ARE THE BELIEVER’S PRESENT AND FUTURE SINS AUTOMATICALLY FORGIVEN? [podcast]

MESSAGE RECEIVED/COMMON OBJECTION:

“If Jesus only died for past sins that means He has to ‘die again’ for present & future sins? This is not what the word says. He will not die again because his death fulfilled the law for the believer. Therefore there are no more sins to be forgiven for the believer. But we must still confess sins present & future.”

REPLY:

“He died once” (Romans 6:10). The perfect sacrifice of Jesus is not in question, but the faithfulness of the individual saved person, the recipient of salvation, certainly is. God “cannot deny Himself” – yet “if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:11-13.) Jesus died, offering the perfect sacrifice for ALL sins – past, present, future (Hebrews 9:12, etc.). Yet, the appropriation of His cleansing from sin is contingent upon our continuing to walk in the light with Him (1 John 1:7). It’s not automatic as some have been misled to believe. Jesus taught His own people that they must endure to the end to be saved (Matt 10:22; 24:13, etc.). The Son of God promised that those in Him who do not abide, continue with Him, will be cast into the fire (John 15:6). Jesus died for His church/people “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” He is soon returning “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27). In His Word God has set forth conditions to appropriate His forgiveness. His promises are conditional, not unconditional and if the conditions are not met, the promise will not be given (Isaiah 1:18-20; Hebrews 6:11-12; 10:26-39, etc.).

Excerpt from the book Lie of the Ages 

WHERE did God ever promise you that all FUTURE sins are already forgiven, whether you repent and confess them or not? He didn’t. YES, they are all paid for but only remitted as you walk in the light, enduring to the end of your life (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; 1 John 1:7, etc.).

QUESTION:

“Regarding Jesus’ atonement, did He or did He not die for all the sins of His people (past, present, future)?”

REPLY:

“For IF we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11:31-32

Only “if” we enjoin the LORD in fellowship, judging ourselves and dealing with our sins and iniquitous tendencies, will we be “chastened of the Lord” and “not be condemned with the world.” Those who die outside of God’s grace will stand before Him at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). Here the Holy Spirit blesses us to know exactly how to escape being “condemned with the world” at the Great While Throne (Prov. 28:13; Rev. 20:11-15). One who stands before that Great White Throne Judgment Seat is going to be issued a just sentence for his termination into the bowels of hell which will be engulfed in the lake of fire.

The OSAS proponents tout the unfounded myth that the truly saved person is somehow mysteriously exonerated from all liability, penalty and responsibility of all sins, past, present and FUTURE. Is this supposition biblically accurate? Where is this found in the Bible? To the contrary, the Scripture states something much different:

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are PAST, through the forbearance of God.” Romans 3:25

Here the Lord had the perfect opportunity to tell us that all sins, even future sins, were automatically forgiven regardless of whether or not the transgressors heart was repentant or not. The “sins that are past” are forgiven, thank God, but all future sins will be forgiven when and “if” repentance is rendered toward the Lord by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:13; 1 Jn. 1:7, 9). Actually the LORD had 27 books in the New Testament canon alone to tell His people they are unconditionally forgiven of all future sins no matter what they choose to do, and He simply didn’t. The absence of even the hint of such should make it abundantly clear that the forgiveness of the future sins of the individual believer is contingent upon his choice to continue to walk with Christ’s light (1 Jn. 1:7).

What the OSAS proponent doesn’t acknowledge or understand is that all sins, past, present, and future, have been paid for, yet the forgiveness of them is only appropriated by and granted to the individual when and as confession and repentance is rendered (1 Jn. 1:7, 9). We have the Word of God on this truth! As His Word clearly reveals, God set this system up and any person who disagrees can argue with Him if they wish to. Any person who doesn’t acknowledge this plain Bible truth has fashioned in his heart the image of a false god made in his own sinful image and likeness. When we honestly observe His Counsel, we witness that the LORD simply never indiscriminately washes away sins from anyone. There must be confession and repentance and faith.

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:12). Salvation was paid for by Jesus “once” on the cross 2,000 years ago (Jn. 19:30; 1 Pet. 3:18). God dealt with all sins once and for all on the cross in the sense of satisfying the claims of His perfect justice (Rom. 3:24-25; 2 Cor. 5:19). The way that applies to the individual’s life is different. The same God who dealt with sin on the cross also equally gave condition for men to receive forgiveness – initially and on an ongoing basis. The LORD draws. No person can come to Him except by being drawn by Him – yet He leaves the final decision up to the individual (Jos. 24:15; Jn. 6:44). His desire is to save and not destroy, to rescue and not condemn (Lk. 9:56; Jn. 3:17). The one who will be in right standing with the Almighty must get in and remain in the relational will of God by repentance and faith in Christ alone (Acts 3:19; 20:21). Peter was rescued again or re-converted after sinning (Lk. 22:31-32). James 5:19-20 speaks of restoring or rescuing a perishing brother who errs into sin and spiritual death (James 5:19-20). Spiritual death is separation from God through sin and must be restored to re-establish the relationship (1 Jn. 1:6-10).

