Monday: The Thief on the Cross and the “Everlasting Gospel”
In Revelation 14:6, the message to be proclaimed to the world is “the everlasting gospel”. It’s a message of hope for people in a world that, in and of itself, offers no hope at all.
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
Read Luke 23:32-43. How does this story reveal the great hope of the “everlasting gospel” for all sinners?
Writing about the thief, Ellen G. White said that though not a hardened criminal, he had been “seeking to stifle conviction” about Jesus, and so “had plunged deeper and deeper into sin, until he was arrested, tried as a criminal, and condemned to die on the cross”. — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages , p. 749.
Yet, what happened to him? As he hung on the cross, the thief got a glimpse of who Jesus was, and so he cried out: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42, NKJV) .
And how did Jesus respond? Did He say: Well, friend, I’d like to help you, but you should have not stifled your convictions by plunging deeper and deeper into sin? Did Jesus quote one of His earlier sermons: “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20, NKJV) ? Did Jesus, in any way, bring up the thief’s past mistakes?
No. Instead, Jesus turned to this criminal, this thief with a faulty character who had nothing to offer in the way of righteousness and who earlier had been cursing him (Matt. 27:44) . Seeing him as a new man, Jesus said (basically): I am telling you, right now, I am giving you the assurance, right now, that your sin, your crimes, your faults, are forgiven, and thus “you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43, NKJV).
Here is the “everlasting gospel”, the foundation of the first angel’s message. Without this truth, nothing else we teach about the law, the Sabbath, or the state of the dead matters. What good are these teachings without the “everlasting gospel” at the heart of them all?
| What hope can you take for yourself from this story? |
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Universality of the gospel is followed by The Thief on the Cross and the "Everlasting Gospel"
Did the gospel had the power to save both of the thief hanging on the cross?
Absolutely yes.
Why did Jesus answer one of the thief, did not speak to the other?
Luke 23:40 & 41
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Don't you fear God - fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, remorse for his sin was burdening this thief.
Seeing you are (we are) under the same condemnation - we both deserve our punishment. At the foot of the cross we are all the same deserving punishment.
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve but this man has done nothing wrong -
We are punished
we deserve
Contrast
He has done nothing wrong
Proverbs 3:30
Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.
Exodus 20
16 “Do not accuse anyone falsely.
Salvation was available to both but only one was submissive to receive the blessing.
One thief cried out self preservation.
The other cried out I have nothing in myself
As long as I trust in myself, God cannot and will not save me.
Provision has been made complete him. It is all of Christ none of me.
Surrender to him and He will lead you to victory.
Praise and glory belong to you My God and My Savior
From What I can tell Matt 27:44 is the same story as Luke 23:32-43 either from a different perspective or perhaps singular (looking at the original I cannot tell it is plural I.e. 'thieves' in Matt, though I am not a scholar on the subject)
Coming from the last week's study, I'd like to mention the meaning of the word "everlasting", as "eternal, endless, never-ending, perpetual, undying, abiding, enduring, infinite, boundless, timeless..."
Combined with the very last phrase of today's study "Without this truth, nothing else we teach about the law, the Sabbath, or the state of the dead matters. What good are these teachings without the “everlasting gospel” at the heart of them all?"
After all, what is the everlasting gospel?
The everlasting gospel signifies the love of God (for His creation), which is perfectly materialized by His Son living among us, as flesh and blood, the One and Only Jesus, the Savior!
Here is the answer for all the existence of the knowledge in the Bible, a TIMELESS love! And because we are locked in time and because of this timeless love we were given this knowledge! But to escape this deadly condition we need to cultivate within us the EVERLASTING GOSPEL, THE LOVE OF GOD, which is JESUS CHRIST! Infinite, boundless, timeless..."
No matter where a sinner might find themselves, on death row or in the penthouse, repentance is how faith is revealed in sinners. Everything said by this thief in regards to accepting Jesus reveals repentance. This thief believed what the disciples did not yet understand after walking with Jesus for 3+ years. While the disciples were then wondering if they had been deceived by this one they had called "rabbi", the thief demonstrated a strong confidence in Jesus as the messiah and desired to be in the kingdom He had often spoken of to the people. Most looked for a temporal kingdom in the present world, but the thief saw what Abraham and all the faithful had looked for: the earth restored and free from sin. That thief died in the Blessed Hope to come and found peace.
Now just because it wasn't recorded, don't think this thief didn't become ridiculed for demonstrating faith in this dying "savior". Satan was present and was not going to let this example of faith go undisputed. No one can exercise faith in Christ without being opposed by the adversary.
