This week's Growing in Grace podcast (just posted yesterday) is entitled, "Avoiding the Temptation of Seeking God's Forgiveness." Kap and I were talking about this, and we agreed that it's a rather clever title (haha!). Often in the church, when we think of temptation we immediately think of seeking God's forgiveness! But this title is saying essentially the opposite of that, and there's no doubt that at the very least it will raise the eyebrows of some people, and will anger many more.
Now, Kap and I are absolutely not into being "shock jocks" or saying offensive things just to be offensive. We really, truly have a heart to see people released from the bondage that they are in due to misunderstood passages of scripture and bad teaching that they've received in the church. That's why we say the things we say. And so to address this issue further, I responded to a comment made on Kap's facebook page, to show where we're really coming from. The comment had to do with the common interpretation of 1 John 1:9, which says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
At face value, this one sentence seems to be telling us that every time we sin, we need to "confess it" (admit our guilt"), and that's the common understanding of this verse. But I shared a different view as a response on Kap's page, and here is what I said:
One thing that I do believe is important in good biblical exegesis is to know the circumstances revolving around the writing of a given epistle. Each epistle was, of course, not written in a vacuum, but was written to address not only general doctrinal issues, but also specific problems that arose in each church or community that the writer was writing to.
Many Bible study aids address what was going on in regards to the circumstances surrounding the writing of 1 John. As an example here's what Nelson's Bible Study says in its introduction to 1 John.
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"Gnosticism was a teaching that blended Eastern mysticism with Greek dualism (which claimed that the spirit is completely good, but matter is completely evil)... Based on the concept that matter is evil and spirit is good, some Gnostics concluded that if God was truly good He could not have created the material universe. Therefore, some lesser god had to have created it... The dualistic views of Gnosticism were also reflected in the prevalent belief that Jesus did not have a physical body."
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There was a "mixed crowd" among those who would read John's epistle, including these Gnostics. They believed all matter to be evil, and so "sin" wasn't an issue, as it didn't matter what a person did with their body. The word translated in English as "confess" really means "to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent" in the Greek. It doesn't mean "to admit" or "to plead guilt" as we often use the word in English. John wasn't trying to get Christians to "admit their sins" every time they sinned. Rather, he is addressing the heresy that the Gnostics had infiltrated the church with, that Jesus had not come in the flesh (because to them, all flesh is evil, so Jesus could not have come in the flesh) and that sin was not an issue.
John countered all this with, "we declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — that which we have seen and heard..."
Later on in the epistle, John writes, "I write to you, little children (addressing believers), because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake." 1 John 2:12
So John is saying that they are forgiven. But how did he know they were forgiven? He wasn't with them. He didn't know whether or not they had been 'confessing their sins.' But of course, that wasn't the point. He was addressing heresy, as opposed to instructing the church to admit their sins all the time.
In addition to all this, I read all of Paul's epistles and I don't see one mention of him instructing the church to confess their sins. In the entirety of the book of Romans, which probably contains the longest and most thorough explanation of salvation and life in Christ, there is no mention of confession of sins. And again, none of the epistles were written in a vacuum. They were written to address specific issues that were going on in the churches. Two things that Paul really focused on, for example, was the legalism of the Galatians and the sinful behavior of the Corinthians. When it came to the sinful behavior of the Corinthians, not once did he mention to them any notion of confessing their sins.
He didn't question their salvation and he didn't question whether they were forgiven or not. Rather, he addressed them as "saints" and told them who they were in Christ, and he told them that such behavior was not befitting of the new creations that they were. They had already come to know Christ and were already forgiven and cleansed of all sin. Paul exhorted them to therefore live like the forgiven, justified, sanctified, cleansed people that they already were, due to having been saved by grace through faith, and not through anything they'd done.
And the fact that they (and we) are new creations - that is such a huge thing! A new creation is brand new. It's not new in the sense that "I lost my wallet and so I had to replace it with a new one," because the "new" wallet is essentially the same as the old one and functions in the same way. Rather, we are "new" in the sense of something entirely different than what we previously were. A prerequisite for a new creation is that they've already been forgiven and cleansed of all sin. You can't be this new creation in Christ, and yet be uncleansed and unforgiven. Otherwise, you go back and forth between being in Christ and out of Christ and in Christ and out of Christ and in Christ and out of Christ, over and over and over again. You go back and forth between being cleansed and forgiven, and uncleansed and unforgiven, and cleansed and forgiven and uncleansed and forgiven, over and over again.
The good news is that we were cleansed and forgiven once and for all. We were made a new creation once and for all. When we do things that go against our new creation identity, we remain cleansed and forgiven and we remain a new creation. We are exhorted to live as the new creations that we are, rather than having to go back and be cleansed and forgiven over and over and over and over and over again.