Peter denied Jesus three times and yet had to repent or he would not have been forgiven. Peter had to be reconverted – “when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32; James 5:19-20) There are conditions to appropriating Christ’s salvation – initial and ongoing. Moral cowards hate this truth. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Proverbw 28:13) …. It’s only “IFFFF we confess our sins” that God forgives them – it’s not automatic (1 John 1:9).

If sin can’t separate the saved from God, please explain this from Ezekiel 33:12-13. Who’s lying, God or those God-less wolves who teach eternal security/OSAS?

“Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.” Ezekiel 33:12-13

To a defender of Satan’s eternal security/OSAS heresy who was teaching that we are saved by grace and therefore sin cannot separate us from God, this following reply was given:

Saved by grace means one can then live in sin? Wow! Did God cease to be “Holy, holy, holy” in His divine nature because He originally saved high and mighty you? You are clearly teaching the perverted, lascivious (license to sin) version of grace that Jude warned us “ungodly men” would teach (Jude 3-4). Repent sinner. There are several lists of soul-damning sins in the New Testament, warning us that God who is “Holy, holy, holy” will damn all who die in sin (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8; 21:8, 27). You have allowed evil “ungodly men” to poison your mind and disobeyed God by not seeking Him, knowing Him by His Word for yourself (2 Timothy 2:15). OSAS/eternal security is the doctrine of moral cowards, spiritual pansies, who refuse to truly repent, lay down their lives, and follow Jesus for themselves. You are peddling Satan’s OSAS heresy and God is going to judge you if you don’t repent and cease (Genesis 2:17; 3:4).

In many cases, the false security “gospel” is a message received by those who choose to deny Jesus rather than self and still wish to be exonerated for living a life that the Almighty sees as rebellion. In many cases these same people maintain an outward “form of godliness” (2 Tim. 3:1-5). The Word here should be to them an awakening to the reality of getting and staying holy before the living God. The keeping grace of God and a life of repentance are essential to the righteous being preserved to the end (1 Pet. 1:5).

“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” Jude 23-24

Sin Breaches

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” Exodus 32:33

Why would any person who truly loves God want a license to live in rebellion against Him by living in sin and not confessing and repenting? Shouldn’t believers “fight the good fight of faith” and “lay hold on eternal life,” overcoming that which offends the One they claim to love? The command to “Fight the good fight of faith” is written to believers. Saints are to violently fight the good fight of faith, laying hold on eternal life. The divine call is not a call to engage in a physical war but rather one to conquer the flesh, enabling the saint to overcome the enemies of his LORD and Savior (Isa. 58; Lk. 9:23-24; 1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Gal. 2:20; 1 Jn. 3:8). Will He not empower us as we live by faith and obey His Majesty? (2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 2:12-13; 1 Tim. 6:12; 1 Pet. 1:5)

The Exodus of the Israelites under Moses’ leadership (a type of Christ the Deliverer) represents being brought out of sin and the world system by being birthed into the kingdom of light and translated out of the kingdom of darkness (Col. 1:13-14). After being brought out of Egypt and into the promise land, God’s people were then to fight and overcome their enemies through obedience to the One who is their Deliverer, the very Author and Finisher of their faith (Heb. 12:1-3). Deuteronomy 20:1-4 speaks concerning the people of God fighting after they were delivered from sin, Satan, and the world.

Could it be that the person who seeks to justify sin doesn’t truly love God but rather himself? (See James 1:22; 1 Jn 2:4-5; 3:18.) Do they deny Christ or self in their daily lives? It seems that some would rather live this earthly life in honor of themselves and vainly believe that they are “eternally secure” or “once saved always saved.”

“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.” Habakkuk 1:13

The absurdity and rebellion of believing that a holy God would accept and bring to Heaven a vile sinner who walks away from Him, is unholy, sacrilegious, unscriptural, and downright blasphemous.

Did you realize that God broke His promise to His own covenant people due to their rebellion? See Numbers 14.

“…ye shall know my breach of promise.” Numbers 14:34 

The LORD broke (breached) His promise to covenant Israel due to their disobedience (sins against Him). His people refused to meet His just conditions and so they initiated this breach. All of Holy Scripture testifies to the truth that His promises are conditioned upon the obedience of the recipient.