The faith shown by the thief who asked Jesus to remember him is the sum total of John 3:16. And John 3:16 is the everlasting gospel in capsel.
God sees us, as we are, not as we were. I also see true repentance in the thief. He recognised that whatever he had done to be put up there on the cross was sinful and he was willing to be put to death because of his sin. When he asked Jesus to remember him, he accepted Jesus as the saviour. And he was forgiven of his sins right there on the cross when he expressed his faith.
What hope can I take for myself from this story?
The hope that with true repentance, like the thief, we will also receive forgiveness and be with Jesus in His Kingdom when He returns.
Jesus didn't make a special deal with the repentant thief or save the thief any differently than He saves all of us. Many are like the prodigal son's older brother, who mistakenly credit our years of service towards salvation. The repentant thief was saved the same way Methuselah was after 969 years of service, -by grace alone.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
Amen, it is by grace through faith(of Christ), that we are saved, for there is nothing a sinful man can do to please God., but it is only through Christ and our Lord and saviour.
Yet, some quote from Revelation 22:12 and say that there has to be WORKS in our lives for God to save us. So my question would be as per the Repentant thief, Where were his "works," for God to save him? Some claim that his confession of his faith in Jesus' to save him were his "works," that God will count on the thief's behalf to save him as per Revelation 22:12. But to me, a confession of faith IS NOT WORKS at all. Works require Physical action. The thief had no physical ability hanging there on his cross to PERFORM ANY WORKS AT ALL.
How does the theif on the cross story, illistrate the everlasting gospel? Jesus Saves! Jesus saves those who turn to Him. Hebrews 7:25. Those who believe in Him. He saves those who seek refuage in Him. Psalms 62:7. Psalms 94:22. Proverbs 14:26. The thief on the cross turned to the other thief and essentially said, "He is the Son of God, have respect"(He believed). Then he turned to Christ and said: "Remember me in Thy kingdom( He asked)(He claimed). Luke 23:40-42. ABC's of revieving salvation. Awe, but you say salvation is a gift. Yes indeed, but only if you ask, believe , and claim, will you recieve this gift. "But Christ as the precious pearl, and our privilege of possessing this heavenly treasure, is the theme on which we most need to dwell. The time of the Holy Spirit’s power is the time when in a special sense the heavenly gift is sought and found." Christ Object Lessons p.118. Share.
The everlasting gospel is the good news that God has a rescue package for humanity.
As part of this, I would propose that God offers forgiveness to us as a grace-based gift. And I would propose that it is part of God's nature to offer forgiveness freely - it compliments His compassion. This was reflected in Jesus statement on the cross for God to forgive those who knew not what they were doing (Luke 23:34). And it was also reflected in Jesus parable of the prodigal son's father (Luke 15:20). Thus, forgiveness is offered unconditionally.
However, in order for that forgiveness to benefit me, I need to come to repentance. This is why God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9). Thus forgiveness is received conditionally.
Phil, I would only point out that if forgiveness was offered unconditionally, then repentance would not be required, and this is the growing opinion of many in our churches. Yet, the Bible is clear isn't it? "Repent, that your sins may be blotted out...", and who could forget Ps 32:5 or Luke 24:47? The sinner must exercise faith by a choice which is followed by a deliberate action. Faith is not an agreement or mental acceptance, but seen in actions/choices(Mark 2:5).
By faith: Noah built an ark, Abram left home and followed the Lord, Jacob offered repentance and leaned on the Everlasting Arm of his Savior, Joseph resisted the tempter, Namaan washed in the muddy Jordan 7 times, Daniel did not defile himself with the king's food, the three Hebrews did not bow to the golden image, etc.
Forgiveness is offered on the condition of acceptance through faith(Rom 3:25,26, John 3:14-18). God cannot force justification on the unrepentant. What is God saying in Jer 11:1-5? Has the condition for restoration changed since Adam and Eve if God is unchanging?
I agree, forgiveness is possible because of grace, and not because we somehow deserve it, but simply out of God's love and pity for sinners, but it is not offered without real and specific conditions.
Hi Robert
I view the phenomena, of which forgiveness is a part, a little more complexly than a single entity. Forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation are related elements, but they are also distinct.
As I see it, there is one person/party who has done nothing wrong, and then there is the other person/party who has done the wrong to the innocent person/party. I believe forgiveness is (and needs to be as explained below) offered by the innocent person/party unconditionally - but that alone will not be sufficient for reconciliation (or salvation).
