As Christians, we believe we are forgiven of all our sins through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe it, we teach it, and our very HOPE is in this. If that’s so, why are we repeatedly asking God to forgive us? Undoubtedly, it’s because of our human, “religious” view of forgiveness and the incessant feelings of unworthiness we entertain. Face it, no matter how good we look or act, we live with ourselves and know what we perceive to be “the truth.”
Fortunately, God has quite a different perspective on forgiveness than we do.
As Believers in Jesus, everything we had ever done wrong, every sin, was forgiven (1 Jn 1:9). Rejoice! Your slate is clean! However, most of us had it explained to us that, if we ever sinned again, just ask and God would forgive us. Next thing we knew, we sinned.
Then we sinned again.
The “big” sins were easy to remember and ask forgiveness for later. But ALL those little ones…boy, we couldn’t keep up! The “white” lie, the gossip, the criticism, the lustful thought, the overall ungodliness about us. Some of us may have been taught that God doesn’t hold us accountable for what we can’t remember. Really? If God was THAT unconcerned about sin, explain His Son dying on the cross. Yes, He has a BIG problem with sin. He’s HOLY, remember? He HATES sin.
Now, God loved mankind but our sins separated us from Him. In order to have us near Him, He sent Jesus who made this possible, by grace, through faith in the finished work of the cross (Jn 3:16). Through salvation we went from sinner to saint in an instant. All our sins, past, present, and future were forgiven like that (snap). We were literally given Christ’s life. He is in us; we are in Him. When God sees us now, He sees His own righteousness (2 Cor 5:21; Eph 4:22-24). The blood of Christ didn’t merely cover our sins; it washed them away (Is. 43:25; 1 Peter 1:18,19; Rev 1:5; Eph 1:7)!
Most verses that cause us to doubt our forgiveness are found PRIOR to the cross. WARNING: Don’t base your salvation on any Pre-cross teachings! Don’t search the Gospels to gather verses on forgiveness due to the Law there (Ex: Matt 18:21-35). Don’t build a forgiveness doctrine upon Christ’s messages to those who were as yet unregenerated. Pre-cross teaching is “salvation-motivated” teaching meant to bring sinners to their Savior. It’s tough, hard teaching that demands action. You won’t find anything but GRACE in the Post-cross teachings. Always be cognizant of the location of a verse. Let’s base our forgiveness doctrine upon God’s Word AFTER the cross; on the grace side.
What about the beloved “Lord’s Prayer,” or “Our Father,” Matthew 6:5? Jesus was teaching these unregenerated, unrenewed Jews, still under the Law just as much as He Himself was, how to develop intimacy in their relationship with God. He contrasted this to the REALLY religious hypocrites who made spectacles of themselves when praying. This was a Pre-Cross, Pre-Grace prayer. Even the “forgive us our debts” part, v. 12, as well as v.14 and 15, reflect our forgiveness FROM God as being contingent upon our forgiving OTHERS, first. There’s no grace, no favor in that.
Human logic demands an offender seek forgiveness for each offense. We most adopt God’s thinking on forgiveness if we will ever experience total freedom in Christ and experience “a peace that passes all understanding.” In Christ, we are forgiven (Col 2:13-14). That’s GOOD NEWS! The enemy loves it when God’s children feel unworthy to approach their Father and crawl into His lap. We’re trained to PERFORM that way from childhood, jumping through hoops to gain acceptance from parents, teachers, coaches, employers. Folks, we must believe that we’re totally accepted and that God doesn’t hold anything against us! As an omniscient God, He knows the sins of the past, present, and future. Therefore, His method of forgiveness is different than that of those of us who are bound by time. The only way for Him to obliterate any barrier was to forgive us of ALL sins… past, present, and future.
Jesus bore ALL our sins 2000 years ago at the cross. How many sins had you committed 2000 years ago? None. They were ALL future sins. Everyone’s. There are no Scriptures after the cross that require us to ask God’s forgiveness. Ever. Not even in 1 John 1:9. Observe: “If we confess our sins (agreeing with God), He is faithful and just (describes His nature and His gracious covenant) to forgive our sins (once for all time, using the MANY Scriptures to explain this One, not vive versa) and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (wash away, not merely cover).”
We are righteous in Christ, cleansed from all unrighteousness (2 Cor 5:21). If we haven’t been cleansed, we’re in trouble, because there’s no other Savior to do the job. Besides, in 1 Jn 1:1-10, John was clarifying his position on Gnosticism for the churches. This was the belief that all matter was evil, including human bodies; therefore, the Gnostics reasoned, Jesus could not have inhabited a human body. John’s letter contrasts true believers against the Gnostics over 30 times. John encourages and reassures the Christians that he was addressing by reminding them, “your sins are forgiven” in the very next chapter (1 Jn 2:12).
