This episode continues the focus on God's lovingkindness that leads to repentance. A balanced preaching of the gospel always includes the demand to repent. Coupled with the convicting work of the Spirit, godly sorrow leads to repentance without regret. (2 Corinthians 7:10) The Holy Spirit also leads people to repent by imparting on the soul a sense of God's unmerited kindnesses. The evangelist ideally follows the Holy Spirit's leading in "wounding the conscience" (Acts 2:38), while bringing out the gracious character of God in His care of us when we deserve the opposite. The episode concludes with an exhortation to be living epistles of God's lovingkindness. The evangelist himself/herself should be the embodiment of the grace extended to all. So just as God is "kind to ungrateful and evil people," so the evangelist should be gracious to ALL, ready to bless.
Both Godly Sorrow and His Many Kindnesses Lead to Repentance
This episode mostly focuses on the kindnesses of God that lead to repentance. The last program emphasized cooperation with the convicting Holy Spirit, as He works godly sorrow leading to repentance without regret. The temptation for some evangelists (and churches) is interrupting or sidestepping the Holy Spirit's work of conviction, resulting in shallow repentance without genuine sorrow. The result at best, is a shallow repentance with regret. The evangelist instead needs to cooperate with the Holy Spirit's "sorrowful" work, while at the same time bringing to mind His more "positive" gracious works. "The kindnesses of God lead you to repentance." (Romans 2:4) Many unbelievers have experienced kindnesses of God that smack of divine intervention: miraculous survival from normally "fatal" accidents, instantaneous answers to prayer, and rescue from dire circumstances. God can't help Himself, for "He is kind to ungrateful and evil people." (Luke 6:35) The evangelist can then hopefully elicit acknowledgment of God's kindnesses while articulating God's call to repent. Godly sorrow coupled with God's kindnesses, embodied in the cross, are the means of repentance.
God Commands ALL People Everywhere to Repent
This episode surveys key passages in the book of Acts where entrance into the kingdom of God is granted based on repentance and faith in Christ. Some dispensationalists have erroneously claimed that only Jews needed to respond to the gospel with repentance and faith. Yet both Peter and Paul preached to Gentiles and included repentance in their gospel presentations. Based on Peter's testimony relating Gentile reception of Christ at Cornelius' house, the church at Jerusalem conceded that God had granted the Gentiles "repentance that leads to life." (Acts 11:18) Paul told Gentiles at Mar Hill that God "commands" everyone to repent. (Acts 17:30) Before King Agrippa, Paul summarized his 25 year mission as "turning people from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, leading to sanctification by faith in Christ. (Acts 26:18) The evangelist then must incorporate both repentance and faith in Christ as the basis of salvation.
An Incomplete Gospel Leading to Complete Ruin
This episode spells out the potentially devastating consequences of a sinner's profession of faith, devoid of repentance. Unfortunately many Americans claim to be Christians based on an incomplete grasp of the gospel. They may have recited a sinner's prayer, assenting to their need for Christ's sacrifice to cover their sin-debt. But accessing the benefits of Christ's sacrifice was based on believing, apart from any repudiation of their sinful lives. John MacArthur illustrates an encounter with "easy-believism" in which a strip club owner made a profession of faith in Christ at a church, but nevertheless continued to promote sin with his business. Churches and evangelists are at fault when they incompletely explain access to salvation, dumbing down or leaving out entirely the need for repentance. The results are spurious "decisions for Christ" that amount to fire insurance policies designed to secure heaven, without any corresponding change in heart or behavior. The result is that many have false assurances of salvation based on an incomplete gospel presentation. Sadly, the self-delusion, reinforced by the Church, now acts to inoculate the Hell-destined nominal believer from the true gospel based on self-renunciation and repentance. If they don't repent eventually, they will hear Christ's terrifying words, "depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you." (Matthew 7:22) The evangelist then is obligated to preach repentance and faith in Christ as the means of accessing salvation. Anything less makes the evangelist complicit in providing false hope for unbelievers. I wonder how many churches have so diluted the gospel, that they are actually stumbling blocks for the Kingdom..
Evangelism: Co-working with the Spirit
This episode summarizes some of the salient points made so far, beginning with simply showing up ready to have spiritual conversations. Unbelievers are often genuinely interested in discussing spiritual issues, even when they come off as hostile. Consequently, following the Spirit's leading, the second point, is indispensable when evangelizing. At certain points in a gospel presentation, the message brings conviction and "wounds the conscience" of sinners, making them uncomfortable. Since no one ultimately embraces Christ without being convicted of sin, the evangelist should expect and even be comfortable that the message preached causes others discomfort and distress. Along these lines, don't shy away from preaching the saving Biblical response to the gospel, repentance and faith in Christ. The evangelist shouldn't leave out the call to repentance because it is a stumbling block to salvation. This "obstacle" merely highlights the supernatural work of the Spirit necessary for ANY to call Christ Lord.