Landmark Baptist

Hi everyone,

I just came across a couple of websites that might spark some discussion. It seems that "independent" Baptists are really having some big issues over two things, first, whether repentance is necessary for salvation (some call that adding works to salvation) and second, the issue of Lordship Salvation. Some would say that they are akin to each other, but I think there are some differences.

The first site is: http://www.repentanceblacklist.com/ and the other is http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/. This one just made the news by their pastor, Steven Anderson, saying from the pulpit, that he hates Barak Obama and followed it up in a statement to the press that he would like to see him die. WOW!! What audacity!! AND stupidity!! You can read that at http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.c ... h/2009/08/

I'm not really asking for comments on the second part, but what about the other issue of repentance?

Pastor Marty McCoy
Schillinger Road Baptist Church
Mobile, Alabama

Repentance and faith go hand-in-hand. When you repent, you believe and when you believe, you repent. It's a simultaneous action. If you don't repent, then what do you believe?

Brother Marty,

That depends on how you define repentance and how you define salvation. Paul said,

Paul wrote:Godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation.

But, if you examine the context, Paul was talking about the church repenting of its wicked deeds and therefore being saved from them. It had nothing to do with being born again per se.

When the Bible speaks of what a man must do to receive everlasting life, the directive is to "believe." That does not involve a change of behavior, but it does involve a change of heart and mind.

So my answer to the question would be:

1. Repenting of unbelief and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ is necessary to receive the gift of eternal life.

2. Repenting of specific sins and changing specific evil behavior is not the condition of receiving the gift of eternal life.

Mark Osgatharp
Wynne, Arkansas

I have always had the idea that repentance is a change of mind or direction. I think that I learned that in Greek class years ago. That's why, to be saved, a person must change their mind and/or direction.

I don't know if you read the websites that I cited, but the fellow there is pretty off base on repentance. He thinks that repentance is a WORK, but FAITH is from God. However, the decision to repent is something that also is born of the Spirit and is something that a person must DO to be saved.

If all works are wrong in salvation, then the Phillipian jailer would not have gotten saved because he asked what he must "do" to be saved. Acts 16:30. BTW, wouldn't "belief" be a work as well?

Pastor Marty McCoy
Schillinger Road Baptist Church
Mobile, Alabama

Some of the old doctrinal statements or articles of faith in history liked to use the term "inseparable graces" when speaking of repentance and faith.
Repentance emphasizes the "turning from" part and faith emphasizes the "turning to" part.
After all, if a person turns "from" self, sin and unbelief when they repent, what are they turning "to" if not faith in Christ?

Acts 20:21, "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

Rick Howard wrote:Some of the old doctrinal statements or articles of faith in history liked to use the term "inseparable graces" when speaking of repentance and faith.
Repentance emphasizes the "turning from" part and faith emphasizes the "turning to" part.
After all, if a person turns "from" self, sin and unbelief when they repent, what are they turning "to" if not faith in Christ?

Acts 20:21, "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

Bro. Howard,

That is a very good explanation! Thanks a lot!

The problem that I have with some of what was said on that cited website is that repentance is a "work" done by man and there is a teaching that ANY work of man, even repentance, is not a part of salvation. I know that we believe and teach that works for salvation leads to a dead end, but it is clear to me that there is something that we must do and that is repentance and faith. Anything less that that would be Calvinism, would it not?

My late pastor of old taught that "repentance & faith" were like two sides of a coin... You just can't have one without the other.