06/16/2023
The doctrine of repentance is so very important! But just like any other Bible doctrine, it can be meddled with and skewed by man to twist its meaning.
The 1970's marked a major shift in direction away from biblical repentance, with the rise of big names like Hyles, Gray, and Hutson (Sword of the Lord) leading the way.
We need to get back to what the Bible teaches, regardless of what well known men taught and believed! Souls hang in the balance... I'd rather have 1 real convert than 100 people who said a quick prayer and are now inoculated against true salvation!
Consider these 4 statements.
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Lester Roloff, 1965 - “Repentance is a godly sorrow for sin. Repentance is a forsaking of sin. Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore. Repentance is permanent. … Repentance is something a lot bigger than a lot of people think. It is absolutely essential if you go to heaven” (Repent or Perish, 1965).
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Bob Gray - “10,446 professions of faith in 1995. … Repentance is not a doctrine. The word ‘repent’ is not even found in the book of John. It is obviously assumed by God that ‘repentance’ is a part of ‘believing.’ … Repentance is not turning from your sins. … Repentance is to change one’s mind from unbelief to belief in Christ” (“A Message from the Pastor,” The Soulwinner, January 1996, Longview Baptist Temple, Longview, Texas).
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John R. Rice, 1940 - “To repent literally means to have a change of mind or spirit toward God and toward sin. It means to turn from your sins, earnestly, with all your heart, and trust in Jesus Christ to save you” (What Must I Do to Be Saved? 1940).
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Jack Hyles - “So, yes, there is a repentance from unbelief in order to believe. ... With your will you believe and rely upon Christ to save you. In order to believe, you have to repent of unbelief. That which makes a man lost must be corrected” (Enemies of Soulwinning, 1993). Hyles taught that repentance does not mean “to turn from sin.”
