#205 Repentance—Change of Mind… or Turning from Sin? (Debate)

Summary

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Podcast Summary:

Worldview Legacy | The Think Institute – Episode #205
Title: Repentance—Change of Mind… or Turning from Sin? (Debate)
Host: The Think Institute
Guests: Alex (Think Institute), Truth Speller (Sovereign Grace Christian)
Date: May 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this debate-driven episode, Alex (from The Think Institute) and guest "Truth Speller" tackle the theological meaning of repentance: Is it merely a “change of mind” as some traditions assert, or is it integrally tied to turning away from sin? Both participants contend for their positions, referencing Scripture and classical theological arguments, while probing each other's frameworks regarding grace, justification, law, and the Christian life.

Purpose:
To help Christian men understand and articulate biblical repentance so they can wisely lead their families and churches, giving true, scripturally sound answers about salvation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Repentance: “Change of Mind” vs. “Turning from Sin”

• Truth Speller's View:

  • Repentance in Scripture fundamentally means “change of mind,” not “turn from sin” (00:55).
  • Argues that requiring repentance from sins as a condition for salvation is adding a “law condition” (03:51).
  • Cites 2 Timothy 2:24-25 as defining repentance as “coming to the knowledge of the truth” (00:55).
  • Points out that God Himself “repents” in Scripture over 40 times, showing repentance can’t mean turning from sin for God (05:58).

• Alex’s View:

  • Agrees repentance is metanoia (“change of mind”) but asserts it results in a new relationship to sin (02:23).
  • Claims “repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin” (21:15).
  • Insists repentance involves recognizing Jesus as Lord and transferring the allegiance of one’s life to Him (02:23, 04:17).
  • Emphasizes salvation is not by works, but repentance as a changed mind will result in a changed life (02:23, 10:55, 12:26).

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2. Is “Repenting of Your Sins” a Biblical Phrase?

• Truth Speller:

  • Argues the phrase “repent of your sins” does not appear in the Greek New Testament, but only in some modern (particularly Catholic) translations (06:19).
  • Accuses this formulation of supporting a “false gospel” that makes law obedience a condition (03:51, 05:58).
  • Suggests adding “repent of your sins” puts up a wall of legalism, separating man from the freedom of the gospel (07:16).

• Alex:

  • Challenges Truth Speller to cite specific verses where “repent of your sins” is added in Catholic translations (06:24–06:44).
  • States theologically, telling someone to repent of sins means “a change of mind about the way you’ve been living,” not law-keeping (04:23).
  • “Repentance for sins is a result of [God’s justifying work]” (07:19).

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3. Justification: By Faith Alone? How Does Lifestyle Matter?

• Truth Speller:

  • Strongly asserts justification is “apart from the works of the law” (Romans 3:28) and independent of lifestyle change (01:42, 10:08).
  • Critiques linking justification to a transformed lifestyle, claiming it subtly reintroduces works as a requirement (04:28, 14:01).
  • Warns this approach “puts people under the law,” undermining assurance and fueling sin (15:18).

• Alex:

  • Repeatedly agrees salvation is “100% a gracious gift from God. No part of law keeping…contributes” (01:42).
  • Distinguishes between justification by faith and the inevitable fruit of a changed life—“part of repentance means a transformation,” which will result in ethical change (10:55–12:26).
  • Clarifies, “We are not antinomians…we are under the law of Christ, which is higher, deeper, and broader than the law of Moses” (10:55).
  • “A good tree can’t bear bad fruit…That’s exactly what Jesus says. That’s what Paul says” (12:26).

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4. Assurance & “Fruit Inspection”

• Truth Speller:

  • Says challenging someone’s salvation on the basis of lifestyle “is you placing a person under the law and taking away their justification in their mind” (14:04).
  • Claims the power of sin is the law—legal demands increase sin’s hold (15:18).
  • Suggests discipline in the church should not relate to justification status, but practical order (18:04).

