This is a paragraph I borrowed from "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan. It is one of my favorite books. I don't usually read fiction but this is an allegory that I found very interesting and inspiring. It usually floats back and forth between my first and second favorite book after the Bible. The other book is "Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand. I borrowed this because I really like the point it makes and wanted to share an idea. To me it really demonstrates the true nature of repentance and salvation. There are other equally good sections but I felt this one suited the purpose particularly well.
Hope's conversion
"I did not see him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of my understanding, and thus it was. One day I was very sad, I think sadder than at any one time in my life; and this sadness was through a fresh sight of the greatness and vileness of my sins. And as I was then looking for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damnation of my soul, suddenly, as I thought, I saw the Lord Jesus looking down from heaven upon me, and saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very great sinner: and he answered, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Then I said, But, Lord, what is believing? And then I saw from that saying, “He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst,” that believing and coming was all one;"
The point
First note Hope's sadness. It was this heaviness of heart that led to his repentance. This is the work of the HOLY SPIRIT drawing us to CHRIST. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." (NKJV) It is the SPIRIT given remorse of our sin and separation from GOD that drives us to GOD. This brings salvation that we will not regret. And this brings change in our life turning us away from sin and to GOD. The worlds sorrow may be equally sad. But it only brings regret and failure. It does not lead to any change. Without leading to salvation it leads the only other direction which is death.
Today we see much false doctrine. There is a danger of doctrines that depend upon works or fulfilling Old Covenant laws as something our salvation depends on. We can never depend on our efforts for salvation. Our own effort is worthless before a GOD so Holly, and righteous, and just. Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as the unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth. And we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (MKJV) We are saved only by HIS grace. Ephesians 2:8,9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-not by works, so that no one can boast." (TNIV) So we see we must be dependant on GOD'S "sufficient" grace for our salvation.
But there is another equally dangerous doctrine that takes verses like Acts 16:31 which Hope quoted, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your household." (MKJV) But today it seems too many people weaken this truth with a watered down misinterpretation of true belief. Belief was not just casual acknowledgement of the facts. It is not enough just to say you believe in CHRIST and assume that means you automatically go to Heaven. James 2:19 "You believe that there is one God, you do well; even the demons believe and tremble." (MKJV) You see, even the devil believes in GOD. True believing is to cling to these facts and trust in them. If you do that you will act upon them. James 2:20 adds, "But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (MKJV) And going back to Ephesians 2:10 we see, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (TNIV) So there is more than just changing your mind and believing in CHRIST. Although it starts with a change of mind it will lead to a change in action. This is what Hope meant when he quoted John 6:35 "And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst." (MKJV) "Believing and coming was all one." You can't come to CHRIST if you don't really believe on HIM. But if you really believe on HIM you will come to HIM. Make sense?
Peace and blessings,
Shannon
