Watch the video below, by Steve McVey, Christian Religion Lie #58 “If You Repent Of Your Sins, God Won’t Condemn You“ and then read my amazing (as always!) comments below…
This is bass ackwards thinking!
This LIE is one of those lies that legalists like to espouse because they suppose that the creator of everything… the alpha and omega… the only all powerful and all capable being in existence since before the beginning of time — is OBLIGATED to respond to us if we do something!
You can’t ever lock God into an “if… then…” equation.
Let’s start with, what the Bible plainly states:
There is NO condemnation for those in Christ!
Paul tells us this in Romans 8:1.
No matter what you do, you are not “condemned until your repent” no matter what you’ve heard preached from pulpits… told to you by well meaning parents or Christians… or see some televangelist on TV tell you!
But wait a minute…
“Is Caleb saying you don’t have to repent?”
NOPE!
All I’m saying is, you’re not condemned because of WHO God is. Your “NON-condemnation” has nothing to do with what you do — whether you repent or not. It has EVERYTHING to do with the unconditional love, mercy and grace of God.
So, if you’re not condemned… and your repentance has nothing to do with it… then
What is the role of repentance in the life of a believer?
John 8 gives the example of repentance with God. When Jesus has the adulteress brought before Him. Starts with verse 3-11 (NIV):
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Did the adulteress repent first? Or did Jesus NOT condemn her first?
The answer of course is that Jesus didn’t condemn her first… and then told her to repent (go and sin no more)… which arguably she obeyed.
So we don’t:
repent >> get no condemnation.
As legalists and popular, modern Christianity would have you believe… NO! Everything that we do is a response to God’s love for us FIRST.
It’s because God first has given NO condemnation that we decide to repent:
no condemnation >> we then repent because we’re overwhelmed by God’s grace, mercy, and Love.
This is the way it REALLY works!
At least that’s the way it should work if you’re looking to live a Great Christian Life! So when you hear this lie, be sure to smack yourself upside the face and say “self! This is a LIE! I repent and turn back to Jesus because of what HE has ALREADY done for me… NOT the other way around!”
With Love 
Caleb
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