If You've Repented Of Your Sin, You're Not Saved

1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

Ladies and gentlemen, there is absolutely nothing in the preceding Bible passage about “repenting of your sin” to be saved. Repentance facilitates (makes possible) believing the Gospel. We are not saved by repenting, we are saved by believing the Gospel. Albeit, no one has ever believed without repenting. To “repent” simply means that you have changed your mind (Greek noun metanoia) from WRONG THOUGHTS to believing the Gospel. You don't repent AND believe, you repent TO believe. There is much disagreement over what I just said in Baptist churches today. Sadly, at least half of all Baptist churches have adopted this Calvinist false teaching that repentance is a separate required step from faith to be saved.

This damnable heresy has crept into so many churches today, which is false religion. Religion is the worst thing that ever happened to this world. Religion always perverts the Gospel from God's free gift of eternal life, into some type of human reformation (where you are obligated to commit to drastic changes in your life and behavior to be saved). Case in point is the following explanation of what it means to “repent” on the website, Wikipedia:

“The doctrine of repentance as taught in the Bible is a call to persons to make a radical turn from one way of life to another. The repentance (metanoia) called for throughout the Bible is a summons to a personal, absolute and ultimate unconditional surrender to God as Sovereign.”

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repentance

What you just read is a lie of the Devil. That is not what the inspired King James Bible teaches! Some religious person, not a born-again Christian, wrote that junk theology on Wikipedia. Where does the Bible teach that repentance means “a summons to a personal, absolute and ultimate unconditional surrender to God as Sovereign”? What ever happened to eternal life being a free gift? (Romans 5:15-18; 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8-9) The Bible teaches that salvation is without works, a free gift, and that we simply receive it. So why do you have “to make a radical turn from one way of life to another”? Dear friend, that is the sin of Adam, who tried to cover his sins with fig leaves. That is the sin of Cain, who tried to impress God with the works of his hands. 

You don't have to turn from your sinful ways to be saved. You do have to recognize your need as a guilty sinner in God's sight, so you'll see your need for the blessed Savior. This is exactly what Galatians 3:24-26 teaches, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” The purpose of God's Old Testament LAW is to show us that we are guilty in God's sight as a sinner, and bring us to CHRIST to be saved by GRACE!!! Turning away from your sinful behavior, or a willingness to do so, the Bible calls “DEAD WORKS” (Hebrews 6:1). 

What do you think “the deeds of the law” are? Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Telling someone to repent of their sin is effectively expecting them to KEEP THE LAW to be saved. It sounds so reasonable that a person should have to commit to turn from their sinful lifestyle, if they want God to forgive them; but that is NOT the Gospel. The Gospel is that you are a needy sinner. There is a penalty for your sins, which is to spend eternity burning in Hell. But God loved you so much that He sent His only begotten Son into the world, to die on the cross in your place to pay your debt of sin (and mine). Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt of sin we could not pay. Christ died on the cross, was buried, but 72 hours later He resurrected psychically from the dead (for our justification of our faith). That is the 'GOOD NEWS' (Gospel) by which we are saved, if we believe (Romans 1:16; 1st Corinthians 1:21). 

The churches of Galatia had received a religious cult that required keeping the deeds of the law to be saved (Galatians 1:6-9; 3:1-3). That is effective the same exact evil when you tell someone they must “repent (turn) of your sin” to be saved. This is a serious matter. I cannot overemphasize the crucial importance of this matter. I have personally heard umpteen people tell me that they almost commit suicide because of fake preachers like John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, Steve Pettit, Marty Herron, Sam Horn and other heretics, who teach the Satanic curse of Lordship Salvation. 

Tragically, I have seen that MOST Baptist pastors today, even those who don't teach damnable heresy themselves, are woefully complicit to those who do, wanting to go along to get along with peers in the ministry. It is wickedness and the reason why the problem is getting much worse. Where are the Bible preachers who stand for the accuracy of the Gospel? Where are the men of God who proclaim that right doctrine matters? Sadly, less than 5% of Baptist preachers today make a fuss over Calvinism in the churches. Calvinism is not the Gospel! John Calvin (1509-1564) taught that you cannot just get saved and that's it. Calvin was a heretic who taught that WILL persevere in holiness throughout your entire life, otherwise you are not saved. 

The Salvation Army adopted this damnable heresy. Statement number 9 in their founding principles says: “We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.” Folks, salvation is not a state that you enter into and out of, it is a one time irreversible new birth! 1st Peter 1:23 in the trustworthy King James Bible says that we are born-again of “INCORRUPTIBLE SEED.” These modern corrupt Bible revisions are leading people into Hell. The Salvation Army's founders, General William Booth and Catherine Booth, were very wrong that a believer must continue doing something to remain in a state of salvation. That is a works-based false plan of salvation. The new birth (or spiritual birth) is exactly like the first physical birth. When a baby is born, it is irreversible. There's no going back! Likewise, once you trust Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, if you sincerely relied upon what He has done on the cross to pay for your sins, believing that He has risen from the dead, then you are now forever and irreversible saved!!! Praise God!!!

