he did was Lord be merciful to me a sinner. Well, he goes home justified and not the other guy, because he doesn’t see himself the way he really is. Wouldn’t change his mind. And they needed to realize they were sinners also and needed God’s righteousness. who thought they were so much better would perish also unless they changed their mind. So does a person have to repent to be saved? Yes. Change your mind.

Think differently. Reconsider it. And if a man thinks he can save himself by his good words, he needs to change his mind. He thinks he has to stop business and he has to change his mind. And whatever it is, you have to change your mind about what God says. See, God differently is a God who loves you. out on that cross paid for your sins and if you trust him as your Savior, he would give you as a free gift after lasting life.

Best news in all the world. Due to the generous offer of an anonymous Colorado supporter of Bibleline, we want to make you an offer you cannot refuse. He has purchased 68 copies of the book, The Gospel Driven Man by Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold to be given to anyone who donates any amount as they thank you for helping to keep Bible line on this station. He writes, What would be the most important item one could receive that would be appreciated?

Which would answer many questions, which would be easy to read, understandable, and uses God’s word as the source. What came to mind was your book, The Gospel Driven Man. This book has helped me and my wife considerably. We have given the book out as gifts before and continue to do so. All the basic doctrines you hear me teach on the radio is found in this book. One book per donor, so remember, mail your gift up any amount today and we will send you your copy of the Gospel Driven Man.

Be sure to include your mailing address. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.