1072. Now What? When There Is Nothing Left to Forgive

Most church customers who believe in Jesus have been taught they are just sinners (saved by grace) with unclean hearts ... and need to keep seeking a renewed forgiveness from God whenever they fail or fall short. This often becomes a heavily embedded routine that isn't exactly going to strengthen one's true identity as a person who is declared to be righteous and holy, apart from works. It keeps Christians in a state of a sin consciousness—similar to Jewish people under the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant—bringing a continuous reminder of sins day to day and year to year.

The gospel of grace has revealed forgiveness by God has been completed through the blood of Jesus, once for all, and many centuries ago. God remembers sins no more in a new and better covenant. They were taken away! Now we begin to see the inconsistencies of the 'Christian religion' insisting we remind God for personal sins that He said would no longer be remembered.

Christ fulfilled forgiveness forever, having thrown sins as far as the east is from the west. With that in mind, how does one 'kick the habit' of confessing every single wrongful thought or action that they can't possibly keep up with? How does a believer in Christ respond when tempted ... and is it possible to overcome unhelpful habits that are not really a part of who you are in Him? The answer is yes, we are well equipped to receive supernatural assistance.




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1071. Forgiveness From God: Contrasting the Old Covenant to the New

One of the biggest struggles for those who have been chained to various types of legalism is the worry that God hasn't forgiven them. Perhaps such a concern is because of something they did or they may have frequently done. It usually results in people feeling as though they need to repeatedly seek more forgiveness from God, over and over again. This leaves people wondering from day to day if they are truly forgiven.

This has similarities to the Jewish people under the obsolete Old Covenant, before the cross and resurrection. They kept offering one bloody animal sacrifice after the other—which only provided a temporary covering or atonement. If a renewed forgiveness by God is still needed whenever one falls short of perfect performance, how is it any different from what the writer of Hebrews calls a new and better covenant? The good news is ... Jesus offered one sacrifice (as opposed to many sacrifices under the law). That is all that was needed. He took sin away, once for all, and ended the sacrificial system forever—which God never desired in the first place.

In this episode we mentioned that we have talked about 1 John 1:9 several times over the years. Here is one episode on that subject in case anyone wants to go back and listen.

https://www.growingingrace.org/2024/03/952-fleeing-from-falling-into-forlorn.html




"Clash of the Covenants" book available on Amazon

890. Old Way: Forgive to Be Forgiven; New Way: Forgive Because You’re Forgiven

When Jesus was explaining to His Jewish disciples how they should pray at that time—before the cross—one of the things within the prayer was that they should ask the Father to forgive them based upon how they forgive others. Immediately after this, Jesus told them if they didn't (perfectly) forgive others, God would not forgive them. What a monstrous statement! Does it apply to believers in Christ? This was how it was before the cross. We're taking a look at the context of what Jesus was sharing with His listeners who were still stuck in a hopeless situation under the law when it came to attaining righteousness, forgiveness, and eternal life. If what Jesus stated at that time was true for all future believers after the cross, then His blood was shed needlessly.

On the subject of forgiveness, one of the biggest differences between the Old Covenant compared to the New ... is that forgiveness came through the finished work of Jesus and His blood, which was shed once. As Paul explained, we don't forgive others in order to receive forgiveness from God, but we now have the grace to forgive others because God has already forgiven us.



   
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734. Forgiveness: The Christmas Witness

In order to really get a hold of the complete Christmas message, we’ll need to look beyond the birth of Jesus and the manger scene. The entrance of God into this world as a human being was a prelude to something much bigger than turning water into wine, multiplying fish sandwiches and even raising dead bodies which had been placed into the grave.

God sent Jesus to provide the world with something so massive, magnificent and monumental … that it exceedingly surpasses beyond all that we could ask or think.



   
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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.

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Download Avoiding the Temptation of Seeking God's Forgiveness
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)

"Watch" this episode on YouTube.

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This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program!

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394. You Are Forgiven

It's done. Complete. The issue of sin coming between us and God has been eternally dealt with... And it was God who dealt with it through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Some will ask God to forgive. His response is that He already has. The sacrifice of Christ occurred once and for all... It did not bring temporary forgiveness. New Covenant scriptures declare we are already forgiven. God has already "reconciled the world to Himself and does not count our sins against us." Why? We've been freed from the law that imputed sin to our account. The sacrifice of Christ took sin away forever. Under the New Covenant God declares that "He will remember our sins and iniquities no more." Now we can live in a relationship of unconditional love instead of in fear and judgment. By faith we trust in what Jesus has already accomplished.

You Are Forgiven (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)

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"Watch" this episode on YouTube.

This week's GIG Bite (A quick highlight from this week's program.)

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