[QUOTE=Pressing-On;972606]Jesus begins his parable of the "lost and found" in
Luke 15. He ends and reinforces the story with the "prodigal son" who the "elder" son did not want to receive. The lesson - "whosoever will". Regardless of who the Pharisees and the Scribes wanted to accept, Jesus is saying it is "whosoever will". That is the point of the chapter.
Repentance is a choice to "reconsider and to think differently". Of course the angels would rejoice over such a show of faith. They rejoice because a heart is turned toward belief.
"Jesus said, "In the same way God's angels are happy when even one person turns to him" (
Luke 15:10 -CEV).
If you do not repent, you will perish. (
Luke 13:3;5)
"Repent
AND believe the Gospel." (
Mark 1:15)
"But go ye and learn what that meaneth,
I will have mercy, and not sacrifice:
for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (
Matthew 9:13).
The angels rejoice that mercy has been extended.
You are are forgetting that John the Baptist preached the
"baptism of repentance". (
Mark 1:4)
"And that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem". (
Luke 24:47)
Acts 2:38 would reiterate John's teaching -
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins".
Jesus Christ submitted to baptism to "fulfill all righteousness". (
Matthew 3:15)
The Gospel is the death (repentance), burial (baptism) and resurrection (Spirit infilling).
When you want to use
Luke 15 as proof that a person is saved at repentance, you are in effect, standing on "death" alone. You are not including the burial (baptism) and the resurrection (Spirit infilling). Repentance is not the entire message of the Gospel.
You also still have to contend with "even baptism doth also now save us" (
I Peter 3:21) and with
Romans 8:9 "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his". The CEV says is more plainly, "People who don't have the Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him" (
Romans 8:9).
The whole Gospel is the death, burial and the resurrection. Let's not stand on death (repentance) alone.[/QUOTE
What you fail to realize is that repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit. You can't say that Jesus is Lord without the Holy Spirit. Acting as if the Holy Spirit does not come until one speaks in tongues places the UPC outside of orthodox Christian teaching. Wayne Huntley's comment is stunning to anybody who believes the Reformation teaching that salvation is by grace through faith alone.
1 Corinthians 12:3 (New International Version)
3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and
no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.