In order for there to be a reception of this offered forgiveness by the 'guilty' party and potential reconciliation, there must be genuine repentance on the part of the one who has done 'wrong'. Hence, as I see it, repentance is offered by the one party unconditionally - but in order for it to benefit the the other party, it must be acted upon via repentance and is therefore 'received' conditionally (ie upon condition of repentance - otherwise it is not actually received).
If forgiveness were not offered unconditionally, then if someone wronged me and didn't repent of it, I would remain 'bound' to them. However, because forgiveness is offered unconditionally, even if they don't repent, I can be free from that 'bond' even though there will be no reconciliation.
Ok, I see you are talking about having a forgiving spirit, and not the specifics of justification/pardon. No unrepentant sinner will receive pardon, though Jesus' death was sufficient for it if they would but repent. Jesus is the living proof of God's forgiving spirit, yet the judgment will not be so forgiving to the unrepentant, though God's love for them has never changed.
As I see it, what I am referring to also applies to justification.
God offers forgiveness freely and unconditionally - but in order for me to benefit from that offer, I need to surrender doing things my way and instead live in harmony with the values of the Kingdom of God which alone can promote life (ie, I necessarily need to come to repentance). Unconditionally offered - conditionally accepted.
So I am essentially in agreement with you that no person with a hardened/unrepentant heart will receive the benefits of the salvation that they might otherwise have benefited from.
"No unrepentant sinner will receive pardon"
Sorry, but that is NOT what the Bible says. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8). See also John 3:16.
We are saved by our belief (faith) in what Jesus has done for us as a gift (grace), without conditions. As long we place conditions on what God gave us as a gift, we lose salvation ("fall from grace" Galatians 5:4).
So ironically, by insisting that repentance, keeping the commandments or any other works saves us, we are actually sacrificing our salvation in that exact manner. It's either a gift, or something you earn. It cannot be both. If we insist on earning it, we surrender the gift and are lost.
David did not repent before he was forgiven (2 Samuel 12:13) but afterwards (Psalm 32:5). Many other examples if the Bible of forgiveness without prior repentance (Numbers 14:20; Isaiah 44:22; Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20; Luke 7:48; Luke 7:47; Colossians 2:13; Matthew 9:5).
Colossians 3:13 brings this home for me. We are to forgive others "just as the Lord forgave you..." Nowhere in the Bible are we told to wait to forgive others until they confess/repent to us.
Hi Sieg
I can appreciate your response.
"It's either a gift, or something you earn. It cannot be both."
I see there is a third alternative: a gift that must be applied. Does the application of the gift mean that I earned the gift? No. An analogy might be if I have life-threatening cancer and the doctor gives me the gift of chemotherapy. Do I have to do something with this gift? Yes. Does doing something with it mean that I earned or merited it? Absolutely not - it is and will always be a grace-gift. But I will need to apply it collaboratively or it will do me no good.
God saves me from sin: not by saving me from the consequences of sin, but by restoring me back to His image again via giving me a new heart and right Spirit so that that I can actively co-operate with the Holy Spirit in the process of the redevelopment of my character to Christlikeness - a collaborative process, but NOT one that I earn/merit.
Paul and James had much to say alone these lines.
Seig, repentance is an act of faith, and yes, it is the condition Jesus has set for receiving pardon/justification.
Agree with your comment Phil. Justification must be received by faith, through repentance.
If the local grocer offers free bananas on Monday, I must go on Monday to pick them up. The offer doesn't include home delivery, peeling and then stuffing them down my throat. I must want them and do my part to receive them if I wish to enjoy the free gift.
God will impose nothing upon sinners, but extends a wonderful invitation. No one was forced onto the ark when the flood came, but all were invited.
Hi Robert
Have to say I enjoyed and appreciated the humorous way you put this: "The offer doesn't include home delivery, peeling and then stuffing them down my throat." It put a smile on my dial. Thanks
Hi Robert:
You said, "No one was forced onto the ark when the flood came, but all were invited." This actually makes my point. No one had to repent to enter the ark, they were invited and only had to believe and say "yes, thank you." Same with us. We will repent, obey and do good works but we will do so as a result of being saved, not as conditions for being saved.
You also said repentance "is the condition Jesus has set for receiving pardon/justification." If there are conditions, than salvation cannot be by grace (i.e., freely given and unmerited).