Seek the truth of God regarding His method of forgiveness (Hosea 4:6). We do not have a license to sin. Though, as human beings, we cannot help but sin…often. We will not WANT to sin because we have God’s laws written upon our hearts and our desire will be to honor Him. Thank God He has taken us out from under the Law!
In ancient Greece, whenever a debt was paid, a certificate of debt was issued as a receipt. The word “tetelestai” was written on the certificate and signed by the creditor. John 19:30 records Jesus’ last words on the cross as being, “It is finished!” In Greek: “Tetelestai!”
Confession has its place in the Christian lifestyle, too (James 5:16). When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, we must confess it - or agree that we messed up - and repent. Admit it and quit it, in other words. Then go joyfully ACT forgiven, choosing to forgive others as you go. Chances are, you’ll sin again. Join the club. His mercy is new every morning. That means that you start fresh DAILY! Man, that’s good news!
Jesus offered forgiveness from the cross. We, too, must offer forgiveness to those who trespass against us. That way, through our loving actions, they may come to know Jesus, the Great Forgiver.
READ ‘EM & REAP!
Ps 103:12
Is 38:17
Is 44:22
Jer 31:34
Micah 7:19
Rom 8:1
Rom 8:33, 35, 38-39
1 Cor 6:11
Eph 4:32
Col 1:14,22
Col 2:13-14
Heb 10:8-10,14,17
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael’s mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Since 1999, he has broadcast over 300 hundred inspirational articles and a dozen booklets on subjects that will interest the thinking Christian, all designed to accelerate the process of spiritual development in God’s people.
He is the founder of t.e.a.m. ministries (team1min@aol.com). An Author, Pastoral Counselor and Teacher, his eMail broadcasts, known as “Your Town for Jesus” are reaching millions around the globe WEEKLY. Write team1min@aol.com if you’d like to SUBSCRIBE.
A licensed/ordained minister, a Certified Workplace Chaplain, and a Professional Member of NIBIC, he has ministered in Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, College and Cowboy churches. He is also a Speaker on the Christian Speaker Network and may be available to speak to your church or Christian group.
The initial five verses in the Bible genesis story start our existence. The teller of the creation story account is ones perceptive aim. The fact taken in outside the story teller has no value to the Bible account. God, as teller, start this creation in the state of nothingness. Angel, as the teller, places the creation genesis in the host world. The Bible story states Moses was told this fact about the creation. God/angel told Moses, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. The first truth about the statement is it discerns a thought about God. The statement missing “I” eliminates God as the teller. Angel told Moses, God made the existence of his world. The “beginning” was God introduction of Himself to the host of angel. Angel is telling Moses God structuring of the heaven and then the structuring of the earth.
Angel in the genesis story used the term heaven and earth in lure of God definition. The heaven was God air cut of the waters. The earth was the state for the host. Angel story relates “first cut God the waters for the host”. Angel held belief of their world was the existence. Angel relates a moment outside the host known fact of God. Angel tells Moses of its host world. Angel told of an event among its host. Angel defines to Moses thoughts among its host concerning others in the existence. Angel states, “And the earth was without form; and void”. The earth/host was without fact or reality which meant a lie. Angel conveys to Moses the acclaim of others below its host world. Angel existence is in the light. The world acclaimed was stated to be in the darkness. The reader of the Bible story first task is to realize the account realities. Moses was given a full genealogy of man coming unto himself. Moses to record all these facts had to take them down in short hand. The short hand gave a development of other sequence from the story statement to statement.
Angel states, “And darkness was upon the face of the deep”. Angel defines to Moses a change in its host world. This new wonder cast with the state of darkness. The host of angel had their concept of the light and darkness. Angel defines the light and darkness as waters. Angel telling of “the deep” relates the waters of its host world. Angel existence in its host world light water did not know the darkness. The darkness water balanced the light water existence. Angel told Moses of a cut in its host world at a spot. Angel called this spot “the deep”. This spot in the Bible story also was known as “the bottomless pit”. This term defines by the acclaimer of others in the darkness world and now the spot its gate. The acclaimer assuring the fact the spot was total darkness water.
