And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)
It has been dawning on me lately that there are many within the confessing church who have already forsaken the biblical teaching on hellfire, and Divine judgment. The heavy message of a God of wrath, who utterly hates all that is evil, false, and degraded doesn’t fit the new “kinder and gentler” humanistic church-growth model adopted by so many.
The popularity of recent heretical books such as Love Wins, by Rob Bell, as well as the rarity of actual teaching on the fate of the wicked even among many evangelical churches have convinced me that this defection is real.
It is almost as though the idea of Divine wrath that underlies the traditional christian teaching on perdition, is seen as a primitive throwback, and somehow beneath the more evolved modern concept of God.
The new and improved evangelicals,(some calling themselves “emergents”) are not only rejecting Hell, but they are repudiating some of the very attributes of the God of the Bible.
This is precisely the meaning of the second commandment’s prohibition against forming our own preferred image of God, rather than worshipping God as He has revealed himself to be. People don’t really reject Hell, they reject God as He has revealed himself to be; Holy, Sovereign, Majestic, Righteous, a a God of wrath against sin as well as a God of mercy.
But most of what we know that is biblical and accurate about hell and judgment comes from the teaching of Jesus himself! He is the one who warns humanity in the starkest terms of the wrath that is coming. More than Peter, Paul, James,Jude or any one else, Jesus warns us of the danger of Hell fire.
How fitting that it is the Saviour and the only Mediator who should be entrusted with this revelation from God.
After all, Peter, Paul, James, Jude, as well as you and I, all fully deserve to go to hell. Jesus alone lived a fully God honoring human life, as the Son of Man. And at the prime of his life He made the offering to God that makes it possible for us all to avoid it.
Furthermore, Jesus, is the one who will actually decide the eternal fate of every human being. Therefore it seems apt that to him also is committed the fullest revelation of the reality and liability of perdition. In scripture we behold him compassionately pleading to all who will listen not to go to hell!
To Jesus, “trivial” sins such as anger, name calling, and mental adultery are so terrible that it would be better (if possible) to maim oneself to avoid them than to indulge them all the way to hell!
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)
Obviously self-mutilation is not the cure of sin, but Jesus is teaching a complete and radical resistance towards indwelling sin, particularly of thought(Eye), deed(Hand), and direction(feet).Those who escape Hell, are at war with indwelling sin!
Jesus also speaks in stark terms about the horrifying level of regret and remorse experienced by those cast out into outer darkness;
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(Matthew 8:12)
Notice too his constant warning to the “children of the Kingdom”, in other words the ones who assume they are sure to go to heaven, as though it were some kind of birthright, rather than an indescribable privilege, a precious gift of mercy.
Once again it is Jesus who warned that the end of the age would see a great judgment, a separation of “wheat and tares” and that the Hell would be as a “furnace of fire”;
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.(Matthew 13:40-42)
One of the most frightening images is that of Hell being the place where the “worm dieth not, and the fire is never quenched”,
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.(Mark 8:47-48)
Notice the urgency of Jesus! His concern that we seriously resist evil, as if all or any of us are in danger of hell fire! I believe that Jesus is the faithful witness to the Truth, the only sure account of eternal reality, He warned more of Hell than he spoke of heaven!
To hear modern preachers and theologians speak of it, you would almost think Jesus didn’t believe in hell. But look at this small sampling from the gospels! This isn’t Dante’s inferno, or some angry fundamentalist, or a medieval monk, these are the words of the Son of God!
It is Jesus who tells us that Hell wasn’t really intended for people, it was made for the devil and his angels…
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:(Matthew 25:41)
But we shouldn’t assume people won’t be going there, because in this context Jesus himself is the one sending people there, no doubt sadly, but surely. Though Hell was made for the Devil and his angels, those who side with the Devil in his rebellion against God, must go there.
Jesus again is the one who specifically warned us of the ultimate disaster, that any should “die in his sin”;
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.(John 8:24)
The worst thing that could happen to anyone, is that the should die in their sin! To die unforgiven, is to face the full liability for a life of unbroken resistance to God, the Infinite,Holy,Personal King of the universe.
Keith Green the psalmist/evangelist once wrote a song called “Alter Call” which said,
Most people don’t find out till
It’s too late,
That someone has to pay the price.
You can pay it yourself (hah) or
Let someone else,
But who would be that nice,
To pay a debt that isn’t his, oh I
Know someone like that,
And he’s your best friend, he
Really is, he really loves you.