Our salvation is by grace, not works. The claim that works are necessary to earn salvation comes from satan, not Christ. It is satan who wants us to believe that we have to earn our salvation and, since it is impossible to do so, no one should be saved.
At the risk of what I am about to say being misunderstood, salvation is conditional. It is conditional upon my surrender to and acceptance of salvation. Please read on to the end to see more fully what I am saying...
Salvation is a free and grace-based gift. I can do nothing to EARN it. But unless I make use of the gift, it can not benefit/save me.
To illustrate, I decide to jump into rough waters even though I am warned by the lifeguard on duty not to go because there is a dangerous undercurrent that will cause me to drown. I do this because I don't like the apparent restrictions that such a warning SEEMS to 'impose'. Instead, I believe I will experience greater freedom if, instead of heeding the warning, I 'do what seems right in my own eyes (Judges 21:25). So, I 'rebel' agains the warning and do my own thing.
And I start to drown. The lifeguard throws me a lifeline - a grace-based gift. What will be needed for me to benefit from this life-saving gift? I will need to surrender my attitude of independence and instead embrace the opposite attitude that the way of the warning was infact better than my 'rebellion'. I have to cease walking in my own will and instead turn around 180 degrees and walk in the will of the one who I now realise knows best. This is the meaning behind the Greek word repent (to cease and desist, turn around and start heading in the opposite direction to what I was going).
But that's not all, I have to also 'work' to grab hold of the lifeline and cooperate with its pulling me to safety. Does this 'work' mean I am earning my salvation - that I can arrive on shore and then say to the person who threw me the lifeline, "I did such a good job of holding onto and cooperating with that lifeline that I actually deserved to have it thrown to me in the first place!"
Salvation is an unconditional gift. I did nothing to deserve to have the lifeline thrown to me. But salvation will only benefit me on the condition that I actively cooperate with the salvation process. Unless I let go of my determination to 'do life my way' and actively submit and surrender to God's salvation work, I will drown with an unused lifeline sitting right beside me.
One further point I need to emphasis due to the limits of my analogy, I don't surrender my independent/'rebelious' attitude or take hold of the lifeline in my own strength - God also gives me the strength to do so and also does everything possible to try and entice me to want to surrender my independent attitude in the first place. God both 'woos' me and will 'energise' me. But all of His efforts will only result in my salvation if I am willing and actively cooperate with His efforts to save me.
Thus, the gift of salvation is unconditionally offered, but conditionally received and applied. The key condition: "whosoever will" (Jn 3:16).
REPENTANCE IS NOT A PRE-REQUISITE TO fORGIVENESS
"Just here is a point on which many may err, and hence they fail of receiving the help that Christ desires to give them. They think that they cannot come to Christ unless they first repent, and that repentance prepares for the forgiveness of their sins. It is true that repentance does precede the forgiveness of sins; for it is only the broken and contrite heart that will feel the need of a Saviour. But must the sinner wait till he has repented before he can come to Jesus? Is repentance to be made an obstacle between the sinner and the Saviour?
The Bible does not teach that the sinner must repent before he can heed the invitation of Christ, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. It is the virtue that goes forth from Christ, that leads to genuine repentance. Peter made the matter clear in his statement to the Israelites when he said, "Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts 5:31. We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ.
Christ is the source of every right impulse. He is the only one that can implant in the heart enmity against sin. Every desire for truth and purity, every conviction of our own sinfulness, is an evidence that His Spirit is moving upon our hearts.
Jesus has said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32. Christ must be revealed to the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible; and as the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, impresses the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul." Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, pp. 26-27
You are correct, Jordan.
Repentance is not a PRE-requisite, but it is a requisite to our capacity to benefit from the grace-based forgiveness that God freely offers.
And as the quote well hilights, we absolutely need God's drawing that leads us to repentance. God cannot save us without our cooperation - and we are incapable of participating in that salvation without God's drawing and empowering.
Let us understand this quote from Ellen before we define it improperly. Did you notice this sentence: " It is true that repentance does precede the forgiveness of sins; for it is only the broken and contrite heart that will feel the need of a Saviour."?
One can turn to Jesus for help without needing to repent in order for Jesus to answer the doorbell. BUT, for pardon/justification, repentance must be made, or there is no pardon available. Do we see the difference?
When a sinner finds there is a Savior and comes to Him for help, what does the Savior tell the sinner(Mark 1:15)? There is no salvation without repentance. Notice the letters to the 7 churches, that with the exception of 2, all are called to "repent", because He knows their works, and the other two had already repented.
