Presuming to Understand Repentance More than God

From: Jeff
To: The Path of Truth
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2016 1:35 PM
Subject: The Purpose

I was just surfing around and came to this site.  Please look at the etymology of the word ‘repentance’.  This has nothing to do with sin.  Jesus said ‘repent and believe’ the word is metanoia, as I’m sure you know.  To Metanoia is to reboot, absolutely transform and start over – your understanding of who God is, who Jesus us.  The Jews didn’t get it.  

Repentance comes from ‘re-penance’.  Back in the 1600s the church I needed repeat customers, thus translated ‘repentance’… and re-penance.  That translation of the word metanoia is absolutely incorrect.

Evangelical Christianity doesn’t get it…the purpose of the Incarnation of the Eternal son.  Everything Christ did, he did as humanity.  He loved the Father with all His heart mind soul and strength…no human could do it.  On the cross humanity’s sin was killed. Jesus killed Adam.  In His resurrection, He took humanity with Him and seated us even above Himself at the right hand of the Father.  That’s it.  This is not universalism.  Anybody can reject God into the eons—those outside the gates….but the gates are never shut and the Spirit and the bride are saying ‘come in’.

What you suggest paints God to be more demonic than Satan himself…suggesting that God forknew the eternal torture of billions and billions of people in hell (which Jesus created) and created anyway makes him a genocidAl, schizophrenic maniac.

Please discontinue this blog.

Have the best day EVER!
Jeff

From: Paul Cohen and Victor Hafichuk
To: Jeff
Cc: Victor Hafichuk
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 7:08 AM
Subject: Re: The Purpose

“Whoever answers before listening is both foolish and shameful” 

(Proverbs 18:13 ISV).

So you have a problem with how we define repentance, Jeff? We don’t agree with your interpretation of the word, because the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t agree with it. You may have some technical idea of what “repentance” means, but your application is entirely off-base according to God. How can a sinner reboot and transform himself? 

“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34 KJV).

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32 WEB).

Yet you declare repentance has nothing to do with sin. Sin is the very reason a man needs to repent and turn to his Lord and Savior. Sin is why men are in death and hell. Sin is why we need the One Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You know nothing at all about God or man because you’re dead in your sins. 

You’ve never repented, Jeff. How, therefore, can you preach repentance to others? 

“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38 ESV).

“Repent therefore and turn back, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19 EMTV).

Here’s your sneaky and illicit way of dealing with sin: 

“On the cross humanity’s sin was killed. Jesus killed Adam. In His resurrection, He took humanity with Him and seated us even above Himself at the right hand of the Father. That’s it.”

So you say the resurrection is past? We’re all seated not only with Christ now, but even above Him – really? The apostle Paul writes that we’re to reckon ourselves dead to sin, but you say we’re to reckon sin is dead to us. Paul has it right and you have it wrong. 

“Likewise count yourselves also to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (Romans 6:11-12 MKJV).

Yes, Paul also says (Ephesians 2:6) that we’re seated with Christ (not above Him – how can one be above God?), but Paul is speaking of the saved – those who have repented of sin and are baptized into Christ. You make no such qualification. For you, sin is an illusion that ends with your acknowledgement of this presumed fact. 

This makes your salvation an illusion as well, one that has you deceived and may overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity’” (2 Timothy 2:19 ESV).

How can you depart from what you don’t believe exists? Therefore you’re stuck in your iniquity, your sin. 

Many Jews in Jesus’ day, children and uneducated as well, got what repentance was about a lot more than you say or imagine:

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank You, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the sophisticated and cunning, and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Matthew 11:25-26 MKJV). 

Sin makes one sooo stupid. There you are, feeling all giddy, thinking you’ve got us nailed, and it’s your own stupidity on display. Are we “suggesting that God forknew the eternal torture of billions and billions of people in hell (which Jesus created) and created [them] anyway”? Read The Good News.

“Whoever gives an answer before he listens is stupid and shameful” (Proverbs 18:13 GW).

Finally, despite your statement to the contrary, you are preaching The Deadly Error of the Universalists.

The Truth marches on and prevails as the Lord wills, in this His Great and Solemn Day, a Day Great for the righteous who believe, but Terrible for the wicked who don’t, 

Paul Cohen
www.ThePathofTruth.com