Most people don’t find out till
Their half dead, that they need another life.
You say you’ve heard everything
That’s ever been said
About The Way, The Truth, The
Life.
You say you’ve heard lot of
Preaching all before, so many times,
But did you ever open up your
Door, give Him a chance to prove Himself?
Well He’s real you know!
I hope you find out before it’s
Too late, that there’s nobody else
You know it’s breaking His heart,
The longer you wait,
Cause you’ve only been lying to
Yourself
Cause no one believes a thing you
Say – NOT EVEN YOU!
You know you’re gonna find out
That He’s the way,
No matter which way you choose,
But I pray you find out by His
Love for you.
Jesus is the one who spoke more on Hell than anyone else, and who did what needed to be dome to save us from Hell, by giving his life to Gd as an offering, a substitute who bore the penalty due us, that God’s wrath might be satisfied. Jesus loves you, flee the wrath to come! Come to him for forgiveness and new life before its too late!
Pastor Bill Randles Blog 
Dear Pastor Bill,
I am very thankful for your blog. I was brought up in Southern Baptist work and i am thankful for that. At the same time, I absorbed the unscriptural doctrine “Once saved, always saved” from my denomination. Since my late teens (I’m 59 now) I knew that the warnings in Hebrews were saying something important that I really did not understand, but I was still reading God’s Word with Southern Baptist glasses on at that point. I took those glasses off a few years ago and WOW! It seems the whole NT is full of admonitions and warnings with regard to the absolute necessity of continuing in faith (by God’s grace!). I don’t think I have convinced even one of my SB friends to reject “OSAS” as an unbiblical doctrine. I think that many have a mom or dad or uncle or brother or sister that made a profession of faith as a young person and never produced any spiritual fruit or graces and they really WANT “OSAS” to be true so they can believe that the relative or loved one was really saved after all. If all those warnings and admonitions don’t really mean what they so clearly say, why would the Spirit waste so many words on the subject? There are probably 25 to 50 million christians just in the US who are still clinging to this unbiblical teaching. Either the Bible is wrong, or we MUST (by God’s grace!) continue in faith! Thanks for your encouragement. Al
Could OSAS be true since He said that none can pluck out anyone who is in His Hand?
Glynn I really pray that my articles don’t lend themselves to misinterpretation that would be hurtful to anyone’s faith, Jesus’ love is forever, He is faithful and “Able to keep us from stumbling, and to make us to stand blameless before his Father with great joy…” (See Jude) all of his promises are “Yes and Amen” to the glory of God, and all those who come to Him are eternally secure. But eternal life is not a seperate and independant gift, it is a constant impartation, dependant upon abiding in “He who is the true vine”. What is the assurance of salvation? It may be better phrased, “Who is the assurance of salvation” and the answer is, Jesus the high priest, who ever lives to make intercession for us…” cling to Him my friend, we needn’t fear anything but God.Hope this helps-Love-Pas Bill
I read Rev 3 v 5 this very morning.”He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I
will not BLOT OUT HIS NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE”
The name had to be in first before Jesus could blot it out. I agree there has to be fruit, a continuing on, a growth in grace and knowledge of Him, overcoming.
Confessing Christ means a lifelong commitment. He is merciful and will forgive us if we fail in any way (new modern word for sin!) Thank you Pastor Bill, I thank God for pastors and teachers who preach the whole counsel. I also pray for their continuing in the faith, some have, to my great astonishment and sadness, gone off the narrow way even after serving the Lord for many years.
Maranatha !
Pastor Randles;Are you saying Jesus’s love for us is not a priorily eternal.It only becomes that way when and if we requite His love for us?
I wish that OSAS was true. If it was I’d have a deeper sense of security and appreciation for Jesus.
I am convinced that apostate friends and family members who have deserted biblical christianity for Latter Rain and associated New Age and occultic deceptions so evident in the Apostate church my family and I were once able to relate to as christian were saved at some point in their lives.
Tragically it is impossible to reasonably believe that truly born again bible believing christians could persist in these apostate and perverted misrepresentations of christianity masquerading as christian churches without forfeiting their salvation.
My observation of the great apostasy going on before my very eyes and the subsequent realisation that the bulk of the NT is written to warn those of us determined to remain faithful to HIS WORD that it is absolutely essential for us to do so until the very end.
Acceptance of this stark reality makes it absolutely impossible to believe in OSAS and to humbly accept that FAITHFULNESS TO HIS WORD IS WHAT GOD REQUIRES AND IS TESTING IN THESE LAST DAYS LEADING UP TO THE FINAL JUDGEMENT!!!!!!
Keep up the good work Bill!!!!!
I’d like thank Pastor Randles for his encouraging word to me.
My pleasure Glynn- I am sorry that I can’t always answer right away, but intend to eventually answer all inquiries-Thanks for you contribution to the discussion- your friend-Pas Bill
I have not always obeyed, but sinning after being born again is worse to me than anything else.
Thank God He brought me back and gave me a desire to stand before Him without fear.
Also gave me people like Pastor Bill, David Wilkerson, Philp Powell, Dave Hunt, Carter Conlon, Roger Winter-Smith, Mark Mullins, and not in any way least, Jacob Prasch..to teach me more.
How wonderful is that!
Could fear of God mean awe of God?Psalms says “there is forgiveness with Thee,therefore,Thou art feared{psalms130;4}
Eternal damnation is something to be extremely fearful of Glynn. In the context of this particular article it is VERY clear that the apostate need to fear God. Awe of God is applicable in many other circumstances but in this most tragic of biblical scenarios the consequences of wilful disobedience leading to the horrendous apostasy faithful bible believing christians are witnessing will be so horrific that these people should actually be shaking in their boots.
According to the psalm awe of God is the same as fear of God.Perhaps the fear of God takes more than one form.Some are godly others aren’t. A mature child of God fears grieving His Love. That’s a godly fear.Self-oriented fear of God fears what He might do to us. That is an ungodlly fear.
There can be NO forgiveness without repentance!!!!!
Luke 23;34 states Jesus forgave His Killers.There is no mention of His killers repenting first.The doctrine “no forgiveness with out repentance ” is undermined by this scripture and Gen3;8,.God walked into the garden with the purpose to save the primal couple, therefore,according to the scripture He’d forgiven them before they had sinned and repented.
Did not God The Father forgive Pilot Herod and the members of the sandhedrian, all who were Jesus killers, at the behest of Jesus?
Here is some reading material about various perversions of the Gospel which have resulted from attempts by people to “interpret” the scriptures rather than apply basic hermeneutical principles, particularly that of consistency across the scriptures themselves, to learn what the Bible as the very Word of God Himself is actually saying.
There is an enormous amount of material available to you if you want to acquaint yourself with the nature of the apostasy sweeping through the churches at this time in history.
I suggest you try googling articles such as:
“Anointing or Apostasy = The Legacy of the Latter Rain” by Charles Graves.
Why is Latter Rain, Dominionism, and Kingdom Now Theology False? provides a veritable minefield of information.
http://www.erwm.com/Latter%20Rain.htm
Certainly the devil fears God.Any human that has faith in God and is faithful can’t fear God.Perfect love cast out fear.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction..
The Apostle Paul and Silas were thrown in jail in the city of Philippi for preaching the gospel. At midnight they sang and prayed until God broke down all the doors and broke the stocks which held their feet with a great earthquake. The poor jailer, frightened and convicted of his sins, came to these two preachers and asked this question.
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
To which the preachers said:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
(Acts 16:31)
This is God’s plan of salvation, which is the only plan He has given so that sinners can be saved.
There was hope for this jailer because he was convicted in his heart of his sinfulness. He saw himself as he really was: a lost sinner in need of the saving power of Jesus Christ. Like the jailer, you are a sinner. The Bible emphasizes that fact in Isaiah 53:6:
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way;”
And in Romans 3:9-12 it says:
“What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, ‘THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.'”
Romans 3:23 teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. That is why Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:7, “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.'” And a little later in the same chapter, verse 18, He said that those who do not believe in Him, God’s Son, stand condemned already.
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all are sinners. No matter how good you and those around you think you are, you are a sinner. The sinner remains lost and in need of saving until he accepts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The first step in coming to salvation is admitting in your own heart that you are a sinner, lost, separated from God.
Once you have come to acknowledge the truth of this, then you are ready to learn God’s answer to your question, “What must I do to be saved?”
You are in a fatal state that has dire eternal consequences. You are a sinner, alienated from God, destined for hell, and you cannot save yourself. The only thing to do is to trust completely in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Do not trust in Jesus plus whatever good deeds you may do, religious rituals, water baptism, Sabbath-keeping, church membership, your faith, or your repentance. For whatever “righteousness” we can muster is but filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). Trust in Him alone. When you do this, you will then have God’s promise of salvation.
Simply believing in the existence of God, or that Jesus is Savior and Lord is not enough. For that is no better than the faith of demons. They believe that and tremble (James 2:19). You can believe that taking medication prescribed by your doctor will maintain your life without actually taking it. Mere intellectual assent to the truth about Jesus is not sufficient; you are to believe on Him, that is, depend completely upon Him, trust Him.
None of us, no matter how much good we may do, deserve salvation. There is nothing you can do that will make you worthy of it. You cannot be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, for the Scripture clearly shows that you have not kept them.
James 2:10 says: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”
Romans 3:19-20 says: “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”
The same thing is told in Galatians 3:11 which says: “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.'”
1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
The Bible clearly teaches repeatedly that there is no salvation through human goodness, since no one is righteous or seeks God (Romans 3:10-11). You are not saved by giving money to the church or to the poor. You are not saved by volunteering your time to charitable activities. You are not saved by living a moral life.
Titus 3:5 says: “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
It can be readily seen in God’s Word that no one deserves saving and no one can save himself. Salvation must be by grace or no one would be able to receive it. In fact, it takes blood to pay for sin, for Scripture says:
“Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53:6)
The Apostle Peter declares that sinners are bought by the blood of Christ:
“You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Every animal sacrifice offered in Old Testament times on the altar illustrated this: that man, a guilty sinner, must have his sins paid for by the shedding of blood of an innocent. Jesus was the Lamb of God. He died for sinners just like you, securing salvation for them as a gift.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Church membership will not save you. Water baptism will not save you. Reforming your behavior will not save you. Engaging in religious activities will not save you. The observance of certain days or other rules and regulations will not save you or keep you saved.
The Bible plainly teaches that “all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30), and again, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). This was the preaching of John the Baptist, of Jesus, of Peter and of Paul, that men should repent. Repentance is an integral part of salvation.
Repentance does not mean being sorry you were caught. It is not just being sorry for your sin. Repentance is not “fire insurance”, or taking an action to get away from God’s wrath.
To repent literally means to have a change of mind toward God and toward sin. It means agreeing with God regarding the truth of your own sinfulness. Repentance means not excusing your sins or seeking to justify yourself, but admitting, like David in Psalm 51:4: “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.” Repentance means to earnestly turn from your sins, with all your heart, and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you. The jailer repented when he turned from sin to believe in Jesus Christ.
While God desires that you to have a penitent, broken heart over your sins, no amount of emotion or lack thereof will make you right with God. You should be sorry for your sins and ashamed of them. However, Scripture teaches that “the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation.” (2 Corinthians 7:10) — the right kind of sorrow leads to immediate repentance, but mourning is not itself repentance.
The jailer’s sorrow for his sin led to genuine repentance, which moved him by faith to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. He was saved at that moment, and his whole family was saved the same way. So salvation is a gift that is granted by God at the moment a person turns to Jesus Christ in repentance and total trust.
Being saved by faith apart from works seems so easy, and it is. Many believe it is too easy and erroneously seek to add to God’s plan of salvation. Godly living comes as the result of accepting Christ as Savior and Lord. Do not depend, then, on what you do, but on what Jesus did and promises to do for you.
Must one who accepts Christ by faith have a change of heart? Most definitely. But that is God’s part, not yours. In order to have this change of heart you need to be born again. When Jesus talked to Nicodemus in John 3, He told him that the only way one could be saved that person had to be born again. Being born again changes your heart and mind, making you a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The change in your heart is according to God’s work in your life, not your efforts. Your are to simply believe on Him. And even this ability to believe, to trust, to have faith, comes as a gift from Him. Salvation from start to finish is of the Lord, and not according to your own merit, abilities, or power.
Glynn, you are repeatedly referring to different scenarios within different contexts and seem totally oblivious to the distinction between the two. I concede that born again bible believing christians use language in a way which is not necessarily distinguishable to someone less equipped biblically. It is essential to understand that for the born again christian it was absolutely imperative to believe the Truth before being able to understand the Truth in the sense that we must be born again spiritually before we are able to comprehend spiritual concepts.
The above comment provides information on how to be saved and the necessity for repentance in that process. This comment discusses the benefits of forgiveness in the natural or worldly context. You seem to be continually confused between these different contexts and for that reason I have provided you with this background information which I sincerely hope you will be able to use effectively in your own life.
Forgiveness is recommended to victims of criminal behaviours and other traumatic experiences as a therapeutic necessity to facilitate moving on from what is otherwise a very self limiting reaction to the trauma associated with the inappropriate behaviours they have experienced Such forgiveness does not in anyway bestow salvation or any other form of virtue or gifting upon the criminal or person being forgiven. This act of forgiveness is distinct from the forgiveness required from God to enable the born again christian to receive the gift of salvation as described above.
That repentance is essential for salvation is addressed very effectively in the comment above on what is required in order to be saved.
Did not God The Father forgive the killers of Jesus at His request?
The Bible has provided ALL of the answers you need Glynn. I can do no more to help you than I have already done.
Colossians 2:8
(8) Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
All of your questions have been dealt with more than adequately for any genuine enquirer Glynn.
The bible contradicts your opinions on Divine forgiveness and reconciliation from the Father.I won’t call you a heretic you’re just not fulling biblically instructed.
Your’re not dealing with the scriptures I raise.
The last question I put to on the Feb 3 comment is answered by the Bible. You don’t accept nor appreciate the bible answer.
I beg your pardon!!!!!!!!
Just what is it that you think the Bible is saying Glynn?
Luke 23;34 says God The Father forgave Jesus’s killers before they ever repented {if ever}.This portion of scripture at least challenges the doctrine “no divine forgiveness without repentence.”God The Father did everything Jesus asked according to John 11;42.
Luk 23:43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Glynn,
This scripture does point to a truth regarding Jesus that; only He can possibly know if a person has truly repented in his heart. The criminal Jesus was hanging next to did not have any time to show outwardly any form of repentance but, Jesus is the only one that knew and can know if one has repented and if their a heart is turned towards God, this in spite of any pomp and circumstance. Make no mistake; this stated criminal’s heart was repented and Jesus was the only one that could have known this. Glory!
With the love of The Lord,
Brian
What is your point?????
The point is the doctrine you wrote that the scriptures say that there is no forgiveness without repentence is false or at least weakened by luke 23;34
So what? What is your point????
So what????
God The Father did not withhold forgiveness from Pilot, the high priest Caiaphas, Herod nor the roman troops,all of whom were the killers of Jesus neither did these people previously repent prior to the forgiveness they’d received from God as a result of Jesus’s intercession for them.Can you at least accept what is written in Luke23;34? The six points about getting saved in your last post is fine enough. Also the difference between judaism and christianity is that the pious jew comes to Yahweh confesses his sin and repents before Him at Yom kippur and gets forgiveness as a result. The christian on the other hand comes to Christ already forgiven.He confesses his sin and repents.The result of his repentence is he changes for the good.
BE NOT DECEIVED; GOD IS NOT MOCKED: FOR WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE ALSO REAP….Galatians 6:7.
“Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:6-11).
Unconditional forgiveness is canceling a debt to all those who intentionally offend us, whether or not they own up to what they have done and repent.
Offering forgiveness without repentance, however, does not follow the biblical model of forgiveness, as outlined in Luke 17:3-4.
The Bible says we are to forgive as God forgave us. It is written in Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you,” and Colossians 3:13 states, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
However, God withholds His forgiveness until we repent: “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mk. 1:15). “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish
Are you saying we are to withhold forgiveness from our trespassers until they repent?Is that what it means to forgive as Christ forgives us.Or are you saying we’re to forgive unconditionally our trespassers but we are not to expect that from God?
CRITICAL EMPHASIS from the Word of God
God withholds His forgiveness until we repent:
“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mk. 1:15). “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish
You misquoted mk1;15. It says…The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel.
Glynn, all of your difficulties in understanding and accepting the Word of God have been addressed in my comments of 19/20 January which I urge you to read in all humility.
I repeat the Bible has provided ALL of the answers you need Glynn.
I can do no more to help you than I have already done.
Colossians 2:8
(8) Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
The Bible clearly teaches, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Consequently everyone is in need of salvation.
Salvation comes through Jesus Christ and is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).
To be saved we must:
1.) Hear the “good news” (i.e. the gospel) of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:14)
2.) Believe (Hebrews 11:6; Acts 8:37; Mark 16:16; John 8:24)
3.) Repent of our sins (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Mark 10:15)
4.) Confess faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 8:36-37; Romans 10:9)
5.) Be baptized (in water) for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:37-41; 1Peter 3:21; John 3:3-5; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-8; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:26-27; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 8:34-39; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 4:5)
6.) Remain faithful for the rest of our lives and carry our cross daily (Revelation 2:10; Matthew 24:13; Luke 9:23)
This process of “remaining faithful” consists of striving to develop and form Christ within you—the goal behind the gift of the Holy Spirit received at baptism. We learn about Christ and HIS character through faithful commitment to HIS Word alone!
This has all been explained to you very extensively in my comments of 19 and 20 January 2012.
Read them very carefully.
I pray that God will grant you the peace and forgiveness you are craving!!!!
Who Knows and frankly Who Cares?????
(Mk. 1:15). “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish
I agree Wayne, repentance is essential to salvation and forgiveness-Pas Bill
Repentance, salvation and forgiveness are the ingredients to the Bread of Life .
In answer to your question God knows and God cares.You miss quoted St Mark. It says …repent, and believe in the gospel.Also a person is to repent from whatever is killing him or it will kill them not God.
To clarify the above comment what ever is killing a man a man must repent of or it will kill him God won’t.
Luke 13:3 (1611 King James Bible)
I tell you, Nay: but except yee repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Mark 1:15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Mark 1:15
The conditions for entering God’s Kingdom are simple in concept: “repent and believe in the gospel.” Repentance is a complete turning or changing of the mind and way of life to follow God. God’s way of life is defined by His commandments (Matthew 19:17). We repent by quitting our former sinful way of life and keeping God’s commands.
What you wrote above is christianly sound.
You said God with holds forgiveness until there is repentance.Then you say we are to forgive those who tresspased against us unconditionally for our own soul’s sake not theirs.Then you contradict you self by quoting the scripture “we are to forgive as Christ forgave you”.Since Christ is God then you are to forgive our tresspasers upon their repentance.This is self contradictory.
I did not nor would I dare say anything – I am simply quoting from the Bible which is the sole basis for faith and morals for committed Bible believing christians.
Luke 13:3 (1611 King James Bible)
I tell you, Nay: but except yee repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Mark 1:15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Mark 1:15
The conditions for entering God’s Kingdom are simple in concept: “repent and believe in the gospel.” Repentance is a complete turning or changing of the mind and way of life to follow God. God’s way of life is defined by His commandments (Matthew 19:17). We repent by quitting our former sinful way of life and keeping God’s commands.
The dilemma is yours not mine
The Bible has already resolved your dilemma Glynn!!!!
??????
Please don’t repent Glynn. Face God without repentance, as you so desperately insist on doing but be prepared to do son on your own!!! Please leave me out of your perverse scheme.
You have it all wrong. As I’ve said before you repent to change.
What is your point???????
The point is You repent to change from bad to good.The best gift you can give to Jesus is your sins.
Pastor Bill,
Thank you for your time and effort in writing this great article. This is even refreshing to read, to be reminded of the truth.
With the love of Jesus,
Brian
Hey there are using WordPress for your blog platform?
I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and
create my own. Do you require any coding knowledge to make your own blog?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I believe the great apostasy is what is talked about in our Bible. Like when you except Christ and are born again. but now a days, people are teaching that once you are saved, all sin is covered forever. but my Bible says, unrepentant sin is UNFORGIVEN SIN. G-d knows our heart, and we are told if anyone says they are without sin , they are liars…. so to be a overcomer , I think we should always stay in HIS Word, and walk in it, but I see so many carnal Christians that get saved and then go out into the world and do as they please and think they are a ok… I read the women at the well, she was forgiven and changed her life style, while the ones from town was going to stone her, left in shame as they did have sin. G-d does not measure sin, sin is sin, HE hates sin. I believe we should always repent and thank HIM always for dying on the cross for us , How beautiful.. we cannot sever two masters, it is G-d or Satan, I don’t see many try to walk close when we can have HIM draw close to us and HE will help us do right. I would like a answer back.. when we sin in any way, we ask G-d to forgive us, we are sincere . Why do pastors think it is ok to let them live any old way with not warning at all. makes me sad, and I read in the Bible that some pulpits would get double punishment… thanks.. I would like to hear from you Bill, thanks