10. THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS- Part Two

There is a teaching that states God forgives all of our sins, past, present and future. Emphasis is made that this forgiveness is linked to our redemption. Ephesians 1:7is used to support this thought. The forgiveness is referred as a past tense experience

This may come from the thought that "we have redemption" and this is past tense. That is, we have redemption and that is past, and we also have forgiveness of sins, this too is past AND this is forgiveness of sins, past, present and future. However, the verb, "have" is in the present tense in Eph. 1:7. A sincere effort is made to contrast a conditional forgiveness as found under Law with a forgiveness that is found under Grace. In the study no. 9, another view is given dealing with an untilted interpretation of forgiveness in the teachings of Jesus under Law and the teachings of Jesus through Paul under Grace.

What is lacking ( in my estimation) is a consideration of a believer's standing (in grace) (and in Christ) before God and the believer's state before God in the world. It is true that God has forgiven a believer's sins, past, present and future in the believer's standing before God. This is the believer's position in grace and in Christ before God.

But in his state, he does find himself in sin and sinning. He also finds fellow believers who have sinned. IF, it was true that all our sins are forgiven, past, present and future, according to Eph. 1:7, then, there would be no necessity for Paul to include Eph. 4:30. For if all sins of all believers are forgiven, past, present and future, then, why do we need to forgive others ? And, why would other believers need to confess their sins to me? It makes no sense (to me ) to rejoice in the forgiveness of all sins, past, present and future, if there is still a need to confess sins to a fellow believer but not to have to confess them to God at the same time. If we sin against a believer, do we not also sin against God at that same moment? Of course we do.

The better solution is acknowledge that there are some teaching principles on forgiveness that are harmonious under Law and under Grace. Our standing before God is our position in Christ and is a relationship. Our state is a practical outworking of this position in the world. Depending on our faithfulness in our walk, we maintain a fellowship. Sin can not hurt our standing, our position, our relationship. But it does affect our state, our walk, our fellowship.

John teaches ( I John 1:7) that if we walk in the light, ……. the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin. As we walk in the light, we are able to discern, to see, to recognize sin in our lives. The cleansing from the blood comes because we are walking in the light and can see the sin, and deal with it by confessing it.

Yes, all our sins are forgiven, past, present, and future, in Christ, in our standing in Him, as God views our position in Christ. God is able to see all this as complete in His Son. But, our practical, personal living in the world is living out the present, and the future on a day by day experience, which includes the listening of believers who sin in the present, and if there is a tomorrow, it will be the future as seen from this day.

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