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What if you never heard a message on repentance, or never heard the subject taught in your church? Would you assume there simply wasn’t a need for such teaching, or some other reason?Have you ever attended or been part of a church where you never heard a message on repentance?Has repentance gone the way of the Dodo bird “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

I would find another church ASAP. A church should preach gospel- and grace-driven repentance in virtually every message. Note -- NOT legalism, and not behavior change or exhortations to do better masquerading as repentance.

Speaking only for my case, I can say that repentance is regularly emphasized in my messages and teachings, whether stated or implied. One of the statements I most cherish in the CoG Declaration of Faith is this one:

Absolutely agree with you “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

That is what I believe as well. Unfortunately however, I find myself at odds with the “powers that be” who think preaching a repentance gospel message equates to heavy handedness from the pulpit “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

How does one separate repentance from faith in Christ?The first response to genuine faith in Christ is repentance.These are inseparable, one does not exist without the other.Why would we expect anyone to repent unless conviction and confession precede Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church

This is spot on. Does a preacher need to be heavy-handed and say, Now look here, here's what God's word requires of us. You know you haven't been doing that, so you better repent and clean yourself up! Absolutely not.But if a preacher declares God's word and just simply shares what it commands, and then declares Christ as the free giver of grace and forgiveness for all who have fallen, do fall, and will fall short of those commands -- the hearts of God's people will bend and incline toward repentance. It will be an automatic and natural response.

This is spot on. Does a preacher need to be heavy-handed and say, Now look here, here's what God's word requires of us. You know you haven't been doing that, so you better repent and clean yourself up! Absolutely not.But if a preacher declares God's word and just simply shares what it commands, and then declares Christ as the free giver of grace and forgiveness for all who have fallen, do fall, and will fall short of those commands -- the hearts of God's people will bend and incline toward repentance. It will be an automatic and natural response.

There is change!Faith in Christ produces change.The issue is that folks just do not believe the Gospel.The Church has changed focus.The message is now a self help seminar.How to live a best life.Luke 19:1Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.6 So he made haste and came down, and

Sinners in the hand of an angry God