• Alex:

  • Insists Scripture (esp. 1 Corinthians 6, Matthew 18) commands the church to confront ongoing public sin and, if unrepentant, treat such as outsiders (16:05).
  • Clarifies: “That’s not final judgment…We’re not saying they can’t be justified, or that they’re saved by works. Rather, we’re to be good fruit inspectors” (16:05).
  • “We don’t kick people out of the kingdom, but we can treat them like a tax collector or prostitute: as a sinner, an unrepentant sinner” (19:13).

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5. Memorable Quotes & Key Moments

Repentance Defined

• Alex (02:23):
  “To repent is to have a change of mind, a metanoia. It’s a transformation of mind…we are transferring ownership of our lives from ourselves over to the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Justification is by Faith

• Truth Speller (01:42):
  “We maintain a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

On Repentance & Law

• Truth Speller (03:51):
  “If I was to ask you directly, ‘Do you have to repent of your sins to be saved?’...If yes, then sin is transgression of the law, so that’s a law condition.”

Fruit & Assurance

• Alex (12:26):
  “A good tree can’t bear bad fruit…If you’re connected to the vine, you’re going to bear good fruit. Does that make sense?”

• Truth Speller (14:04):
  “When you look at this lifestyle and you say, ‘I have to question if you’re justified,’ that is you placing a person under the law and taking away their justification in their mind.”

On Repentance & Faith

• Moderator (21:01):
  “If you’re going to take that definition of work to where you can fit repentance into it, you wouldn’t also be able to say the same thing...about faith itself.”
• Alex (21:15):
  “Repentance and faith are two sides of the exact same coin…If repentance is bringing someone under the law, then so is faith. And…it’s just neither one is the case.”

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6. Timestamps for Notable Segments

• 00:55–01:42: Defining repentance – “change of mind” vs. “remorse/turn from sin”
• 02:23–04:17: Theological explanation of repentance and lordship (Alex)
• 06:19–07:16: Debate about Bible translations and “repent of your sins”
• 10:55–12:40: Fruit, assurance, and lifestyle implications
• 14:01–15:29: Does confronting unrepentant sin undermine justification?
• 16:05–16:40: Matthew 18 & church discipline
• 19:13–21:15: Closing analysis—repentance, faith, justification, and how these relate

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Conclusion & Takeaways

• Central Disagreement:
  Whether “repentance” should be understood as a mere mental shift (Truth Speller) or as an inner transformation that inevitably produces a changed life and attitude toward sin (Alex).
• Common Ground:
  Both agree that justification is by grace through faith alone, not by works.
• Distinctives:
  Alex emphasizes the necessity for observable fruit (change of life) as proof of genuine repentance and faith. Truth Speller resists any condition beyond mental assent/belief, wary that lifestyle requirements reintroduce legalism.
• Consensus:
  Repentance and faith are inseparable in biblical salvation, though their outworking and practical proclamation remain debated.

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For Listeners:

If you’re seeking to understand what it means to “repent and believe,” this episode highlights historic evangelical tensions—make sure to ground your answers in both Scripture and careful theology.

Key exploration:

• How should Christians speak about repentance in evangelism and discipleship?
• Does lifestyle change play a confirming or a qualifying role in Christian assurance?
• How do repentance and faith relate biblically and pastorally?

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Transcript

[Moderator]

All right, we. We've got Truth Speller. I think this is your first time here, right?

[Truth Speller]

Yeah, absolutely. How you guys doing?

[Alex]

Hey, great Truth Speller. Thanks so much for being here. What's your worldview?

[Truth Speller]

I'm a Christian. I. I would just title myself Sovereign Grace.

[Alex]

Oh, okay. We probably have a lot in common then. What do you want to debate?

[Truth Speller]

I do have an issue with. And someone pointed this out to me and so I came and checked out some of your material and things and that you add on repent of sins to on top of faith, which is subtly putting people's conscience under the law. And it's a. If you're adding it on as a condition to be saved, it's a law condition because sin is transgression of the law.

