Usually,
I start these blogs with a little pastoral analogy to ease into the subject
matter gracefully. Today’s topic, however, seems too pressing and weighty for
that.
In my
last entry, I broached the issue of the great apostasy. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2 that before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, an unprecedented
falling away from the faith will take place in Christianity. For more on the
subject of Christians actually being able to fall away from the faith due to
unbelief, see Matthew 24:9-13, Luke 8:13, 1 Timothy 4:1 and Hebrews 3:12-19.
Some of
you reading these Scriptures are simply nodding your heads and saying ‘amen’.
Others, though, find the truth of these words of God difficult to digest
because they personally know people who have turned their backs on Jesus, and they
don’t want to believe that these friends or family could have fallen away. I
can definitely understand that mindset.
A third
group I sometimes run into holds the view that those the biblical writers refer
to as ‘falling away’ couldn’t possibly have been Christians, because… well…
once saved always saved. I get that too, and I used to be in that camp, but the
New Testament clearly teaches that Christians can reject their salvation
through unbelief.
Here’s
the main point for today, though. If beliers can fall away through unbelief,
then all of our future sins have not yet been forgiven by Jesus. I realize that
may sound crazy, but please hear me out.
Though
Jesus died and paid for all sins, once for all, if a Christian’s future sins
were already forgiven when he/she received Christ, then it would be impossible
to ultimately fall away from the faith, for that sin would already be forgiven.
Holding both positions that Jesus forgives all future sins, and Christians call
fall away in unbelief logically negate each other.
But is
that really what the Bible teaches? When we become saved only our past sins are
washed away?
For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former
sins. – 2 Peter 1:9
Peter,
writing to Christians who received a faith just like his by the grace of Jesus,
says that when we were saved, it was our former sins from which we were
purified. These are our sins from long ago.
Please look at these two passages
from 1 John:
I am writing to you, little
children, because your sins have
been forgiven you for His name’s
sake. – 1 John 2:12
If we say that we have no sin, we
are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:8-9
In chapter
two, John says that our sins have already been forgiven. In chapter one, John
says that any of us who say we have no need of God’s forgiveness are liars. Put
those together, and you can see that we have been forgiven of past sins, yet,
we need to be forgiven of present sins, which Jesus is more than capable of
cleansing us of through repentance and His once-for-all atoning work on the
cross.
Finally, though there many more
passages could be referenced, let’s examine one from James.
The prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the
Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven
him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so
that you may be healed. – James 5:15-16
If our
future sins have already been forgiven, why would a Christian's unconfessed
sins cause him/her to become sick? If our future sins have already been
forgiven, why does James say these particular sins in question WILL be forgiven
us?
Where did the early Christians stand
on the matter?
Those
persons who are convinced that what we teach is true, and who promise that they
can live accordingly, are instructed to implore God with prayer and fasting for
the forgiveness of all past sins. – Justin
Martyr 160CE
For to every one who has turned to
God in truth, and with his whole heart, the doors are open, and the thrice-glad
Father receives His truly repentant son. … “Though your sins be as scarlet
wool, I will make them white as snow; though they be blacker than darkness, I
will wash and make them like white wool.” … Forgiveness of past sins, then, God
gives; but of future, each one gives to himself. … By God’s power and human
intercession, and the help of brethren, and sincere repentance, and constant
care, they are corrected. – Clement of Alexandria 195CE,
Interesting.
It’s the total opposite of everything I was taught growing up. Yet, passages
like Ephesians 4:32 tell Christians to forgive one another just like God has
forgiven us. Nowhere in Scripture does God call a person to forgive another
person for future sins. Similarly, nowhere in Scripture do we see God forgive
people for future sins.
Perhaps
the entire Hyper Grace movement is based around the belief that all future sins
have already been forgiven. One prominent Hyper Grace teacher wrote, “All my
sins have been forgiven. … But even after if we sin, don’t start asking God for
forgiveness. Don’t try to confess that sin. Don’t repent of that sin. Get your
eyes up on Jesus. … Keep walking in the grace covenant. Keep declaring your absolute
forgiveness.”
As
unbiblical and uplifting as that may sound, here are some astounding implications
of the Hyper Grace belief that all past, present and future sins have already been forgiven:
v Christians are always considered perfect
in God’s eyes – no matter what abominable activities we’re engaged in.
v Because we are perfect in God’s
sight, there’s no need to try to live to please Him.
v Repentance is actually a rejection
of Jesus' gracious work on the cross.
v The Holy Spirit will never convict Christians
of anything, so any guilt we feel is of the devil.
v Everyone is already redeemed, therefore
salvation is just coming to that awareness.
v All things, including wicked angels,
the demons and Satan himself, will be reconciled to God in the end.
Why don’t
you see that kind of preaching in the Gospels or Acts? Because Hyper Grace is a tradition of men designed to please
the ear of the listener and make preachers rich. Things neither Jesus nor the
Apostles cared anything about.
What they
did care about were people’s souls. So do I. That’s why I’m writing about this
vital issue even though I know it will make some folks uncomfortable.
For more reading on the issue of forgiveness of future sins, please go here and here.
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