Asking what to do is not an expression of the faith! LOL. When someone says "you know for sure" you either answer "yes" or "no" but not "what should we do?" LOL!
If Peter said "now you know for sure and you know what to do..." but he didn't. And if they knew for sure they would have also known what to do.
So, then, we have a problem Houston (otra vez) because in order for one to believe he or she must receive the Spirit (i.e. be spiritually baptized, be born from above), first, right?
Some have argued that the Jews believed in God all along, but that's not enough. One must come to Jesus in order to come to God, right? In order to accept Jesus as one's Savior he or she must be 'licked' but the fire of the Holy Spirit, right? Only once you know you have sinned then can you repent.
So, it seems to me that who call themselves Christians are generally divided over what comes here first: faith, repentance, baptism (mainline Protestantism) or, as you claim (and your view seems to be supported by more biblical verses in that regard), repentance, baptism, Spirit.
The only problem is that your order doesn't explain how can anyone repent without knowing first what is wrong.
As I said, Houston, we have a problem (big time).
That is correct. And while I suspect your advocacy of this correct Scriptural position is somewhat supercilious (a thousand pardons if that's not the case) the natural man, left on his own, is simply the son of his first father, Adam, fallen and incapable of righteousness or of pleasing God.
A man must first be born again by the Holy Spirit to know the things of God, as John spends a lot of time telling us. Then, and only then, will we be able to feel sorrow for our sins, repent of them, work to sin no more and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, God and Savior. And that is because those who have been born again by the Spirit have been justified by Christ's sacrifice; they have been given new eyes and new ears and a heart of flesh and a renewed mind, all of which makes up the spiritual man who then, and only then, will believe to the saving of his soul.
Salvation is of the Lord through grace and grace alone. Salvation is not payment for any free will "correct answers." It is a gift, freely given by God to whom He will, according to mercy and not debt. Read Ephesians 1.
Thus the correct Christian perspective is gratitude. Period. Gratitude. Gratitude. Gratitude.
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." -- Phil. 2:13
It was in their situation. They felt stabbed to the heart and asked what to do in view of what Peter had just said, that they had impaled the one God had made Christ, Jesus. That was what they knew for a certainty.
Their actions show they asked with faith in what Peter was going to tell them. Faith follows the thing heard (Romans 10:17)
“So, then, we have a problem Houston (otra vez) because in order for one to believe he or she must receive the Spirit (i.e. be spiritually baptized, be born from above), first, right?”
You say so, what do the Scriptures say?
“Some have argued that the Jews believed in God all along, but that's not enough.”
‘Some have said’??? “Some” have said” all manner of things!!
John the Baptist called upon the Jews coming to him to repent of their sins. They were in a covenant with God so their sins were their violations of that covenant.
“..... One must come to Jesus in order to come to God, right? In order to accept Jesus as one’s Savior he or she must be ‘licked’ but the fire of the Holy Spirit, right?”
Wrong sequence.......again...and again....
“..... Only once you know you have sinned then can you repent.”
Agreed. And?
“So, it seems to me that who call themselves Christians are generally divided over what comes here first: faith, repentance, baptism (mainline Protestantism)......”
Does ‘Mainline Prtestantism skip or ignore the spirit part?
.......or, as you claim (and your view seems to be supported by more biblical verses in that regard), repentance, baptism, Spirit.”
I have to go with the Scriptures.
“The only problem is that your order doesn't explain how can anyone repent without knowing first what is wrong.”
Of course it does and there is no problem with it unless one assumes something not supported by the Scriptures.
One purpose of preaching God's Word was to call people to repentance, to inform those in ignorance of God's will.
Paul told the men of Athens that God had overlooked their ignorance (thinking that the Deity could be a sculpted contrivance) and telling all men everywhere to repent seeing a a day of judgment was coming. (Acts 17:29, 30)
Jonah went to Nineveh and preached to the wicked people and they repented in sack cloth. (Jonah chapter 3)
Both were informed by the preaching of God's word, only one group took it to heart. That's how we know what is wrong, God's Word tells people if they are willing to listen.
Wasn't Houston's reply to the astronauts, “No. YOU have a problem”.
It was in their situation. They felt stabbed to the heart and asked what to do in view of what Peter had just said, that they had impaled the one God had made Christ, Jesus. That was what they knew for a certainty.
Their actions show they asked with faith in what Peter was going to tell them. Faith follows the thing heard (Romans 10:17)
“So, then, we have a problem Houston (otra vez) because in order for one to believe he or she must receive the Spirit (i.e. be spiritually baptized, be born from above), first, right?”
You say so, what do the Scriptures say?
“Some have argued that the Jews believed in God all along, but that's not enough.”
‘Some have said’??? “Some” have said” all manner of things!!
John the Baptist called upon the Jews coming to him to repent of their sins. They were in a covenant with God so their sins were their violations of that covenant.
“..... One must come to Jesus in order to come to God, right? In order to accept Jesus as one’s Savior he or she must be ‘licked’ but the fire of the Holy Spirit, right?”
Wrong sequence.......again...and again....
“..... Only once you know you have sinned then can you repent.”
Agreed. And?
“So, it seems to me that who call themselves Christians are generally divided over what comes here first: faith, repentance, baptism (mainline Protestantism)......”
Does ‘Mainline Protestantism skip or ignore the spirit part?
.......or, as you claim (and your view seems to be supported by more biblical verses in that regard), repentance, baptism, Spirit.”
I have to go with the Scriptures.
“The only problem is that your order doesn't explain how can anyone repent without knowing first what is wrong.”
Of course it does and there is no problem with it unless one assumes something not supported by the Scriptures.
One purpose of preaching God's Word was to call people to repentance, to inform those in ignorance of God's will.
Paul told the men of Athens that God had overlooked their ignorance (thinking that the Deity could be a sculpted contrivance) and telling all men everywhere to repent seeing a a day of judgment was coming. (Acts 17:29, 30)
Jonah went to Nineveh and preached to the wicked people and they repented in sack cloth. (Jonah chapter 3)
Both were informed by the preaching of God's word, only one group took it to heart. That's how we know what is wrong, God's Word tells people if they are willing to listen.
Wasn't Houston's reply to the astronauts, “No. YOU have a problem”.