[Alex]

Okay, so. So when Jesus said repent and believe the gospel, what did he mean?

[Truth Speller]

Change your mind? Like when the Scripture says, correct opponents with gentleness, if God may perhaps grant them repentance, that they may come to their senses into the knowledge of the truth.

[Alex]

2nd Timothy 2, 24, 25. Yeah, yeah.

[Truth Speller]

That repentance is coming to your senses into the knowledge of the truth.

[Alex]

Yeah, that's correct.

[Truth Speller]

Change of mind.

[Alex]

Yeah, that's correct. Does that include remorse over sin?

[Truth Speller]

To some degree, but also is coming to the knowledge of truth, of justification? Like obviously the man in the back of the temple had remorse over sin. You know, he's smoking upon his chest, God have mercy upon me, sinner. But that's not the Christian life. The Christian life is when Jesus says that man went home justified rather than the other, then the person has a justified verdict. And the Scripture says we maintain a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Romans 3:28.

[Alex]

Yeah, that. Listen, you're barking up the wrong tree. I don't believe that we're saved in any way, shape or form by any work ever. We do not. We do not earn salvation. Salvation is 100, a gracious gift from God. No part of law keeping in any way, shape or form contributes to our salvation at all, ever. But it does involve a commitment to the. To Jesus as Lord. Do you agree with that?

[Truth Speller]

Not with lordship salvation, but I agree that he's the Lord.

[Alex]

But take away the. So notice I didn't use the term lordship salvation.

[Truth Speller]

Let me just. You do believe that you have to repent of your sins to be saved, though that's the condition you add on, right?

[Alex]

The. I don't add on any condition. I preach the exact same thing Jesus said. Well, hold on, hold on. You asked a question. We are to repent and believe the Gospel. To repent is to have a change of mind, a metanoia. It's a transformation of mind. So what that means is we are transferring ownership of our lives from ourselves over to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord. That's why Romans 10, 9 and 10 says if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. That's not law keeping, that's repentance. That's a transformation of the mind. It's what the Lord was talking about in Jeremiah 31 and the new covenant. Ezekiel 36. God takes out our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh. God does that work. But the result of that is that we no longer love our sin in the same way and we submit to the Lord Jesus. That is an effect of salvation. But regeneration precedes faith. So we should be on the same team about this.

[Truth Speller]

Well, it's just, and, and you know, this isn't anything personal. I think, I hope you understand it and I think you understand that when you're dealing with people who have different views and, and especially, especially the sovereign grace perspective, it has to do with understanding the truth. And it's. So we deal with it through these, the Scripture and things like that. But it seems like you're saying from before that you, like you say repent of sins was a necessary condition to be saved. And my contention with that, what do

[Alex]

I mean by that?

[Truth Speller]

You answered that directly right there. I think you kind of semi trailed down another kind of semi related thing. But like if I was to ask you just directly, do you have to repent of your sins to be saved? It's either yes or no. And if it's yes, then sin is transgression of the law. And so that's a subtle law condition. And then, then the argument becomes, well, it's not about perfection, it's about direction. And that is a lowering of the actual stringency and demand of the law if one's going to rely on it.

[Alex]

Do you think, do you believe that we as Christians are under the law? Are we under the old Covenant law?

[Truth Speller]

No.

