The question often arises in the minds of the Lord’s people, especially of those who are young in the faith, “What is to be done with the sins we commit after we have been saved?” Many a child of God has said, “I know that I have believed in Christ, and see that my sins were put away by His blood; but what troubles me is the sins I commit now, and what am I to do with them?” The direct answer to this question is found in 1 John 2:1-21My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1‑2)— “My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not; and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins.” This is clearly written to believers; for the Apostle addresses them as “My children;” that is, those who have been born of God. And again, “We have an advocate with the Father,” as it is only those who are born again who can call God their Father.
The first thing for us to see, is, that as believers in the Lord Jesus, all our sins are put away before God by the one offering on the cross; as we get fully brought out in the epistle to the Hebrews; because till this is seen there must always be confusion in the mind, confounding our knowledge of forgiveness of sins with the work of Christ that put them all away when they were all future. In Heb. 10:11,12,14,11And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (Hebrews 10:11‑12)
14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14) we read, “And every priest standeth daily ministering, and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but this Man (Christ), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God. For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.” The priests, under the law, stood and offered “oftentimes the same sacrifices, which could never take away sins,” therefore their work was never done; but this Man (Christ) offered one sacrifice, and “forever sat down on the right hand of God.” There is only one sacrifice for sins, and there never will be another; so that, if all your sins were not answered for then, they never can be, for Christ is not going to die again.
People often say, “I know that my sins were put away up to my conversion,” but Scripture never speaks in that way. When did Christ bear your sins? On the cross. Did He bear a part of your sins, or did He put them away up to the day of your conversion? No if He bore one, He bore them all when they were all future, when you had committed none of them, for, blessed be His name, He offered the “one sacrifice for sins,” and then “forever sat down on the right hand of God.” This word “forever” is not that which is used for everlasting, but it has the sense of continuously, uninterruptedly, never to rise up to offer another sacrifice or to complete the work; and the reason that He is so seated at the right hand of God is, that, “by one offering He hath perfected forever (same word) them that are sanctified.” He has perfected us forever, therefore He has sat down forever. The value of His one offering, which put away all our sins, is, forever; therefore He has nothing more to do throughout eternity with regard to the putting away the sins of those that believe in His name.
Of course, when a soul is first awakened by the Holy Spirit, it could only be past sins that are brought to his knowledge, and that he knows are forgiven; but then, when we get the knowledge of forgiveness, we see that the work that put our sins away was accomplished when they were all future, and the value of that one sacrifice was not only up to the day of our conversion. Now we see the One that did the work “forever sat down on the right hand of God,” because He has perfected us forever by that one offering; and God says, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17). Forgiveness of sins is the common portion of all Christians, as we read in 1 John 2:12,12I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12) “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” There would be no sense in saying our future sins are forgiven, for we have not committed them, and we ought not to contemplate sinning in future, but we can always say, as Christians, as in Col. 1:14,14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14) “In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” But many have thought if we have the “forgiveness of sins,” why do we read in 1 John 1:9,9If 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) “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.”
There is another sense in which Scripture speaks of forgiveness; when a child of God has sinned, and his communion has been interrupted, and he confesses his sins, he gets forgiveness, not in the sense of non-imputation as in Rom. 4:7,8,7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. (Romans 4:7‑8) (which ever remains) but, of communion and joy being restored which had been interrupted by the sin. The above vs. 1 John 1:9,9If 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) is a general statement, and would apply either to a sinner first coming to God and confessing his sins, and so getting forgiveness once for all on the ground of the death of Christ, or to a child of God who has sinned and confesses, and gets forgiveness as a child by the Father. The one might be called justifying forgiveness in the case of the sinner, and the other, Fatherly, or governmental, forgiveness in the case of a saint; and it is very important to distinguish between the two. There are two things we need to be happy in God’s presence; the question of our sins to be settled and a new life and nature.
You find these two in 1 John 4:9,109In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9‑10). In vs. 9 “God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him”; and in vs. 10, “to be the propitiation for our sins.” In the former we have life and in the latter, propitiation for sins. Everyone is born into this world at a distance from God, ignorant of Him, and with a corrupt, fallen nature, which is enmity against Him; “dead in trespasses and sins,” without a spark of life or desire Godward; as we find in Rom. 3:11,11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (Romans 3:11) “There is none that seeketh after God.” But God saw us in that dreadful condition, with nothing but death and eternal judgment before us, and loved us, and “sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him;” and we, by the mighty energy of the Holy Ghost, are born again, get a new life and nature; as in John 1:12,12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) “As many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in His name; which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” So that those who have received Christ; and have truly believed in. Him, can say, on the authority of Scripture, that they are “sons of God” and born of Him. Those who are thus born of God, have a life and nature that loves God and delights in Him, and can have “fellowship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:33That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3)); whereas the old Adam life has no communion with God whatever. What a wondrous word that is “fellowship (or communion) with the Father, and with His Son!” What does fellowship or communion mean? Common thoughts, joys, and interests.
“Fellowship with the Father!” One might well say, “How could such poor feeble things as we are have fellowship (communion or common thoughts) with the Father and His Son?” Suppose you are enjoying Christ and you get a glimpse of His glory and perfection, and you delight in Him; well, the Father delights in Him too, so that through grace you have common thoughts with the Father about the Son, only, of course, in far different measure. And again, “Neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him” (Matt. 11:2727All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (Matthew 11:27)). If Christ reveal the Father in all His love to your soul, and then says, “My Father is now your Father,” as in John 20:17,17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17) you have common thoughts with the Son about the Father, as far as you are able to enter into it. Of course, “fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ” would include more than this, one could not limit it in any way It is common thoughts, joys, and, interests with God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ, known in the power of the Holy Ghost, in part now, but unhinderedly by and bye. Oh! if all Christians knew more of this communion, which is our highest privilege, how blessed they would find it Peace which was made by the blood of His cross cannot alter, or our standing in Christ, because it does not depend upon us, but upon the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus; but our communion and joy may be broken by the merest trifle, even a foolish thought. But –
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me all has failed within;
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Saviour died
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.