Are You Being Deceived by a False Gospel That Removes Repentance?
Imagine doing something terrible to a close friend. You expect punishment, maybe even a beating. But instead, they extend goodness, kindness, and mercy. That overwhelming grace breaks your heart and changes you completely.
That's exactly how God's goodness leads sinners to repentance.
Yet today, a dangerous doctrine called "easy believism" has infiltrated churches across America, promising salvation without repentance. This false gospel creates emotional moments but not eternal transformation. It's time to expose this deception and return to biblical truth.
The Rich Goodness of God That Demands a Response
Romans 2:4 asks a piercing question: "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"
Consider what God has given humanity:
Daily provisions and protection
Forbearance when we deserve immediate judgment
Long-suffering that delays His righteous wrath
The ultimate gift: His Son dying on the cross for sinners
The Jews had the Red Sea parting, manna from heaven, prophets, kings, and the promised Messiah. Yet they despised it all, ultimately crucifying their Savior. But here's the shocking truth: God's response to our despising His goodness isn't immediate destruction—it's extended mercy, designed to lead us to repentance.
When Goodness Is Despised, Judgment Awaits
Sadly, some children have no choice but to be brought up in a drunkards home. Each morning they wake up hoping their drunk father has slept in, because they know if he rises too early, they'll be verbally or physically harmed. That's the harsh reality that many children face. But if you've been blessed with loving, caring parents who bring you to church, provide for you, and pray with you, you have no excuse to despise God's goodness in your life.
The Bible warns clearly in Luke 13:3: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
The Fatal Flaw of Easy Believism
Over the last four or five decades, easy believism has grown like a cancer in Christianity. This false doctrine teaches:
No wrestling with your sinful condition
No genuine conviction of sin
Just repeat a prayer after someone
Feel an emotion and you're "saved"
This is spiritual fraud!
Easy believism creates an emotional appeal, gets you stirred up, then uses that against you to walk an aisle and repeat words you don't mean. Just because you cried at church doesn't mean you got saved. The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—and it requires repentance from whatever you were trusting in before.
What the Scriptures Actually Teach
Jesus preached repentance: "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).
John the Baptist's first sermon: "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2).
After the resurrection, Jesus commanded: "That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (Luke 24:47).
Peter at Pentecost declared: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38).
The pattern is undeniable: John the Baptist preached it, Jesus preached it during His earthly ministry, Jesus commanded it after His resurrection, and the apostles proclaimed it throughout Acts.
The Danger of False Repentance
Matthew 27 reveals a sobering warning through Judas Iscariot. The Bible says Judas "repented himself" and brought back the thirty pieces of silver. But notice where he went—to the chief priests and elders, not to Jesus Christ.
This is the fatal error of false repentance: Going to the wrong source for forgiveness.
Just as Judas went to priests instead of Christ and ended up hanging himself, those who seek forgiveness through human priests or religious systems commit spiritual suicide. Acts 20:21 makes it crystal clear: repentance must be "toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
Repentance Precedes Everything
The biblical order cannot be reversed:
Repentance precedes forgiveness - "If he repent, forgive him" (Luke 17:3)
Repentance precedes salvation - "Repent ye therefore, and be converted" (Acts 3:19)
Repentance precedes remission of sins - It's always mentioned first in the apostolic preaching
You cannot remove repentance from the gospel without creating a false gospel that saves no one.
God Commands All Men Everywhere to Repent
In Acts 17, Paul didn't compromise with the idolatrous Athenians. He didn't try to relate to their culture or bring their worldly methods into the church. Instead, he boldly declared: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness" (Acts 17:30-31).
Some mocked. Others delayed. But Paul didn't back down an inch. He told them plainly: without repentance, you're done.
The Urgent Call to True Repentance
Friend, if you're not saved, you must be born again—and it must happen now. Not tomorrow, not next week, but today. Once you die without Christ, it becomes eternally too late. There's no second chance after death, only judgment.
Don't despise God's goodness that's designed to lead you to repentance. Don't fall for easy believism that offers false assurance without true transformation. Real salvation requires:
Recognition of your lost, sinful condition
Genuine repentance toward God
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone
A changed life that follows
The same God who is rich in mercy and long-suffering will not extend that mercy forever. Today, if you hear His voice, don't harden your heart. Repent and trust Christ fully for your salvation.
Want to dive deeper into this crucial biblical truth? Listen to the complete expository preaching of this message where we examine verse-by-verse bible teaching on genuine repentance versus easy believism. Don't let your eternal soul rest on anything less than solid biblical ground! 🔥📖 [Listen to the full sermon here]
For more expository preaching and verse-by-verse bible teaching that confronts false doctrine and proclaims biblical truth, explore our complete sermon library.