Repentance or Regeneration: What Comes First?

Do I have to repent to be saved or do I repent because I'm already saved. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi, I'm Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day and we have some great questions. We'd love to hear yours.

You can call us right now at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 course you can always post your question. One of our social media sites and we have a YouTube channel. You can watch a drill live in the studio right now on YouTube and see what cool outfit he's wearing and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com. Now we do have an email to start off with today, and this one's from Randy and its ties in with some questions we received earlier on baptism and here's what Randy asks a drill. What is your position on being baptized multiple times at different denominations of churches. We did just get a question similar to this with a with a caller yesterday. I believe in my position would be that you can only be baptized one time and if you been legitimately baptized in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit in an Orthodox church, a church that believes in the core doctrines of the Christian faith summarized in places like the apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed and then the number that can only happen once, and so we we shouldn't it admit this is actually something that was somewhat of a controversy even in the early church's idea of going and try to get baptized again and again and again that you just can't do that if baptism is rooted first and foremost in God's promise his word, baptism is a sign and seal of his gospel grace to his people will then it's dependent upon the word of the Lord above everything else, not dependent upon the holiness of that the person is administering the baptism your your pastor, not depending on the amount of water that's using a did you get sprinkled or we know where you just immersed in the ocean that kind of thing. Baptism is is a sinus sacrament that's done with water in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit. And if if you've done that effective that's happened, you shouldn't try to go and get quotable baptized again it would be another. There is no other baptism to do to say I think sometimes people are looking for a certain unique experience in baptism.

I remember speaking to someone a few years ago now who told me it II when I first accepted Jesus into my heart. I had need of these warm, tingly's and it just really felt like I was close to God, but then later when I got baptized. I didn't really feel anything.

And in this individual was was really concerned about this that that will maybe maybe the baptism didn't stick.

I was I was expecting that you have this deep emotional, spiritual experience, but again the legitimacy of baptism and know whether or not we are actually baptized doesn't depend on on our feelings on our emotions by depends on the word of Christ. And so you let let baptism be God's gospel promise to you as his people, and receive it by faith.

But don't don't try to be a note turn it into something that wasn't meant to be and then feel like I didn't have that expensive.

Maybe I need to go get baptized in another church, another denomination to sort of searching for that kind of emotional high. That's that's not we should pursue.

And so thank you for that question. And the Lord bless you. Just a follow-up question we received calls from people before who say they start attending a new church and they tell them that their former baptism wasn't sufficient that it didn't quote do the trick. How would you respond if you're attending a church and church leadership tells you that the well I've I've said before you and we want to take baptism seriously and so II guess you know we had people come to the church where I pastor who who weren't baptized according to what the Scripture teaches. Maybe they were baptized and in a church that rejected the Trinity is on that in that situation. I was a will know you need to actually get baptized that the church that you were baptized in was not a true church. They rejected core Christianity. The core doctrines of the Christian faith, so there might be instances where were you need to actually get baptized for the first time but but sometimes this can also be used by churches as a way of of you know, sort of diminishing the work of another faithful ministry and I think that's unfortunate. Again, our confidence can't be in the, the minister or even the particular denomination.

It's in the word of God and social lungs were focusing on that, I think we can we can gratefully in a receive those who have been baptized and in sound churches in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit great counsel. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez were taking your calls right now. If you have questions about the Bible, the Christian life. Maybe you have some doubts about Christianity or maybe you're involved in a different faith in your, wondering. I don't really understand this whole gospel thing were open to your calls right now, here's the phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. Here's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Frank at one time I was triggered Christian nurture debate and fail real bad no one until knowing how bad of a an I'm trying to quit and not luck for you pastor. If the Lord will forgive me that you very much Frank if we cling to our sin and were hardhearted we were rejecting Christ and his call upon our our lives, we can't cling to our sin and unbelief and then just expect God to forgive us for God to say all you know, no big deal.

