It is absolutely tragic that there's so much information and lies on the
internet, especially concerning salvation. Recently, while searching the
internet, I ran across the following website at scripturessay.com, published
by Mike Scott, which teaches a perverted gospel message. It's so sad. Here
is a quote from the website:
“Repentance is a change of heart and a change of mind. We must make up our mind to stop living life our way and start living it God's way. It is making up our mind that henceforth we are going to serve God with all our might and do everything He says. Matthew 22:37, 'Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' In other words, we must do it with all of our being.”
SOURCE: Bible Study on Eternal Salvation
Folks, that is damnable heresy. Biblical repentance is NOT “making up our mind that henceforth we are going to serve God with all our might and do everything He says.” Nothing could be further from the truth of God's Word. Surrendering one's life to live a consecrated life for God is NOT Biblical repentance. It normally requires some length of time of growing in the milk of the Word of God, before a babe in Christ matures to the point of surrender. . . “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1st Peter 2:2). It would be just as ridiculous to expect a new convert to dedicate their life to serving God, as it would be to expect an infant to run a marathon.
The Bible sternly warns us against corrupting the SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST . . . “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” What is that simplicity? It is simply that we are sinners and Jesus is the Savior. The Greek word for “repent” in the Scriptures concerning salvation is metanoia, which simply means, “a change of mind.” The author of scripturessay.com, Mike Scott, correctly recognizes this definition; but then he makes the grave error of twisting it into something totally different, which is a false meaning. Biblical repentance is simply a change of mind concerning one's sins, an acknowledgment of one's guilt before God for violating His holy Law. All God expects of us for salvation is that we come as guilty sinners and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be forgiven.
Former Moody Memorial Church pastor, Harry A. Ironside, correctly recognized repentance as the confession that “one is utterly without merit” and that if one is “ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. Romans 4:5 plainly teaches that a man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's heavenly record by faith.
“Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership — the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word.”
SOURCE: Except Ye Repent, by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3
In sharp contrast, Mike Scott errantly defines repentance as: “It is making up our mind that henceforth we are going to serve God with all our might and do everything He says.” That is a false gospel. If a sinner is required to serve God with all his might and do everything God says to be saved, then one's salvation is based upon SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS instead of God's righteousness provide through Christ's sacrifice. Romans 10:3-4 plainly refutes any form of self-righteousness . . . “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
Scott foolishly teaches that repentance means to “make up our mind to stop living life our way and start living it God's way.” That is NOT Biblical repentance! If one must stop living a certain way and start living it God's way to be saved, then salvation involves HUMAN EFFORT, which is pure self-righteousness. In sharp contrast to the flawed theology of Mike Scott, Jesus told us the only work which a person must do to be saved . . . “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:29). If we come to God as guilty sinners, believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ because of the blood He shed for our sins, then He has promised to abundantly pardon our sins . . . “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). There is NO requirement to forsake our sinful lifestyle or to surrender our life to God in every way. A changed life is the FRUIT of genuine repentance; and NOT a part of saving-faith. As with all Lordship Salvationists, Mike Scott foolishly places the cart before the horse in his theology.
Repentance and faith are inseparable. The Gospel of John mentions the word “believe” 85-times; but the word “repent” is never mentioned even once. In genuine salvation, one who believes on Jesus Christ has repented; and one who repents has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
