Part 1 of 14 – ALL Our Sins Are
Forgiven
I must begin first by laying down the truth of
the Christian’s forgiveness of sins as being based solely upon God’s grace and
appropriated by the believers through faith in Christ shed blood on Calvary’s cross. To believe in the work of Christ at the
cross is to receive the fruit of the work of Christ on our behalf.
Without doubt, sin is a killer.
Ezekiel 18:20a (KJV) The soul that sinneth, it shall die.
The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:56 (NIV) The
sting of death is sin… Paul
uses the term “sin and death” since they are
linked together. Romans 8:2 (KJV) For the law (operation) of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law
(operation) of sin and death.
Not only does sin lead ultimately
to eternal death and separation from God and our loved ones, but also it harms
others and our own selves. It kills our awareness of our relationship with the
Lord who is as close to us as our breath, and we miss out on the rest and peace
that He is to our souls. Sin kills the joy that is possible for each of us in
this life while we remain in this sinful world.
Centuries before Christ, the
Psalmist wrote: “If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities (sins)...
who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee...” (Psa.
130:3, 4). It’s doubtful that the Psalmist at the time understood the
basis upon which our just God, through the ages, has so graciously made
provision for the forgiveness of sins. The truth of this has
since been revealed to us in the Epistles of Paul. Paul writes: “God for Christ's sake hath forgiven
you” (Eph. 4:32 KJV).
But this is only part of the truth. God forgives
sinners not merely because Christ desires this, but because Christ paid for
their sins and purchased their redemption with His blood and life, given for us
“while we were yet sinners” (Rom
5:8). Thus Paul writes, Eph. 1:7 declares: “In (Christ) we
have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace.” Thereby Paul could proclaim
to his hearers in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch: “Be it known unto
you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins: And by Him all that believe are justified from
all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses”
(Acts 13:38,39 KJV).
Obviously, such forgiveness can
never be rescinded or revoked, for it is based upon the full and complete
payment of our whole debt of sin by “the precious blood of
Christ,” which was shed once for all time and for all sins - He
lives and His blood continues to work on our behalf. Hebrews 7:25-27
Wherefore he (Jesus)
is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
26 For such an high priest became
us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who (Jesus) needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his
own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he
offered up himself.
Many people do not feel they need forgiveness,
for they have not seen themselves as they truly are in the sight of a Holy God.
Those who listen to their conscience and become mindfully conscious of their
sins and are willing to say with the prodigal son: "I have
sinned." These then may experience the peace and joy of
sins that are forgiven by grace through faith in
Christ who paid sin's penalty for all of us.
God offers us forgiveness that can never be
revoked because it is based on the “one offering (of Christ at
Calvary)” by which our Lord “hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified (i.e., set apart as His own)" (Heb. 10:14 KJV).
Hebrews 10:14 (NIV) because by one
sacrifice he has made perfect forever
those who are being made (becoming)
holy. So we see here
that we are counted as "perfect" by Christ's
one sacrifice while we are "becoming Holy"
in our living. "Perfect forever" - How long are you
being counted as "perfect"? You are counted
as "made perfect forever." All your sins and
my sins are forgiven forever; while you are being made holy. No
Christians should live with the plague of past sins or even recent sin dogging
him or her.
So, now I ask, "What if we now sin again?" “We
have an advocate (an intercessor) with the Father.” Jesus Christ’s
propitiatory sacrifice of His blood continues to be effective forever.
1 John 2:1-2 (KJV) My little children, these things write I
unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he
is (not "was") the propitiation
(payment) for our sins: and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole
world.
