RCA Leadership Handbook 3 Forgiven Completely

Forgiven completely

To forgive is to pardon. It is to set free. A practical definition is to; “let go of my right to hurt you for hurting me.”

Key Scriptures

Ps113:12 as far as the east is from the west so has he removed our transgressions.

Heb10:14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

2cor5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Isa43:25 I am He who blots out your sins and remembers them no more.

Key questions

1.       Do I need to ask for forgiveness after each time I sin?

2.       How do I know if I am going to heaven for sure?

Our understanding of forgiveness

We have all broken Gods laws therefore we are under judgment of His wrath (1). Until we put our faith in what Jesus did on the cross we are like a guilty man in the county jail awaiting sentencing. It is currently, presently, either we are abiding under fear and condemnation or we have forgiveness and eternal life.

Jesus is our substitute. He took the full wrath of God for us on the cross. There is no double jeopardy. There is no wrath left for you. It is not Jesus and your penitence or good deeds or not bad deeds. How arrogant? To think you could supplement the cross, like you could take a drop from the cup of wrath.

God does keep records of every deed, word and thought but those who are forgiven have all their sins blotted out. They are paid in full by the blood of Jesus.  Not only did Jesus take your sinful place to forgive you. That is only half of the exchange; He shares His position in Heaven with you. We will sit on thrones. We will judge the nations and the angels. What a deal! He not only takes our bad but gives us His good.

Forgiveness is more than exoneration. That is the beginning but in that same moment God sends His Spirit into our heart. This is what it is to be born again. This is what it is to be “adopted” into His family. We become joint heirs with Jesus. We then have the Son and the life of the Son. These things are written that we might know that we have eternal life. “The Spirit bears witness with our spirit and we know that we are the sons of God.” If you don’t know, you better know. It is either because you did not understand or you have not experienced. You will have spiritual life if you are forgiven. Do you have an appetite for the things of God? Are you growing more like Him? Do you like His family (church)? His word?

Jesus only died once for all our sins. All your sins, past, present and future were dealt with at the same time, on the cross. When you prayed for forgiveness He heard you. He heard you once and forever. You can only be born again once. In that moment you changed categories. Not from bad to good but rather from outsider to insider, from stranger to family, from guilty to innocent, from spiritually dead to spiritually alive. You do not have to keep asking.

There are carnal minds and immature Christians that would seek to abuse God’s grace. “God forbid” we continue to sin because we are not under his wrath. We should not frustrate the good mercy of God. If we have this attitude I would question if we were ever born again. Living free from sin is far more enjoyable. Sin is but a cheap imitation to what God has freely blessed us with. God’s forgiveness is from His punitive wrath is not other people’s wrath or natural consequences. An STD or a burglary or your car breaking down is not God’s wrath. They are the natural happens. Your sins and other people’s sins make hardships happen. Whiling violating Gods laws after being forgiven will not send you to Hell (God’s wrath) it will have negative impacts on earth and you may incur Gods disciple.

If I saw someone trying to seriously hurt my kids I would do my best to destroy them. They would incur my wrath. It may be death or maiming. It would be bad. But much differently from that is when my kids misbehave, I disciple them. They are still my kids, even when act poorly. They have been born of me. They look more and more like me, they act more and more like me. Of course their bad behavior is forgiven, I love them no matter what because they are my family. Their life goes better when they follow my rules. When they don’t; their bottom gets hurt, toys get taken away, and life is less enjoyable.

Conclusion

Gods forgiveness is complete and in a moment. He stands outside of time. He sees the end from the beginning. Looking back on the cross that took all of your sins reminds us to value Jesus as our substitute.

Driving it home

Take a few minutes and see if you can give a reasonable answer to the questions we started with;

1.       Do I need to ask for forgiveness after each time I sin?

 

2.       How do I know if I am going to heaven for sure?

 

If you can’t answer these questions, what further information is needed?