The issue is how do you know he"repents with every ounce of his being"? But let's assume that he does. I agree, there is a transformation because if he really repents and believes he is then indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Can he return to his life or sin? Sadly it happens sometimes, but it doesn't last. The Holy Spirit won't allow him to forget that he is a son living in a pigpen!
>>The issue is how do you know he”repents with every ounce of his being”? But let’s assume that he does. I agree, there is a transformation because if he really repents and believes he is then indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Can he return to his life or sin? Sadly it happens sometimes, but it doesn’t last. The Holy Spirit won’t allow him to forget that he is a son living in a pigpen!
I don’t know. I only know what he says. He says that he felt the presence of God at that revival, so he gave his life to Christ. Then, a few days later, it wore off and he says that he felt like God abandoned him. He’s waited for decades to get that “feeling” back and it isn’t there. So, he figures that the “God thing didn’t take” so there’s no reason to change.
Now, we can give him all the Christan platitudes in the world, but he doesn’t believe them because thinks he got sold a bill of goods at that revival (that all he had to do was say that prayer and he would automatically change) and now he thinks he got ripped off.
Yes, it’s irrational, but that’s what he thinks and perception is reality.