Forgiveness

Forgiveness, Repentance, and Confession

Important questions:

1. Do we continually need to ask God for forgiveness for our sins? NO

2. When we ask, does he give us more forgiveness? NO

3. If we sin, do we go in and out of rightness with God? NO

Psalm 103:10-13 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Hebrews 10:11-14 11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

The priest never sat down in the tabernacle or the temple because it was believed their work was never done. Jesus sat. He did the unthinkable again. The job was complete. There was no more to do.

The Hebrews tried to obey the law to be in right standing with God. Once a year, on the day of atonement, the high priest would offer up a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. This theology says we must continually get forgiveness for our sins and offer sacrifice to be in right standing with God. Hebrews 9

Colossians 1:12-18 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Are we called to progressive forgiveness? Or has our forgiveness been already settled with God? It is settled in the sacrifce of Jesus.

Repentance and Confession:

Repentance: Defined as a turning around, go the other way. Do you ever worry that you have possibly missed a sin and didn’t confess it?

YOUR SINS ARE NOT YOU! You are created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24

We need to live with a heart of repentance. If we are caught in a sinful habit and cannot break free. Repent. Turn away. Lay aside the sin that so easily entangles you. Hebrews 12:1

We need to be deliberate in turning away, setting aside. We need to be deliberate in repentance. We already have forgiveness and right standing with God. That is complete. We can’t get any more righteous or forgiven.
This is our reasonable service. Romans 12:1 This is walking in the light; this is living in his kingdom.

But I have asked 100 times for God to forgive me for this sin. Yet I still struggle with it. Have you repented? Have you turned from it? Are you taking deliberate steps to deal with it according to God’s word and what he says to do? Or are you just uttering the magic words, please forgive me over and over?

Lord’s prayer. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. How do we forgive AS?

Jesus: Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke (admonish) him; and if he repents, forgive him.

Matthew 18:21-35 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

That’s 490 times. Was Jesus giving us a rule to follow? 491 no need to forgive.

He was making a point about forgiveness. It’s not possible or practical in our strength. And, don’t be a hypocrite. You were forgiven much, do the same.

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Romans 6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life.

As we walk in that newness, we can count on grace and the love of God to lead us into repentance.

Ephesians 4:22-24 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Romans 3:22-26 (NIV) 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Forgiveness was accomplished and completed in the realm of the spirit. Repentance and confession are done in the realm of the natural. (the world in our flesh) A turning away from. It involves action on our part.

God has equipped us to live in our bodies of flesh. Paul says “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God” Galatians 2:20
He never intended us continually seek forgiveness. That was the old way. He sacrificed his life to give us a new way. One of Completeness, security in him and his completed work.

Ephesians 1:7-8 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

Are you a sin ranker?

On the sin scale 1 – 100: White lie = 1, steal an apple from a fruit stand = 20, adultery = 60, murder = 100.

When we rank sin, we assume that we are forgiven as long as we don’t sin.

Do you decide when God is ticked off at you and when he’s happy with you?

Will you have unrepentant sin the minute Jesus returns? Will you have unrepentant sin the moment your heart takes its last beat?

Under the old covenant, some sins were punishable by death. Under the new covenant, all sins are punishable by death. Jesus took that punishment. Paid that price.

We have the assurance in Christ's blood that we are forgiven past present and future. It’s an unchangeable state of being. Not contingent on our goodness or badness. Our doing or not doing.

When we make our state of forgiveness about something we do, the enemy will take full advantage of that. Questioning our identity, even using scripture to shake the assurances we have in Christ.

May we all rest from fruitless labors and enjoy the good news. Living in the fullness of his grace and truth. Amen.