Brother Bob said:
1John 1:9 - IF WE CONFESS our sins He is faithful and just TO forgive us our sins AND to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Bob, why do you think that it says, "faithful and
just to forgive us our sins"[/b] and not "faithful and
kind to forgive us our sins".?
Surely this is because He is "just" in his dealings with us and remembers the work that Christ accomplished for us on the cross? To think that Christ has not covered those sins is a bit like saying that all Christ did on the cross was to put us back into the same place as Adam. But this is not so, for we read, (Rom 5:15)
"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many." and in verse 16 we read "And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification."
Rather is it not more logical in the light of the clear teaching of Paul the apostle in Romans about justification by faith alone, that John is speaking of our daily walk with God. For this is an ongoing thing. In other words John is speaking of our
sanctification or growth in the Christian life, rather than our
justification.
Jesus puts it like this (John 14:10) "Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit".
Cleansing from sin comes daily, although the
main problem of our condemnation and separation from God has been dealt with already. for the scripture says again, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin." cleanseth is in the present tense. For although God knows already the sins we are going to commit, we however do not and it is those sins that we commit on a daily basis that we are cleansed from. Although those same sins cannot condemn us
eternally, for that sin has been dealt with at the cross.
That is why it is so important that we grasp the significance of this doctrine of justification by faith alone, before we can go on and walk the Christian life with total freedom and realise this totally new relationship and fellowship we have with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
I for years could not grasp the power of this doctrine for many years untill about 35 years ago in that workshop of mine. Once I had grasped the significance and the extent to which Christ's work cleansed me from sin. Not only cleansing from sin. But the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the new birth. Not only that either. But that I found myself in this totally new relationship with God as an adopted son. (Rom 8:15) "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
And I'm sure you know where that illustration of the apostle's came from? When a Roman wanted to bewstow some special gift upon one of his slaves he would stand up in the presence of all the people and declare, "This day I have adopted this man into my family. He is from now on no longer to be called a slave. But my son."
This is exactly what God has done with us. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear". This bondage was caused by sin. "but ye have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." It is important that we see the significance of this powerful doctrine before we can even attempt to go on in the Christian life. For if our salvation as dependant upon us repenting of even the smallest of sins, then we are lost before we take the smallest step in the Christian life. Well in actual fact we would not be walking the Christian life. We'd be walking our own life, thinking to ourselves. "Oh I must repent of that wicked thought. Now if I take that match, will it be stealing. Or I've just looked on that woman, was it a look of lust or wasn't it?" In other words we would still be in bondage again to fear.
That does not mean that we must not strive to make our calling and election sure by repenting daily of our sins. But the emphasis of repentance has now been shifted from repentance to eternal salvation, to repentance because we are now in a new relationship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Can you see the difference Bob?
For if you read Paul's epistle to the Romans you will see that he goes even further than this new Spiritual relationship with God. Just listen to what we says.
"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Can you see that?
"if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." That means that because we have been redeemed. (bought back)
In other words all our sins have been paid for already. And because of this we are now
heirs. What is an heir? Well he is one who is
legally entitled to receive an inheritance that is due to him. Can you see the significance of that for us? We have been declared legally entitled to receive eternal salvation and eternal fellowship with God. How is that? Because of what Christ did on the cross for us.
That is the extent of the work of Christ on the cross. He died on the cross so that he might save us to the uttermost. "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." as the writer to the Hebrews puts it.
But the apostle Paul doesn't stop there. There's more.
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." That is
US he's talking about. In God's eyes it's all done and dusted as far as He is concerned. To leave anything undone, like leaving us to our own devices and vices after redeeming us by his precious blood would reflect on His glory and we know that He will not give His glory to another.
The old accuser of the saints will be able to come to him and say, "look at the mess that man's in and he a Christian indeed". Take a look at some of the great saints in history. Take the hymn writer William Cowper for example. Many times brought so low in deep depression and conviction of sin. Did that mean that he was not saved because he was afflicted by this mental condition? Of course not.
It truly is a terrible thing that a person will backslide. But that does not mean that he will lose his salvation because he has sinned. For we read again, "
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I say again, it is of the utmost importance that we grasp firmly this doctrine before we can go on to interpret these other things that we read in scripture. For all these other things
must be interpreted in the light of this great and profound doctrine of justification by faith alone. It is then and only then that they can be interpreted aright. This doctrine is taught very clearly in this epistle to the Romans. John and james etc are all speaking to those who were
established in the Christian life and God Himself knows that we all need exhortation to a practical working out of righteousness. But it is essential that in the light of this powerful doctrine of justification by faith alone, that we know that none of the sins that we commit in our daily walk will ever have the power to damn us to hell. Even that verse from John that you quoted proves that. We cannot pit scripture against scripture like this. We must always interpret the unclear by the clear teaching. Also by the way we must also interpret the OT in the light of the NT.
