My next several Posts will deal with this subject, so stick with me until the final post on this blog titled "Sin - What a subject"? It will take all of the additional information to make it absolutely clear that Sin is no longer an issue with God. With God it's not about sin, it's about sonship.
Most people say that sin breaks your relationship, or fellowship with God. The strictest message says you lose your salvation (“backslide&rdquo
every time you sin, until it’s confessed. I don't believe people backslide - I believe they never slid forward. Others believe your eternal salvation is still secure, but you lose fellowship. You can’t get your prayers answered or can’t be used of God if you sin. Well, THAT’S NOT GOOD NEWS since all of us make mistakes.
Christians usually cope by trying to keep every sin confessed. Let me just put this bluntly: That’s impossible! Bible says that whatever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). Do we always walk in faith? James 4:17 reveals that sin isn’t only doing things that are wrong, but it’s not doing what we know is right.
It’s impossible to keep every sin confessed. Even if it were possible, that puts the burden of salvation on our backs. There wouldn’t be any peace or rest in our relationship with the Lord if that’s the way it worked. Rom. 5:1 destroys that way of thinking. It says “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us”.
How are we made right? By faith. Faith in what? In what Jesus has done for us. That gives that scripture in Romans 14:23 a little more meaning. So, if we don’t have faith in what Jesus has done for us, that is sin. Again, it’s wrong believing that gets us in trouble, not poor behavior.
Most people, including Christians, see the forgiveness of sins as something that God can do, and continues to do, but not as something He has completed. From that comes the false concept we must constantly confess our sins, which makes and keeps us sin conscious. The New Testament presents the forgiveness of sins as something that is already accomplished, and that the effect of this redemption is that we are not even to be conscious of sin.
Ask yourself. What produced the forgiveness of sins? When did that happen? Jesus was the Lamb of God that took away the sin of the world (John 1:29). It was through the shedding of Jesus’ blood that you received redemption, which is the forgiveness of your sins (Eph. 1:7 and Col. 1:14).
When did Jesus die and shed His blood for our sins? About 2,000 years ago. He will never die again (Rom. 6:9-10). He dealt with the sins of the whole human race once for all time (Heb. 9:25-28 and 10:10-14). Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins is already an accomplished work. We don’t have to ask Jesus to forgive our sins. He’s already done it. How many of your sins were in the future when Jesus died on the cross for you? The answer - ALL OF THEM! You'll hear more about this as we continue on this subject.
Paul didn’t tell the Philippian jailor to ask Jesus to forgive him. Paul told him to believe on what Jesus had already done and he would be saved (Acts 16:31). We confess the Lord Jesus to receive this gift of salvation (Rom. 10:9). We receive forgiveness by faith (Acts 26:18). The Lord has already forgiven everyone’s sins (1 John 2:2). That’s grace, but that doesn’t mean everyone will receive it. They have to put faith in what God has already accomplished by grace to be saved (Eph. 2:8).
It’s not a person’s many sins that sends them to hell. Sin has already been paid for and forgiven. It’s the singular sin of not believing on Jesus that sends a person to hell. It’s their failure to accept what Jesus did for them that puts them into that place of eternal torment. The best thing you can do is embrace what Jesus has already done for you. Stay tuned. This subject will be continued in my next blog. Grace and Peace.
