Ezekiel Kimosop Supporter

Are our Past, Present and Future Sins Forgiven in Christ? 

I have heard some Word of Faith Bible teachers make the proclamation that our past, present and future sins rolled together have all been forgiven in advance because Christ has nailed it all to the cross. This is partly true but we need to anchor our theology in the context of the Scripture. 

While it is true that our past sins has been ransomed and that the blood of Jesus is available to cleanse our present sins, It is nowhere taught that in Scripture that our future sins have been blotted in a single blow such that there is nothing to confess or repent for! 

Hebrews 4:15-16 says "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 

We have a continuing assurance that because of our covenant walk with God, we shall obtain the cleansing of sin going into the future and as we are sanctified in Him.

However, there is a problem with the brand of theology that holds that our sins have been given a blanket coverage such that we no longer have any obligation to repent when we transgress against God. This does appear to be the inference drawn by the those who believe that it does not matter how we live now or in the future because every transgression, real or potential, has already been dealt with in one blow at Calvary. 

Yes, our future is potentially secured by Christ but we are yet to experience that future. Yes we are eternally His (John 1:12). However, we do not have a single scripture that authoritatively speaks of a blanket coverage of present or future sins. All believers are under obligation to repent for their and to seek forgiveness from God every moment we sin or are convicted by the Holy Spirit of any inequity in our walk of faith. 

The Bible actually teaches that we are perpetually sinful people owing to our sinful nature and our dwelling in the human flesh. Paul acknowledges that even with the best our best intentions, we can never perfectly please God because of the conflict in us that gravitates us towards disobedience (cf. Romans 7:12-25). Here is why: 1 John 1:8-10 says "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 

Yes God does and will forgive us our sins but nowhere is it taught or implied in the Bible that we have received a blanket forgiveness of all aggregate sins since coming to Christ and into the future such that we are no longer obligated to repent and to seek God's forgiveness. The Priesthood of Jesus is daily available to us to deal with our sins. He stands out to us to cleanse and sanctify us from all unrighteousness when we come to Him in repentance. This is because we can never be perfect in the eyes of God, at least while under the sun. 

What is guaranteed for us is our spiritual heritage in Christ which is eternally secured.Ephesians 4:30 says "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." 

The Word of Faith teachers also claim that God has already released and deposited in us all the spiritual and material resources that we need for this life so that all we need to do is to "stop bothering God" but simply "unlock" our needs from the "power within". Nothing can be further from the truth! God has not abdicated His sovereignty over us. The Bible teaches that we are to daily seek His daily providence for our lives (Matthew 6:9-16) and that He is gracious to meet our need (Luke 11:13; 18:7-8). 

Our doctrines and practices must always be aligned with the truths of Scripture.

The Word of Faith theology is, to this extent, unbiblical

September 21 2017 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

To me, Paul makes clear in Romans that faith in Christ causes sin's former total control over a person to be broken (Romans 6:1-4, 15-18). Therefore, those who have been born again and have been forgiven of past sins for Christ's sake, will not (even though they will remain sinners in this life) continue in a pattern of unacknowledged, unconfessed sin. They will recognize and feel sorrow for (that is, repent of) those sins that they do continue to commit, confess them to God, and seek God's forgiveness for them. (Likewise, Jesus conditioned our forgiveness of others on their repentance (Luke 17:3-4).) As long as such ongoing repentance is present, God will forgive the person's sins for Jesus' sake.

Conversely, however, if a person (even if being an outwardly professing Christian) fails to recognize and feel sorrow for ongoing sins, and to continue to seek God's forgiveness for them, that would indicate that the individual (regardless of external appearances or claimed beliefs) is not in a relationship with God that would allow God to continue to forgive him, just as God in the Old Testament spoke of the people of Judah (despite their descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) being unwilling to turn to Him so that He might forgive them (Isaiah 6:10).

July 21 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Aurel Gheorghe Supporter

On the cross, Christ paid for every sin the human race have, and will ever commit - starting with Adam’s first sin till the very last sin that will be committed on this planet (1 Peter 3:18). 

So, Christ died for all humanity, and all past, present and future sins are forgiven (Rom 5:8). But this means that Christ will forgive all my sins, even the ones I haven’t committed yet? Not at all! I couldn’t find one single Bible text saying that. 

In Matt 12:31 Jesus tells that God can, and will forgive all sins with the exception of "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.” However, there are two conditions for forgiveness: repentance and confession (2 Chronicles 7:14; Ps 32:5; 38:18; Isaiah 55:6-7; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22). 

The Bible talks about two types of sin - known sins, and sins of ignorance. Known sins are committed when we are aware of what we do is wrong, but we do it anyway. God in his mercy however, sends His Spirit who convicts us to repent of these sins. When we are unaware that we are sinning, we commit sins of ignorance (Acts 17:30).

When we are convicted by the Spirit of sin, but refuse to repent and confess, we remain responsible for those sins (Proverbs 28:13). Christ’s death cannot atone for sins we disregard and continue stubbornly to walk in disobedience (John 9:41; Gal 2:17; Heb 10:26-27).

In 1 John 1:9 we read that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Obviously, we cannot repent and confess sins we haven’t committed yet and thus we cannot be forgiven and cleansed from future unrighteousness. 

In a more practical term, imagine someone confessing hurtful things committed against you, telling how sorry he is and asking you for forgiveness – and after you graciously forgave that person to be told that he is planning on committing the same offenses as soon as the opportunity presents itself. All of us would question the sincerity of such confession and be hesitant to grant carte blanche forgiveness. Why would God accept our insincere apologies? (2 Cor 13:5)

July 23 2017 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mark Evans Supporter

God in his wisdom removed us from the equation of Salvation, requiring only that we believe in Jesus, who was sacrificed for our sins and is now risen and seated at the right hand of God. 

Matt 22: 37-40 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

Jesus entered Jerusalem on 4 legs with thousands of other lambs to be sacrificed during Passover. While being examined by Pontius Pilate to find fault in him, the other lambs were being examined by priests looking for fault in them. Jesus was declared faultless and Pilate washed his hands, and the lambs were also declared blemish free. 

The other lambs were then sent to the altar to be sacrificed for only the family that brought them and only for one year till next Passover Feast. Jesus was sent to the cross to be sacrificed for all people for all sin. 

When Jesus' spirit left him, the veil in the Jerusalem Temple was torn in two, giving direct access to God the father. When we sin the veil is not mended back together, denying future access to God. We were cleansed forever by Jesus' blood, the most precious and expensive commodity in the universe. 

Through God's chosen people the Jews, man proved that we cannot be trusted, not even with our own salvation. We are born with a sin nature and when we "repent" (turn from) our unbelief we are "born again" as new creations. 

2 Cor 5: 14-19 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not [a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

There is nothing wrong with confessing sin and asking for forgiveness when we feel sorry for a deed. Whether we express it or not, we are already forgiven. God is very thorough in everything he does and does not leave anything to chance. So there is no chance that we will lose our salvation, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit,no longer to be sin-focused, but God-focused. Once for all means "once for all" and if we sin...

1 John 2:1-2 1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

The only work required of us is believing... 
John 6:28-40 28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life.

April 18 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report