Quote:
Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord
I didn't have time yesterday to respond in the way I wanted to. Here are my thoughts.
Repentance is always a key ingredient in any revival that takes place. Many pastors no doubt believe that if they could just get their congregation to take on a repentant attitude and spirit, then revival would break out.
The thing is, you are right about constantly hearing something until you begin to tone it out. What the church really needs to hear is "Are you willing to take up your cross and follow Jesus?." The church needs to be encouraged to quit trying to serve two masters...
Man has made religion into a bunch of dos and don'ts so that the church as a whole begins to follow those rules, and has ended up in the same condition as the church of Galatians, who had been "bewitched" by the Jewish legalistic minded folks, and became more caught up in works (which indeed are necessary in their proper place) but their focus was the works, instead of their relationship with Christ.
Maybe the focus needs to begin with repentance from following legalistic dos and donts... which will never save you.... and instead begin focusing with faith on Jesus, and having a personal relationship with Jesus encouraged in every way, following and seeking after personal holiness, and godliness for one's self. Not looking for acceptance or a pat on the back from the preacher, but looking to the Lord Jesus and the Word to see how you're measuring up....
I am not bashing preachers, or anyone leading a congregation of people, but .... if that leader feels it is "my" church and teaches complete obedience to "his" set of rules or laws, then that is where repentance needs to start ... right there. For we cannot be made holy by laws and rules, but true holiness of heart will bring about the fruit of holiness....
Romans 6:22 "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." And WHAT is the fruit of holiness? Standards, long sleeves, uncut hair, no jewelry, no makeup.... ???? Are those the fruit that are being written here?
No, the fruit of holiness will produce the fruit of the spirit which is found in Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness meekness, temperan: against such there is no law."
There is no law against the fruit of the spirit? Why? Because the Spirit of Christ has so transformed one's life, because they are connected with the vine, and living waters and life are flowing through them, that their life will manifest the fruit of the spirit and holiness, without any "law" needing to be given... because the Spirit is now our law, and teacher.
To sum it all up.... if we would turn our focus to connecting to the Vine of Jesus, we would then begin producing the fruit of the spirit and holiness, and repentance would no longer be an issue..... because our flesh will have taken a back seat to the power of the Holy Ghost living in us, producing the works of holiness, godliness, and fruit of the Spirit.
Then we could move on into greater, and more wonderful things in Christ... and then we would see more of the supernatural moves of the Spirit than in recent times! |
exellent post and thank you for it but i do disagree that repentance is the key ingrediantg for revival.
Revivals come in praise and worship of God, This i have seen many times over.
Im just wondering why are we preaching repentance constantly to a body of believers when they are trying to go from Glory to glory so to speak.
there is great power in praise, and i Have seen revivals kick off because a few people Got on Fire with God just by loving Him. while i am not knocking out repentance as a ingredient cause people go through different levels of change.
im just woinder what type of change do preacherswant bashing people behind the pullpit.
to me its more about the sermon than it is about the people.
Your cut off repent, Cant do anything repent, God doesnt hear you repent.
to many preachers get confused with forgiveness and repentance.
while we strive for personal holiness, we all know we will never reach a state in this flesh where we will achieve perfection. Knowing that why do we beat ourselver up over it.
God took you in as a dirty sinner and begain cleaning you up. This process will happen until we die. However people are trying todo this themselves failing to understand that the battles between the Spirit man and the flesh, (they try to win on their own strength) they lose.
problem im having. Is we have the Holy Ghost that brings conviction and opens our eyes to what needs to happen, yet to many people are bent on listening to the man behind the pullpit taking the que off of them when its time for repentance, Not allowing the Holy Spirit of God to move in their Life on a personal level.
when i struggled, when i was luke warm i Knew it. God let me know it. I tried to deal with it in my own strength. My pastor knew it. he didnt run to me REPENT brother do it now.... I came to him for help in prayer on a personal level.
The part i strongly agree with is the list that there preaching. i think we are on the same page.
To many do's and dont some not even about sin, but some one elses personal conviction or tradition.
I just think it would be hard for a church to progress when your treating the saints as unborn -again sinners..
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