[Alex]

Okay, that's correct. We're not under the old covenant law. So to repent, when we say repent of your sins, anti lordship people sometimes get that. They get very twisted up about that because they think that in some way when we say repent of your sins, we're bringing people under the old Covenant law. That's not what's going on to repent of your sins is to again have a mind change about the way you've been living your life. You're going from I'm on the throne of my life to a realization that Jesus Christ is on the throne of the universe and a commitment to him being. Being on the throne of your life. That's what it is to repent of your sins. Prior to coming to Christ, all of your life was sinful. Even your righteous deeds were sinful. So that's why I love the term sovereign grace. I'm glad that you used it because God's grace is, is the, the powerful agent in salvation. Because God is sovereign. God is sovereign over salvation, not us. Repentance is a result of God regenerating us by. But there is a change of heart. There is a change of mind about sin that results when we say repent of your sins. We're not telling the sinner to do something that they can gin up by their own will. They can't repent of sins, morally speaking, because they love their sin. Their mind is set on the flesh and it's impossible for the mind that is set on the flesh to please God. They can't obey God, morally speaking, so God has to give them a new heart. God has to give them a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone. We're commanding them to do something, but God is the one who actually has to do it. Does that make sense?

[Truth Speller]

No, not at least from my framework and understanding of the Scripture. Because God repented over 40 different times in the Scripture and I, I don't think you think he turned from sin or had a, you know, like a change of lifestyle or anything like that. He. Nowhere in the Bible do you actually find the phraseology repent of sins that only in the modern Catholic translations does they added that on to facilitate their false gospel.

[Alex]

Where?

[Truth Speller]

Where? Well, modern Catholic translation.

[Alex]

Where do they add that in?

[Truth Speller]

I'm trying to think which, but which. The modern Catholic translation just places where it says repent. They add on repent of sins.

[Alex]

Where?

[Truth Speller]

Well, just any place you can think of like repent and be baptized or something like that. Repent of your sins and be baptized.

[Alex]

Where does it say that? It doesn't. I'm not aware of a Bible translation that says that.

[Truth Speller]

Well, it's there. I mean, I.

[Alex]

Where?

[Truth Speller]

Well, I can fat. I can. If there's any way I can contact you, I can give you that information. That's something.

[Alex]

No, I don't want to do that. I don't Want to get into a longer.

[Truth Speller]

Yeah, it's off the side topic anyways. But you, if you search that out, I promise you we'll find it. And you don't have to take my word for it. Just look it up. But my point is, is repentance is, is a change of mind. God had over 40 different times he didn't turn from sin. So if you're adding on, you're telling people you need to repent of your sins, you're putting up the middle wall of hostility, the law between people and their conscience, as though sin is still an issue and a problem when people are justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

[Alex]

Truth speller, respectfully, who are you debating right now? Because I haven't said any of that. I'm not Catholic. I'm not quoting from some Catholic Bible. You haven't been able to give an example of where the Catholics supposedly added that in. What you're trying to do is you're trying to impugn the Catholics of something and then falsely make me guilty by association or something like that. Like I'm smuggling. And don't, don't inter. Like I'm trying to smuggle in some kind of a Catholic doctrine. That's not what's going on here. We are to repent, and to repent is to cry out to the Lord Jesus, who will save me from this body of death. Look at Romans, chapter seven. And then thanks be to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Why? Because the. The righteousness of God has been imputed to us because according to First Corinthians, 5:21, God made him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God. That might be Second Corinthians. Now I'm having a. Now I can't remember, but it's like God. Okay, thank you. So God does the work, but repentance for sins is a result of that. There's nothing theologically incorrect about saying, about saying repent of your sins. That's not theologically incorrect as long as you understand that we're not saved by changing our lifestyle. And it sounds like that's this bone that you're trying to pick. And for some reason you think that I'm saying something different from you. And I'm trying to figure out if we are saying something different. I want to know if you believe that it's important to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ as part of becoming A Christian. Because a lot of guys, sometimes they come on here and they'll say, no, Jesus being Lord, and my commitment to Jesus as Lord has nothing to do with salvation. And that if you. If that's what you're saying, I've got a problem. But if not, we're probably on the same page.