I'm skin to turn a blind eye to your sin. Jesus comes against us. When we cinema him to preach into the books and in Revelation through the letters and Revelation chapters 2 and three were Jesus is is you know, writing these letters to the various churches and in Asia minor and he's threatening judgment because there are people within these churches who are clinging to their sin, and false teaching and he says look at if you don't deal with this. If you repent, to come to you as a thief in the night and you're not to know the hour that I that I come to take the words of Jesus very seriously. We have to take sin seriously.

But when we confess our sins, Frank, God is so gracious, so merciful when we when we come into the light and it sounds to me like that's that's what shirt right now at least you unwilling to do or don't want to do and so I wouldn't exhort you, encourage you and say Frank. I don't know. I don't know what these sins are that you're talking about a minute. I think if you've committed a crime. I think that you need to be honest about that by I don't know what what's happened, but I can say this for all those who turn to the Lord with grief and hatred of their sin and say God have mercy upon me, a sinner.

I confess my sin to you for for those who do that. There is forgiveness and so there is hope for you brother I would. I would just don't hide in the darkness and in cling to your sin, concealing it, get the help that you need get the accountability that you need and confess your sin so that you might experience the grace and the mercy of God. I think of of the words that we read in John chapter 3 whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God and this is the judgment that light has come into the world and people loved darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God Frank, you need to come to the light.

You need to let the light of Jesus Christ shine upon you, and you need to turn from whatever it is that you're doing and I would encourage you to get accountability if you're in a church income you need to be in a church, but I talked to the elders there. The pastor there I would say give me confession is so important in James chapter 5 talks about the importance of confessing our sins to each other that we might experience that healing that the Lord gives and so I just want to plead with you brother to to to walk in the light and to address these issues and to experience the forgiveness of Christ in your life. Thank you. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez well. Wedding season is here. A lot of people getting married right now. People getting engaged right now and we actually have a wonderful resource on marriage that we like to offer you today. Yeah, that research is called why would anyone get married a case for the beauty and goodness of marriage is a go. An excellent resource for thinking about marriage. If you are married for. For those of you were just dating as well.

You know, wanting to understand what what is the the biblical purpose of marriage and so want to get a hold of these resources and when you we purchase these resources to help us in doing the work that that God has given us to do. Creating more resources and Bible studies that encourage you in your walk with the Lord. And so you can get a copy of a case for the beauty and goodness of marriage for a donation of any amount and we look forward to encouraging you to find that by going to core Christianity.com/offers again core Christianity.com/offers and look for. Why would anyone get married a great resource for you.

Maybe you're considering marriage already married you have a son or daughter, grandson, granddaughter, who's young adult and considering marriage.

This would be a great resource for them as well. Well, let's get back to another email that we received an Israel. This one is from Oceanside, California from one of our listeners named Hunter. Hunter says hello, Pastor Israel, do you believe that repentance is necessary for belief in Jesus Christ. From what I understand contrition over the reality of our sin and repentance are generally what lead you to the cross to initially put your faith in Jesus Christ, yeah. 11 II think repentance is necessary. Yes, for the believer when were thinking about repentance until life. Maybe that initial turning to the Lord. This is this is a saving grace of is a work of the Holy Spirit first and and foremost in the spirit of God at work in our hearts so that we might repent, gift given to us by by God and then the entire Christian life is one of continual repentance taking up our cross and following after the Lord doesn't end up in this is one of these. Martin Luther said in his in his 95 theses. This is just that that the whole of the Christian life is a life of repentance and so that would we need to recognize the priority repent is no sometimes you are there different ways that people have defined repent of the initially it's it's sort of like the that negative aspect of faith to faith is looking to Jesus and laying hold of all of the benefits that are that are ours, and out through faith and in him. Repentance is are the negative aspect of its turning away from our sins. It just means a change of mind in the New Testament turning away from our sins and looking to Christ symptoms.

