2nd Corinthians 7:8-10, “For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.”
One of my favorite Bible teachers is Pastor Brad Strand. I recently purchased his 'The Strand Study Bible.' I love it so much that I bought two of them! Here is Brother Strand's commentary for our text passage from 2nd Corinthians 7:8...
Repentance may include “remorse” (made you sorry), but remorse is not repentance. If so, then Judas repented because he was remorseful over what he had done to Christ (Mt 27:3). You can weep over sin and even express great remorse, but until you “change your mind” as to who you are and who Christ is and agree with God (Mt 3:2), you have not repented biblically.
Repentance may include “sorrow” (you were made sorry), but sorrow for sin is not repentance. Hell is full or sorrow, but only for the consequences of sin. The rich man who died and went to Hell uttered not a word of sorrow for his sin, only sorrow for his pain (Lk 16:19-31). You can weep over sin and even express great regret, but until you “change your mind” as to who you are and who Christ is and agree with God, you have not repented biblically.
Repentance may include “conviction” (after a godly manner), but conviction is not repentance. If so, then Felix repented when he trembled before Paul (Acts 24:24-25). You may be convicted that you are a sinner and even admit that you are lost, but repentance is a two-sided coin. You not only have to “change your mind” as to who you are, you have to also “change your mind” as to who Christ is and call upon Him to be your Savior (Rom 10:9-13). Otherwise, you have not repented biblically.
SOURCE: Brad Strand, “The Strand Study Bible,” p 1938
Brother Strand writes this about the next verse from 2nd Corinthians 7:10...
This word (repentance) comes from a combination of two Greek words: (meta - meaning, “after”) and (noeo - meaning, “mind”). The word literally means, “to change ones mind; to perceive afterwards; to change what you believe and agree with God” (Mt 3:2).
Metanoeo is used 58 times in the New Testament. It is used three different ways:
- It is used 37 times concerning the lost.
- It is used 17 times concerning the saved.
- It is used 4 times concerning the lost during the Tribulation Period.
NOTE: True repentance has nothing to do with “turning from sin” and everything to do with “acknowledging one's sinfulness” (Jonah 3:5). Like the thief on the cross who simply acknowledged his sinfulness (Lk 23:39-43), the only part a person has in salvation is the beggar's part. If repentance means to “turn from sin and change one's life,” then did God sin when He repented (Jonah 3:10)? I think not. Telling a sinner that he must “turn from sin” before receiving salvation gives a false view of salvation, and is but another form of “works.” Ephesians 2:8-9 is clear:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Repentance for salvation does not require a person to “clean himself up first” (i.e., “turn from his sin”).
THE ADAGE IS TRUE: You come to God as a sinner; you don't come to God as a “sinless” sinner.
SOURCE: Pastor Brad Strand, “The Strand Study Bible,” p 1938-1939
I cannot thank Pastor Strand enough for siding with and proclaiming THE TRUTH of God's inspired Word, and not just going along to get along with the common consensus nowadays (for the sake of acceptance by ministry peers), that turning from sin is required to be saved. Humbly said, I am so proud of Pastor Strand in the Lord. Those who seek the truth will find it. All of the preachers today who are going around perverting the Gospel of free grace, by embellishing it with unbiblical additions (e.g., “turn from your sins” to be saved), are pulling on the same rope as the Devil.
Beware Of Pensacola Christian College's False Gospel
Case in point, please take a look at the ungodly damnable heresy being taught at Pensacola Christian College (PCC) today. I live in the city of Pensacola. In my mailbox (in November of 2023) I found a stamped envelope from Campus Church with my address and the words, “To Our Neighbor” on it. I opened the envelope and inside I found a booklet of John & Romans. The booklet has 64 pages in it. The Campus Church logo is printed on the front cover.
I was shocked on page 60 when I read PCC's counterfeit plan of salvation. What I am about to show you is straight from Satan dear reader:
“REPENTANCE — Now is the time to turn from your sin and embrace God. The act of turning away from sin is called 'repentance.' This word implies an inward decision to follow and obey God's will instead of your self-serving sins. It means changing your mind about sin and seeing it as something that grieves God. The Bible says that God patiently waits for all people to make this decision.” [emphasis added]
SOURCE: “John & Romans,” Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College, p. 60
Do you still think I bumped my head? Carefully notice that PCC's Campus Church requires sinners to turn away from “The act” of sinning to be saved. THAT IS WORKS!!! If you don't see that, then you need to be saved dear reader. The only “act” that I am trusting in to get to Heaven is the death, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.