Paul says "ALL things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful, not all things edify." We can do whatever we want, and we don't go back to a state of being "unclean." And Paul says that it's foolishness to behave like that! So the answer isn't the confession of sins over and over again. The answer is for us is, "be transformed by the renewing of your mind on an ongoing basis. You are already cleansed and forgiven and made a new creation forever! Now think on these good things and allow it to transform how you live and relate to God and others.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
408. Avoiding the Temptation of Seeking God's Forgiveness
A big part of what lifeless religion brings about is that it leads people to seek certain things from God that He has already provided. Perhaps one of the most sought-after of these is forgiveness. Even in the majority of Christian circles people will often feel the need to constantly ask the Lord to forgive them of sin and wrongdoing. It's an Old Covenant mentality. This will stem from a lack of understanding about the finished work at the cross and the new-life identity that was provided to all who are in Christ. The issue of sin and forgiveness has already been dealt with by God Himself through Jesus Christ and the power of His blood. Grasping this truth will allow you to avoid condemnation and be able grow in the freedom of His love and grace.
Download Avoiding the Temptation of Seeking God's Forgiveness
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)
"Watch" this episode on YouTube.
This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
407. Giving Up Commandments To Gain Christ
This week's podcast is a follow-up on last week's chat about religious flesh. Often when you hear someone give a Christian testimony it will be based on all the bad stuff they used to do that they don't do any more. But the Apostle Paul revealed how he gave up his efforts to abide by the good commandments of the law and the attempt to establish his own righteousness. Why? Because being in Christ is better. Under the Old Covenant of law and works sin increased (not decreased), and the law aroused the passion to sin. But in Christ sin will not have dominion over you. Why? As Paul stated, because you are not under law but under grace.
Download Giving Up Commandments To Gain Christ
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)
"Watch" this episode on YouTube.
This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
406. What is the Flesh? (The Good, the Bad, the Ugly)
When referring to "the flesh" in the Bible the first thing that comes to mind is probably going to be sinful actions. But walking after the flesh can also at times appear outwardly to be very positive spiritually, and even fruitful. We call it religious flesh. We discuss the differences and offer some encouragement on how to avoid falling into it. Whether it appears to be good or bad, walking after the flesh is ugly compared to life in the Spirit.
Download What is the Flesh? (The Good, the Bad, the Ugly)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)
"Watch" this episode on YouTube.
This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program!
Sunday, August 04, 2013
405. The Destruction and Removal of Sin
Condemnation is a burdensome thing. It may be self-inflicted or it can come from the self-righteous judgment of others. Adam's action brought condemnation. But Jesus' action at the cross brought justification. The act of His sacrifice brought something to us that our world had never experienced... The removal of sin. It was destroyed. Through His blood we not only received eternal forgiveness but sin was taken away once and for all. If you've ever felt guilt because of things you've done wrong, we've got good news for you.
Download The Destruction and Removal of Sin
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)
"Watch" this episode on YouTube.
This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program!
Thursday, August 01, 2013
How Much of What Jesus Said Is for Us Today? (written post)
Hi everyone... This is essentially a "first" for this page. We received an email from someone who had listened to one of our podcasts regarding the words that Jesus spoke, and I thought she had great questions and concerns that others might also have, so I decided to respond with a blog post.
In a previous podcast (actually, in many previous podcasts), we've talked about how Jesus' words as recorded in "the Gospels" were often intended solely for a particular group of people (most often His fellow Jews). The essence of the questions in regards to this is: How do I know which of Jesus' words are for me? Should I discard the gospels as a source of guidance? Since we say that Jesus' words about forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer is a Jewish mandate (and not for Christians), then how should the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35) be interpreted?
Here are my thoughts on all this.
I understand how it may sound like we're saying that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, collectively known as "The Gospels," should be discarded, and we've tried many times over the years to communicate that that's definitely not what we're saying. :) What we're saying is that the New Covenant didn't begin at the start of the book of Matthew, but it actually began after the death of Jesus, and as Paul wrote, Jesus was "born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law..." (Gal 4:4). Jesus did indeed have an "Old Covenant" ministry that led up to His death and resurrection, which then brought about the New Covenant (and ended the Old Covenant). Under the Old Covenant, Jesus spoke many times as a Jew to Jewish people. He taught the Law of Moses and He even put a magnifying glass on it in places such as The Sermon on the Mount. These words are often misunderstood/misinterpreted as "Christian" teachings.
