Are all past, present and future sins forgiven at initial salvation?
Here is my input on this terrable lie told by most churches today!
Past Sins Are Forgiven
Likely none of the authors of Scripture ever considered the possibility that future sins were forgiven in advance. As a result, only Peter wrote specifically on the point we are considering. Peter reminded his readers about it as a side issue to what he was saying. Peter had been urging his readers to “
add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love[4] (2 Peter 1:5-7). He then stated,
“But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his PAST SINS” (2 Peter 1:9).
It is his “past sins” of which he has been cleansed. Wouldn’t it have been equally easy for Peter to say from all sins? He could even have said your past and prospective sins. Or he could have left out the word “past” and just said “sins.” But he specifically said the person was cleansed from his past sins.
There are no occasions in the New Testament when the terms “all sin” or “all sins” are used. If it were possible that all sins would be forgiven at the time of conversion wouldn’t Scripture frequently remind us of that? Instead, it is never stated.
Confess Your Sins and Be Forgiven
The Apostle John assured his readers, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Who were John’s readers? Were they the unconverted who had yet to confess their faith, but once they confessed their faith and repented would be forgiven of all sins, past and prospective? Or was he writing to believers? John calls them “my dear children,” then “dear friends,” “young men” and “fathers.” These people are all addressed as if they are believers. For example, to the young men John writes, “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:14). This could only describe believers.
The issue of who John was writing to is of critical importance in order to understand what he is saying. Looking at the verse quoted above, it would be irrelevant to tell people to confess their sins and that God will forgive their sins if they were already believers (as were his readers) if their future sins had already been forgiven. Why would they ask for forgiveness of sins that were already forgiven? They wouldn’t of course. John wouldn’t assure them of forgiveness if they confessed their sins if their sins were already forgiven.
John’s statement only makes sense if we have committed sins that are not yet forgiven and want them to be forgiven. John tells us to confess them to God and that God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. John is likely writing this to believers who have sinned and are concerned that God would not forgive them.
The Lord’s Prayer
Jesus taught his disciples the model prayer popularly known as The Lord’s Prayer. In that prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Forgive us our debts (our sins), as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Was that a prayer to be prayed once at the time of conversion and never again? Of course not. Earlier in the prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” (v. 11). That would imply we should pray today, and each day, for our daily bread. As we follow that model prayer, we would also pray daily for forgiveness of our sins.
But wouldn’t it be ludicrous to pray to be forgiven of something that has already been forgiven? To do so would indicate a lack of faith that forgiveness had been granted.
Instead we could choose the obvious meaning, that we are to pray daily for forgiveness of any past sins as it is only sins committed in the past that are forgiven when we pray for forgiveness. And when we confess our sins, we can only confess what we have done, not what we have not yet done.
To bolster that understanding, after teaching the model prayer, Jesus continued, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). Could Jesus teach that your Father will not forgive your sins if your future sins were already forgiven? Of course not. There would be no sins for the Father not to forgive if they had already been forgiven.
Jesus is speaking in the future tense when he says “your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” That implies a continuing action where we forgive others and God forgives us. He also implies future action on our part, “if you forgive men.”
The clear and obvious understanding is that each day we are required to forgive others so that our Father in heaven will forgive our sins. If we do not forgive others Jesus said our Father will not forgive us.
To further cement that understanding, Jesus taught about a servant who refused to forgive a small debt of a fellow servant. His master reinstated the millions he had forgiven that servant and turned him over to the torturers until he should repay all. This is a lesson for us. Jesus said “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). Jesus is describing hell – eternal torture that will be visited on each person who refuses to forgive his brother from his heart.
That is just the opposite of eternal security advocates who claim that all future sins are forgiven so there are no fires of hell to fear. The only possible conclusion is that only past sins are forgiven when we repent, confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.
REPENT
In order to understand this discussion about repentance, we must know the meaning of repent. Metanoeín means “change of heart.” When Jesus commanded “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,” he used the verb metanoeín. Jesus commanded the people to change their hearts. The thrust of Scripture is that we are to have a change of heart with respect to sin – to turn from it and to turn to God. Those who claim that the initial forgiveness of sins forgives sins past and future would agree there is a time we all must repent and that is at the time of conversion when we confess our faith. Thereafter, they claim, all future sins are forgiven and no repentance is needed.
If that be the case, no believer should ever be asked to repent. Certainly no one could be threatened with a loss of eternal life if he did not repent. But is that what Scripture says? Peter made sure we understand that the result of repentance is forgiveness of sins: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
Churches Were Commanded To Repent
Certainly all new believers would be commanded to repent so their sin could be forgiven and their new life in the Lord Jesus could begin. But in the Revelation, John recorded various admonitions the Lord Jesus gave to the churches. Jesus warned the church at Ephesus:
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:4-5).
Here Jesus commanded an entire church to repent. But surely they had all repented at the time of their conversion. Yes, but they had forsaken their first love and had fallen. Jesus commanded them to repent again. If they did not he would remove the symbol of their relationship with him
Jesus warned the church at Pergamum:
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Revelation 2:14-16).
In this instance Jesus did not condemn the entire church but said there were people in the church at Pergamum who were sinning by idolatry and sexual immorality and holding to false teachings. He commanded them to repent. This time we know his warning is condemnation because he says he will fight against them with the sword of his mouth (if they do not repent). These people were still in the church. We can reasonably assume when they initially became believers they repented of their sins. But that was not sufficient. Jesus commanded them to repent of their sins or be condemned. He wouldn’t have done that if their sins were already forgiven.
Likewise Jesus warned the church at Thyatira about some in their midst:
“I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways” (Revelation 2:20-22).
Jesus warned about specific people in the church at Thyatira. Jezebel was teaching a false doctrine and leading people astray into sexual immorality and idolatry. Jezebel was already condemned for her immorality and unwillingness to repent, but Jesus commanded those who had been led into sin by her to repent. Unless they repented of her ways they will receive Jezebel’s punishment – intense suffering. Again the context is people who once were believers in this church but who have fallen into grievous sin who are about to be condemned if they do not repent.
Jesus distinguished between people in the church at Sardis.
To the church at large he said, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you” (Revelation 3:1-3).
Jesus calls them dead. He says their sin is that they were not productive in the kingdom. Their deeds were not complete. They talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk. Jesus commanded them to repent or he would come upon them just as he will upon unbelievers. This was a warning of condemnation.
But Jesus excepted certain people of whom he said, “Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels” (Revelation 3:4-5).
Note the contrast between these and the others. These have not soiled their clothes (with sin). They have overcome adversity and have persevered. Jesus said they are worthy. They are the ones who have salvation.
The church at Laodicea is most like the church of today. Read first how Jesus describes that church and then his warning:
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:15-20). The western church also thinks it is rich and needs nothing. Jesus calls the Laodiceans wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Jesus says he has everything they need, but they must get it from him. Jesus says his rebuke is out of love. He commands them to be earnest and repent, promising that if they do he will come in to them. Jesus promises that those who do repent and overcome will sit with him on his throne (Revelation 3:21). Jesus implies that those who do not repent and overcome will remain wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, and will be deserving of condemnation.
None of what Jesus said would make sense if the Laodicean’s sins had already been forgiven. Of what would they repent? It should be overwhelmingly clear that if we drift off into lukewarmness we must repent of that sin to restore our relationship with the Lord.
