A Book of Gems, or, Choice selections from the writings of Benjamin FranklinFranklin, Benjamin
Religion
A Book of Gems, or, Choice selections from the writings of Benjamin Franklin
Franklin, Benjamin
Churches of Christ
But what evidence have you that repentance is the second item? It is
the second item, because we have shown that faith is the first, which
shows that repentance can not be the first; and because Peter—Acts ii.
3, and iii. 19,—addressing people who believed, but had not repented
or done anything else, commanded them to repent. He makes it the second
item. It is the second item, because a man can not repent till he
believes in the Lord, before whom he must repent, and who convinces him
of sin, for, “by the law is the knowledge of sin,” which shows that it
must follow after faith; and because there is no other item in all the
records of conversions required, that he can acceptably comply with,
till he does repent. An impenitent person can not pray, confess, be
baptized, or do anything acceptable to God. The person, therefore, who
is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, can not get over repentance, or
do any thing else acceptable to God till he repents. His faith will do
no good so long as he continues in impenitence. For his impenitence,
if he persists in it, he must perish. In the order of God, it is the
second step, and unless taken, will eternally stand between him and the
third step. No advance can ever be made till he repents. “Except ye
repent, ye shall perish.” It is true, that Ananias did not command Saul
to repent; but it was not because it was omitted in his case, for no
man ever entered the Kingdom of God without repentance; but he was not
commanded to repent, for the good reason he had repented before Ananias
came to him. We are not to expect any historian, in giving records of
conversions, and so many instances, to mention all the items in each
case.
WHAT IS CAMPBELLISM?
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