REPENTANCE
A Choice.
By WHOM Doth Decide?
"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His Name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
- Psalm 23:1-4
Saved By Grace
Legal Definition of Grace:
that which a person is not entitled to by law, but which is extended to him as a favor; a pardon, for example, is an act of grace.
If you do things with the goal of gaining grace for your salvation, you are not grasping the truth, according to the Bible, which views this as trying to earn a place in Heaven by your own efforts.
Attempting to gain a spot in Heaven through one’s own actions is akin to revering a deity created within one’s own thoughts; essentially, it is self-worship.
Salvation Invokes Repentance
Repentance comes after salvation, as an effect of the sharp dagger that the Holy Spirit puts through your heart, convicting you of your sin against Him and the Love you betrayed.
Salvation leads to an authentic hatred of what your Creator hates. YES HATE.
Salvation is both a Person & Action that was manifest within ONE Being:
Jesus of Nazareth (The Essene).
Everything starts and concludes with Him.
"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." — Colossians 1:16-17
God Hates Sinners
“You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers” — Psalm 5:4–5
“The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” — Psalm 11:5
It’s inaccurate to suggest that God doesn’t hate sinners while loving the sinner but hating the sin.
"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community." — Proverbs 6:16-19
The truth is, God does indeed hate sinners, and his wrath is genuine.
"The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong." — Psalm 5:5
“SIN” of Human’s Hearts
Sin does not exist if there is no physical body to manifest sin into reality.
Sin only holds its sinful nature when it originates from corrupt human hearts that oppose God.
In Matthew 15:19-20, Jesus teaches about the origin of sin, saying,
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person." This verse underscores the idea that sin originates from within an individual’s heart and manifests in their actions.” — Matthew 15:19-20
The presence of sin is intertwined with the condition of one’s heart; it doesn’t exist independently of the human.
Sins Don’t Go To Hell
Sinners Do
In hell, it’s not sins themselves that suffer but rather the individuals who committed them.
"They {sinners} will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might."
— 2 Thessalonians 1:9
This raises questions about the beliefs surrounding punishment in hell - it’s not just about punishing sins, but rather those responsible for committing them.
The Paradox Of God’s Hate & Love
Hate and love are simultaneous.
God observes sinners who are filled with hatred, rebellion, corruption, disgust, wickedness, and dishonor towards God.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
— Romans 5:8
Love & Hate ~ Dual Meanings
Hate 1
intense loathing of a particular quality …. {or it can extend further to include}
Hate 2
an intense intention to destroy.
Similarly…
Love 1
an intense delight in a certain quality {but it can also involve}
Love 2
an intense intention to bless even in the face of some less desirable qualities present.
God Loves You & Hates You
He killed His Son on the cross because He hates that part of you so much…
We’re So detestable that He had to create a portal for His Love to enter into us through His Son…
…that’s an incredibly intense love and intense hate, simultaneously.
The Human Heart Loves Sin
Conviction is something that happens to us, not something we do, nor do we invoke. We love sin until the Holy Spirit comes into us.
"For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." — Romans 7:18-19
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want."
— Galatians 5:16-17