Read Zechariah 3:1-7 and notice what takes place here. Does this make sense, and help to explain the quote from Ellen?
Thanks for your response Robert - appreciated for leading me to critically re-check my beliefs and the basis for them.
Yes, that is what Ellen White said. However, was she referring to (a) God's offering of forgiveness, or (b) our capacity to benefit from the forgiveness offered by God? I believe these are 2 interrelated yet distinct dimensions of forgiveness.
If you haven't already done so, have a bit of a dig into the meaning behind the word 'repent' in the Greek and let me know what you find. Or, if you have already done so, let me know what you understand by this concept from the Greek. This is because a person's understanding of the concept of repentance will have direct bearing on the statement "One can turn to Jesus for help without needing to repent".
Based on my findings and therefore my understanding/belief regarding the meaning of the concept of repent, without repentance, I won't ever be pressing the doorbell in the first instance.
IF we ask for forgiveness of our sins He is faithful and just to give forgivness of us of our sins, wait, He does not stop there. He cleanses us from all unrighteousness. And we only asked for foregiveness, but that is the wounderful God we believe in. 1John 1:9.
Forgiveness and cleansing from sin are the same thing, just two different metaphors. If you referring to the longer process of transformation of holiness, then that is another thing again. However, our salvation is accomplished by Christ who forgives us and cleanses us the moment we believe, applying to our case the benefits of his death and resurrection.
Amen Jordan. This is the righteousness by faith message that Jesus taught, Ellen White taught and Paul taught in the New Testament. Yet, it remains poorly understood and vastly underappreciated. Consequently, many clamor to "meet the conditions" or "cooperate enough" to earn what God has freely given us as a gift of grace... if only we believe.
It is almost as if many SDAs are telling Noah "we will only get on the ark if we are able to earn our ticket." And so they will be lost... sadly... but surely.
Sieg
You are spot on when you note that Righteousness by faith remains poorly understood and vastly under appreciated. And you are also correct that there are those who believe that clamouring to 'meet the conditions' or 'cooperate enough' constitutes EARNING what God has freely given as a gift of grace.
I would ask the question: does any an all work/ing unequivocally constitute EARNING salvation? Or is it not the work/ing per se, but the motivation underpinning the working that is the real issue?
Have a careful, entire read of this Ellen White quote - the essence of which is repeated numerous times throughout her entire writings (so it is not just a one-off or 'out of context' quote):
"Our spiritual strength and blessing will be proportionate to the labor of love and good works which we perform. The injunction of the apostle is, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Keeping the commandments of God requires of us good works, self-denial, self-sacrifice, and devotion for the good of others; not that our good works alone can save us, but that we surely cannot be saved without good works. After we have done all that we are capable of doing, we are then to say, We have done no more than our duty, and at best are unprofitable servants, unworthy of the smallest favor from God. Christ must be our righteousness, and the crown of our rejoicing. {RH July 13, 1886, par. 11}"
As Ellen White points out (and I believe is consistent with scripture, so I am only using Ellen White as an example commentator, I am not basing my view on Ellen White), salvation involves much work/ing, in which we necessarily actively participate (because God can not and will not coerce us into salvation - coercion is opposed to God's way). But this work/ing is NEVER TO EARN our salvation - it is just a necessary part of it.
I'd like to lend support to what Phil wrote, and add that being saved, means being saved from sin. Not from death alone, but from the sin of which this death is only the wages.
Notice what Paul states in his farewell benediction to the Ephesians in Acts 20:32..."And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." Yes, with "them which are sanctified" or holy. Like Jesus, they will go around "doing good" with works that will glorify God. These works are the result of being saved, and without this holiness, "no man will see the Lord"(Heb 12:14). This requires sinners to make choices and act on them...in faith(see Heb 11).
Salvation from sin is never earned, but must be received by faith. If salvation isn't received, the works will reveal it. This is why the judgment is about works, which reveal faith or unbelief with unerring accuracy. Example: the missing fruit from the forbidden tree, the missing robe of light replaced with fig leaves, the fear which led the once holy pair to hide from their Creator; all these "works" testified of unbelief didn't they? What was the result? Banishment from the garden and the death of Jesus was fixed on the calendar.
Yes, we may become righteous by faith, which is the result of believing in Jesus who called all to "repent(of sin) and believe the Gospel", which is "the power of God unto salvation(from sinning) to everyone who believes".
Hi Jordan
As your first two sentences illustrate, you are correct that forgiveness and cleansing can refer to essentially the same thing in some instances - while in other instances forgiveness and cleansing can refer to distinct though related dimensions.
