Loyal
There is a popular doctrine that says, when you become a Christian all your sins are forgiven.
Even the ones you've done in the future. However I do not see this in the Bible anywhere, in fact I see quite the opposite.
2 Pet 1:5; Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
2 Pet 1:6; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
2 Pet 1:7; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
2 Pet 1:8; For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Pet 1:9; For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
2 Pet 1:10; Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
2 Pet 1:11; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
When we get saved, all of the sins we've done in the past are forgiven, but what about sins we commit
after we become saved? Some would say God knows the future, So He knows in advance what sins you
will commit and He forgives you for them. However I don't see this in the Bible. God may know the
future, but we do not.
Many of us do not know the sins we will commit tomorrow, or next week, or next year.
Some "Christians" are living in sin and do know the sins they will commit tonight and tomorrow
but are either unable or unwilling to quit doing them.
Can a habitual child-molester enter heaven? Most would not. Some might say "Well God looks on the inside and knows his heart". In some cases, God doesn't have to "look on the inside" to see our deeds.
Jesus told us to pray like this...
Matt 6:9; "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Matt 6:10; 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:11; 'Give us this day our daily bread.
Matt 6:12; 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matt 6:13; 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]'
Matt 6:14; "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matt 6:15; "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
What is a debt, (some Bibles say transgressions, or sins) a debt is something owed.
What do we owe God? Money? (some seem to think so) we owe God for our sins.
He forgives us.... if we acknowledge our sin, repent of it and ask for forgiveness.
But also... as we see above, He forgives us as we forgive others. It goes on to say, if we do not forgive others,
neither will we be forgiven.
Why would Jesus tell believers to pray this way? Why would they need to ask for forgiveness if they
are already forgiven in advance?
John 13:6; So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?"
John 13:7; Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter."
John 13:8; Peter *said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."
John 13:9; Simon Peter *said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."
John 13:10; Jesus *said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."
John 13:11; For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."
Jesus washes the disciples feet. Pete doesn't want Him to, but Jesus says... "If I do not wash you, you have
no part with Me". Peter then says, well wash all of me..
Jesus replies, those who are clean, only need to have their feet washed.
We don't lose our salvation just because we sin, (although this is different from habitually practicing and
choosing to sin, in which case you can lose your salvation). But we do need to ask for forgiveness from
time to time and "have our feet washed" so to speak.
1 Jn 1:9; If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we confess our sins... He will forgive us. We can't confess them if we don't know what they are.
Some people say, well I asked Him to forgive me many years ago. I don't need to ask again.
No you didn't ask Him, you didn't even know what sins you were going to commit after that day, so
how could you ask?
Part of the problem with the "forgiveness in advance" theology, is that I don't have to worry about
sinning or even asking forgiveness, I'm already forgiven, I'm already good to go.
So you commit adultery or molest a child next year, you're good to go? Really?
Some will say, well... if you were really saved you wouldn't do those things.
If that's the case, why do those people still sin? There are no "big sins and small sins". Sin is sin.
Heb 12:15; See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
Heb 12:16; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
The thing is... we can become "defiled". The unsaved can't become defiled. They are already defiled.
They are already unclean and unforgiven. Only someone who has been washed can become defiled.
We are able to sell our birthright, to give it away. We can lose our heavenly inheritance if we try to.
Why else would Paul bring that up in this passage?
If we quit acknowledging our sins, we quit asking for forgiveness. In fact we start to become blind to
our sin over a period of time. It just becomes a part of us that we live with and we assume God will
forgive all of our choices.
1 Cor 8:12; And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Go ahead, try it. You might be surprised at the weight that is lifted from you.
What does it cost you to ask for forgiveness? A minute of your time. Or are you worried about a higher
cost? (That you might have to actually repent).
Matt 18:34; "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.
Matt 18:35; "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."
Forgiveness is mostly up to us. We need to ask for it. We need to give it to others.
Even the ones you've done in the future. However I do not see this in the Bible anywhere, in fact I see quite the opposite.
2 Pet 1:5; Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
2 Pet 1:6; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
2 Pet 1:7; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
2 Pet 1:8; For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Pet 1:9; For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
2 Pet 1:10; Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
2 Pet 1:11; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
When we get saved, all of the sins we've done in the past are forgiven, but what about sins we commit
after we become saved? Some would say God knows the future, So He knows in advance what sins you
will commit and He forgives you for them. However I don't see this in the Bible. God may know the
future, but we do not.
Many of us do not know the sins we will commit tomorrow, or next week, or next year.
Some "Christians" are living in sin and do know the sins they will commit tonight and tomorrow
but are either unable or unwilling to quit doing them.
Can a habitual child-molester enter heaven? Most would not. Some might say "Well God looks on the inside and knows his heart". In some cases, God doesn't have to "look on the inside" to see our deeds.
Jesus told us to pray like this...
Matt 6:9; "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Matt 6:10; 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:11; 'Give us this day our daily bread.
Matt 6:12; 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matt 6:13; 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]'
Matt 6:14; "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matt 6:15; "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
What is a debt, (some Bibles say transgressions, or sins) a debt is something owed.
What do we owe God? Money? (some seem to think so) we owe God for our sins.
He forgives us.... if we acknowledge our sin, repent of it and ask for forgiveness.
But also... as we see above, He forgives us as we forgive others. It goes on to say, if we do not forgive others,
neither will we be forgiven.
Why would Jesus tell believers to pray this way? Why would they need to ask for forgiveness if they
are already forgiven in advance?
John 13:6; So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?"
John 13:7; Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter."
John 13:8; Peter *said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."
John 13:9; Simon Peter *said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."
John 13:10; Jesus *said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."
John 13:11; For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."
Jesus washes the disciples feet. Pete doesn't want Him to, but Jesus says... "If I do not wash you, you have
no part with Me". Peter then says, well wash all of me..
Jesus replies, those who are clean, only need to have their feet washed.
We don't lose our salvation just because we sin, (although this is different from habitually practicing and
choosing to sin, in which case you can lose your salvation). But we do need to ask for forgiveness from
time to time and "have our feet washed" so to speak.
1 Jn 1:9; If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we confess our sins... He will forgive us. We can't confess them if we don't know what they are.
Some people say, well I asked Him to forgive me many years ago. I don't need to ask again.
No you didn't ask Him, you didn't even know what sins you were going to commit after that day, so
how could you ask?
Part of the problem with the "forgiveness in advance" theology, is that I don't have to worry about
sinning or even asking forgiveness, I'm already forgiven, I'm already good to go.
So you commit adultery or molest a child next year, you're good to go? Really?
Some will say, well... if you were really saved you wouldn't do those things.
If that's the case, why do those people still sin? There are no "big sins and small sins". Sin is sin.
Heb 12:15; See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
Heb 12:16; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
The thing is... we can become "defiled". The unsaved can't become defiled. They are already defiled.
They are already unclean and unforgiven. Only someone who has been washed can become defiled.
We are able to sell our birthright, to give it away. We can lose our heavenly inheritance if we try to.
Why else would Paul bring that up in this passage?
If we quit acknowledging our sins, we quit asking for forgiveness. In fact we start to become blind to
our sin over a period of time. It just becomes a part of us that we live with and we assume God will
forgive all of our choices.
1 Cor 8:12; And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Go ahead, try it. You might be surprised at the weight that is lifted from you.
What does it cost you to ask for forgiveness? A minute of your time. Or are you worried about a higher
cost? (That you might have to actually repent).
Matt 18:34; "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.
Matt 18:35; "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."
Forgiveness is mostly up to us. We need to ask for it. We need to give it to others.
