THOT [THE HOUR OF TRUTH] 408, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT GOD THINKS ABOUT YOU? Here is another great message on the subject of “Redemption” that I want to share with you. God bless you! It is something to think about! Part 1 of 2 I’m going to begin this by dropping a bomb: SIN IS NO LONGER AN ISSUE WITH GOD; WE ARE REDEEMED! With that statement, you are either rejoicing, shocked, or confused. That is one radical statement, but one I believe I can back up by the Word of God. The message most people hear says that sin breaks your relationship or fellowship with God. The strictest message says that you lose your salvation (“backslide”) every time you sin, until it’s confessed. Others believe your eternal salvation is still secure, but you lose fellowship, can’t get your prayers answered, or can’t be used of God if you sin. That’s not good news, since all of us sin Rom. 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 1 John 1:8, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. CHRISTIANS USUALLY COPE BY TRYING TO KEEP EVERY SIN CONFESSED. LET ME JUST PUT THIS BLUNTLY: THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE! The Bible says that whatever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14:23, And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Do we always walk in faith? James 4:17, [Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.] reveals that sin isn’t only doing things that are wrong, but it’s not doing what we know is right. Would any claim they are loving God and others as they know they should? By these definitions, we all sin through the weakness of our flesh. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP EVERY SIN CONFESSED. Even if it were possible, that puts the burden of salvation on our backs. There wouldn’t be any peace or rest in our relationship with the Lord if that’s the way it worked Rom. 5:1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:). MOST PEOPLE, INCLUDING CHRISTIANS, SEE THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AS SOMETHING THAT GOD CAN DO, AND CONTINUES TO DO, BUT NOT AS SOMETHING HE HAS COMPLETED. From that comes the false concept that we must constantly confess our sins, which makes and keeps us sin conscious. THE NEW TESTAMENT PRESENTS THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AS SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED and that the effect of this redemption is that we are not even to be conscious of sin Heb. 10:1-2, For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. Ask yourself, what produced the forgiveness of sins and when did that happen? Jesus was the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world (John 1:29). It was through the shedding of Jesus’ blood that you received REDEMPTION, WHICH IS THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS Eph. 1:7, In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Col. 1:14, In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: When did Jesus die and shed His blood for our sins? About 2,000 years ago. He will never die again (Rom. 6:9-10). He dealt with the sins of the whole human race once, for all time (Heb. 9:25-28 and 10:10-14). JESUS’ SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS IS ALREADY AN ACCOMPLISHED WORK. WE DON’T HAVE TO ASK JESUS TO FORGIVE OUR SINS; He’s already done it. Paul didn’t tell the Philippian jailor to ask Jesus to forgive him; Paul told him to believe on what Jesus had already done and he would be saved Acts 16:31, And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. We confess the Lord Jesus, not our sins, to receive this gift of salvation Rom. 10:9, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. DOES THAT MEAN EVERYONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD IS SAVED? CERTAINLY NOT, WE HAVE TO RECEIVE FORGIVENESS BY FAITH Acts 26:18, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. The Lord has already forgiven everyone’s sins 1 John 2:2, And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. That’s grace. But we have to put faith in what God has already accomplished by grace to be saved Eph. 2:8, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Therefore, it’s not a person’s many sins that sends them to hell; sin has already been paid for and forgiven. It’s the singular sin of not believing on Jesus that sends a person to hell. It’s their failure to accept what Jesus did for them that puts them into that place of eternal torment. John 16:8-9 says, And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me. THE SINGULAR SIN THE HOLY SPIRIT REPROVES US OF IS THE SIN OF NOT BELIEVING ON JESUS. THAT’S IT. That’s not to say that the Holy Spirit will not show us that things we do are wrong. But He uses them to illustrate that we don’t believe on Jesus. The Holy Spirit isn’t nailing us every time we sin; He loves us back into faith and trust in Jesus. That’s the whole issue with God. What difference does it make in our lives if we accept forgiveness as something that has already been accomplished or not? THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE! It gives us security and peace, knowing that God isn’t mad at us and won’t be mad at us. Our sins are already forgiven—and not just the past sins we committed before we were born again. ALL OF OUR SINS—PAST, PRESENT, AND EVEN FUTURE ONES—ARE ALREADY FORGIVEN. Someone will say, “How can God forgive our sins before we commit them?” Well, you better pray that He can do that, because Jesus only died for our sins once; 2,000 years ago; before you committed any sin. If He can’t forgive sins before you commit them, then you can’t be saved. It says in Hebrews 10:10-12 and 14, By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (emphasis mine). WE HAVE RECEIVED ETERNAL, NOT MOMENTARY, REDEMPTION Heb. 9:12, Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. One sacrifice was made for all sin forever, and we have been perfected forever. How can we read these scriptures and come to any other conclusion than that every sin—past, present, and future—was forgiven and our redemption is eternal? If you have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for your sins by faith, then your spirit is perfect Heb. 12:23, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, Your spirit has been born again. A million years from now, your spirit will be identical to what it is right now, and it is identical to Jesus 1 Cor. 6:17, But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 1 John 4:17, Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. One-third of your redemption is complete. So, am I making light of sin or saying sin doesn’t matter? No! Sin is a terrible thing, and it’s an inroad for Satan into your life Rom. 6:16, Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? I hate sin! … His sacrifice was infinitely greater than all the past, present, and future transgressions of the entire human race. Jesus overpaid the debt we owed. You might say, “What about 1 John 1:9?” I’m glad you brought that up. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (brackets mine). PLEASE DON’T MISS PART 2 IN MONDAY’S ISSUE! Think about it. God bless you and yours. Bill, the man who Jesus loves! “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11. 3/7/2014.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 12:46:15 +0000
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