[Truth Speller]

Yeah. It was your video that I had watched last. That you had. Well, maybe one, maybe not. Your last video, something about a week or so or a few days ago. And it was. And then you said you had to repent of your sins. And you brought up First Corinthians 6, chapter 6, 9 through 11. And you said. And you gave the impression, look, this lifestyle, if anyone's living this lifestyle. And these passages are saying that, but in that context, it's saying, do you not know the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Well, how are people righteous? Paul said, may I be found in him not having a righteousness of my own.

[Alex]

Yeah.

[Truth Speller]

Comes to the law. But that which comes through faith in Jesus Christ, even the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. He goes on to say, don't you know the. The unrighteous won't inherit the kingdom of God, neither fornicator nor adulterer nor covetous. And he goes on, of course, with the unless of ungodly attributes. And then he says, but such were some of you. But you were washed, you were justified, you were sanctified in the name of the Lord and in the spirit of our God.

[Alex]

Right. Amen.

[Truth Speller]

And that has nothing to do with human performance, like we maintain a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

[Alex]

Yeah.

[Truth Speller]

The way that Paul is saying that these people were justified because they changed their lifestyle, no one is saying that

[Alex]

on this debate right now.

[Truth Speller]

Well, on that video, you gave the impression that you have to repent of your sins, and a true Christian won't have this lifestyle that.

[Alex]

Well, now, wait a minute, wait a minute. A true Christian won't have that lifestyle.

[Truth Speller]

But that. That itself is an evaluation, like whatever the law says, it says to those under the law.

[Alex]

Yeah, that's correct.

[Truth Speller]

The whole world would become guilty before God and every mouth will be stopped.

[Alex]

And the law is for swindlers and for the unrighteous.

[Truth Speller]

When you say. But when you say, you know, they won't have that lifestyle, that's you conceptually putting someone under the law to where they have to look at the law and measure whether they have that lifestyle. But everybody's guilty under that law.

[Alex]

Yes. So Listen to me very carefully. We are not without law. We are in law to Christ. That's what the apostle says. We're not under the old covenant law. We are in lawed to Christ. So it sometimes that's translated under the law of Christ. So we are not antinomians, meaning we're not against the law. But you have to understand which law we're under. We're under the law of Christ, which is higher, deeper and broader than the law of Moses. We don't go to Moses for our ethical guidelines, or if we do, we go through the lens of Christ. But when the apostle, or when any of the apostles, or when Jesus Christ gives us ethical guidelines to live by, you better believe that we are expected to live that way. So this idea that because Christ imputes righteousness to us, and, and, or let me rephrase that. This idea that Christ's imputation of righteousness to us or God's imputation of righteousness to us has no effect on how we live is completely false. Part of repentance means to have a transformation of the mind. And that's a transformation of the mind, the will, the heart, you know, even the emotions are transformed by that. So we can confidently say with Paul that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. In First Corinthians 6, 9, he says, do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice sexuality, homosexuality, nor thieves, nor greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. So if I'm talking to someone who professes to be a Christian and they're a swindler, I'm going to confront them with that sin, just like I would want him to confront me if that's. If that was something that I was guilty of. And I'm going to say, look, man, you claim to be a brother. Look what the scripture says. You're living like an unbeliever. And if he continues in unrepentance, what can I say except for you're living like an unbeliever, and I can't give you any assurance that you're saved. And if he goes, no, no, you don't understand. I'm a Christian, I got baptized. I was, you know, whatever. I've got faith in Jesus. I'm going to point to his life and I'm going to go, a good tree can't bear bad fruit. Now, I don't kick anybody out of the kingdom, okay? I'M not the standard, but Jesus Christ is and his word is clear. So the Bible has no good news for unrepentant sinners. So that's why we say repent of your sins. It's not theologically inaccurate and we're not putting someone under the old covenant law, but we are saying a good tree is going to bear good fruit. That's exactly what Jesus says. That's what Paul says. That's why Jesus says, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will bear much fruit. And that fruit will abide, that fruit will last. Because apart from him, we can do nothing at all. And if you're connected to the vine, you're going to bear good fruit. Does that make sense?

