A remarkable amount of misinformation and false belief about the doctrine of forgiveness abounds in the religious world of today. The ideas existed years and years ago and it is proof that the understanding of forgiveness hasn’t improved much, if at all. The following sentence by Jay Stapleton in a WND article shows the false ideas concerning forgiveness: As a Bible believing Christian, I know myself to be created in God's image, marred by sin, and loved by God. Jesus Christ died for me, and when I put my faith in Him, God forgave all my sins, and accepted me into His family. I can now talk to God, and know Him personally. I've been promised eternity in Heaven with Him.

Let’s look at the correct parts of his statement first: I know myself to be created in God's image, marred by sin, and loved by God. Jesus Christ died for me, So far so good, and as all Christians know, the following is true also: I can now talk to God, and know Him personally. I've been promised eternity in Heaven with Him.  Jesus replied to Philip when Philip asked to be shown God: he that hath seen me hath seen the Father [John 14:9] Knowing that Jesus is from God and that he is God’s chosen means of mankind knowing Him, we then have the relationship with God through Jesus.

Now for the parts that aren’t true which are unfortunately commonly held by believers: when I put my faith in Him, God forgave all my sins, and accepted me into His family. You say, what’s wrong with that belief? The idea is backwards from what the Bible contains about forgiveness. God forgave all of us on the cross, rose from the grave, and that is the reason for faith. Faith which we hold doesn’t bring forgiveness; rather God’s forgiveness in Christ creates faith to obey the gospel and thus be saved.

When Peter preached to the multitudes on Pentecost he said, [Acts 2:38] Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The preposition for (Greek, eis) means with a view to with respect to a certain event, and in order to. The verse can be translated correctly as in order to be credited with remission of sins. Where did the remission of sins on which faith rests take place? On the cross is the answer.

Several verses attest to the remission of sins preceding faith; [Mat 26:28] For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.;  After the resurrection Jesus spoke as recorded by Luke: [Luke 24:46] And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: [Luke 24:47] And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Peter went to the household of Cornelius, the Gentile, the record of which is in Acts Chapter 10; Luke recorded the words of Peter thusly: [Acts 10:42] And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. [Acts 10:43] To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Note the last part of verse 43: that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. The blessing of receiving remission of sins is predicated on exercising faith in Christ. (Compare to Acts 2:38)

The writer of Hebrews also wrote: [Heb 9:22] And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Forgiveness of sins requires a sacrifice and Jesus was, is, and always shall be that sacrifice. The Hebrew writer recorded: [Heb 10:10] By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

[Heb 10:11] And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: [Heb 10:12] But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

The blood shed on the cross brought remission of sins and with it forgiveness. The writer goes on with: [Heb 10:14] For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. [Heb 10:15] Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, [Heb 10:16] This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; [Heb 10:17] And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. [Heb 10:18] Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

One sacrifice forever, never to occur again, and upon that fact rests the faith that God has forgiven sin. The prayer asking for forgiveness is an exercise in futility since forgiveness has been operative since Jesus died on the cross. Mankind was in such a miserable condition of sin that it couldn’t ask for forgiveness since they had no way of reaching God. Jesus was the only one who could reach God with a prayer to ask his father to forgive: [Luke 23:34] Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. There is the prayer asking for forgiveness and his death and resurrection put it into affect.

In the foregoing scriptures, among many others, are found the foundation for faith that Jesus Christ has indeed forgiven mankind and that our forgiveness isn’t dependent on our asking God to forgive us. It was given to us on the cross and it is once for all time. We were accepted into God’s family the day Jesus died. It is ours to believe that and obey the gospel to receive the gift as the scriptures teach.

©02-15-2006 DEC                 

Link to WND article cited on this page  http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48764

                               Next Lesson The Meaning of Sins of the Past