I've been exposing the cult at Bob Jones University (BJU) since 2014, and now I have been exposing the cult at Pensacola Christian College (PCC) since 2021. By God's grace, I will continue to expose these wicked organizations. I know that some people will think I have an unchristlike spirit, but dear friend, my spirit is exactly like Christ's concerning false teaching that damns lost sinners to an eternal Hell.
On page 62 of the “John & Romans” booklet distributed by PCC, Campus Church requires this of lost sinners to be saved...
Jesus called the religious Pharisees “evil” and “vipers” (snakes) in Matthew 12:34. The dear Savior didn't hold back from voicing His opinion. Jesus came right out and accused the Pharisees of being blind leaders who lead the blind (the lost) in Matthew 15:14. He called them “hypocrites.”
Matthew 23:13-14, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” Matthew 23:17, “Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?”
Pensacola Christian College (PCC) today looks wonderful from the outside, but inside they are a rotting corpse. They sing lots of pretty religious music in their chapel services, but they have not been born-again by faith alone in Christ alone. ...
Matthew 23:27-28, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”
“I repent of my sins. I realize that sin is something that God hates and I no longer want to hold onto sinful bad habits.” [emphasis added]
SOURCE: “John & Romans,” Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College, p. 62
Oh My! Folks, this is NOT part of the free grace Gospel which the Apostle Paul preached in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4...
1st Corinthians15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”
There you have it! The “Gospel” is the “GOOD NEWS” that Jesus Christ DIED on a cross for our sins, He was BURIED and after three days He physically RESURRECTED from the dead. In Paul's Gospel (which Paul said he received directly from Jesus in Galatians 1:12), did you see anything that reads: “follow and obey God's will instead of your self-serving sins”? No, that is not what Jesus and Paul taught. So why is PCC and their Campus Church promoting this unbiblical filth and tommyrot?
The only requirement to believe the Gospel is to know why you need to be saved? You need to know what you're being saved from. You are a guilty sinner, and so am I. Pastor Strand nailed it...
The only requirement to believe the Gospel is to know why you need to be saved? You need to know what you're being saved from. You are a guilty sinner, and so am I. Pastor Strand nailed it...
True repentance has nothing to do with “turning from sin” and everything to do with “acknowledging one's sinfulness” (Jonah 3:5). Like the thief on the cross who simply acknowledged his sinfulness (Lk 23:39-43), the only part a person has in salvation is the beggar's part.SOURCE: Brad Strand, “The Strand Study Bible,” p 1938-1939
Pastor Harry Ironside Gets Repentance 100% Correct
Another one of my favorite doctrinally sound preachers is Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951). To help you dear reader understand this important topic of Bible repentance, I wanted to share some doctrinally sound teachings from other men of God who rightly divide (2nd Timothy 2:15) the Word of Truth. Pastor Ironside said:
"Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership—the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word."Amen and amen! What Brother Ironside just said is vastly different than turning from one's sinful bad habits to be saved, which is a false gospel rooted in works. Pastor Ironside is correct—repentance is simply acknowledging that one is a guilty sinner in God's eyes. This is why we need a Savior. Thankfully, Jesus paid the price with His own precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12). Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. JESUS PAID IT ALL!!!
SOURCE: 'Except Ye Repent,' by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3
No one has ever lived who didn't sin (Romans 3:10-23), except Jesus (Hebrews 4:15; 1st John 3:5). He is the perfect sinless Lamb of God (John 1:29). The Bibles teaches and warns that the wages we earn from our sinning is death (Romans 5:12, 6:23). This includes a second death in Hell, fire and brimstone forever (Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8). If you agree with God that you are a guilty sinner, deserving of Hell, then that is all you need to know to believe the GOOD NEWS that Jesus Christ died on a cross to pay for our sins, was buried and three days later He bodily raised up from the dead for our justification. BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS, oh sinner, and you are saved!
Simply by faith receive Christ's sacrificial death on the cross as full payment for your sins, and believe that He was buried, but then physically resurrected after three days from the dead. This is “the gospel” (the Good News) by which all who BELIEVE IT are immediately, irrevocably and permanently saved. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Pastor Mark Cambron Gets Repentance 100% Correct
Dr. Mark G. Cambron (1911-2000) was a doctrinally sound preacher. He had more education than any preacher I have ever known, with degrees in B.A., M.A., Th.B., Th.M., Th.D., D.D., L.L.D. and Litt.D. Wow! Dr. Cambron was one of the foremost theologians of his time. Born in Fayetteville, Tennessee on July 31, 1911, he was born-again in 1919. It was during a Billy Sunday campaign in Chattanooga that he trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Amen!