[Truth Speller]

Not in my framework. And if I could just respond. Why, you know, if you could give me a little bit of time because I know this isn't like an official debate or anything. I'm not trying to debate, I'm more having a conversation with you.

[Alex]

And I mean respectfully, I'm debating you. This is a debate stream.

[Truth Speller]

Okay, well that's fine, you can look at that way. It's fine.

[Alex]

Yeah, that's what this is. But, but I, and I'm still not

[Truth Speller]

even sure where we disagree one another. But anyways, if I could just have a my time and actually respond to what you said here.

[Alex]

Yeah, go ahead. I don't know, Alex will pop up when we're done. So.

[Truth Speller]

Yeah, my issue is when you say, you look at this lifestyle and you say, oh well, I have the question. You're a Christian. In other words, I have to question if you're justified. That is you and you even admit if they have this guilt. Well, that is you placing a person under the law and taking away their justification in their mind and making them think it's law dependent. Well, if I stop my sinning, then I'll be justified. But we maintain a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law and. Hold on, just let me finish my, my points here.

[Alex]

Well, you can see that I disapprove

[Truth Speller]

of what you're saying. A lot of time here and I just want to. So we maintain a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. That's a non guilty verdict independent from any law performance. But if you come up to a person and say, well I'm looking at your lifestyle now I have to question whether or not you're saved. That's you putting a person under the law and saying that. Look, because of the sin in your life, you can't be justified. And my issue with that too, is there's like, I'm not a pro. I have no problem dealing with sin. But it's the way that for one, a false gospel and also a false representation of the faith will produce the power of sin. When you put people under the law, like the way that you're presenting, because the sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law. And Paul said, I was alive once, and then the law came, and through it I died for enticed every manner of desire and sin in me. When the law said not to covet, and that's talking about ten Commandments.

[Alex]

Yeah.

[Truth Speller]

And the law said not to covet it produce covetousness in me of every country apart from the lost and his dad. So there's a. There's a certain principle to the law that produces the power of sin. So when you.

[Alex]

Okay, you got to wrap it up.

[Truth Speller]

You're not justified, you're not righteous, unless you don't have a better lifestyle. That is putting them under the law, which only produces the power of sin, robs them of their justification that they can't sin stand in, you know, and they can't deal with their sin. And the actual way that the Bible tells us, by walking in the spirit.

[Alex]

So my question then is, in First Corinthians 6, is Paul placing the Corinthians under the law?

[Truth Speller]

First Corinthians 6, 9, 11? No.

[Alex]

Yeah, that. That's correct. Then neither am I, because.

[Truth Speller]

Let me explain.

[Moderator]

Hold on.

[Truth Speller]

He says, you're just doesn't say.

[Alex]

Listen to me, listen to me.

[Truth Speller]

You're saying that Paul.

[Alex]

I. I'm doing the same thing that Paul is doing. I'm doing the same thing that Paul is doing. I'm reading First Corinthians 6, 9, 11, and I'm telling you what it says. I'm literally reading it. Okay? If you read the passage, you see what Paul is saying. We are not antinomians. We are not without law. And you actually misrepresented me. You said that. I said, if you're doing these things, you can't be justified. And I'm taking away their justification. Nothing could be further from the truth, okay? The. A comparable passage would be Matthew 18, 15, 17, where if a brother sins against you, Jesus says, you go to him, you tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you've gained your brother. If he does not listen, take along two others, one or two Others with you that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he listens to them, tell it. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if you refuse even to the Church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. This is the practice that Paul uses in First Corinthians to expel the immoral pseudo brother or brother who is in an incestuous relationship. This idea of telling an unrepentant false professor, or someone who at least appears to be a false professor, you're acting like an unbeliever and we have to treat you as one. That is what Paul says to do, and it's what Jesus expressly says to do. So we're not placing anyone under the old Covenant law. Don't equivocate with that term. Rather, we're holding believers to the standard of the law of Christ. We don't take away anyone's justification. We can't do that. We're not saying they can't be justified and we're not saying that justified by works. Rather, we're looking at the fruit and we are to be good fruit inspectors. And we're to say you're acting like a non believer. That that's not final judgment. That's not saying they can't be saved. And it's not, it's not saying that they're saved by anything other than grace through faith alone. So that's very important. But thank you for coming on Truth Speller. It's been great.

