I understand that there is a fine distinction regarding repentance, and why Pastor Woods is careful to describe it as a change of mind. But, you'd never hear Pastor Woods using the 'ABCs' of salvation.
Another razor fine distinction that I have (not Pastor Woods) is a minority view of John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." and that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, not sins, but sin. He convicts us of only one sin which is unbelief in Jesus.
I'll give my view: We have to do one repentance, we need to turn from not believing in Jesus to believing. Our personal sins/behaviors are not a primary issue. It's the Holy Spirit's conviction for us to turn to Jesus that matters.
The 'C' confessing isn't really an issue in my perspective because nothing but turning from unbelief to: We begin trusting Jesus is truth, salvation, and God's Only Son (and that is all that matters). My reaction to that was humble, I merely acknowledged it. My confession of that truth came out of joy, not a need to affirm my salvation.
It's kind of a work to put 'confess' from myself as part of my totally unconditional gift of salvation. I never felt compelled to confess anything, it simply flowed out.
So I don't agree with the ABCs. Becoming a Christian is simply a response to God's appeal to all mankind -- that the Holy Spirit convicts us of the single sin of unbelief. Once anyone believes in God, our Savior Jesus; they are saved. In my case, months later I began recognizing my sinful pagan behaviors and those were dealt with in His discipline. My behavior, good or bad, never affected my salvation; it does affect my sanctification.
Calvinists hold to a different view of the Holy Spirit's conviction and God's drawing. I think all people are convicted/drawn. They suggest that humans are so deprived that it takes a miraculous 'effectual' call from God. In reality ordinary people can respond to God's conviction and drawing. Calvinists think that only the 'elect' can respond because God gives them a special recipe of pre-chosen status. Calvinists view that most of us could never freely respond to the Holy Spirit's conviction that we were in unbelief, that we could not because of Total Depravity (Calvinist legalistic doctrine that leads to allowing the 'elect' to be, well, better than others; something to be proud of after all). Calvinists are big on two things: Works from their human flesh, and total inability to EVER respond to God's revelation of Himself by grace. They cloak their 'not our works' denial of God's grace with an imperative that their works prove they are 'elect' through the TULIP theology. They truly believe that only an elect few can believe and deny that it's our Father's will that NONE perish.
It seems that JD hasn't a deep understanding of the issues like Pastor Woods has.
