SOME years ago, while holding some special gospel services in a New Zealand township, an incident took place which illustrates very forcibly the vagueness and obscurity with which such a simple and, withal, important subject as the forgiveness of sins is viewed by even serious people.
I had been asked to the house of one whom I had every reason to think was a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and before going out to the gospel service in the Public Hall, a little company of friends sat down to tea. Before partaking of our repast, our host “said grace,” as it is termed, concluding his brief prayer with the words — “and forgive us our sins for Christ’s sake. Amen.”
Looking across the table to him, I remarked, “Mr.―, I thought your sins were forgiven?” Greatly taken aback, he replied, “Well, I hope they are.”
“But are you not certain?” I asked. “Are you not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ? And if you are, why then your sins are forgiven, for the Scripture says that ‘we HAVE redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins’ (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)).”
“Yes,” he replied; “but then we are always sinning.”
“That is terrible,” said I; “for the Word says to the children of God, ‘These things write we unto you, that ye sin not’ (¤ John 21). While it is perfectly true that the believer has a sinful nature, yet there is no necessity for him to sin, and he ought not to sin, for ‘he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not’ (1 John 5:1818We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. (1 John 5:18)). But were you sincere in your request just now, that God would forgive you your sins for Christ’s sake?”
“Yes, I hope so,” said my friend. “And do you think that God heard? And do you think that God will grant your request?” I inquired.
“I hope He will,” replied our host, “though I must admit you are bringing me to look about this matter in a way I scarcely expected; for, indeed, I fear that the words are used sometimes in a formal and therefore unreal manner.”
“And when did you last breathe that petition?” I asked.
“Well, I suppose at dinner-time today,” was the rejoinder.
“Well, now,” said I, “if at two o’clock today you sincerely asked God to forgive you your sins for Christ’s sake; and if God heard that prayer of yours, and granted you your request; if ‘for Christ’s sake’ He really did forgive you your sins, what sins have you committed since then that you have now asked God to forgive?”
“I really do not know?” was the frank reply.
“Well, now, supposing your child were to come to you regularly three times every day and say, ‘Oh, father, do forgive me!’ what would you think and say?” I asked.
“I suppose I should ask him what he had been doing,” came the answer.
“And if he were to say, ‘Oh, I don’t know, but I am always doing wrong things,’ would you not say to him, ‘My child, I should be only too glad to forgive you, but you must tell me what you have done; for how can I forgive you when you do not tell me what it is that needs to be forgiven?’”
A long conversation ensued upon the deeply important subject of the forgiveness of sins, my friend acknowledging at the close that he had never looked at the matter in that light before, and that whereas hitherto all had been vague and obscure, now he could see clearly, and “give thanks to the Father, which HATH made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who HATH delivered us from the power of darkness, and HATH translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: in whom we HAVE redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:12-1412Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:12‑14)).
Reader, are your sins forgiven? If you are not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, depend upon it your sins are not forgiven; and if you were to die in that unforgiven state, you would die in your sins, and as the Lord said to the unbelieving Jews, “I go My way, and ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come” (John 8:2121Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. (John 8:21)). It is vain to hope that you will go to heaven if you die in your sins; and if not to heaven, it must be to hell, there to be shut up for all eternity with the devil and his angels, and with “the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,” &c. (Rev. 20:10, 21:8).
But if you are a believer, then it is your privilege to know that your sins are forgiven, for in the whole family of God there is not such a thing to be found as an unforgiven child. Listen: “I write unto you, children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake” (John 2:1212After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. (John 2:12)).
Mark it well, that word “are,” — “your sins ARE forgiven you.”
The believer then starts on his heavenward journey with the forgiveness of His sins. And with the forgiveness of how many of them? Why, of all of them; and so he can sing:
“All our sins were laid upon Him,
Jesus bore them on the tree;
God who knew them, laid them on Him,
And believing thou art free.”
But supposing the child of God sins, what is then to be done? Must he in a vague and indefinite manner go to his Father and ask for forgiveness? No, but he must go and confess his sin, whatever it may be; and “if we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)). Where confession to God is honest and deep, the abhorrence of the sin will be much more intense than where there is merely a vague petition for forgiveness.
Satan’s great effort is to keep unbelievers careless and indifferent by making them hope that all will be right in the end in spite of their unforgiven sins; and on the other hand, to rob true believers of all present comfort and peace by depriving them of the assurance of the present forgiveness of all their sins through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. A. H. B.