But Why Not Look Unto Christ to be Saved?

In John 6 Jesus was asked by the Jews what must we do to do the works of God. Jesus responded that the work of God is to believe in the one he has sent. By implication. To believe in Jesus. My question. So why not look unto Christ to be saved?

In our response to the modern gospel. Are we not trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit?..To prescribe brokeness or one must agonize or travail under the load of sin. Are we not trying to put a work on the gospel God never intended? Or rather are we trying to do tthe work of the Holy Sprit himself?

This is not to say that God does not bring one into a deep conviction of sin. Perhaps one may have lived a sinful life and the Holy Spirit will bring them into deep wailing and despair to be brought as unto Christ for salvstion. But what of the one who hears the glorious gospel message and responds in joy to believe in Jesus. There is not the travail of the soul. But a hearing of the gospel message and they believe. Are we going to call into account that person's salvation experience.

Obviously on both cases there is a turning away from sin. But let us be careful that refuting the modern gospel we are not mandating a work of brokeness or repentence that only the Spirit himself can work.

My thoughts.

Bearmaster.

For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. Romans 2:12-16

I believe this passage of scripture addresses that question brother. I can understand why you ask the question though. The recent posts on this subject of repentance and the resulting testimonies and posts have made for a real provocation. Not only the possibility of having seeming outward realities, yet no inwards reality (as it is presented) but also how such a presentation if pressed without balance of the gospel of grace to believe, can make for a fearful concern for those who did not have such a dramatic conviction of sin in the hour they first believed.

Although my first word of response to God in the hour I believed and was born again, was “sorry” it was really a response to the holiness of God’ presence rather than a purposeful conviction of sin which made me cry after God. The fact is I knew I was a sinner. I had no delusions about this nor could I have given that I was a thief at the time. I think we have to accept that each person is dealt with by God according to His own understanding. I can say that I have been broken lots of times since that first joyous moment precisely over the issue of sin. How could anyone in such a moment deny their first understanding of God if it came by God’ himself? This would be to deny the basis on which one first believed. Yet some do testify that they went about believing themselves to be saved, and in the end came to the reality that they were not saved, because in the end they came under a real conviction of sin. I can’t really see a contradiction in any of this. Salvation is after all more than simply being born again. It is in the end being saved from our sins, not just the consequence of them.

So if one day God' says "here I am" and you childishly believe Him as you must, and another day He lays you low and shows you what a wretch you are, as He must if you are to be profitable to Him, what can we say? "Father let thy will be done."

Elisabeth, my sister, I read your post. I appreciate the sweet spirit in which it was written in. I am a little confused about what you were trying to share. But I think I can say I am in agreement with you.

Bear.

Elisabeth went back and read your post again. J think I see what you are sharing from your heart. To believe inJesus is to believe in his words. Amen, dear sister, amen.

Bearmaster.

Sree each of us has a different story of how we came to Christ. And Praise God for a story as you have shared. All of our stories involve turning away from our sins and turning to God. All of our stories involve faith in Jesus.

What I am concerned about is we do not take an experience of repentence and make it normative for salvation in Christ.

Bearmaster

Sree regarding the churches in Revelation these were people who supposedly had a relationship with Jesus and they needed to repent of sinful practices or issues that were causing them to turn away from Jesus. The first letter of Paul to the Corithians was the same situation. The Corithians had some issues Paul addressed they needed to repent of.

The issue of A Christian needing to repent of their sins in a continual walk with Jesus is understood. But are we going to mandate a person who comes to Jesus to gaze at their sin and moan under the weight if it before they find salvation in Jesus?

Brother it seems tto me that when one comes into an experience with the living Christ they immediately turn awash from their sins. Zzachaeous the tax collector and Saul of Tarsus are two exampnes from the New Testament I think of.

Again ny thoughts.

Bearmaster.

Brother Sree we are in agreement. So did you come to Christ under Zac Poohen's mtinistry-

Bear.

If repentance were simply a matter of conviction of sin and nothing more than this then we would none of us have found peace even by now, no matter when we first came under conviction of sin. Why is it not possible for us to believe the testimony of scripture?

For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. Romans 2:12-16

The Law was given to Israel not the gentiles. So how could a gentile in the days of Israel ever experience or comprehend the offence of sin. According to this passage from Romans is has to do with a "work of the law written in their own hearts". A friend of mine who is a pastor spent seven days in travail and agonies when he came under a conviction of sin, before he was born again. His children were the instrument of God to witness to him. For seven days he knew without doubt that he stood in a perilous condition before God and it broke him completely. At what point did repentance come in for this man? It came at the point at which God showed him the way of escape. He took it and fled into the arms of God. As I said earlier when I first comprehended the Father, was born again, and knew it without any shadow of doubt, I wept for joy and gladness and spoke over and over again, the word, thank you Father, thank you Father. What was the difference between myself and this pastor friend?

I knew I was a sinner because I had no reason to boast at all. He did not comprehend his sin before the Spirit brought him into conviction, because he had every reason to boast. Repentance is not the conviction of sin. It is the power to turn away from sin and unto Christ Who paid the price.

If all we ever knew was the conviction of sin and nothing of turning away from sin, we would all be completely exhausted and throw ourselves into Hell voluntarily in order to find relief. What happens after we have been born again will in the end be a matter of the heart and the calling of God in our lives. Otherwise we are saving ourselves and will soon stumble and become fools at best and hypocrites at worst. Ongoing repentance need not be a matter of conviction alone, it seems to me to be a deliberate and conscious process of confessing our sins in the continued knowledge that Christ died for us because of our sin. Knowing that alone ought to make us ever willing to confess, and by faith turn away from sinful practises, no matter how many times we have to do do it. If some have taught that we can live fleshy lives and need not repent of those things which are carnal and contrary to the Spirit who indwells us, then they have become the agents of lawlessness. Yet neither can we go back to trying to live by the Law. Neither can we be renewed again unto repentance, as though to be born again a second time. Yet we can hold an attitude of a repentant heart and in that we can learn to serve God. Without hypocrisy that is my ambition and I know very well that even to this hour I sin.