Is God pleased with people repenting of their sins?

[Soyeong]

Wrong.

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." - Romans 4:5

Romans 4:4-5 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Every example of someone living by faith in the Bible is also an example of someone doing works, but not every example of doing works is an example of faith, such as in Romans 4:4-5 where someone does works in order to earn a wage that are due them. There can be different motivations for taking an action, so if I were to tell you to take an action that would only benefit me, then you would be providing a service to me for which I would owe you wages, however, if I were to tell you to take an action that was for your own good, then you decision to take that action would not be causing me to owe you anything, but rather your decision would be based on whether or not you had faith in me to guide you in a way that is for your own good. In the same way, if our obedience to God's law were for God's good, then it would have been about trying to earn our justification, which would be owed to us as wages in return for our works, however, God's law was given for our own good (Deuteronomy 6:24, 10:12-13), so our obedience is instead about expressing our faith in God to guide us in how to rightly live, and it is by that same faith that we are justified.

In Romans 4:4-5, it is speaking about the one who does not work in regard to not doing something to earn their justification, however, it is not speaking against doing works that are an expression of our faith. Again, while Abraham believed, so he was justified, he also believed, so he obeying God's command to offer Isaac, so the same faith by which he was justified was also expressed as obedience, but he did not earn his justification by his obedience as though it were wages that were due to him.

 

[BibleBeliever1611]

In Romans 4:4-5, it is speaking about the one who does not work in regard to not doing something to earn their justification, however, it is not speaking against doing works that are an expression of our faith.

I'm also not speaking against doing works as an expression of your faith. What I'm saying is that we are saved through faith, not through works. It's that simple.

 

[Soyeong]

You can be justified by works before other people but not before God. God already knows what you believe so you don't need to prove it to him by doing any works. We can do good works to earn rewards in heaven but not salvation. Salvation is for him that works not but believes on him that justifies the ungodly.

Our actions speak louder than our words. If someone says that they trust God to guide them in how to rightly live, but they refuse to live in a way that expresses trust in God to guide them, then their actions show that their words are empty and that they don't actually trust God to guide them. Only those who trust God to guide them will follow His guidance, which is why Paul said in Romans 2:13 that only doers of the law will be justified, but did not say that we earn our justification by obeying the law. At no point does the Bible ever say anything like that God already knows what we believe, so we don't need to obey, but rather someone who doesn't obey is expressing that they don't believe, which is why James 2:17-18 says that faith without works is dead and that he would show his faith by his works.

What we believe is expressed through our actions. For example, if someone believes that they are in danger, then they will express that belief by taking actions that expression caution, but if they refused to take actions that expressed caution, then that would show that they didn't believe that you were in danger. If someone believes that their friend was trustworthy, they will take actions that express trust in their friend and if they refuse to take those actions, then that would be showing that they didn't believe that there friend is trustworthy.

 

[BibleBeliever1611]

If someone says that they trust God to guide them in how to rightly live, but they refuse to live in a way that expresses trust in God to guide them, then their actions show that their words are empty and that they don't actually trust God to guide them.

No-one can live right in the sight of God. We are all sinners. No-one ever lived right except Jesus. You are only saved because of God's grace, not because of your lifestyle. Our lifestyle would doom us to hell.

 

[Soyeong]

No-one can live right in the sight of God. We are all sinners. No-one ever lived right except Jesus. You are only saved because of God's grace, not because of your lifestyle. Our lifestyle would doom us to hell.

Luke 1:5-6 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.

In Psalms 119:29, David wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey His law. In Titus 2:11-14, our salvation is described as being trained by grace to do what is godly, righteous, and good, and to renounce doing what is ungodly, which is what God's law was given to instruct how to do, so God graciously teaching us to obey His law is itself part of the content of His free gift of salvation and participating in that training does nothing to earn it, but rather that is what it looks like to receive it. Our salvation is from sin and sin is the transgression of God's law, so being trained by grace to live in obedience to God's law through faith is what Jesus saving us from living in transgression of God's law looks like.

 

[Justified_By_Christ_Alone]

Repentance and faith go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other.

