The Holy Spirit Produces A Changed Life, Not The Sinner

Galatians 5:22-25, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

There has been a long time controversy over the biblical meaning of repentance. But dear reader, there is no debate if you simply take the Bible at face value. The Greek noun metanoia just means “a change of mind.” The verb form metanoeo means “to think differently.” I am tired of corrupt preachers adding to these definitions. By themselves, these definitions do not provide enough information to know what to change our mind about. So, we need supplemental information, which can only be determined by the particular Scripture text in a passage. It is poor Bible scholarship (and wicked according to Proverbs 30:5-6) to read into the inspired Holy Bible what it does not say.

For example: Their official position at Pensacola Christian College (PCC), which is taught in their Foundation's Class to all newcomers is that: “Repentance is a change of mind resulting in a change of behavior.” Uh, no, that is absolutely NOT what Bible repentance means. The Greek noun “metanoia” doesn't tell us what to change our mind about. So, why is Campus Church at PCC adding to God's Word? PCC are guilty of changing God's Word into a lie, guilty of perverting God's simple plan of salvation.

The plain reason why so many clergy and laymen alike get Bible repentance wrong is because they are looking at this whole thing from a carnal mindset. That is, from the unsaved man's perspective. In the mind of an unsaved man, it makes perfect sense that if you want to go to Heaven, you must turn away from your sinful ways. I mean, after all, it was our sins in the first place that got us into hot water, right? It appeals to the natural man that no one can go to Heaven unless you first commit to living a drastically changed life.

This is why Adam and Eve sewed together fig leaves to cover their nakedness in the Garden of Eden after eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. In this 1956 sermon (when Pastor Jack Hyles was only 29 years old), he says that he thinks Eve was the one who sewed the fig leaves together to make clothes. That is interesting.

But the big problem with thinking that you must turn away from your sinning (or be willing to do so) is simply that NO ONE has ever turned from their sinning. NO ONE! You may clean up Mr. Pig with a nice bubble-bath, put some nice smelling perfume on the pig and a bow tie, but he is still a filthy pig and will run for the first nasty mudhole the moment that you release him.

Okay, here is what I want you to learn in this blog, which truth will settle this whole mess. So, don't miss this! It is the indwelling blessed gift of the Holy Spirit who produces a changed life (i.e., the “fruit” of the Spirit in our text verse); and NOT your sincere effort to turn from sin, to reform, to “be willing to turn from sin” (Chick Tracts), to live a changed life, to forsake a lifestyle of sinning, nor anything else to impress God with your filthy rags of self-righteousness!!! I hope you understood what I just wrote.

Let me say it again, it is the indwelling Holy Spirit (who is Jesus Christ living in and through every believer) who produces the “fruit” of the Spirit. Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” So, you see dear friend, it is NOT you who produces a changed life when you get saved, it is Christ in you! This is such an important truth to grasp, so you will fully understand what is wrong with the whole concept of being required to “repent of your sins” (or to turn from your sinful bad habits) to be saved.

I bring up Pensacola Christian College (PCC) often in my writings, not to be mean or attack them, God forbid; but rather, to use their heresy as a canvas against which I can paint THE TRUTH. 1st Corinthians 11:19, “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” PCC is very wrong on repentance and the Gospel, and by God's grace I am using their false teaching to help others.

PCC is wrong to teach that “Repentance is a change of mind resulting in a change of behavior.” That is carnal heresy! That statement attributes the change in a believer's life to SELF, instead of being produced by the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT. Do you see the difference? I hope you do, because the former is a corrupt plan of salvation, and the latter is the truth of a free grace Gospel.

In God's simple plan of salvation, you come to God as you are as a needy guilty sinner, and you simply accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that He was buried, but then resurrected from the dead three days later. This is the Gospel.

In PCC's corrupt plan of salvation, God will not save you unless you are first willing to forsake your sinful bad habits and self serving ways, to obey His will. According to assistant pastor Timothy Zacharias at Campus Church (which I heard him preach on July 21, 2021 at PCC), you must experience a profound hatred of your sins, and be willing to forsake them to be saved. And then once you've done that, put your trust in Jesus Christ. This is exactly what they teach at PCC and it is of the Devil, a counterfeit plan of salvation.

So, please remember dear reader, it is not YOU who produces the changes in your life after you get saved, it is the indwelling Holy Spirit. All of these incompetent pastors, clergy and missionaries today who foolishly teach that you must “repent of your sins” or “turn from sin with all your heart” to get to Heaven are LIARS! They are incompetent Bible students. They have removed the burden of sin from Christ's shoulders at Calvary's cross, and have instead laid those heavy burdens upon sinner's shoulders to bear the weight of their own sins.