This is related to what a person considers under the term 'cleanse'. There appear to essentially be 2 conceptions of this term.
One conception is where someone or something else 'mops up' the contamination I have experienced as a consequence of something I have done (either accidentally or as a result of negligence, recklessness or possibly even intentional flirting with danger). The idea behind this conception of cleanse is that I am essentially (or perhaps completely) a passive 'participant' (an oxymoron, I know) in the cleansing process. It is something done to me - a relatively of wholly instant 'fix' that makes the consequences go away for me. Maybe I could also call this a 'get out of jail or free' view.
The other conception of cleanse is where a process is commenced that progressively works to redress the underlying source/cause of the contamination that would, if left untreated, continue to generate contamination. This conception is a healing and restoring (in terms of restoring the underlying mechanism) rather than a 'fixing' that merely removes the symptoms. Under this conceptualisation, I am an active co-participant in the process and it is a progressive (growth/re-growth) process.
An example to illustrate the difference might be my cardiologist informing me that I am at risk of having a heart attack. So (for the sake of my illustration only) I persuade the cardiologist to perform a preventative coronary bypass to 'take away' the consequences of my 'sin' (ie eating in violation of the principles that promote health). But I keep on eating the same as always. The cardiologist has 'cleansed' my coronary artery (I know, I am reaching the limitations of analogy), but have I really been cleansed? What if, instead, my cardiologist begins to work with me to reform my nutritional habits - including working to address the emotional factors that lead me to comfort eat foods that are detrimental to me? Over time, what happens to my arterial health - and, given sufficient time, what happens to my desire to eat unhealthy food? And, as a consequence, what happens to my risk of coronary heart disease? Am I being 'cleansed' from poor health via actual restoration to good health?
While the first conceptualisation of cleanse that I mentioned above is typically considered a verb use of the term and the second conceptualisation a noun, I would contend that the second conceptualisation can also be a verb term as a present ongoing tense verb.
If I look at Strong's explanation of the word cleanse (a verb) in 1 Jn 1:9, it states "to free from the guilt of sin, to purify". If I choose one or the other from this explanation, I run into problems. I would contend that the cleansing referred to in 1 Jn 1:9 involves both - to free from the 'guilt' (ie consequences) of sin via purifying (a present tense ongoing progressive process of healing and restoration).
What is the relevance of all this? Am I merely making an argument about semantics for the sake of it?
I would propose that within Christianity there are divergent views of what salvation is. Is salvation the process whereby I am saved from the sin by merely having the consequences of my sin taken away, or is it the process whereby I am actually being healed and restored (which by nature is a progressive process) back into the image of God again so that I more and more habitually want to, and actually do, walk in harmony with the ways of then Kingdom of God? Is Jesus work of atonement to merely take away my sins - or to actually take away sin by actually healing and 'cleansing' the sin tendency that I inherited (Ps 51:5; Rom 5:12,14) through restoring me back into God's image like my ancestors once had prior to Gen 3?
Hi John
May I humbly suggest that 'confess' (1 Jn 1:9), while it entails asking for forgiveness, encompasses more than only asking for forgiveness: that is also encompasses (among other things) an awareness that the way I am headed is actually problematic; that I need to do things differently; and that I also need help beyond myself to do things differently? In other words, an awareness that I need 'cleansing' from unrighteousness so I can be healed and restored to righteousness? This would seem to be in harmony with what you have said in your other comment below regarding walking with God in the light of His Word.
But what I have proposed in no way diminishes your final words: the wonderful God we believe in!
Yes, but some of us seem to forget that believing is continuing to walk in the light of His word, and do His good will. Yes salvation is out there for all who will believe. Do we believe strongly enough to seek it, devoid self, turn our bad habits over to Christ, have a tight communion with Christ moment by moment? Do we grasp on to salvation like our life depends on it? The gospel message you just mentioned is great. In fact the only way is to enter the door, is through Christ. With a heart of stone changed by Christ to a heart of flesh, we are born again. If we are born again we will come back to the fold, come to God in faith, look to Jesus, and cling to Him. Also, those who work in harmony with God, those who follow fully the Pattern, will with rapturous joy, exclaim as they behold Him, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us.” We can behold Him now, if we believe. Out of love we share our belief.
I do not take credit for clinging to Christ, nor working in harmony with God nor following fully the Pattern. The credit goes to Christ who changed my heart of stone to a heart of flesh.
Very well said, John.