Must Proclaim Repentance and Faith
There is a group of people that think you should not tell people to repent and trust Jesus because they cannot unless Jesus fills them with the Holy Spirit. Now it is true that people cannot repent and trust Jesus without the Holy Spirit, we are called to tell them to repent and trust in Jesus. I have placed scriptures on this page so that I can call these people to repent of not giving the gospel.
If you are dealing with this group of open air preachers/evangelists then a good book to read is “Two things you must do to be saved” by Samuel Walron. He talks about Luke 15 and the protigal son. The son cannot be saved unless he goes to his father. He says this: “It is not a doing which creates salvation, but a doing that receives it.”
Samuel also says “Christ’s work is finished. We are not saved by “deeds which we have done in righteousness.” Yet there is something God calls on us to do. There are activities required-Things to be done-in order to be saved by the gospel. To obscure this plain fact is to darken the way of salvation to the eyes of men.”
This is what these men do they obscure the way of salvation. I have talked to people that they have witnessed to and all I needed to explain to them was that they needed to repent and trust Jesus. They were not told that last part.
Samuel says this “For you to be accepted with God it simply requires repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” …”The Bible speaks of “substitutionary atonement”, but it never speaks of “substitutionary repentance” or “substitutionary faith”. Christ dies for us and in our place, but he does not believe or repent for us.”
And the best quote of the book “The gospel of grace of God is not just about what God will do. It is also about what you must do. The answer to the question, What must do to be saved? is not: You can do nothing. Salvation is all of the grace. Salvation is all of grace, but there is something-actually son things- you must do to be saved. If you do these things, salvation is still all of grace. But even though salvation remains all of grace, still you must do these two things. The Bible says that you yourself personally must repent and believe the gospel! Do not plead, and do not allow others to plead, inability to repent and believe. Such inability is rooted in a deep unwillingness and stubborn refusal to repent and believe. It is motivated by a terrible dislike of repentance and faith for which sinners are completely accountable.”
Here is a list of ESV scriptures to talk to them about.
Acts 20:21 “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Acts 26:18 “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”
Acts 11:17-18 “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.””
We are to testify about the gospel
Acts 20:24 “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
Luke 24:47 “and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
What is the gospel?
1 Cor 15:3-5 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”
We are to proclaim Christ crucified.
1 Cor 1:23:24 “but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
What is our response to be?
Mark 1:15 “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””
Heb 6:1 “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,”
Acts 2:37-38 “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 16:30-31 “Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.””
Notice he does not tell them to be born again. He tells them to repent and believe!
Repentance
Matt 3:8 “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”
Notice this is not just a repentance in trusting in your own self but there is fruit that should be seen. This is turning from sins as well.
Luke 24:47 “and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Faith
Gen 15:6 “ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”
Hab 2:4 ““Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”
2 Tim 1:12 “which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me”