I think we know we have a in incomplete insufficient definition of repentance, urgency, and we have this negative view of sin. We realize it's in the sort of wallow in guilt and sorrow no repentance is turning away from our sins and self-righteousness and clinging to the righteousness of Jesus Christ. I think that's that's biblical. I think that's that's key, but you don't. In terms of the order. What comes first.

You know, is that we repent and then we can believe I sometimes people of talked about what's what's called the order of salvation.

The ordo salute us in the New Testament in Scripture, it seems like there's a sort of logical order that we see in salvation. We have God's call and regeneration. The new birth which have priority and then you have faith and repentance and so that that could comes out of our regeneration through the word through the proclamation of the word justification, adoption, sanctification, perseverance, glorification, these are the biblical words that have to do with our salvation, but you have this kind of logical order that you see in in Scripture. In the New Testament. I think of what John said in first John chapter 4 verse seven beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Urgency out how the love that we have for God which in part is exhibited in repentance comes from or flows from our having been born of God that work of the Holy Spirit, and so and so regeneration calling that comes first, and then we we lay hold of Christ by faith.

Turning from our sins and receiving his grace and mercy. The score Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. Our phone lines are still open. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Or maybe how your Christian walk intersects with what's happening in today's culture, which can be a challenge at times. Here's our phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Lee who is calling in from Kansas.

Lee what your question for Israel called the question is think about baptism, and while I totally agree with what you thing about baptism.

I recently was Galatian workers that have an infant baptism and then was told that they needed to have a believers baptism so I didn't know really what about and also the other part about by them doing a believers baptism does not in any way affect any of them are going to be considered a sin, it would be think of anything I know ours I'm with you and that you know baptism is Baptist.

What happened but try to baptism daily. Thank you for that question, it does open up another aspect of the conversation with with yes you know baptism comes from God's promise his word. Once you been baptized you are baptized you should try to go get baptized again. But of course there are Christians who disagree on whether or not children. The children of believers are the proper recipients of baptism because the question is, well if if you have to have faith to be baptized at another that a child has faith or can believe in a week. We should wait until they made a credible profession of faith and there are, as you know many people believe that and so what they say is if you are baptized as an infant that didn't count, you have to get truly baptized.

Once you once you have faith once you believe in, in Jesus now I understand that position but there are many others who believe will will know that children of believers are the proper recipients of baptism in the same way that the children of the old covenant were part of that the covenant community. This is why Abraham was commanded in Genesis 17. To apply the sign of his of God's covenant to his infant children to the sons the sign of circumcision in the New Testament. Baptism replaces that sign that old covenant sign that was that the sign of entrance if you will, into the covenant community baptism is now that the new covenant sign. We have these promises throughout the Scriptures that that foreshadow this in places like the book of Ezekiel and so in the same way that God included the children of believers in his covenant promises under the Old Testament is still doing that today. And so there was a note that children of believers are are truly baptized and so it just, you know, for per my personal stamp on them. This is this is my view and I've I've evolved or developed on that over the years was and always the view that I hope that the more I study the Scriptures them. I feel like my eye I see on the biblical validity of this and so that the question is really getting into what baptism is and why or why not.

You know why why baptized children or why not know some people think well of. If you baptize kids which are just saying is will there saved by that act. No were saved through faith we know it being in the word and promise of of God the grace of the gospel, God extends his promises to us through these concrete signs. These tokens of his love and were called always as the people of God to lay hold of those objective promises that he's given to us in his word and in the sacraments of grace like like baptism and so is her yet. So again, I know that I know there can be disagreement here.

I think we can be charitable with one another and it's so important for us to to have these discussions I to dig into the Scriptures because that's that's the main thing and so I'm I'm with you, and I would say you do for those who come to my church and that they were baptizes his children are cemented that was your baptism. Praise God and lay hold of the promises that God gave you their exhibitors so clearly through the washing with water thank you Ganley for your question. Your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to Gary who's calling in from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Gary, what's your question for atrial.

