Repentance - Session 1

This is the first of seven messages Pastor Doug Riggs gave in his interviews with GeorgeAnn Hughes in her podcast, The ByteShow recorded November-December 2011.
Here are my notes:
o My first thought as I begin the challenge to edit and condense this 7-part series on repentance: How in the world could anyone teach 7 hours on repentance. Just change your thinking and follow up with a change of your behavior. Isn’t that what repentance is all about? As we proceed (me with editing and you with hearing), I believe we’ll all be in for a surprising and bountiful buffet of spiritual meat and refreshment.
o Doug distinguishes between the preaching of repentance for Israel by John the Baptist in preparing the way for the Messiah to come – First Advent – and the call for repentance for the church in these last days in preparing the way for the Messiah to come for His bride – and subsequently the Second Advent.
o There is the repentance that leads to salvation – and there’s the repentance we need as Christians which moves us forward in our sanctification.
o To those who present the gospel to unbelievers and require that they repent of their sins (plural), Doug corrects this false teaching and points to the fact there is only one sin we need to repent of, and that is the sin of unbelief. Then once we repent and are born-again, we can address sins we need to repent of. If you are presenting the gospel and require your listener that they have to repent of all their sins, how in the world are they going to do that? Do you remember every sin you ever committed??? “I repent of all my sins… I’m sorry for all my sins…” – that doesn’t do anything.
o Repentance is believing and obeying… and you cannot have revival without repentance. To have true faith, there must be repentance; if there’s true repentance, then there’s faith. Turning to God involves repentance and faith.
o “If all that Jesus Christ did was die on the cross for our sins and remove the penalty of sin, that is not enough to qualify for you and me to live with God forever… There must be something positive imparted to us, imputed to us, to qualify us to live with a righteous and holy God forever… He pronounces and declares us righteous – that’s justification.”
o “The devil has access to people who have not repented” … not only unbelievers, but believers.

Resources recommended:
The Case for a Creator with Lee Strobel: https://vimeo.com/20197160
The Case for Christ with Lee Strobel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abLATf6Q9Ls (I’m not positive this is the original)
God of Wonders (video): https://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/Religion-and-Spirituality/Christianity/God-of-Wonders/79054

www.dougriggs.org
www.bookministry.org