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




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1037. Under Grace: Forgive Others *Because* God Has Forgiven You

Have you lived in fear of wondering whether God has forgiven you because you've had struggles forgiving others? This is often related to a "scary" statement Jesus made to His disciples during the "Sermon on the Mount." But we need to consider why Jesus said what He said and to whom He was speaking. In the previous chapter during His talk with these Jewish disciples who were still under an impossible law, He explained their righteousness will need to exceed that of the Pharisees—the assumed pinnacle of dedication to God at that time. Ultimately, Jesus summed it up by saying they would need to be perfect in all that they did when it came to the law.

What Jesus said after providing them with instructions for praying was not a threat for us who live in a different covenant of grace. "Forgive others or God won't forgive you." This was based on the law they were under at that time ... a completely different system. But without the knowledge of differentiating between two different covenants, Bible verses will be misapplied. Now, in order for us to forgive others—which is important—we begin to grow in our understanding of how God has already and completely forgiven us through Jesus Christ and His blood. With the help of God's Spirit from within, we have been empowered to forgive in the same way God has forgiven us. But let's not allow religion to burden people by getting this backwards. It's not a have-to or a requirement, but a response out of love and grace.



   
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1036. Will God Forgive You if You Don't Forgive Others?

Jesus made a statement to His disciples after giving them what is commonly referred to as The Lord's Prayer in Matthew Chapter 6.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

As we compare this to some things Paul said about forgiveness in Ephesians chapters 1 and 4 (for example), we'll see a contrast. Did Paul and Jesus have a theological disagreement? Of course, this is not the case. But something changed from the time Jesus said what He said to His disciples before the cross, and when Paul was writing to believers after the cross. Forgiving others is important ... but it is not required as some sort of quid pro quo in order to be forgiven by God. But the power of God abiding in us will help us to forgive when we think it seems too difficult.



   
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1012. Knowing That You're OK Before God

One of the biggest things people struggle with is wondering where they stand with God. This certainly includes professing Christians who may attend a church building every week. In fact, that may be part of the problem if they are consistently hearing the wrong message. Am I truly forgiven? Am I doing enough? How can I be sure? What more is needed from me?

There is a peace that passes understanding. It starts with knowing that God did everything necessary to bring us near to Him. Knowing in our hearts that we are justified by faith and not through religious efforts, having gained access by faith into this incredible grace He has extended to us. This is where we stand—whether we are aware of it or not. But it is beneficial to know and to embrace it by believing and receiving what the Holy Spirit bears witness to us ... that you are a child of God and He will never depart from you.



   
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952. Fleeing From Falling into the Forlorn Futility of Frequent Forgiveness

When we talk about the once-for-all forgiveness found in the one sacrifice through the blood of Jesus, we'll often notice a variety of spiritual muscle spasms from those who had a (1) particular Bible verse taken out of context and pounded into them for many years, found in 1 John 1:9.

Considering what we have covered in recent programs about forgiveness, how does this mesh with what we find in other passages? Was John really talking to believers to encourage them to remember to confess each individual sin ... sins that God declared He would no longer remember inside of a new and better covenant? And if that were true, where would it leave a person if they didn't confess every wrongdoing? Can we walk in and out of fellowship with God while consistently going back and forth between abiding in the light or darkness? Is it confession or blood that causes us to receive forgiveness?

One more question that absolutely needs to be answered within our hearts: Is the forgiveness of sins from God dependent upon you or something you do ... or is it the result of a Savior who bled, died and rose one time? Let's get some answers with a consistent context that will help make people truly free indeed.



   
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951. Forgiveness Assured for All Time - The High Priest Sat Down

If a believer in Christ becomes tempted to ask God for more forgiveness over and over, this is a sign they have not yet come to realize the plenitude of God's forgiveness that came through the one sacrifice of Jesus. It implies a lack of confidence in His shed blood. But since this is what the bulk of the religious message has coached people to do ... habits and uncertainties can be a challenge to break, especially when approaching these things from an old covenant perspective.

There were many priests under the Mosaic law who daily offered animal sacrifices time after time, yet never taking away sins. They could only provide a temporary covering. Sins kept happening so the blood of bulls and goats kept rolling down the sacrificial conveyor belt. And now the good news ... But the one High Priest (Jesus) "having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God." Why was this Priest able to sit down after the sacrifice of Himself? Because the issue of forgiveness was completed. He finished the job.



   
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950. How Can I Be Sure I'm Completely Forgiven?

Even those claiming to be believers in Christ have experienced a fear of not being forgiven by God, sometimes walking around in guilt and condemnation rather than peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Many have been taught that repeated forgiveness is needed when we stumble—that we are forgiven for past sins up to this moment, but frequent requests must be made to God for more forgiveness when sin rears its ugly head again.

Context is often missing and leads to misunderstandings when we see a statement like Jesus made to His disciples ... that God would only forgive them if they would forgive others. If they did not forgive others, God would not forgive them. (Gulp!). Then we assume Jesus was also speaking to us in this reference. This would not be good news for anyone.

Let's take a closer look at what religion refuses to teach—that the blood of Jesus brought a permanent forgiveness of sins with a single sacrifice "for all time" (past, present, and future).



   
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928. It's Not an Apology, but We Have a Confession

On a number of occasions, the Bible refers to "holding fast to our confession." Notice the confession is singular, not plural. Some might think this has something to do with continuous confessions of sins. But we know our sins were forgiven, taken away, no longer counted against us, and remembered no more by God. The Apostle Paul never once suggested confessing sins to receive a renewed forgiveness from God.

So what were the writers really talking about along these lines after Jesus would have established the New Covenant? Let's take a closer look at why some were encouraged to hold firmly to a good confession of hope ... a confession of Jesus Christ and the gospel.

We take a closer look at not "what" the writer was referencing ... but "who" they were highlighting in this passage and throughout the letter.



   
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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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