Monday: Who is Forgiven?
Isaiah 59:1-21 presents a startling picture of the problem of sin. Fortunately, the Bible also presents the hope of Redemption.
To begin, the first question is, How many of us have sinned? The Bible is unequivocal: All of us have. Redemption, therefore, cannot be based on lack of sin; it must be based on forgiveness (Jer: 31:34). Paul agrees. All have sinned (Rom: 3:9-20, Romans 3:23); so, there can be no distinction on that basis (Rom: 3:22). Those who are justified can be judged as just, only because they receive by faith the gift of God’s righteousness through the sacrifice of Christ.
Read Romans 3:21-24. What are these verses telling us about how we are saved? What hope should they give us in the judgment?
Image © Rolf Jansson at Goodsalt.com
Most people think the question in the judgment is: Who has sinned? But that is not a question that needs to be asked, because everyone has sinned. Instead, the question is: Who is forgiven? God is just when He justifies “the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom: 3:26, NRSV). The deciding factor in the judgment is, Who has received and continues to receive forgiveness by having faith in Jesus?
Now, it is true we are judged by works, but not in the sense that works save us. If so, then faith is made void (Rom: 4:14). Instead, our works reveal whether we truly have been saved (James 2:18).
Why can’t works save us, either now or in the judgment? See Rom: 3:20, Romans 3:23.
It is too late for good works, or obedience to the law, to redeem anyone. The purpose of the law in a sinful world isn’t to save but to point out sin. Instead, “faith working through love” (Gal: 5:6, NRSV), love that is poured into the heart by God’s Spirit (Rom: 5:5), demonstrates that a person has living faith in Jesus (see also James 2:26).
Works are an outward expression, the human manifestation of a saving faith. Hence, a true Christian experience is one in which faith is expressed in a daily commitment to the Lord that is revealed by obedience to the law. In the judgment, God uses works as evidence for His creatures, who cannot read thoughts of faith as He can. But for the converted person, only works following conversion, when the life is empowered by Christ and the Holy Spirit, are relevant in the judgment. The preconversion life of sin has already been washed away by the blood of the Lamb (see Rom: 6:1-23).
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I do not think I really understood what forgiveness was all about until I actually forgave someone. This was not a little, "I forgive you for stepping on my toe and hurting it event". Rather, it had the potential to be life-changing and challenging. I don't want to go into details of the event because that is not the purpose of this post. Before forgiveness was offered, I had to think seriously about the consequences. How do I act towards the forgiven person? What if they do not accept my forgiveness? How is it going to affect other people who also know about it? And now forty-five years down the track, I still regard that the event of extending forgiveness as a turning point in my life. It changed my attitude, not only to the other person involved, but my idea of what Christianity is really teaching us.
We sometimes rather tritely talk about God's forgiveness, freely given, but if God has given us the experience of forgiving others and we learn from it, what does it tell us about God? We sometimes surround God with a lot of supernaturalism and try to divorce him from the emotive side of human relationships. Somehow I think that is wrong.
I love the story of the lost sheep:
Forgiveness extended and accepted. Rejoicing in Heaven. That sounds like an emotional caring God.
(Romans 3:21-24 cited), This is the Gospel Jesus preached, which He called all to believe. This is our hope if we indeed believe. If we believe, we will confess and forsake our sins as Jesus has taught us to do. Many claim to believe and follow Jesus, but He will judge every work and “every idle word”, which will either prove or disprove our profession.
"Why can’t works save us, either now or in the judgment? (See Rom. 3:20, 23.)"
We need to understand the teaching of what being saved means, and also the judgment. Without works of righteousness, we cannot be found worthy in the judgment, yet we cannot do good works unless we have been saved from sin. Good works are the result of being saved, and either our good works will stand in the judgment in our defense, or the lack will condemn us.
Salvation is not surviving the Judgment, it is overcoming sin before the judgment. This comes by grace through faith(Eph 2:8,9).
I have such a hard time with that division between faith and works..always trying to make myself better and fail.
We cannot make ourselves better(Jer 13:23). We can only rely on God's "exceeding great and precious promises"(2 Pe 1:4) who is able to "keep you from falling, and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy"(Jude 24).
We may find these promises and claim them in faith, as long as we "repent and believe the Gospel"(Mark 1:15). The Gospel is "the power of God unto salvation" if we believe it(Rom 1:16).
This lesson touches on some very important spiritual Truths yet to be fully settled in the believer’s mind and heart. The Truth of God’s Forgiveness of our iniquity, at its core, is not difficult to understand, but to get passed theology and the interpretation by different denominations which define Forgiveness on their own terms, is another story.