Angel world waters were divided to sides. The “deep” broke the alignment ascending darkness into the light. Angel conveys to Moses at this moment in the story God was not known to be there god air cut the waters at this spot. God definition of the heaven relates the acts by this air. The air cut the waters up and low of its state. The air of God took the form of a sphere. This sphere balanced at the waters alignment of the spot. The air 1 took state half in the darkness water and half in the light water of angel world. The air 1 positioned at the core of the spot accumulated a condensed mix of the waters. The condense mix waters dome the air 1 and expanded from the core of the spot. The condense mix waters giving state to a loose mix of the waters. The loose mix waters coming to a “face” or surface contrast zone. The contrast zone was waters not mixed but divided in the spot. The “darkness upon the face of the deep” contrast angel world light water. The “light upon the face of the deep” contrast is angel world darkness water.
Angel states, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”. The “Spirit of God” was a member of the host of angel. This member of angel felt the spot was composed of waters. Angel told Moses of one among the host of angel who touched the spot. The angel touch on the state of the “deep” broke the contrast zone. The contrast zone motioned illustrated the loose waters beneath. The “Spirit of God” not as the host of angel believes not the darkness had absorbed the light. This angel believed the light was still there in the spot. This angel act on the “deep” exposed those waters.
“And God said, Let there be light.” Angel relates to Moses, “and there was light”. The air 2 into the spot shatters the contrast zone. The air 2 domed the condense mix waters over the air 1. Angel states, “and God divided the light from the darkness”. The loose mix waters become a contrast zone to the world of angel waters. “And God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night.” Angel relates to Moses God structuring of the heaven to form the host. God air 1 forming the state called the “deep”. God air 2 forming the Day and Night seen in the world of angel.
Angel states this air 2 caused the contrast zone to rotate. Angel tell Moses, “And the evening and the morning were the first day”. The spot God cut in the world of angel was a sphere.
May we all grow in the wisdom and prosperity of God will,
Alexander Coppedge
Tpac Manager
http://www.tpacmindfood.com
Library: Missing Account WRITER’S DIGEST JUDGE’S CRITIQUE This is a well-researched and thorough examination of Genesis. The author’s knowledge and meticulous study is impressive.
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Do you know the meaning of a safe place to fall? Parents are to give their children that place where no matter what they do or the mistakes they make, we love them unconditionally and give them “A SAFE PLACE TO FALL”
Growing up I was taught that the Lord also gave us a safe place to fall. He washed away our sins and had an unfailing love, no matter what mistakes we made on our path we could turn toward him. He teaches us how to be a better parent and a better person and what it means to have unfailing love. “Psalm 13:5″ NIV
This all leads up to a news broadcast I just happened to hear on the television the other day. I was watching my morning news show when they had a young man, a father of 2 boys and husband to a beautiful wife explain his plight of a near disaster the day before.
This young man had decided to fulfill a life long dream and parachute out of a plane. He was trained beforehand and taught all the necessary items needed for a successful jump. It was a jump that was tethered to the aircraft and the tether yanked the rip cord that released his parachute and got him safely to earth. He said he was very excited about this jump and felt very prepared to take it, but what that jump did for him that day was more than he had ever bargained for. He not only experienced the free falling to earth but had also taken a leap of faith and was given a sign from our Maker.
As he jumped out of the plane that Sunday in August, he realized that something was terribly wrong. He was spinning out of control and having trouble figuring out his position in the sky. He struggled to try and figure out which hand was left and which hand was right, and he couldn’t tell his altitude. He was taught that if he pulled his backup parachute after 2000 feet it was sure death. Disoriented from the fall he made no attempt to try and pull his parachute. What he did do, was something we as Christians should always do when faced with extraordinary circumstances, he started to pray. He said a prayer similar to this: I believe in you Lord, I trust in you and if there is any way for you to save me from this fall and allow me to see my family again, I would be truly blessed. He said at that very moment of prayer, he felt what he couldn’t explain, a warm hug that wrapped around him and he knew that whatever happened in his fall would be okay. Miraculously, the Lord answered his prayers and somehow he fell into a soft spot of the earth, where the ground was cushioned, literally, a SAFE PLACE TO FALL. Surviving a fall like that was miracle in itself but the young man had only suffered a broken leg and a fractured jaw. The power of prayer and its wonders is a true testimonial for this young father to share with his family and the world.
I can only hope that my belief in the Almighty and what he can do for me is as strong as this young man’s faith. I know that I can always call upon the Lord when my life is spinning out of control and he will give me A SAFE PLACE TO FALL. What a comfort.
About The Author
Copyright 2005 Karen Parker
Usuage Notification Appreciated Contact kspflem@aol.com
I am a Christian and believe in the power of prayer. A mother of 4 and a homemaker I hope to get the message out to people in my community and the world that God truly lives. My hobbies are writing, reading, and homemaking.
