Salvation is our most important doctrine. A saved Christian has two natures: the flesh and the spirit. There are three things a saved Christian does:
- Acknowledges sin (repents),
- Believes in Christ’s death (faith),
- Confesses to God for salvation (sinner’s prayer).
The hyper-dispensationalists say that when you do the sinner’s prayer or repent, it’s work!
Acts 11:18: “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
Repentance is a grant. It is something you receive freely as a benefit, like a government grant! It’s a gift. It’s not something you work for.
Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Faith is also a gift and not something you have to work for.
Are we working when we pray or ask something of God? Definitely not. These things are gifts of God. All we must do is accept them! No works necessary.
John 4:10: “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.“
Asking to drink the water of salvation, is a gift. It’s not work.
Acts 11:18: “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.“
It’s a gift from God, but not something God forces on a person. The person just has to accept the gift, to be saved. The moment a person is saved, they have two natures – a spiritual nature, and a fleshy nature.