Tkach Misunderstands Repentance
TRANSFORMED FROM TRUTH
In his commentary today, GCI/WCG’s J. Tkach claimed:
Another Look at Repentance
Repentance is a cornerstone of Christian life, yet when it is misunderstood – as it often is – it can cause Christians to live with needless fear and doubt about their relationship with God.
The most common way to misunderstand repentance is to think that to repent is to stop sinning…
Repentance is not a behavior issue. It’s a faith, or trust, issue. Jesus has already done everything that needed to be done to restore humanity to a right relationship with God. There’s nothing we can add to that or take away from it. Repentance isn’t about promising to never sin again. It isn’t about striving to be a better person. Repentance is about believing God’s word of truth about who he is and who we are.
The world repentance, while it includes belief, does not mean “believe”. The word believe means believe.
The Greek word normally translated as repentance (“met-an’-oy-ah”) is defined to mean:
1) change one’s mind… 2) feel remorse, repent, be converted (Danker FW. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Christian Literature, 3rd ed. University of Chicago, 1979)
Repentance means to change. And in a biblical perspective this means to change from a way of sinning to a way of striving to live God’s way of life. Notice that repentance DOES involve action:
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance (Matthew 3:8).
47…repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations (Luke 24:47).
20…they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance (Acts 26:20).
God does not (and cannot) sin (1 John 3:9). Christians should strive to be perfect as Jesus taught His followers to be (Matthew 5:48).
To teach repentance means that Christians do not need to do anything clearly contradicts scripture. Those who believe the Bible will not be transformed from the truth and listen to what J.Tkach is teaching as it clearly is in conflict with scripture.
Although J. Tkach no longer teaches that Christians are to repent and keep the ten commandments, Jesus, Paul, and others had a different view.
Some articles of possibly related interest may include:
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the Living Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example?
What Did Jesus Teach About the Ten Commandments? This article quotes what Jesus actually said about them (His words are in red).
Were the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross? Some have said so. This article provides some biblical quotes to answer this important question.
What Did Paul Actually Teach About the Ten Commandments? Many say Paul taught against the ten commandments. Is this true? This article quotes Paul with his words in green.
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? This article quotes the ten commandments and combines some of the previous articles into one article about the ten commandments. The commandments are shown at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul. It addresses the most common “traditions of men” regarding them as well.
Were the Pharisees Condemned for Keeping the Law or Reasoning Around it? Many believe that the Pharisees were condemned for keeping the law, but what does your Bible say? If they were not condemned for that, what were they condemned for?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings.
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