THE SCARLET PATH

    BIBLE Q & A

                                                 BIBLE----QUESTIONS / ANSWER'S

        17. MUST I NOT REPENT?  WHAT IS REPENTANCE?  HOW CAN I REPENT?

 LUKE 24:46-47, (46) "AND SAID UNTO THEM, THUS IT IS WRITTEN, AND THUS IT BEHOVED CHRIST TO SUFFER, AND TO RISE FROM THE DEAD THE THIRD DAY:"

 (47) " AND THAT REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SINS SHOULD BE PREACHED IN HIS NAME AMONG ALL NATIONS, BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM."

NOTE: VERSE 46 MUST REFER TO SUCH OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGES AS PSALM 16:10; ISAIAH 53:10, AND THE TYPOLOGY REGARDING JONAH.
 EVEN GENESIS 3:15 MAY BE CONSIDERED AS TEACHING THE MESSIAH"S RESURRECTION; OTHERWISE THE "WOUND TO THE HEEL" WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           VERSE 47 POINTS TO THE COMING CHANGE IN DEPENSATION BECAUSE NOT ONLY THE JEWS ARE TO HEAR THE GOSPEL BUT CHRIST ENLARGES THE COMMISSION EXTENDING TO ALL MANKIND.

 LUKE 5:32 "I CAME NOT TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS TO REPENTANCE."

 NOTE: REPENTANCE IS A TURNING AWAY FROM SIN, DISOBEDIENCE, OR REBELLION AND A TURNING BACK TO GOD.

 REPENTANCE MEANS A CHANGE OF MIND OR A FEELING OF REMORSE OR REGRET FOR PAST CONDUCT.                                                                                                                 

 TRUE REPENTANCE IS A "GODLY SORROW" FOR SIN, AN ACT OF TURNING AROUND AND GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.       

 THIS TYPE OF REPENTANCE LEADS TO A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN A PERSON'S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD. 

 REPENTANCE AND FAITH ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN: BY REPENTANCE, ONE TURNS AWAY FROM SIN; BY FAITH, ONE TURNS TOWARD GOD IN ACCEPTING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR.                                                                                                                                                        REPENTANCE IS A TURNING FROM WICKEDNESS AND DEAD WORKS, ACTS 8:22; HEBREWS 6:1; TOWARD GOD AND HIS GLORY, ACTS 20:21; REVELATION 16:9; ETERNAL LIFE, ACTS 11:18; AND A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, 2ND TIMOTHY 2:25.                                                                                                                                                18.  HOW DO I COME TO CHRIST?

 ROMANS 10:9-10, (9) "THAT IF THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS AND SHALT BELIEVE IN THINE HEART THAT GOD HATH RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, THOU SHALT BE SAVED."

 (10) "FOR WITH THE HEART MAN BELIEVETH UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO SALVATION."                                                                                                                                                                                                                         NOTE: SALVATION MUST ENTAIL FAITH IN THE ONE WHO IS LORD.                                                       NECESSARY BELIEF IN THE RESURRECTION IS MENTIONED BECAUSE NEW LIFE TO THE BELIEVER IS CONTINGENT UPON A LIVING LORD.                                                                                     BELIEF IN THE SAVING POWER OF THE RISEN CHRIST MUST COME FROM THE INNERMOST PART OF MAN'S BEING WHICH IS DESCRIBED AS MAN'S HEART.                                                             CONFESSION WITH THE MOUTH IS EVIDENCE OF GENUINE FAITH IN THE HEART.                                                                                                                                                                                                         ROMANS 10:11,13, (11) "FOR THE SCRIPTURE SAITH, WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED."

 (13) "FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED."

 NOTE: THE KEY ELEMENT IN SALVATION IS FAITH.                                                                                   SALVATION IS NOT APPROPRIATED TO THE SINNER'S LIFE UNTIL THERE IS A HEARTFELT BELIEF IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.                                                                                                                         THE PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSAL OFFER OF SALVATION IS TO SHOW THAT "WHOSOEVER" PLACES THEIR FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WILL BE SAVED.                                                       GOD'S PREREQUISITE TO SALVATION IS FAITH, NOT A PERSON'S RACE, CREED OR CULTURE.       THE LORD GOD IS RICH IN HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD ALL SINNERS AND READY TO RECEIVE ANYONE WHO CALLS ON HIM FOR SALVATION THROUGH FAITH.

           19.  HOW MAY I GET FAITH?

 LUKE 1:13 "IN WHOM YE ALSO TRUSTED, AFTER THAT YE HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION: IN WHOM ALSO AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED WITH THAT HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE."

 NOTE: FAITH IS THE CONNECTING LINK BETWEEN MAN AND CHRIST.                                                 THEY FIRST HEARD GOD'S GOOD NEWS, CALLED THE WORD OF TRUTH AND FURTHER DESCRIBED AS THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION.                                                                                  NOTICE THE ORDER: THEY FIRST HEARD GOD'S GOOD NEWS (THE GOSPEL) AND THEN THEY PUT THEIR TRUST IN CHRIST.

 ROMANS 10:17 "SO THEN FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD."

NOTE: WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT HEARING ALONE DOES NOT BRING SALVATION, BUT FAITH IN THE MESSAGE HEARD DOES.                                                                                                                   SALVATION COMES WHEN THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED, TAUGHT, AND READ, BELIEVED AND THEN CONFESSED BY MEN.                                                                                               THAT GOSPEL MESSAGE MUST COME FROM THE WORD OF GOD.