“But your (God’s own people’s) iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

God is holy beloved, and sin separates people from Him. This is a basic Bible reality and without the understanding of this simple truth, we are doomed to be deceived. For the human race, it started with Adam and Eve, who were separated from the Lord when they sinned against His clear command (Gen. 2:17; 3:24; Rom. 5:12). Did Jesus shedding His blood somehow now excuse New Testament believers from living holy? Are their blatant and un-confessed sins not counted against them now? In the absence of any hint of such, the answer is obvious. There is no mythical wand waved over God’s people since Jesus came and died for our sins. There is no automatic covering of the willful sins of saved people. Not one Scripture hints that we are somehow excused from living lives separated unto Him.

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

Did the Almighty somehow cease to be holy? If so, when? If He didn’t, we deceive only ourselves to think He will ever accept sin into His holy Heaven.

There has been no diminishing of the eternal attribute of divine holiness (Lev. 19:2; Isa. 57:15; 1 Tim. 6:16). His attributes are eternal as He is. In fact, because He is holy, He came to die for our sins to make us holy as He is holy. All this He did to initially make us clean and on an ongoing basis as we await our meeting together with Him (Jn. 13:8; Eph. 5:25-27; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Jn. 1:3-2:2). This leaves us with no excuse for remaining in our sins.

“The wages of sin is death (separation from the Lord).” Romans 6:23

Didn’t Jesus require Peter to repent and be “converted” or restored, after he sinned? (Read Lk. 22:31-32.) Repentance was a necessity as is the case for any saint who falls away in sin (James 5:19-20).

Sins must be diligently dealt with (Mk. 9:43-49; Rom. 6; Col. 3:5-10; 1 Pet. 2:11). We are told that one must confess and forsake them to receive His mercy afresh. Those who cover their sins without divulging, confessing and forsaking them, will not prosper.

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

LOTS of people already in hell irrevocably for trying to cover/hide their sins with Satan’s OSAS lie.

According to the Word, aren’t “brethren” who “err” in need of being converted or brought back to repentance afresh? In such a case, isn’t one’s soul saved again “from death” and the “multitude of sins” forgiven?

“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death (eternal separation), and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20

Again, God’s holiness is an eternal attribute of His. Holiness is the essence of His nature. He is holiness Personified. He who was holy, is holy, and will forever be holy. He cannot be otherwise and demands the same of those who will be His, now and forever.

“Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 20:7

In order to remain in the state of holiness, the believer must continue to humbly acknowledge his sins and obtain the forgiveness of the LORD.

Genuine saving faith includes repentance from sin and total trust in Jesus Christ, which produces a life of seeking the Lord with one’s whole heart, thereby producing Christ-like holiness in daily living (Acts 20:21; Lk. 13:3, 5; Heb. 12:14; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).

The abandonment and refusal of so many of today’s leaders to declare repentance is a mockery of God and an utter affront to His holiness. The modern false gospel peddled by the seeker-sensitive and emergent church business entrepreneurs is completely foreign to the message of the New Testament in which the early Church continued steadfast (Lk. 13:3, 5; 24:47; Acts 2:38, 42-47; 3:19; 20:21). Make no mistake: Only a counterfeit leader would dare remove such an essential component as the very holiness of God and the necessity of His people to fully and continually repent before Him (Lam. 2:14).

Some people are so arrogant that they suppose the Almighty God who is “Holy, holy, holy” somehow ceases to be holy and would not cut them off for their sins due to the fact that He initially saved them (Isa. 1:18-20; 6:3; Amos 9:10; Rev. 4:8). Such a notion reveals the height of blindness caused by pride, arrogance, and a self-serving heart (Isaiah 56:10-12).

Blatant and ongoing sin is the antithesis of divine holiness and that which He ordained His people to experience and walk in (1 Pet. 1:15-16). How can sin and holiness co-exist? We should pray and seek to more thoroughly understand the truth of His holiness and that in lieu of His holiness sin separates people from God and God from His people. To His own people, the Lord said: “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isa. 59:2). In Heaven, from eternity past, and in eternity future, the Almighty has and will be lauded and exalted with this one word descriptive of His nature, thrice consecutively – holy:

“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3

“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 4:8

While God has revealed to us several aspects of His nature, it is interesting to note that only the word “holy” is used three times successively to solemnly praise Him and to reveal one of the attributes of His nature.

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 4:8

Holiness is the enemy of sin and vice versa. It is the enemy of the antichrists in our midst who hide behind their sham façade teaching of ‘once saved, always saved.’

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, IF ye CONTINUE in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant (of sin) abideth (remains) not in the house (God’s) for ever: but the Son abideth ever.” John 8:31-35

“Whoso privily (secretly) slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer (to remain in His presence)…He that worketh deceit shall not dwell (remain) within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry (continue) in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off ALL wicked doers from the city of the LORD.” Psalms 101:5, 7-8

Four times the Bible states that names can be and are blotted out of the book of life – all because God is “Holy, holy, holy.” How important is it to be made holy by Christ’s precious blood and have one’s name written and remaining in the book of life?

