The grief in the family when true fellowship is lost

This message includes teaching on the doctrine of rebound.   Since then Pastor Farley has come to understand that the doctrine of rebound cannot be supported by the Bible.  Please see Pastor Farley’s messages in March 2013 (March 3 - April 3, 2013) where he systematically refutes the doctrine of rebound based on the scriptures.

Pastor-Teacher
John Farley
Wednesday,
March 17, 2010

The grief in the family when true fellowship is lost.

God’s plan throughout all the ages is that He might be glorified by the grace that He dispenses to undeserving creatures.

the lost sheep, LUK 15:4-7,
the lost coin, LUK 15:8-10,
the lost sons, LUK 15:11-32.

metanoeo in the New Testament means, according to Thayer:
“ to change one’s mind for the better”

It has the connotation of a 180 degree turn. It means to recognize one’s previous decision, opinion, condition or direction as wrong, and to accept and move toward a new and right path in its place.

THE DOCTRINE OF REPENTANCE

Point 1. The true meaning of the Greek word metanoeo is to change one’s thinking, or to change the mind.

The cognate noun metanoia means a change of mind, a conversion, a turning away.
It means literally “a turning about”, a mental turning around, a change of course, a change of direction, a change of attitude, purpose or decision.

Point 2: The definitive use of repentance.

When a person does not repent with regard to salvation (unbeliever) or Bible doctrine (believer), then their lifestyle is out of control due to evil in their life.

Point 3. Nothing can be added to faith or believing as a condition of salvation.

“Repenting” is used as a synonym for believing when dealing with the mechanics of salvation, as in ACT 17:30, ACT 20:21, ACT 26:20, ROM 2:4.

Point 4. Salvation repentance or Believing in Christ.

Salvation repentance is that change of mind that follows perception of the truth of the Gospel.

The inhale is the principle of common grace, in which the Holy Spirit takes the message of the witness and makes it a reality in the mentality of the unbeliever.

1CO 2:14
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Therefore the Holy Spirit acts as the missing human spirit in the perception of the Gospel truth.

God the Holy Spirit will encourage them to change their mind about Christ.

2CO 6:2
for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION" —

Repentance is a theological concept we study to explain the mechanics which occur at salvation as well as in recovery (restoration).

After epignosis perception (perception followed by understanding provided by God the Holy Spirit), positive volition expresses itself in a change of mental attitude: faith in Christ.

MAT 22:42
"What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?"

JOH 20:31
but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Faith in Christ and repentance are two sides of the same coin.
A change in mental attitude about the person and work of Christ equals repentance in connection with salvation.

Repentance results in the exhale of faith in Jesus Christ, salvation adjustment to the justice of God.

Like the shepherd in the wilderness, the grace of God aggressively seeks out the lost one to save and, later, to restore him or her.

Grace provided and demonstrated first by God leads to repentance in the heart of a man afterwards.

About 150 passages of Scripture condition salvation upon believing only, such as JOH 3:16, ACT 16:31.

The Gospel of John was written so men might believe in Christ.

It is highly significant that not one time does the Gospel of John use the word “repentance” (metanoia or cognates).

The letter to the Romans was written to provide a complete description of the Gospel, of salvation by grace, and it never uses the term repentance in relation to salvation.

Point 5. Post-Salvation Repentance relates to a change of attitude about evil (sin or human good) and/or a change of attitude toward doctrine.

Believers, God’s people, in the dispensation of Israel or in the church age, are called to repent as a separate matter after salvation.

This call to repentance is not a gospel call, but one leading to the restoration of God’s people into their right and original relationship to God.

In the same way, a Christian, once having sinned, may repent as a separate act, which is something far removed from being saved over again.

This can be a product of divine discipline, or conviction from the word of God, or the law of volitional responsibility.

Repentance itself is a single act and not two.
This can be seen for example by 1TH 1:9-10.

Point 6. The second kind of repentance in the New Testament is a change of attitude about sin.

Repentance has its place in the life and experience of the born-again believer.

After salvation, we still sin.