My question is what what are your thoughts. I drill on the subject of rapture. Thank you for that question.

So the rapture for those of you who don't know is is and were talking about coming of Christ is return specifically for his people, and then the idea of the rapture is that Jesus is going to come back at a point prior to his second coming specifically to deliver his church from a time of judgment that's coming upon the world and in.

There are places where people will go in the New Testament to say I think that this is supporting this idea of the, the rapture of Jesus coming for his church.

Specifically, I think of first Thessalonians chapter 4 where Paul said in verse 15. This we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who are fallen asleep.

That is, those who have died Pisa for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words, and so there some that that language right there. Specifically, in verse 17 of being caught up though so that's that's what it means to be rapture just caught up in the air to be with the Lord and and they view this as is it something that separate, distinct from the second coming of Christ. But I see that text in first Thessalonians chapter 4 is referring to the one second coming of Christ on the final day, the day of the Lord is pausing to go on in and unpack. In chapter 5 of first Thessalonians are just in the context it makes sense to me these talking about the one second coming of Christ. That's contemporaneous with the resurrection, and even there you have the language of being raised the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. And so what that means is Jesus is coming back to me this is the main thing that we all agree on is Christians that Christ is coming. We have to be ready coming over and over again in the Gospels is what Jesus calls us to his vigilance, watchfulness, being ready for his coming and when he comes. He's going to judge the whole world and its enemy judgment against those who reject the gospel and and deliverance us salvation if you will more that the consummation of our salvation very very end for the believer and judgment for that. For the nonbeliever. And that's precisely what Paul's and go on to say in in the second letter he wrote to the Thessalonians in second Thessalonians chapter 1 and so this is about brief overview of kind how I how I see the rapture and the second coming in the relationship there, but that then again it may just said this with the previous caller you know we want to be charitable with each other because we recognize that there are Christians, solid believers, who do love the Scriptures and who see things differently and Associates and encouragement for all of us to search the Scriptures to be Berea and and to make sure that whatever it is we believe about the Bible is coming from the word of God and and faithful to the word of God. This is core Christianity and we have a revelation Bible study. By the way that answers a lot of questions on this particular topic. You can find that by going to core Christianity.com/revelation that's core Christianity.com/Revelation is an email that came in from one of our listeners from Hunter. Hunter says my grandmother is 92 and she has a very bad memory she's been a Christian all of her life, but whenever I ask her about how to get to heaven. She answers with a works based salvation. I've given her the true gospel several times but she always forgets is there anything I can do besides continuing to share the gospel and keep praying. Hunter well I would say we had continuing to share the gospel and in prayer like like you said, because ultimately we know that it's the work of the Holy Spirit, our understanding of the gospel, and even those whose whose minds are are weak and struggling, I think, by the grace of the Holy Spirit can grasp the truth of the gospel he think of Jesus prayer at the end of Matthew chapter 11 where he says I thank you father, Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to the babes onto the little children. The gospel is for everyone, including four for your grandmother and you said she's been a Christian her whole life. But maybe right now.

She tries to articulate the gospel. She's having a hard time.

It's not our perfect understanding of the gospel that saves us are perfect understanding of the order of salvation it's it's clinging to Jesus by faith. And so even when we articulated poorly. I think that that doesn't necessarily mean that were not say that we don't really belong to Jesus and that Jesus is holding us in his in his hands and so it might my hope would be that that she does believe and know Jesus.

Even if she's having a hard time at articulating the gospel noticing continuing to encourage her and let me take a moment right now Hunter to pray for you and pray for your grandmother. Father I pray for Hunter asking that you would bless the time that he has with his grandmother and that you would give him wisdom and helping Lord to clearly articulate the truth of your love and your grace for her and that she would grasp it, Lord. In these days like she never has before u experience your grace and mercy. Now I pray in Jesus name, amen.

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