They do. But the problem is you add "of your sins" to the word repent. And the phrase "Repent of your sins" is not found once in the entire KJV bible. It was a phrase made by religious men to sneak in a false gospel of works. And the ironic thing is if you are repenting of your sins to be saved, you actually haven't repented because you are trusting in a false gospel... YThe word repent in the original Greek is metanoia, meaning a mind change. Jesus told the Jews to repent because they were trusting in dead works of the law and he wanted them to trust him solely. In fact the only time is is specific about repentance unto salvation is in Hebrews where it says "of dead works".

If you think you need to repent of your sins to be saved, you have a false gospel and are in fact not saved. You still trust in your works.

By the way, God repented many times in scripture. Are you calling God a sinner? If you had to repent of your sins to be saved then you are saying what Jesus did, fulfilling the law (sin is transgression of the law) and dying for your sins is insufficient... You are saying you could do better than Jesus. Completely trampling over the blood and the cross.

 

[Justified_By_Christ_Alone]

I agree with that one. You can't have faith in Jesus without repenting of whatever you used to have faith in. You don't need to repent of your sins though.

Unfortunately it's no use trying to get through these people, they won't listen. They've been indoctrinated by religion to believe they need to do something to be saved (including repent of their sins, which is impossible to do perfectly). You and I know what saves us, the finished work of Jesus. Many will say to him on that day "Lord Lord didn't we do these wonderful WORKS in your name" but he will tell them "I never knew you" because they trusted in their works rather than him alone. They didn't do the will of the Father which is to believe in the Son. All we can do is share the gospel then pray for them. If they choose to harden their hearts that is their choice. The gospel is foolishness to those who perish.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his presence.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

 

[Call me Nic]

I don't understand why this is the best scriptural example. Because it uses the word "repent" and then talks about persuasion? Again, I don't think repentance is about persuasion so much as internal spiritual change leading to a change in behavior and outlook coming from this view of the state of things once one has placed the intellect under the control of the purified soul (what I believe the Greeks would call the nous). The potential danger in talking about persuasion in this context is that it makes it all about the intellect rather than about the true repentance of man coming from this change of heart which is to renew the intellect as well (as true metanoia is all-encompassing: body, soul, and mind), rather than being controlled by it.

People can be persuaded to believe things that are not true because they appeal to the intellect (see, e.g., Nestorius' quite reasonable protest that he could not worship a God who had once been a baby; he was still wrong), but the soul that is in communion with God knows that guidance which comes through that communion averts the snares that are placed along the road of our spiritual walk. This is a fairly constant theme in the desert fathers and mothers, which I would suggest that anyone read if they want to understand how metanoia is lived out.

I understand and now I see your point. Took four years, but I have come to believe this to be true.

 

[dzheremi]

I understand and now I see your point. Took four years, but I have come to believe this to be true.

Glory be to God. May He be pleased with your journey to Him, and all of ours likewise. Please pray for me if it is not too much to ask, friend.

 

[Call me Nic]

Glory be to God. May He be pleased with your journey to Him, and all of ours likewise. Please pray for me if it is not too much to ask, friend.

I will. And pray for me, please, also.

 

[contratodo]

Why do people believe that repenting of sin (or willingness to turn from sin) is part of salvation if nothing but faith in Jesus Christ can please God?

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear,
prepared an ark (worked) to the saving of his house
Hebrews 11:7

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive as an inheritance,
obeyed, and went out, not knowing where he went.
Hebrews 11:8

We share in the faith of Abraham, resurrection, Hebrews 11:17-19
we believe that Christ died and gloriously rose from the dead
and that by living for Him we too will be gloriously risen from the dead.


My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me,
and I give unto them eternal life John 10:27-28

I say unto you that hear, love Luke 6:27

 

[contratodo]

Christ died for all that they which live should henceforth not live unto themselves, but unto Him that died for them and rose again.
2 Corinthians 5:15

He that does not love me, does not keep my commands.
John 14:24

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let them be Anathema! Oh Lord Come!
1 Corinthians 16:22


..they were astonished at His doctrine for He taught as one with authority
Matthew 7:28

If anyone disobeys the Torah and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, they do not have God.
He that abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
2 John 1:9-11



This is my commandment, that you love one another.
John 15:12

Treat people the way you would want to be treated,
this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:12