Let's speak about the Forgiveness of sin.

By: Dov Avnon

The second important subject after salvation or how to be saved is forgiveness. The history if full of teachings that have one thing in common: you have to do something, you have to ask for it, you have to pray for it, you have to pay for it or you have to be baptized in water for it. To make the answer short. Most people and I mean saved people, get confused when I tell them, you do not have to ask for forgiveness but to thank God for it. Why?

Under the LAW OF MOSES

LEVITICUS 5:13 And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him

Under the law that God gave to Moses, we speak about temporary forgiveness through animal sacrifices – temporary because they had to do it over again and again

The sermon on the mountain

MATTHEW 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

MATTHEW 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you

MATTHEW 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Most Bible believers who do not know about the dispensation of Grace that Christ gave to Paul, referring most of the time to the Lord's words when he was on earth. It was at that time conditional. IF IF IF. People think that the sermon on the mountain is Christ's word for everyone today. What most people do not know is that this sermon was for the nation of Israel and not for us, members of the body of Christ under the dispensation of Grace.

The day of Pentecost

ACTS 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The day of Pentecost was one of the feasts that God gave to Israel. It was AFTER Christ died on the Cross and the resurrection. After he was ascended to heaven, and yet we still read about Repent, and be baptized - for the remission of sins…

So we need again to ask ourselves: “ Do we need in this dispensation of Grace first to REPENT than to baptize in water to know that our sins are forgiven? the answer is no. Water or changing of attitude will not help.

So where do we find the real answer and the assurance that our sins are forgiven?

The answer is starting with the Gospel of the grace of God that Christ gave to Paul.

The dispensation of grace.

ACTS 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins

You see it is important to follow Paul if we want to understand how forgiveness is working under the dispensation of Grace. So first Paul was just preaching forgiveness of sins. He did not say Repent, and be baptized - for the remission of sins…. Paul was not preaching the same gospel that Christ gave first to Peter and the other 11 apostles. Paul was preaching the gospel of the grace of God.

EPHESIANS 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

COLOSSIANS 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins

Remember the words IN WHOM– this means the person of Christ.

In whom we have redemption through his blood = deliverance from sin =

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 6

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Romans. 8

So you see the cross under the dispensation of Grace is not just history but the place where God took our SIN our GUILT on HIM. This was not known before and it now preaching when Christ gave to Paul the dispensation of Grace.

through his blood –

Remember – there was never any forgiveness without  BLOOD.

11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17:11

3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Hebrews 10

22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9

The point here is that those people who lived before the dispensation of grace started did not know that forgiveness was only by the blood of Christ. It was not revealed at that time. Those people act in faith. They did just what God told them to do at that time.

Faith + Law of Moses + animal sacrifice

Faith + Law of Moses + animal sacrifice + water baptism

And today under the dispensation of Grace it is just Faith + the blood of Christ on the cross.

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of

God; Romans. 3

the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Here you will find the principle of how forgiveness works in this dispensation of Grace. According to the riches of his grace. Not according to how many times you try to repent. Not according to how many times you ask for it. Not according to how many times you have been baptized in water. according to the riches of his grace. We as sinners save by grace, have a hard time understanding it. You can find a person that committed murder or other heavy crimes. Crimes that society will never forgive you and will put you in jail. But when you come to God's grace under the dispensation of Grace even this person can have forgiveness. Not according to his works but only according to the riches of His grace and the blood of Christ on the cross.

Forgiving one another

EPHESIANS 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Now after you know that you have forgiveness the question is – what is the motivation to forgive each other? Is it because Christ will not forgive you? No, He already doe it. Whether you will forgive someone or not, God already forgives you through Christ our Lord.

Forgiveness is not forgetting what happened but putting all the anger and the wrath and the revenge on the cross of Christ. You forgive someone not because you like it or you can do it on your own but because God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

COLOSSIANS 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Forgiveness of sin is through the blood of Christ – We forgive because Christ already forgave us. Forgiveness of sin is also a very important part of the finished work of Christ on the Cross.

9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power

11 In whom also ye are circumcised

with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 Buried with him in baptism,

wherein also ye have risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

having forgiven you all trespasses;

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances

that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

So now we understand how important it is to preach that we have forgiveness. To learn People should thank God for what He has already done for them and not ask again and again the same thing, while God says in His word “I already do it for you on the Cross through Jesus Christ.”

If we confess our sins

1 JOHN 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 JOHN 2:12 I write unto you, little children because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

I think the verse in 1 John confuses many who do not know that we are living under the dispensation of Grace.

As we already see it, under the dispensation of Grace we have full forgiveness through the blood of Christ and not because - If we confess our sins. As a saved person there are times in life when you know that something went wrong and you did serve the sin, you did let the sin have control of your life, but even then you already have the forgiveness even if on your part there was no any confessing or admitting that you were wrong.

 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are Romans 6

The verse in 1 John 1:9 was written as part of the gospel to the circumcisions that Christ gave to Peter James and John. This gospel will be more effective during the tribulation period after Christ already takes the Church. I know many are struggling with this point so I will emphasize again the main point. Under this dispensation of Grace, it is not:

If we confess our sins But

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Eph 1:7

For God is de glory Amen

Dov Avnon

www.gracegospel.nl