Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!usc!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!psuvax1!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Salvation/Repentance/Faith (was The Uneducated Need Not Apply) Message-ID: Date: 11 Dec 90 06:05:15 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Data General Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC Lines: 43 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In response to my posting about salvation and faith, Frank asks about why some have more faith then others and repentance. I didn't quote from his posting only because I want to conserve bandwidth. However, I copied his posting over to my home directory and can refer to it if needs be later. Frank, if you feel that I've missed any major points, well, 2x4's aren't hard to find. ;-) Let me start with repentance. "Repent" is the translation of a Greek verb metanoeo, meaning to have another mind, to change the mind, and is used in the NT to indicate a change of mind in respect to sin, God, and self. This change of mind may, especially in the case of Christians who have fallen into sin, be preceded by sorrow (2 Cor. 7:8-11); but sorrow for sin, though it may cause repentance, is not repentance. The son in Matt. 21:28-29 illustrates true repentance. Now here is a key point that I want to make. Repentance is not an act separate from faith, but saving faith, which is what I make reference to in my previous posting, includes and implies that change of mind which is called repentance. The essence of faith consists in believing and receiving what God has revealed, and may be defined as that trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ whom He has sent, which receives Him as Lord and Savior and impels to loving obedience and good works (John 1:12; Jas 2:14-26). Going back to the passage that I used in my original posting, Eph. 2:8, 9, please notice that the faith that is dealt with there is faith unto salvation. This faith of necessity also requires repentance. Further, I find no evidence that there is a difference as to quality or quantity in this faith as respects persons. The same faith that I received for salvation is the same faith that any other believer receives at this precise moment. Frank, at the moment of salvation, we are on equal footing as regards faith and salvation. None of us may by any meritorious efforts win salvation. I'll post on predestination later. For His glory, Gene