Repentance, Lordship Salvation, Works Salvation - What does the Bible Say?

Yesterday I posted a video by Paul Washer on our Salvation tab, and I was given this YouTube video in response. As I stated, I do not support much of what Mr. Washer believes, such as his Calvinism and what seems to be an ecumenical leaning through his ties with the Southern Baptist Convention and Billy Graham. That aside, Mr. Washer is being accused of salvation by works and Lordship Salvation by a very specific crowd. What occurs to me, and has occurred to me in the past, is that when one uses the soundly Biblical term Repentance the hearer or reader's response is one of catatonic contortion. Why is this term so repulsive to so many? It is in the Bible. It was Jesus Christ's first recorded exhortation in Mathew. God commanded Israel to repent. Paul preached repentance. So, what's the big deal? Why is repentance such a problem for so many? There can only be one reason why it is such a vilified doctrine, because it deals with the proper, Biblical response for sin. 


Mr. Washer's sermon, Examine Yourself, deals very specifically with the sin issue, and how the Bible sharply discerns between saved and lost from that sin issue. He points, rightly, that the Christian's response to sin will be drastically different when compared to the the non-Christian's response to sin. This is a vital truth regarding repentance. This is not "works salvation" or "Lordship Salvation" this is what the Bible terms "Godly Sorrow" in II Corinthians 7:10. On that note, let's compare the above video and some of Mr. Washer's, as well as other repentance teachers comments to the entire II Corinthians 7 chapter to see what God requires of man after before, during, and after Salvation. From my experience, this topic will create anger across a wide spectrum, which is not my intent. I simply want to lay out this website's definition of repentance, because it is that VITAL of a doctrine. What I mean by vital, is that it is the difference between life and death, and Satan certainly does understand this, which is why he has worked tirelessly to confuse the definition. I have read and heard many well-meaning men give much of their thought concerning repentance, but though they are well-meaning, does not indicate that they are Biblically sound, or godly men for that matter, as the Bible says that men or angels preaching another gospel are accursed in Galatians 1:8.


So, what is the context of II Corinthians 7? First, one must read the chapter as a whole.

6:11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

6:12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

6:13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 

6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 

6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

7:2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.

7:3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

7:6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 

7:7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

7:8 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.

7:9 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.

7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

7:12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

7:13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

7:14 For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.

7:15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.

 7:16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.


Notice, that I included I Corinthians 6:11-18. It is absolutely necessary to include these verses, because the thought begins here. Paul is pouring out his heart, as one can readily see in 6:11-13. But, why is he pouring out his heart? It's because those in the church were mixing light and darkness, which cannot happen. It's not a must not, it is a logical cannot, as understood by the comparison with light and darkness in verse 14. this is not saying that a Christian can live like the world, that's not the issue, Christians were still living as Christians out, but they were allowing the unsaved to enter their fellowship, which compromised their standing against sin itself. God calls them to come out from the wicked. This is a requirement for fellowship with God in context. It is a definition of repentance. God requires us to leave sin behind in order for him to be our Father. Christ made this very clear in John 8. The opposite is also true, as Christ pointed out, that if man does not leave sin behind, then his is of his father the Devil, and his works will be done, that is sin.


After one repents of known sin and puts their faith in Christ's perfect work, then II Corinthians 7 brings into view what we're to do in our walk from that point forward, which is cleansing and perfecting our holiness in the fear of God. This is where the disconnect happens. This is not a requirement for salvation, as salvation was already settled. This is a requirement for the Believer. The Holy Spirit will continue to reveal sin in our life that we did not know was sin at salvation, and cause us the proper, Godly Sorrow mentioned in 7:10. We must, therefore, repent of that sin. Paul wanted the Corinthians to be sorrowful from his admonitions in I Corinthians, as stated in 7:9. If the professing "Christian" is not sorrowful about sin, then that would indicate no repentance, and therefore a lost person. This is not an opinion, it is Paul's statement in the very next verse. Those Corinthians sorrowed to repentance, and zealously, vehemently, carefully removed that sin, which proved that they were clear in the matter of salvation. 


Paul then rejoices that their fellowship remains, and that it is pleasant, why? Because that sin issue is over, and that those who heard Paul's rebuke against sin responded as a truly repentant, Born Again, believer in Christ should respond. If they did not respond properly, then Paul could not have continued fellowship or rejoice over that fellowship, as the hearers of his rebuke would still be lost. Please, don't miss Paul's point. Go back to I Corinthians, specifically chapters 3 and 5, where very strong language is used against sin. God does not allow sin to remain, he commands purging and separation, notice especially I Corinthians 5:5-13. If the Corinthians would not have taken heed, Paul would not have had continued fellowship, and his rejoicing that they had repented, and continued to show repentance of sin, would not have happened. 


This repentance here in context is what the Christian continues to do AFTER initial repentance and faith at salvation. It is a proof/fruit of salvation - see Luke 3:8. It is a work of God, as even Christ asserted in John 6:29. It is Christ's response to those who asked what works should they do in 6:28. Christ called belief a work, why? Because true belief in the unsaved will produce Godly sorrow for sin, and cause that person to REPENT of that sin, and turn to Christ. This is a work, yes, but it's a work of God according to Christ, and that work shall continue according to Philippians 1:6, and is imperative according to Philippians 2:12. Paul says obeyed in Philippians 2:12? Obeyed what? Obeyed God, not Paul, as verse 13 states, and their work is listed in verses 14-30. This is a list of proofs, that the true believer outwardly reveals, as God inwardly works. This can only happen when sin is repented of, and it cannot happen if living a life of sin remains the goal.


Please, do not take my word for it, or anyone else's for that matter. Be more noble, study the scriptures to see whether these things are so. It's what God commands and commends. This is not Lordship Salvation, this is not works salvation. This is dealing with sin both before and after salvation. One must see this in proper context, or suffer confusion. Yet, one thing remains, a proper hatred and attitude toward sin, because of true, genuine repentance, and if that attitude exists, that life will be supernaturally changed. Don't fall into the satanic trap that a "Christian" can continue a life of sin, and be ok in the sight of God. God FORBID! (Romans 6, also ponder the mixture of light and darkness as I John 2 and II Cor. illustrate, such a mixture is impossible). Take God's command seriously, and "Examine yourself, whether ye be in the faith." Do you hate sin, do you fellowship with it, do you love darkness, do you make excuses for sin? If so, then you must understand repentance, and God's command to all men everywhere - Repent! (Acts 17:30) What have you got to lose? Only sin, death, judgment, and Hell. It's a no-brainer.