Many years later, the Apostle Paul would write many things about the purpose of the law. The law was "the ministry of death" and "the ministry of condemnation" (2 Cor 3:7-9). It "gave birth to bondage" (Gal 4:24). Etc. God Himself had given the law, and He had purposed it for these reasons that Paul eventually understood. Ultimately, the law was given "so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may become guilty before God" (Rom 3:19). Many things that Jesus said were "mouth stopping" statements! Many things that He said to those who were under the law stopped people from justifying themselves according to the law or according to their own good deeds or sense of righteousness. When measured up against God's standards that Jesus laid out time and time again, all people could do was go away sad, as the rich young ruler did, for example.
Contrast all of this with what we now have in the New Covenant, being freed from law and self attempts at righteousness (self-righteousness). We have already been forgiven of all sins (Eph 1:7, Col 1:14, 2:13), and the exhortation is for us to forgive others because we've already been forgiven. (Eph 4:32, Col 3:13). Under the Old Covenant, including Jesus' Old Covenant teachings in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, if they didn't forgive others, God would not forgive them. But under the New Covenant, which is completely new, and is completely separate and different and much much better than the Old, we have already been forgiven of all sins... because of nothing less than the Blood of Jesus. Everything has changed in this New Covenant, after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
So this is how I look at many of the parables, including the parable of the unforgiving servant. It had a purpose for those to whom it was spoken, but now under the New Covenant we see how things have changed. It's a New and Living way, with Christ Himself as our life, rather than us trying to be and do for Him. All of that said, Jesus did speak words that were meant not only for then, but also for now and forever. There is no formula as to understand which words are meant for us today. The main thing is to understand the New Covenant, especially through reading Paul's epistles and the book of Hebrews, and when we read Jesus' words to different people we can make a better determination as to where He was coming from in each instance. It also doesn't hurt to understand the Old Covenant, as His hearers back then fully understood! Things make much more sense when viewed with the two distinct covenants in mind.
In a previous podcast (actually, in many previous podcasts), we've talked about how Jesus' words as recorded in "the Gospels" were often intended solely for a particular group of people (most often His fellow Jews). The essence of the questions in regards to this is: How do I know which of Jesus' words are for me? Should I discard the gospels as a source of guidance? Since we say that Jesus' words about forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer is a Jewish mandate (and not for Christians), then how should the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35) be interpreted?
Here are my thoughts on all this.
I understand how it may sound like we're saying that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, collectively known as "The Gospels," should be discarded, and we've tried many times over the years to communicate that that's definitely not what we're saying. :) What we're saying is that the New Covenant didn't begin at the start of the book of Matthew, but it actually began after the death of Jesus, and as Paul wrote, Jesus was "born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law..." (Gal 4:4). Jesus did indeed have an "Old Covenant" ministry that led up to His death and resurrection, which then brought about the New Covenant (and ended the Old Covenant). Under the Old Covenant, Jesus spoke many times as a Jew to Jewish people. He taught the Law of Moses and He even put a magnifying glass on it in places such as The Sermon on the Mount. These words are often misunderstood/misinterpreted as "Christian" teachings.
Many years later, the Apostle Paul would write many things about the purpose of the law. The law was "the ministry of death" and "the ministry of condemnation" (2 Cor 3:7-9). It "gave birth to bondage" (Gal 4:24). Etc. God Himself had given the law, and He had purposed it for these reasons that Paul eventually understood. Ultimately, the law was given "so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may become guilty before God" (Rom 3:19). Many things that Jesus said were "mouth stopping" statements! Many things that He said to those who were under the law stopped people from justifying themselves according to the law or according to their own good deeds or sense of righteousness. When measured up against God's standards that Jesus laid out time and time again, all people could do was go away sad, as the rich young ruler did, for example.
Contrast all of this with what we now have in the New Covenant, being freed from law and self attempts at righteousness (self-righteousness). We have already been forgiven of all sins (Eph 1:7, Col 1:14, 2:13), and the exhortation is for us to forgive others because we've already been forgiven. (Eph 4:32, Col 3:13). Under the Old Covenant, including Jesus' Old Covenant teachings in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, if they didn't forgive others, God would not forgive them. But under the New Covenant, which is completely new, and is completely separate and different and much much better than the Old, we have already been forgiven of all sins... because of nothing less than the Blood of Jesus. Everything has changed in this New Covenant, after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
So this is how I look at many of the parables, including the parable of the unforgiving servant. It had a purpose for those to whom it was spoken, but now under the New Covenant we see how things have changed. It's a New and Living way, with Christ Himself as our life, rather than us trying to be and do for Him. All of that said, Jesus did speak words that were meant not only for then, but also for now and forever. There is no formula as to understand which words are meant for us today. The main thing is to understand the New Covenant, especially through reading Paul's epistles and the book of Hebrews, and when we read Jesus' words to different people we can make a better determination as to where He was coming from in each instance. It also doesn't hurt to understand the Old Covenant, as His hearers back then fully understood! Things make much more sense when viewed with the two distinct covenants in mind.
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