As I understand it - The perfect, sinless life of the Son of God, our Creator, known to us as the man Christ Jesus, provided the means for our Redemption. His unwavering Faith motivated by His never-ending Love for His Father and His children has become our Light. This Heavenly Light is the fulfillment of the promises of the Father to redeem mankind from the darkness of this world and set us on the Way to walk in the Light of Heaven, His Will. Our Savior’s unwavering Love for the Father and us is what made it possible for mankind to find Forgiveness extended to us in His Mercy and Grace.
Rom.8:1-2KJV - ”There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom.6:14KJV - ”For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under Grace.
Rom.10:4-10KJV – v.(8-10) - ”But what saith ‘it’(Christ, the living the word)? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, though shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
His Forgiveness encapsulates the compassion He feels for our state of iniquity. His Forgiveness, extended to all who believe, in its essence, expresses His highest form of Love for His creature.
The Creator decided to become man and fully experience the implications associated with man’s iniquity; experiencing the same agonies the body of flesh endures in its fallen state. The Son of God, the Creator of man left Heaven to become man - Christ Jesus is fully man and God.
Our Creator found His creation - man - worthy of Redemption and Forgiveness. He became our Teacher and the living example of His own Nature, offering to us to receive this same Nature by Faith through His Holy Spirit; to renew and guide our spirit and so direct our physical life in the flesh. The believers eyes are opened, the heart is changed, the desire is now to will to do the Father’s Will.
According to the Love for His child to help him mature in his reflection of the Father, He made a way to forgive our iniquity and allow His Holy Spirit to guide us through our life to establishe in us again the Father’s Image.
Paul says we are saved by the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins, not by our own merits but by the blood of Jesus Christ. Then he says that Just because Jesus saved us once even before we were born does not mean we have go on sinning. When we do sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrightdousness. You better believe it. I do believe Him and in Him. If we are born again, He gives us the power to resist temptation. We have chosen to to resist that temptation because we have developed a love relationship with Him. Without that relationship, we are like sheep gone astray. Thank God He comes looking for us. Because we have chosen to let Him answer our prayer, "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." He has a crown of eternal life waiting for us.
Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:12 AMPC
Reminds me of the marathon runner. 1st year he collapsed and didn't finish. 2nd year he finished the course and relieved a crown. 3rd year he came in 3rd and received a star in the crown. 4th year...I can do all things only through Christ who strengths me.
A question about “the judgment” as mentioned in Monday’s lesson, what is the meaning of John 3:18-21 regarding how the righteous are judged?
Gary – in answer to your question: I understand that the righteous are judged based on their RESPONSE to the Light given to them during their life as they apply Christ's Light by faith. We are admonished to ask for Christ’s Light to come into our heart and mind and so adjust our interaction with the world – John 8:12KJV – ”Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life. Why should anyone reject the ‘Light of Life’, unless he does not regard its Source as valuable and true.
If one does not believe, he cannot follow the Light of Life; “the people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil”; they followed a different spirit to help them navigate through their life.
This person does not see a need to change how he lives his life, “lest his works should be exposed. But, whoever does what is true (according to Christ Jesus’ way of Life), comes to the (His) Light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out IN God.” – John3:18-21
As I understand it, according to the inspired writings of John the Apostel, the righteous are judged by their Faith in Action alone.
I would offer Eccl 12:13,14, along with Rom 8:1(KJV).
All from Adam's race are judged by their works according to the standard: the Law of the Lord, which is perfect(Ps 19:7). This method of judgment will reveal either faith or unbelief, regardless of one's profession. The saved/righteous are found justified in the judgment before Jesus comes, and all who fail of this examination are moved to the final judgment of "the dead" after Jesus gathers the saved to His "Father's house" as promised(John 14:3).
Monday's lesson in a single word is forgiven: the one whose debt is cancelled by a deliberate and conscious act of forgiveness by another. It's a christian, even moral norm we learn from an early age.
Jesus demonstrated forgiveness , lived it, gave it away, required it, but was never in personal need of it. He embedded forgiveness in the Lord's prayer so its included in our daily prayer with him. Is this an indication that forgiveness is a cornerstone of salvation plan? That there is no such thing as an unforgiving Christian?
No matter how many times you forgive, its never enough to stop and remain a Christian.
One problem is having a divisive concept, in the sense of separating faith from works, such an aspect is impossible in a true conversion. The division of the two has led to a lengthy theological discussion. Being saved by faith implies a conversion of the saved that leads to being a person that is reflected in his actions, always being Jesus as our great example.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matt 6:12
Sometimes people say they like the Lord/Jesus in the NT than the Lord/Jesus in the OT because the one in the OT was too strict and would take you out right away but in the NT grace will allow you to keep sinning all the time without any problem. Then you can come to him, ask forgiveness just to go back and commit the same sins. But those who have such reasoning do not know the bible. Both in the old and the new testament shows us a forgiving God who is willing to forgive all who ask for forgiveness. If we cont to live in sin and do not ask for forgiveness the Lord cant save us.