Matthew 21:32, “For John came unto you in the
way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the
harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not
afterward, that ye might believe him.”
One of the main reasons why so many Christians (including pastors) preach a
perverted gospel nowadays, is because they get their theological definitions
from the wrong places. The English Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the
word “repent” as:
1. to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life; 2a: to feel regret or contrition, b: to change one's mind
transitive verb
1: to cause to feel regret or contrition
2: to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition for
So you see, if you apply the English dictionary meaning of “repent” to the inspired King James Bible, you are going to pervert the Gospel.
Let's look at another example of a non-biblical meaning of repentance. The Roman Catholic dictionary defines the word “repent” as:
“Voluntary sorrow because it offends God, for having done something wrong, together with the resolve to amend one's conduct by taking the necessary means to avoid the occasions of sin. To repent is to be sorry for sin with self-condemnation. (Etym. Latin repoenitere, to be very sorry, regret intensely.)”
SOURCE: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=36048
Again, the Catholic definition of the word “repent” is NOT the Bible meaning. To feel sorrow is penitence, not repentance. A willingness to amend one's ways is penance (i.e., an attempt to right your wrongs). Turning from one's sins is reformation. Let's make a list to simplify things, shall we:
- PENITENCE - sorrow for sins
- PENANCE - making an amend for sins
- REFORMATION - turning from sins
- REPENTANCE - a change of mind
The Greek noun for the word “repent” concerning salvation is metanoia, which means, “a change of mind.” Matthew 21:32, “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” In this passage of Scripture, Jesus berates the Pharisees for not changing their minds so they would believe on Him. Unlike the publicans (ungodly tax collectors) and harlots who had CHANGED THEIR MIND to believe the Gospel, the Pharisees refused. They would not repent that they mighty believe. Notice carefully that Jesus did not say repentance would lead to turning away from sins; but rather, believing.
The churches today are absolutely filled with damnable heresies! The Huffington Post ran a news article reporting that 30% of all Southern Baptist churches today are Calvinist—teaching the heresies of predestination to salvation, Christ only died for the saved (elect), requiring people to make full surrender to Christ as “Lord” to be saved, and the mandate to persevere in holy living to prove one is really saved. You won't find such nonsense in the inspired Word of God. Biblical repentance is a change of mind from WRONG THINKING to simply acknowledging one's self as a needy sinner in the sight of a holy God, thus believing the Gospel to be saved. Nothing more is required. We are needy SINNERS and Jesus is the precious SAVIOR!!!
The word metanoia is an open-ended term, all-inclusive. God did that deliberately, so that repentance would encompass anything and everything that hinders a person from believing the Gospel to be saved. You don't repent AND believe, you repent TO believe! Turning away from sin comes later, as a matter of Christian discipleship, and not salvation (sonship). God saves a man (John 1:12-13), and then the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2) and the indwelling Holy Spirit change him (John 16:13; Ephesians 1:13). A person doesn't need to forsake their sins, nor be willing to forsake their sins, to receive the free gift of God, which is Eternal Life (John 6:47; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9).
In view of what I just said, Harvest Baptist Church on Guam is a Satanic cult, for teaching that a person must turn away from their sinful lifestyle to be saved. I heard the senior pastor say it with my own two ears to 700 people on a Sunday morning! That is NOT the Gospel of free grace, it is the Devil's damnable lie of Calvinism, which Pastor John MacArthur heretically teaches. Mr. MacArthur makes salvation very hard, which God never intended. Anyone who comes along saying you must “surrender all” to Christ to be saved doesn't understand the Gospel. They are preaching “another Gospel” (Galatians 1:6-9). Billy Graham, James Dobson, John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, John Piper, R.C. Sproul and Paul Washer all teach that you must “count the cost” and pay the price of full surrender to Christ's Lordship to be saved. I love something that Pastor Harry Ironside (1875-1951) said, refuting Lordship Salvation:
“WHEN THE REVIVALIST comes promising salvation to those 'who make a full surrender' of all that they have to God, and who 'pay the price of full salvation,' he is preaching another gospel, for the price was paid on Calvary's cross and the work that saves is finished. It was Christ Jesus who made the full surrender, when He yielded Himself unto death for us that we might be redeemed from the curse of the broken law and forever saved from the judgment to come upon all who refuse His grace.” [emphasis added] —Pastor Harry Ironside, from the tract: 'ANOTHER GOSPEL.'
God's curse is upon Moody Radio for promoting John MacArthur's Calvinist lies. Harvest Baptist Church on Guam bids Godspeed to both Mr. MacArthur and Moody Radio by promoting them. As heresy creeps by the hour into the churches, truth-tellers like me are removed and banned from attending church. Harvest Baptist Church on Guam has banned me from even attending church services, because I expose their ungodliness! I expose them for promoting corruptible seed! I expose them for bidding Godspeed to devils in the pulpit. I expose them for preaching another Gospel! Romans 3:4, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” There is no love at Harvest, only a religious business in God's name only, superficial as can be. There is a woeful lack of love for people and truth at Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, whose day of reckoning is fast coming!!! I am living for the day in eternity!!! Even so, let it be dear Lord!!!