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15

It is obvious that those names which are blotted OUT, had to first have been written IN the book of life in order to be blotted OUT of it (Exod. 32:32; Ps. 69:28; Rev. 3:5; 22:19).

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which NO man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14

Space does not permit listing the plethora of Scripture revealing that the Lord will not allow sin into His presence – no matter what His previous relationship with a person was. (Have you closely studied Joshua 6-7 and Ezekiel 33:12-13?)

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:22-23

“Holiness” is the manifest fruit of “eternal life.” If one doesn’t possess the fruit of personal holiness – a life separated unto the LORD, it is because he does not possess eternal life. The payment for living in sin is spiritual “death” (Rom. 6:23; 8:13). Those who are truly Christ’s are “made free from sin” and are “servants to God” and have their “fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Did you note that in verse 22 there is a clear correlation between “holiness” and “everlasting life?”

Polycarp, an early church disciple who existed before Augustine and Calvin, still held fast to, observed, and maintained the original Gospel given to us by the LORD and His apostles. Such is evidenced in this following statement of his to a fellow saint of Christ:

“Having obtained good proof that thy mind is fixed in God as upon an immovable rock, I loudly glorify [His name] that I have been thought worthy [to behold] thy blameless face which may I ever enjoy in God! I entreat thee, by the grace with which thou art clothed, to press forward in thy course, and to exhort all that they may be saved. Maintain thy position with all care, both in the flesh and spirit.” (The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp 1:1)

Polycarp was one of the apostle John’s direct disciples who existed before most of the apostasy from truth occurred. Polycarp still embraced and taught the original Gospel given Him by John. As Christ and His apostle’s instructed, He taught that maintaining ones place with God was essential to final salvation and if one didn’t hold his position, all would be lost.

A Special People

According to His Word, Jesus Christ gave Himself for us that He might redeem and purify unto Himself a peculiar people empowered by His grace.

“…our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar (special) people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:13-14

Why did Jesus come to die for you? According to Titus 2 the Bible says of Jesus Christ – “Who gave himself for us…

• “that he might redeem us from all iniquity”
• “that he might…purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works”

Why would the divinely-breathed truth of this passage ever need explanation? Explanation and defense of this truth is only necessary because there are those who are bent on proving an erroneous, pre-conceived position that is contrary to whole of the Word of God.

How many sins did it take for God – who is holy – to remove the first man and woman from His presence? Just, one right? Was their relationship with Him perfect before they sinned against Him? Yes. Why did Jesus come? Was it not to restore that relationship Adam and Eve knew? (Read Rom.5) What separated them? Sin, right? So, to believe that no sin can separate the saved person from the LORD would be absurd, unfounded and blatantly contrary to what is revealed in Scripture. Did the Almighty cease to be HOLY all because He saved your wretched soul? Do all things now revolve around high and mighty YOU and your self-serving desire to be able to live in sin and still feel secure? That is delusional moral cowardice at best. Hell awaits.

To concoct in ones mind the image of a deity who grants his people freedom to sin with no consequence is to worship at the altar of a false god. Such is completely contrary to what the God of Scripture told us of Himself. He came to die to forgive, deliver and empower us to overcome sin so that we don’t have it in our lives (Matt. 1:21; Jn. 1:29; Tit. 2:13-14; 1 Jn. 3:5). He did not come to free us to live in sin but rather “that he might redeem us from all iniquity…that he might…purify unto himself a peculiar people.” (Rom. 6:1-2, 15; Tit. 2:11-14).

“And ye know that he was manifested to TAKE AWAY our sins; and in him is no sin.” 1 John 3:5

The bottom line truth is that we all still sin against Him and are required to ask the LORD for His forgiveness and stay cleansed, especially in light of Christ’s soon return (Lk. 21:34-36; 22:31-32; Heb. 4:14-16; 2 Pet. 3:10-14; 1 Jn. 1:7-2:2). We have never been told by the LORD that we have a license to sin with no need to confess and repent (Ps 32:5; 38:18; 51:1-17; 69:5; Prov. 28:13; James 5:19-20; 1 Jn. 1:9; 2:1-2).

The LORD granted us His grace – not to live in sin – but rather to bless and empower us to please Him fully now “in this present world” and as we eagerly await His glorious return for His remnant body (Tit. 2:11-14).

Quoting David’s words in Psalms 32, the apostle Paul writes:

“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Romans 4:6-8

The “blessed” place to be is where we have a real walk with God, one that is accountable, repentant, and obedient. As we do, we are in His holy light and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin!