Hello everybody, it's minister tall23 back with another video, and in this video,
and apologize if there's any audio issues, but in this video I want to talk
about the subject of repentance. One of the common attacks against the new IFB
and against my church and my pastor is this false accusation that we don't
believe in repentance or that we're against repentance somehow. And this
comes from the idea that somehow you have to turn from your sins or repent of
your sins in order to be saved. That's taught by many false teachers nowadays
and we are against that because the Bible doesn't teach this. The Bible
teaches that the only thing that is required for salvation is faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, just believing in him. The Bible never says you have to turn
from your sins in order to be saved, and so when people who are false preachers
and we're heretics who hear this, they say well you're against repentance. They
say you don't believe in repentance. That's what the common accusation is.
Now this is simply not true. Repentance is a good thing. Repentance, if you define
it correctly, is part of salvation if you mean a change of mind, and I'm going to
prove that that's what it is in the context of salvation in this video. And
then also somebody who is already saved, somebody who's already been born again,
they should repent of their sins, they should turn from their sins, but that has
nothing to do with salvation. And so I want to talk about this false accusation
in this video, that somehow we're against repentance, and first of all I
want to point out that the phrase repent of your sins is redundant if the word
repent means to turn from your sins, right? What do I mean by this? Well, so
many people out there, when they attack us for not believing that you have to
repent of your sins in order to be saved, they'll say well what about all the
times when the Bible says to repent? The Bible says to repent, but the Bible never
says one time repent of your sins, or repent of thy sins, or repent of sin, or
repent from sin. This phrase is not used a single time in the entire Bible, and
yet it's so commonly repeated today that people think it's in the Bible. But if
you do a word search in a concordance, or like a King James Bible lookup, like
there's this one that I use called kjvbible.net, which you can just look up a
word and I'll show you every time that word appears in the Bible, you can never
find a single time in the entire Bible when the phrase repent of your sins is
used. There are a lot of verses that say repent. Yeah, they say repent, but you're
mentally adding on that phrase of your sins, okay? Every time I ask somebody, show
me where the Bible says you have to repent of your sins, they show me a verse
that says repent, and then it doesn't say of your sins. They just add that in there.
Now if repent just automatically means turn from your sins, which is what they
claim it means, then why are you saying repent of your sins? You're saying you
have to repent of your sins of your sins, which obviously doesn't make any
sense, okay? That should show you that repent does not mean turn from sins,
because you would have to, you know, you'd be redundant if you're saying repent of
your sins. Repentance is simply just a turn or a change of mind, and the context
determines what that turning or that changing is, right? So there are many
examples in the Bible where it uses the word repent, but it has nothing to do
with turning from sins. Here's a few examples. For example, there are many
times in the Bible where it says that God repents. In fact, more than anybody
else, any other individual in the whole Bible, it says that God repents, right? So if
repentance means turning from sin, then how does that work? Because the Bible
teaches that God is without sin, so how can God repent if repent means turn from sin, if
God has no sin? The simple answer is repentance does not mean turning from sin.
So here's a few examples of God repenting. Genesis chapter 6 verse 6, and it repented the
Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart. This is
the first time that the word repent ever is used in the Bible. This is talking
about when the earth is filled with violence and God, you know, regrets that
he made man and then he seeks to destroy them with the flood, right? It says it
repented the Lord that he made man. Exodus 32 verse 14, and the Lord
repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. This is when God was
going to destroy the children of Israel for worshipping the golden calf, and then
Moses basically talks him out of it, so it says he repented of the evil which he
thought he would do unto them. So God wanted to destroy them, Moses prays and
intercedes on their behalf, and then God changes his mind so that he's not going
to, okay? 1st Samuel 15 verse 11, this is God speaking. It repenteth me that I have
set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me and hath not
performed my commandments, and agrees Samuel when he cried unto the Lord all
night. So the Lord is speaking to the Prophet Samuel, he says, it repents me
that I have made Saul to be king, right? So he's saying he regrets basically that
he made Saul king because Saul is disobeying him, right? Here's another
example, Psalm 106 verse 45, and he remembered them for his covenant, again
speaking about God, and repented according to the multitude of his
mercies, right? So, and there's many other examples of this, but these are all a
bunch of perfect examples of God repenting, right? So how can you say
repentance just automatically means turn from sin if the Bible says over and over
again that God repents, right? Or how about, you know, another one that I didn't
even put in my notes, but where God says, you know, the Lord hath sworn it will not
repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, right? Now if
repent in that context means turn from sins, that wouldn't make any sense
because there's nothing sinful about what God did. He just swore to, you know,
that thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. He's just saying
that this is going to be the case, I'm not going to change my mind about that.
That's what it means that the Lord will not repent, right? So another example, we
actually see an example of the Bible in the Bible of people turning to sin or
turning away from what God wants them to do. Exodus chapter 13 verse 17, you know, a
very early mention of the word repentance is actually, I think this is
the second or the third time the word repent ever appears in the Bible.
Exodus 13 verse 17, and it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God
led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was
near. For God said, lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they
return to Egypt. So God doesn't want to lead the Israelites through the land of
the Philistines so that they don't get into a battle and then become afraid and
then go back into Egypt. It says repent when they see war and return to Egypt,
right? So God is leading them out of the land of Egypt to take them to Mount Sinai,
that's what God wants for them. And he doesn't want them to repent and go back
to Egypt, which would be a way from the will of God. You know, people will define
repentance as, this is something I hear all the time, and it's not in the Bible,
it's just something they get from commentaries and dictionaries written by
men, not by God, where they say, oh it's a 180 turn from sin to Jesus. No, that's
not what repentance is, because in this example they're doing a 180 turn away
from Jesus, away from, you know, worshipping God of Mount Sinai, which is
what he wanted them to do, to go back into Egypt, to go back into the world,
which is the symbolism for this, right? So repentance depends on the context, okay?
Because again, there's examples of people repenting of things that are not even
sinful, you know, God repenting of just decisions that he made, again, not
turning from sin because God has no sin, and then we also see examples like in
Exodus 13, where people are going away from the will of God to go back into
their sinful lifestyle, to go back into Egypt as it were. So again, this is, it's
mind-boggling that people just assume that repent just means return from your
sins. That's never in the Bible, the Bible never says that that's what repent means,
and most of the time when the word repentance is used, it has nothing to do with
turning from sin. Now concerning salvation, right, because people will say,
okay, well yeah, I guess God repents, but when it comes to, you know, salvation, you
at least have to repent of your sins, or you know, be willing to turn from
your sins, and that's a part of salvation, that's part of faith is what
they'll say. But the problem with this is that the Bible also teaches that
turning from your sins is works, and the Bible clearly states that we are
not saved by works. So it says in Jonah chapter 3 verse 10, and God saw their
works that they turn from their evil way, and God repented of the evil that he
said that he said he would do unto them, and he did it not. So we see, number
one, that the Bible says turning from your evil way is works, and number two, another
example of God repenting, right, where he was going to destroy Nineveh, and then he
changed his mind, he repented, and he didn't do it, right. So another example of
repentance not meaning, you know, turning from sin, because it does talk about
people turning from their sin in this chapter, and it says that that is works
in the sight of God. Now the Bible says, but to him that worketh not, but believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. So
according to the Bible, if somebody believes, even if they don't do the works,
they're still justified. Ephesians 2 verse 8 to 9, for by grace are you saved
through faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God, not of works, thus
any man should boast. So the Bible is very clear that salvation is not of works,
it's by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, right. John 3 16, for God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish but have everlasting life. The Bible is very clear that
salvation is just by faith in Jesus Christ, it's not by turning from your
sins, because turning from your evil ways is works according to the Bible, okay. So
anybody who says that you have to turn from your sins to be saved is saying
that you have to be justified by works. Now they might say, well I'm not saying
it's by works, but if you really believe you're gonna repent of your sins, then
they're just lying, okay. Just because they they say it's not by works, but then
say it is by works, even if they just use a different term for works, that doesn't
mean that they're not teaching work salvation. So a lot of the people will
attack our, you know, our church and the new IFB for not believing you have to
repent of your sins to be saved, but that's simply because the Bible teaches
that repenting of your sins is works, and the Bible just teaches that all you
have to do to be saved is just believe in Jesus Christ, right. Now they'll still
try to pull up verses to try to apply them to salvation, verses which will say
similar things to repenting of sins, but not necessarily that exact phrase, that
will talk about turning from wickedness or turning from iniquity, just random
verses that have nothing to do with salvation, they have nothing to do with
going to heaven, they have nothing to do with eternal life, just random verses
they just pull out and they're like, see look, this verse says repent of this
therefore thy wickedness, or turn from your iniquities, or something like that.
They'll just pull out a random verse and they'll just try to apply it to
salvation, when these verses that they use have nothing to do with salvation.
Let me just explain a few examples, like in Ezekiel chapter 18 for example, right.
Now if you actually know the book of Ezekiel, it's, you know, God is destroying
and judging Israel, the nation of Israel, because of their sins, right, these people
who are already God's people, many of them already believe in the Lord, and yet
they have all kinds of abomination and wickedness, so God judges them by the
nation of Babylon, so this is, you know, during the time of the captivity, right,
and so Ezekiel is preaching these things to the children of Israel, right, he says
in Ezekiel 18 verse 30, here's an example, therefore I will judge you, O house of
Israel, everyone according to his ways, saith the Lord God, repent and turn
yourselves from all your transgressions. If they see, look, you're supposed to turn
from your transgressions, no, it says so iniquity shall not be your ruin, so why
does God say to turn from your transgression, so iniquity will not be
your ruin, this has nothing to do with salvation, and they'll say something like
well it says the soul that sinneth it shall die, right, that's a verse in
Ezekiel 18 as well where it talks about how if you turn away from your sins then
you'll save your soul alive, but it says it'll save your soul alive, what is this
talking about, right, because people just assume that soul means, you know, has to
do with, you know, going to heaven or going to hell, well no, because the Bible
says in Genesis chapter 2 that when God breathed, you know, the breath of life
into Adam when he formed out of the dust of the ground, says he became a living
soul, right, or how about in the book of Revelation where it talks about the
second trumpet, the, you know, the great mountain burning with fire falling into
the sea and every living soul in the sea died, right, that's not talking about
people going to hell because it's talking about creatures that are alive
dying, this includes fish as well, right, when it talks about things in the soul,
in the sea dying, right, the soul, right, is not necessarily some spiritual aspect
of a person, the soul is also talking about in many cases just something
that's alive, right, so it's just saying that if you don't turn from your sin you're
going to die, not talking about going to hell but just a physical destruction,
right, that's what God is warning people against in Ezekiel 18, get the context,
right, it's talking about Babylon judging the nation of Israel, right, or God
judging Israel through Babylon that is, right, another example of a scripture
that people will take out of context is Acts 8 verse 22, again something, it's
like, have you even read the chapter, are you just quoting this just because you
think that, you know, it sounds similar to repent of your sins, you're just like
throwing it, you know, and hoping it'll stick to the wall or whatever, right, this
is the Apostle Peter speaking to Simon the sorcerer, he says, repent therefore
this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may
be forgiven thee, right, now here's the thing, already back in verse 13 it said
that Simon believed, which according the Bible believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved, and then it even says he also got baptized, right, and then
he continued with them, and then what happened, after Simon was already a
believer, he was already part of the church, he was already, you know, following
the disciples, then he tried to buy the gift of the Holy Ghost and the miracles
that they were doing with money, so that's why he says thy money perish with
thee, you know, repent of this therefore thy wickedness, right, Peter is speaking
to somebody who's already saved saying repent of this sin, he's not saying do
this to be saved, and that's not what the verse says itself, he's just speaking to
somebody who's already a believer, who's already saved, because they sinned, so he
says repent of his wickedness, right, so it has nothing to do with salvation,
again people will just take it out of context, another scripture which is
horribly taken out of context is the statement except you repent you shall
likewise perish, again to begin with it doesn't even say repent of your sins, it
just says repent and people are just putting of your sins mentally into that
verse, it doesn't say repent of your sins, it just says exactly repent, okay, now also people just
assume that this perishing is going to hell, but again if you read the context
you know it's not talking about going to hell, right, because even in the verse itself it says likewise perish, okay, what is
likewise, it means in the same manner, right, so if you don't know the context
you don't even know what he's talking about, you know, perish in what way, perish
in what manner, like perish like what, right, he's talking about the men upon
whom the tower of Siloam fell, the 18 men who died because of that, you know, accident
and the men whose blood was mingled with sacrifices by Pilate, right, so let's read
the context, Luke chapter 13 verse 1 to 5, they were present at that season some
that told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their
sacrifices, and Jesus answering said unto them, supposie that these Galileans were
sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things, I tell you nay
but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish, meaning in the same way,
verse 4, or those 18 upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye
that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem, I tell you nay
but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish, so he says it twice with
two different examples of people physically dying, okay, it's not talking
about going to hell, it's not talking about, you know, if you don't repent of
your sins and you'll be damned, you'll be condemned, that's not what it's saying,
he's saying these people died, these people suffered these things, right, they
were killed by Pilate and their blood was mingled in the sacrifices and then
these men had a tower full on them, he says if you don't repent that might be
you, that's what he's talking about, but people are just ignorant because they
don't read the Bible, so they don't know the context, they just quote it, the
soundbite out of context to try to justify this false doctrine of you have
to repent of your sins to be saved, which is never taught in the Bible.
Another example, Acts 3 26, again another scripture which doesn't say anything
about salvation, it does say something about turning from sin, but it's not in the
context of salvation. Acts 3 26 says 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. So according to the Bible, turning from your iniquities is a blessing, right, it's
not something that we should be against, it's something that God will bless us
with, right, it's a blessing to turn from your iniquities, but does it save you
from Hell? No. Does it justify you in the sight of God? No, because the Bible says
we were justified by faith without works, right, and we saw earlier that turning
from evil ways is works in the sight of God, so if you say you have to repent of
your sins in order to be saved, you're teaching a false gospel because you're
saying you have to do works in order to be saved. The Bible says not by works of
righteous which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. So
the question is then well what is repentance for salvation, right, because
there are some scriptures which do use the word repentance in the context of
forgiveness of sin and salvation and things like that, but once again they never say
repent of your sins, they never say turn from your sins, they just say the word
repent and people just assume that means to turn from your sins. I already proved
that repentance doesn't mean to turn from your sins, repentance just means a
change or a turn in general, the context determines what that is. So let's look at
the context and of these scriptures about repentance in the context of
salvation to explain what it's talking about, right. Here's a few examples.
Acts chapter 19 verse 4.
So what did John the Baptist preach when he preached repentance according to Paul?
He preached that they should believe on him that should come after him that is
on Christ Jesus. Another example, Matthew chapter 21 verse 31 to 32 and this also
is talking about the preaching of John the Baptist as well, right. Jesus says
Jesus saith unto them verily I say unto you that the publicans and the harlots
go into the kingdom of God before you for John came unto you in the way of
righteousness and ye believed him not but the publicans and the harlots who
are sinful by the way believed him and ye when ye had seen it repented not
afterward that ye might believe him, right. So what is he saying? He's saying
hey Pharisees you're not gonna enter into the kingdom of God because you
didn't believe John. The publicans and the harlots they are entering into the
kingdom of God because they did believe what he preached, right. Now he still
calls them publicans and harlots meaning they're still sinful but he says because
they believed they're going to the kingdom of heaven before you and ye when
ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might believe. So what is
biblical repentance? It's repentance away from a false belief or unbelief to
belief, right. Baptism repentance again believing on Jesus that should come
after you, right, or that should come after me, right, what John preached, right. Or
Hebrews chapter 6 I don't have in my notes but where it says that the
foundation of our faith is repentance from dead works and faith toward God. Now
works is or sorry repenting of your sins for salvation is works according to the
Bible. We already saw that in Jonah 3 10. So in order for you to be saved you have
to repent from your dead works meaning repent of repenting of your sins and put
your faith in God. Meaning stop trusting in you and your own goodness and you
turning from your sins and rather trust in Jesus Christ only, right, because our
faith should be in God not in ourselves in our own righteousness. If you think
you have to turn from your sins to be saved you're trusting in your own
righteousness. Acts chapter 17 another example of something that people will
just completely take out of context but when you look at the context it's very
clear what it's saying the repentance is for, right, because people just quote
verse 30, right. Let me just read verse 30 first and then I'll read verse 29
which explains what it's talking about. Verse 30 and the times of this ignorance
God winked at but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. So people will
quote that and they'll say see look you're supposed to repent. Now first of
all it doesn't say for salvation. Now I do believe it's for salvation based on
the context but it doesn't specifically say that but people will just quote
verse 30 as if you know that's just absolutely the case but it's like what
is this ignorance that he's talking about? The times of this ignorance God
winked at but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. What is the
ignorance that he's talking about? Is he saying drinking? Is he talking about
repenting of drinking, fornication, you know, lust, partying, whatever. It's like
yeah you should get rid of those things but that's not what saves you. Here's
what you need to repent of based on the context. Here's this ignorance that he's
talking about. Verse 29 for as much then as we are the offspring of God we ought
not to think that the Godhead is likened to gold or silver or stone graven by art
and man's device. So he's saying repent of idols right these false gods right
because he's speaking in Athens right on Mars Hill he's speaking to people in
Athens who believe that these you know these things that they great and you
know graven images are gods right that's what they believe they're believing in
false gods or they're believing in idols right he says this is ignorance repent
of that ignorance meaning stop believing in your idols and believe in the true
God that's what he's talking about he doesn't say repent of your fornication
repent of your drunkenness you'll never find a verse in the Bible that says
that's what saves you from hell. Another example in Mark chapter 1 verse 15 and
saying the time was fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent ye and
believe the gospel right so notice again how it's associated with belief now
people will just add in the phrase repent of your sins and they'll say well you
have to repent of your sins and believe no no he says repent ye and believe the
gospel we already saw from some scriptures like in Matthew that
repentance is unto faith right so you're turning from unbelief to believing right
so he's speaking to people who don't believe the gospel he says repent and
believe the gospel right it's very simple. Acts chapter 3 verse 19 another
example repent ye therefore not repent of your sins but repent ye therefore and
be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times are
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord again something that people
will mentally insert the phrase of your sins into and say see look the Bible
says to turn from your sins to be saved to have your sins blotted out no it just
says repent we know from other scriptures that repentance is turning
from unbelief to belief as I already showed you but also the same person who
preached this which would be Peter preached later how to have your sins
forgiven when he said in Acts chapter 10 verse 43 to him give all the prophets
witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive
remission of sins so he says here repent and be converted that your sins may be
blotted out he says later believe on his name to have remission of sins right so
how do you have your sins blotted out how do you have your sins omitted by
believing so believing and repenting are the same thing because what are you
repenting of unbelief a false god a false belief rejection of Jesus to faith
in Jesus Christ that's what the repentance is it's not repenting of your
sin it's not repenting from your iniquity it's not turning from
drunkenness and drugs and alcohol and fornication and adultery and lying and
stealing and all these other things those are all good things to do right
God wants us to repent of those things but is that what saves you according to
the Bible no so this lie that we're against repentance is just that it's a
lie because if you define repentance correctly then we're for repentance
because I don't preach that people should just add Jesus onto their false
religion right in order for a Catholic to be saved they have to stop trusting
in Mary and stop trusting in the Pope and their baptism to save them from hell
they have to only believe in Jesus Christ in order for a Hindu to be saved
they have to stop believing in their false Hindu gods and believe only in
Jesus Christ in order for a Muslim to be saved they need to stop believing in the
Quran and believe only in Jesus Christ that's repentance but do they have to
get rid of all the sins that they're doing in their life like lying stealing
fornication hatred whatever you know you name it again those are good things to
do but that's not what saves you from hell what saves you from hell is
believing on the Lord Jesus Christ so they simply just have to turn from
anything that's stopping them from believing right but your lifestyle
keeping the law turning from disobedience to obedience is not what
saves you it's not a change of lifestyle it's a change of mind it's a change of
belief okay so no we're not against repentance if you define repentance
correctly when it comes to salvation but then also even we're not against
repentance after salvation as well because here's the thing somebody who is
saved who believes in Jesus Christ yes they should repent of their sins as we
saw in Acts chapter 3 verse 26 you know God sent him to bless you and turning
away every one of you from his iniquities so turning from your iniquities
according the Bible is a blessing from God right and there's many other
scriptures that say you know things like you're having therefore these
promises let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit
perfecting holiness in the fear of God God wants us to leave filthiness and
leave unrighteousness and to live a holy life that's what God wants us to do it
has nothing to do with salvation so to say the new IFB is against repentance is
a lie because number one you should repent to be saved but not of your sins
just of unbelief number two repentance after salvation is good if you mean like
you know turning from your sins and getting the sin out of your life and
living a righteous and clean holy life but anybody who teaches that you have to
do that's to that to be saved and to have eternal life is a liar and they're
teaching a workspace salvation right let me read again from Jonah 3 verse 10 God
saw their works that they turn from their evil ways so if you think that you
have to turn from evil way in order to be saved in order to be justified and
you're teaching a workspace salvation is you're teaching a false gospel so yes
we're right on this and yes if you believe that you have to repent of your
sins be saved you're wrong okay so hopefully this video has made sense and
there's gonna be many other things that I have to say in this series similar to
this about you know salvation and other subjects but we're right because
everything I just said was from the Bible I showed you from the Bible God
repents I showed you from the Bible repentance doesn't always mean to turn
from sin I showed you from the Bible that all the time when it talks about
turning from iniquities it's never talking about salvation I showed you
from the Bible that the only thing you have to repent of is unbelief and it's
always connected with faith in Christ I showed you from the Bible that
salvation is not by works and repenting of your sins is work so if you choose to
believe that good for you if you just you know don't choose to believe that
you still want to stick with your false religion then I'm sorry but you're gonna
go to hell because you're trusting in your own works so who's right we are
you're wrong deal with it thank you everybody for watching God bless you
have a nice day