Repentance Is Not A Change Of Mind That Leads To A Change Of Behavior

Romans 4:3-7, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”

I moved from the island of Guam to Pensacola in July of 2021. The first thing I did when I arrived was find a local church. I found the "Campus Church" (which is literally located on the campus of Pensacola Christian College). I sincerely came into their church with a spirit of love, friendship and a desire to be a blessing in every way I can.

I started attending all the church services, like a sponge, sitting on the edge of my seat to learn the Bible. I was a bit disappointed when I learned that the church is showing a Ken Ham Young Earth Creation (YEC) seminar all summer long. I am a strong Old Earth Creationist (OEC). I believe in a young human race, but the earth itself is likely billions of years old. Anyway, I figured why not, I can still  learn something by attending these video seminars. It is okay to disagree. I have no problem attending a church that teaches YEC, even though I adhere to an OEC view. This is not a fundamental doctrine that affects salvation, although holding to a YEC view will deter some people from listening to anything else you have to say, thinking you are naïve to believe that dinosaurs lived 5,000 years ago.

But on Wednesday July 21st, after watching a Ken Ham video, I was frustrated to hear the assistant pastor, Tim Zacharias, make the following heretical statement in church to 1,000 people: "Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior." THAT IS WRONG! 

So I emailed the senior pastor, Jeff Redlin, about the heresy. He replied the next day saying that he 100% agrees with Dr. Zacharias' theology. But he also assured me that Campus Church rejects "Lordship" salvation, and believes in a free grace Gospel. So I reasonably concluded that they are a bit off in their understanding of repentance, but not enough to pervert the Gospel, because they simply attribute the changes in a believer's life to the wrong source. The truth is that it is the indwelling Holy Spirit Who produces "fruit" (a changed life) in the believer who walks in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). The changes in a saint are NOT produced by their repentance (a change of mind) at the time of salvation. You repent to believe the Gospel, not repent to forsake your sinning. 

The best illustration I can give is my own salvation experience at age 13. The pastor said in his sermon that "If you don't have the conviction of the Holy Spirit when you sin, you're not saved." I knew right then that I was not saved. I didn't have the indwelling Holy Spirit. So when the invitation was given, under the conviction of the Holy Spirit in my pew, I called out to Jesus from my soul and trusted Him as my Savior. The issue of forsaking my sinning didn't even cross my mind that day. I just knew that I was a guilty sinner for whom Christ had died on the cross. I believed that Jesus was risen, and I was trusting in a risen Savior!!!

Now, in the months to follow my salvation, the Holy Spirit began to speak to my soul. Not audibly, but a still, small voice in my soul that said: “David, I don't want you to talk to your mother that way anymore.” Before I was saved I used to sass my Mom, but after I got saved the Holy Spirit convicted me about that sin in my life. I remember my mother saying to me one evening: "You've changed!" And I had changed. I still sassed my Mom at times, but I felt bad when I did, because God's Spirit living inside of me as His child convicted me. This dear reader is how salvation works. God saves us by faith alone, and then the indwelling Holy Spirit begins to sanctify (change) is with the truth of God's Word. John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

It may seem like a trifle issue, or splitting hairs over doctrine, but I make no apology for exposing Campus Church in Pensacola for teaching heresy. Repentance does not mean “a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior,” it simply means “a change of mind.” Every child of God has a responsibility to “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES” (John 5:39). 1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” The way that we “try” (test) the spirits is by comparing everything we hear taught to the inspired Scripture. A godly pastor will applaud the layman who does this, holding their pastor accountable for his preaching. 

I have had people call me out, correcting my preaching. I always applaud them for caring about right doctrine. And of course, sometimes they sincerely but ignorantly correct me. For example: I had a lady several years ago correct my teaching. She said: “Where in the Bible are we taught to receive Jesus to be saved?” John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” I kindly sent her this Bible verse, which plainly teaches to receive Christ. The way you receive Christ is simply to BELIEVE on Him.

Respectfully, the big problem with Pastor Zacharias' statement about repentance being “a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior” is that it confuses people concerning the Gospel. I think Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan said it best:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” [emphasis added] —Evangelist John Bunyan

Amen! I have been blessed by God by having a website ministry. Since I write thousands of blogs and articles, people scrutinize my teachings and correct me when I'm wrong. The court of public opinion is ruthless! Thus, my web visitors keep me on my toes and help to hone my knowledge of the truth. In other words, God has given to me a keen understanding of the Gospel and Bible doctrine. Genesis 32:10, “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.” Philippians 1:17, “But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.” Every child of God should be a custodian of one, defending THE TRUTH. Pastor Jack Hyles taught me that.

I don't like theology. I don't like it because oftentimes theology differs from what the Bible teaches. I don't like theology because it uses a bunch of terms that are not found in the Bible. I don't like theology because it is synonymous with a deeper-life that never goes soul-winning. When I began my website ministry in 2002, I decided to just preach the Bible and avoid theology. I am not against pastors who use dispensationalism to teach the Bible, as did Pastor Harry Ironside (one of my favorite preachers), but I personally don't use it. Folks, we need a revival in our churches and Bible colleges of just sticking to the Bible. Since God Himself doesn't elaborate on what repentance means in the Bible, why should we?

In the Bible, as Dr. Zacharias rightly teaches, repentance is sometimes used as an euphemism for believing. For example: In Luke 13:5 we read, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” The Lord was not teaching that to be saved a person must forsake their sinful life; but rather, He was saying that everyone needs to change their thinking so that they will believe the Good News of Christ crucified, buried and risen (i.e., the Gospel). These pastors who embellish the Gospel, by making repentance to mean more than a simple change of thinking unto the Gospel itself, are preaching another gospel. 

The only thing you need to know to be saved is that you are a guilty sinner under the condemnation of God's Law (Romans 3:19-23). In other words, you need to know why you need to be saved. You are a guilty sinner dear friend, and so am I. That is why Christ went to the cross to pay a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. JESUS PAID IT ALL!!!