Repentance is necessary for salvation.
The Greek word for repent is metanoeo, which, translated into English is: to change ones mind. It does not mean to turn from sin. That would add works to salvation.
Repentance for salvation means a change of mind from men's ideas of salvation and religion, to an acceptance of God's only way of salvation.
This results in a completely new creation, not a reformation of the old. The old nature remains as evil as ever after salvation and has not been reformed . . . The old nature can now be controlled by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
God guarantees salvation. This is His gift to us.
God guarantees reward and fruit to the obedient son.
God guarantees chastening and loss of rewards to the disobedient son.
God does not cast out disobedient children, but in some cases, does take them home. He does not permit His children to live as they please without His discipline and guidance.
Many teach repentance for salvation incorrectly, by including some form of human effort or righteousness, such as willingness to turn from sin, or turning from sin. This is heresy and has confused many people. It adds works to salvation and causes many to not understand Gods great gift. It is probation, not salvation. It is completely unscriptural. It is Galatianism and a counterfeit of the gospel.
It is a tragedy that many Christians live shallow Christian lives. The Cambron Institute is dedicated to the task of training Christian men and women in the importance of total dedication and making Jesus the Lord of their lives not to be saved but because they are saved.
Shallow Christianity cannot be cured by adding works to salvation.
Salvation is not the result of what we do, but is by receiving what God has done for us. Acts 13:38, 39; Acts 20:20: Gal. 1:8,9; Gal. 2:4; Gal. 2:21; Gal. 3:1.3; Gal. 5:1-4; Eph. 2:8-10; II Cor. 5:21;John 3:16-18; Phil. 3:9; Titus 3:5-8:11 Cor. 11:13-1 5.
SOURCE: The Cambron Institute
Amen and amen. That is great stuff! It is refreshing to see a man with eight earned theological degrees who is correct on Bible repentance.
Repentance Is A Change Of Mind, Nothing More
I was so happy today when I learned that Pastor Strand is correct on repentance. It is becoming rare these days to find a Baptist preacher who is correct on repentance and the Gospel. Pastor Strand added these words to explain Bible repentance...
True repentance concerning salvation occurs whenever a person “changes his mind” (i.e., repents) concerning who he is. He is a sinner in need of salvation. According to Matthew 27:3, Judas did not repent (i.e., have regret) as to who he was (i.e., he was a sinner in need of salvation); he only regretted (i.e., repented) what he had done to an innocent man. Unfortunately, that is never enough to save a person from sin and sin's penalty (Hell). Until a person sees himself as being “sinfully” sick (Lk 5:31-32), he will never see his need for a “spiritual doctor” (i.e., the Savior). Our problem is not in what we do before God, but in what we are before God. The mistake Judas made was in “turning from his sin” (i.e., what he had done to an innocent man) instead of “changing his mind” about his sinfulness (i.e., the fact that he was a sinner in need of a Savior). Like the thief on the cross who never had the opportunity to “turn from his sin,” we, like him, can only “acknowledge our sinfulness” in order to be saved (Lk 23:40-41). True repentance for salvation occurs when we “change our mind” concerning two areas:
- Who we are (Lk 23:39-40) — We are sinners in need of salvation (Rom 5:6-8)
- Who Christ is (Lk 23:42) — Christ is God (Jn 5:17-18 & 8:24, 58-59 & 10:30-33) and our only Savior from sin (I Tim 3:16 & 4:10).
SOURCE: Pastor Brad Strand, “The Strand Study Bible,” p 1938-1939
Boy, that is great stuff! That is life-changing truth! I am not kidding friend. When you learn the truth about repentance and the Gospel—knowing how simple God's plan of salvation really is and that it can all be yours completely for free; and you have received that free gift of eternal life by faith alone in Jesus Christ—it will produce unspeakable joy in your soul.
1st Peter 1:7-9, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
No believer will ever find the sweet peace and joy of being God's redeemed child, until you know beyond any shadow of a doubt that your name is written in Heaven, in the Lamb's Book of Life (Luke 10:20). As an acknowledged guilty sinner, by faith I received Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for my sins at age 13. I called out in my soul to the risen Savior, casting my trust upon Him alone as my Savior. I thank God for the gift of His only begotten (biological) Son, Jesus, who with His precious blood paid my debt of sin (1st Peter 1:18-19).
God bless Brother Strand for rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
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