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NASB | Matthew 6:15 "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 6:15 "But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses. |
Subject: Where are the scriptures, believers? |
Bible Note: Dear Nolan, "Are you, Bill, completely sinless and without sin?" In my spirit, my true identity, I have been joined to Christ's Spirit. I am in spiritual union with Him. Because of that union, my identity has been changed from 'sinner' to 'saint.' So, my spirit, joined to Christ can NEVER sin. My soul (my mind, emotions, and will) can still sin. It is in the process of being sanctified and is not perfect or sinless. My body still has what Paul calls 'indwelling sin.' As Paul says, it is in me but it is NOT me. Left to it's own, it will sin. My body (unfortunately) has not yet been redeemed. But it only houses my soul and spirit. "What happens if you do sin?" If I commit a sin, the Holy Spirit convicts me of that sin and says, "Bill, you just...fill in the blank. Don't you know that you are acting contrary to your new identity in Christ? You don't have to sin anymore. Christ has set you free." So I confess (agree with God) that sin is sin and ask Him to show me where my mind needs to be renewed (exposed to the truth of God's Word). As He renews my mind (a process), my actions follow. "Do you, although you are a believer, not ask for Christ to forgive you of your sins, which were done after you accepted Christ?" No, I don't. If you look at all the verses I posted about forgiveness, you'll see that they are all past tense or present tense. I.e. forgiveness is something we received when we received Christ and we NOW currently possess it. Just as I don't, when I sin, ask God to save me, reconcile me to God, redeem me, justify me, etc. In Him, I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. So, Nolan, if I don't ask God for it, then what do I do? I thank Him for what I already have. I thank Him that He died to forgive that sin and ask Him to conform He in my soul and body to the spiritual image of Christ that is ever present in my spirit. Do you, Nolan, ask God to save you when you sin? Why not? Because He has already done it. Do you ask Him to redeem you when you sin? No, He has already done it. Forgiveness is the same. Asking God for what you already have is not faith. It is unbelief. Asking God to forgive you when you commit a sin is saying that you don't believe He did at the cross. And yet, we will turn right around and tell a sinner, come forward and get ALL your sins forgiven. What we mean is, come forward and get only your past sins forgiven. I have news for you, my friend. Every sin that you ever committed, currently commit, or will ever commit has been paid for at the cross. If Christ blood didn't take away your future sins, then it did nothing with your past sins either. God is outside of time and not bound by our feeble view of it. Christ dealt with sins ONCE and FOR ALL. I'm sorry if you don't believe that. Maybe we should change our hymns and sing: He Took Some of My Sins Away Jesus Paid It Some What Can Wash Away My Sin, Nothing But My Confession Calvary Covers Only What's Confessed Turn Your Eyes Upon Your Sin It Is Almost Finished Praise God, My Sins Are Nearly Gone Talk to the writer of "It Is Well With My Soul" when you get to heaven and tell him he was wrong when he wrote, 'My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross. I bear it no more. It is well with my soul.' Maybe he never read 1 John 1:9. I don't mean to be sarcastic but we have so little understanding of what Christ has done for us. We are so concerned with our sins that His grace eludes us. We are no different that the Jews who had to keep going back to the Day of Atonement, year after year, and asking for more forgiveness. We have them beat. We ask it day after day, sometimes hour by hour. Do you think God is pleased with our lack of faith when Christ said, "IT IS FINISHED! PAID IN FULL!"? In Him, Bill Mc |