Yep,yep,yep, exaxtly, you can't do anything for your salvation except believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.
It is a gift of God, not that of ourselves. And if someone gives us a gift, we are not obligated to give it back because a gift is free.
Please look at your reference and see what time period it is from. Then see if it is spoken to God's chosen people when they were to repent for the kingdom of heaven was preached that it was at hand before salvation was given to a nation bringing forth fruits. The jews were given a chance to repent and believe that Jesus was their messiah. The jews were already God's people, they walked away in idolotry....They could repent. The gentile, and unbelieving jew, during this period of grace can only have fellowship and be of the Lord if we believe. One cannot repent unless he is of the matter first.
God calls each and every one of us, we may be convicted of our sins, and know we are not worthy and try to make up for the offenses, yet the only person that is worthy to cover these offenses is Jesus who did die on the cross for these offenses. We first must belive and realize that not one thing we do can save us for initial spiritual salvation but to answer His call and say, I do believe.
God basically is saying here's my gift, do you want it? And we said, yes I do Father. Not, say your sorry and I will give you this gift.
To the jews back then when giving them a chance, God was upset that they fell away into various works, remember, they fell away, they did initially live by faith first too, ya know, and they got into works so much that He was saying, You really need to say your sorry and walk away from these idols, and works that many of them I didn't even set forth.
God so loved the world that whosoever believeth on Him...
Repenting is what we do after we are saved.
I hope this clears up what I have learned in God's Word. It's just a disection to which God tells us to do, and I don't think there is ever too much disecting. But I don't want to upset anybody, or seem like I think I know it all. All I know is what I have studied, ya know?
After initial spiritual salvation, we immediately begin our soul salvation, being obedient, with the first act of baptism, and repentance is a life long matter. Oh is it ever, and it's God's way of getting us ready.
Thank you whitehorse, you made me feel welcome! I hope I don't offend anybody, and do love to discuss the Word of God, I think we could all use a great big dose of it in these times! I am open to any searching and sharing. In other words, I probably have the most to grow and learn, but I do love what God has shown me. Praise Him for His Love given in so many ways that we exactly need. I still don't know what a llama means around here. I guess it's something of the past in this forum.
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