Brennan Manning

**I guess I started writing this post back on February 22, 2008 and then forgot to finish it, so I'm finishing it and posting it now.**

Brennan Manning is an author of quite a few books. I've read a couple, and for the most part, I like them. Something he wrote even helped me get over my nervousness when flying!

But Brennan's writings seem to stir up controversy. You can find a lot of stuff on the internet where people are saying his writings are heretical and blasphemous. You can find more that say they are inspiring and uplifting.

One such controversial passage is in Brennan's book called "The Ragamuffin Gospel". He writes:

"The saved sinner is prostrate in adoration, lost in wonder and praise. He knows repentance is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness; it is what we do because we have been forgiven. It serves as an expression of gratitude rather than an effort to earn forgiveness. Thus the sequence of forgiveness and then repentance, rather than repentance and then forgiveness, is crucial for understanding the gospel of grace."

So what's the problem? I've read several people say that this passage is very wrong, even heretical. But is it? The critics have a problem with Brennan's assertion that forgiveness precedes repentance. I've been thinking about this, and it makes me wonder...

Isn't all sin actually already forgiven? Now, before you start calling me a heretic or whatever, lets examine things. I kind of feel that Brennan may be right in what he's saying. One thing I will say up front about this is that while I feel forgiveness may come before repentance, as Brennan suggests, I'm certain that salvation must follow repentance.

Let's look at scripture and see what it says. (Everything I quote is from NIV)

First, in Romans 6: 9-10 it says "9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God."

2 Corinthians 7:8-10 "8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Hebrews 10:11-18, 26-27 "11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." 17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin." And "26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God."

So I'm confused. Some verses seem to indicate that Jesus died once for all sin, which sorta implies that all sins are forgiven. Yet other verses indicate that if we keep on sinning, then no sacrifice for sins is left.

So which is it? Forgiveness, then Repentance and Salvation or Repentance then Forgiveness and Salvation?

Or is it different for the saved vs. the unsaved?

For the saved, is it that you have salvation, all your sins are already forgiven but when you do sin you repent in response to knowing you are forgiven, as Brennan seems to be indicating?

And for the unsaved, is it repentence then forgiveness and salvation?

Or is it that unrepented sin becomes unforgiven sin?

I really like what Brennan says in that quote, but I'm just not sure if it's right.