[Truth Speller]

Can I have a, can I just please address what you said and then, and then, because I, I, you know, I been waiting.

[Alex]

How much time do we have? How much time?

[Moderator]

If you want, if you want a 30 second closing statement, you can have that. But we are.

[Truth Speller]

Two minutes, you know. Okay, well, just saying, you know, First Corinthians, 6, 9, 11. I just read the passages I could read. If you've seen me, you've seen the Father. That proves that Jesus is the Father. You wouldn't agree with that, right? Because I don't either. But that's the Bible. And also Paul said we put a stumbling block in no one's way, for the ministry's sake at least we cause an offense. And yeah, he would remove people that was causing even offense to the Gentiles that said, look, they're doing things that even exceed us. And so there is a practical means of removing people that are causing disorder at the birth of a church and things like that doesn't mean they're not saved doesn't mean they're not justified. That's you adding on there. And the scripture it says about Jesus was speaking the Pharisees, it says the tax collectors and the harlots would end the kingdom of heaven before you do. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you believed him not. But the tax collectors and the harlots believed him. But you when you seen it, repented not afterward that you might believe him. So the sign that they would have repented as they would have believed not would have been kept keeping the law, not performing in their works. But actually the message of John the Baptist, thanks man. Come into your senses and knowledge of the truth. It's not.

[Alex]

Thanks, thanks. Yes, so true speller. We had to cut you off there not because we don't like you, but we simply had gone over time. So quick 30 second post debate analysis. I was trying to figure out man. I was trying to figure out if were on the same page or not. And he really wanted me to be saying something that I wasn't saying, which is that I was taking away someone's salvation based on their lifestyle. That's not at all what I was doing. Rather I was reading First Corinthians and now what he said was you can read a statement and you can misinterpret it. Sure, that's very true obviously, but that's not saying it's possible to misinterpret is not the same thing as proving that someone has misinterpreted a passage. And so I want to make it very clear that scripture says we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone. Works play zero part in it. But works are an indicator of true faith. That's what James is talking about, for example. So works are an indicator. Works do not save you. We don't kick people out of the kingdom. We can't kick people out of the kingdom, but we can treat them like a tax collector or a, a prostitute. Meaning we're treating them like a sinner, an unrepentant sinner. So Jesus is, is free to use those terms differently in different passages to create different effects. Anyway, very important that we understand that Christianity does involve a lifestyle change, but salvation is an absolutely free gift. So I appreciate Truth Speller coming out to try to clarify that. We've been getting a lot of anti lordship people coming on recently. It's been interesting.

[Moderator]

Yeah. And just one comment I had was. Yeah, when you. When someone says that repentance is a work.

[Truth Speller]

Right.

[Moderator]

It does it. It's not clear to me that if you're going to take that definition of work to where you can fit repentance into it that you wouldn't also be able to say the same thing according to that definition about faith itself.

[Alex]

That's correct. You're exactly right. Repentance and faith are two sides of the exact same coin. And we know this because in 1 Corinthians 15, which is a great summary of the Gospel, Paul talks about how the Corinthians are being saved by believing the gospel. That's faith. But in a parallel passage in Luke 24:44,48, Jesus in his resurrected state says that the Messiah had to suffer and rise so that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed. Jesus says repentance, Paul says faith. It's very clear that those are two sides of the same coin. So yeah, if repentance is bringing someone under the law, then so is faith. And, and it's just neither one is the case.