Satanic conmen and heretics have corrupted God's Word, changing the word “repent” in the modern Bible revisions to mean “to change your hearts and lives“ to be saved. Take a look at Mark 1:15 in the Easy-To-Read Version (ERV). They have perverted the Gospel of free grace. All of the pseudo-Christian cults (Mormons, Jehovah's Witness, Seventh-Day Adventists, Roman Catholics, et cetera) errantly define repentance as turning away from living a lifestyle of sin to be saved. 

The average pastor today hasn't paid close enough attention to the issue of the Gospel, and is therefore lackadaisical and indifferent about it. If you don't see a problem with John Piper, R.C. Sproul, Ray Comfort, Marty Herron, Sam Horn, Steve Pettit, John MacArthur, Billy Graham and countless more reprobates of the faith, please read the Mormon view of repentance:

“To repent we need to recognize and feel sorry for what we’ve done wrong, do whatever is possible to repair the damage it may have caused, and to leave our sinful behavior behind. Repentance can be difficult and requires a lot of honesty, but the joy and freedom we feel when we turn away from our sins are well worth the effort. Because Christ suffered for our sins, we can be forgiven when we repent. That’s why the Atonement is so important to all of us.” 

SOURCE: Jesus Christ | Mormon.org

That is what the John MacArthur crowd ascribe to! It's no different than what the unsaved Mormons teach! Are you getting this folks? It may sound trifle to you dear reader, but they mean business. If a person is not willing to turn away from their lifestyle of sin, they are told that God won't save them until they do so. That is another gospel. I am wearied with all this. Guam is infested with heretics preaching this false gospel. Beware of anyone who teaches that faith is not enough to be saved, who says that your must be willing to forsake your willful sinning to be saved. That is demanding for people to reform as a prerequisite to saving-faith. Sorrow for sins in penitence, not repentance. Trying to amend your ways is penance, not repentance. Turning from your sins is reformation, not repentance. Repentance is simply a change of mind, from wrong thinking to believing on Christ alone, and that my friend produces REGENERATION (the new birth).

To sum up what I have said in this blog article. If you'll take the time, as I have done, and search through my ministry websites (use the search box at the top of each main website), to find what Roman Catholics, Mormons, SDA's and JW's believe about repentance—you'll be disturbed and shocked to find that, they ALL require for you to make a diligent effort to forsake the old way of life, and live a new righteous life for God. Wikipedia errantly says you must “make a radical turn from one way of life to another.” You won't find that in the King James Bible. Folks, that is human reformation, not biblical repentance. 

Please remember that the goal of real Bible repentance, is to get a person to think differently so they will get saved; whereas the goal of the proponents of Lordship Salvation is to get a person to turn away from their former sinful lifestyle, and commit to living a morally upright life from now on. They foolishly consider this to mean repentance, and teach that it is mandatory before a person's faith can be made valid with God for salvation. Dear reader, I prayerfully hope you can see how horrible, wrong, unbiblical, and unacceptable that this counterfeit gospel is! 

Something as seemingly small and simple as adding “repent of your sin” to the Gospel message, totally corrupts its efficacy to produce the new birth. When someone comes to Jesus Christ, having the Satanic mindset that “I am turning from my sins to get saved,” they are in actuality trying to save themselves (at least in part)! Read what heretic Paul Washer says:

“Sir, the evidence that you truly repented unto salvation on that day is that you're still repenting today...” 

SOURCE: Paul Washer, 'How Do I Know If I'm Saved?'

Calvinist Paul Washer sinfully turns the new birth into a process. If I give you a birthday gift, you simply accept it, and nothing else is required, nor can be required if it was truly a free gift! This creates a counterfeit gospel of fear, uncertainty and worry, where you never can know assuredly that you are 100% born-again and on your way safely to Heaven. This is not the Gospel of free grace, that promises peace with God (Romans 5:1). If you spiritually fall and choose to go into sin, then Calvinists say you may not make it to Heaven, that you were never saved at all; but that is all junk theology. 

God saves you on the sole basis of God's goodness, and not your goodness!!! Everyone seems to forget this truth!!! We are saved by God's imputed righteousness, so that you do not have to repent of your sins to be saved, you simply need to repent (change your mind) from whatever has been hindering you from coming to Christ. Again, you cannot find the phrase “repent of your sin” in the Bible. It sounds so harmless. It sounds so religious. It sounds so small and insignificant, but it alters the mindset of the Gospel completely, so that it cannot produce the new birth (regeneration).

Caught Between Works And Grace | MP3