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Subject: EXCUSE ME

Author: Posted By The Crusader

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 09:35:19 09/22/02 Sun EXCUSE ME by Russ Hargett "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression . . ." Micah 7:18 WILL GOD FORGIVE SIN? There seems to be quite a lot of confusion today concerning the subject of forgiveness from God. The world system has its view, the religious world has its view, and believing Christians also have their own particular view of how and why God can forgive mankind. Well, the real question is, "What saith the scripture?". Since God*s Word is our first and only source for learning about what He has done and is doing, it is there we shall search. Our own apostle explains to us in Romans 5.12 that, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" The human race has been "infected" with sin by one man (Adam) and the curse of sin has plagued mankind ever since. The disease of sin is passed down to all of us through our parents and the diagnosis is still the same for all -- it is fatal. We learn very early on in Genesis 2:17, ("But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.") that God warned Adam not to disobey and eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and sternly admonished him that in the day he ate of it, he would die. As we know, Adam disobeyed and willfully sinned against God. In that day Adam died "spiritually" and the ravaging effects of sin eventually caused him to also die a physical death (Gen. 5.5, "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years. and he died*). The great truths we learn from these early chapters of Genesis teach us many things; but one thing is certain that God will not overlook, excuse, or forgive sin! Sin must be paid for with blood, and God provided a way for this to be done through a system of animal sacrifice. (Lev. 17:14, for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof...") We see in Genesis chapter 4 that Abel brought the blood sacrifice, but Cain refused. (Gen. 4:3-5, "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord And A bel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.* But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.") Cain had, through unbelief, rejected God*s plan of a blood sacrifice and instead brought the works of his own hands (religion). This sacrifice of Cain was not accepted by God as was Abel*s blood sacrifice; and the result was jealousy, envy, hatred, and death, as it ended with Cain slaying his own brother! Think of it! The first man ever born into the human race was a murderer. The system of animal sacrifice continued on between God and man, and was eventually adapted into the law of Moses given to the Hebrew nation. Throughout Israel*s history of over 1,500 years, we see that their elaborate system of laws and sacrifices were all part of their special status as God*s chosen people. The great truth of innocent blood being required for the guilt of man*s sin goes back to the beginning of mankind. We are reminded in Hebrews 9:22 that, "without shedding of blood is no remission." We now understand through the epistles of Paul that God had a master plan. This plan demonstrates that God Himself would incarnate into the human race, through the seed of David, as a man, born of a virgin, and would live a holy and sanctified life without sin (Gal. 4:4 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law," Phil. 2.5-11). Since the problem of sin could not be excused by God, but rather had to be "paid for with blood" (Rom. 6:23a "For the wages of sin is death"), we see that Christ came willingly to make that sacrificial payment. God accepted that payment of shed blood by His Son on behalf of the entire human race (Rom. 3:21-28). The sacrifice by the Lord Jesus Christ redeems us from ALL sin and delivers us from the inevitable consequences of it. Today we must simply trust by "faith in his blood" (Rom. 3:25) as the "once for all" sufficient payment for our sin condition, and can now receive total forgiveness of sins from God (Eph. 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace:"; Col 1:14, "In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins:"). Our sin nature (from Adam) is the root, and the sins we commit are the fruit! On the basis of our Saviour*s payment of His own blood and God*s acceptance of it, God has now forgiven us ALL trespasses (Col. 2:13, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;"). We are "accepted in the beloved" (Eph. 1:6). God*s plan of salvation by "faith in his blood" is now available to all who simply believe it by faith (Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." ; Gal. 3:2 6, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.") We do not have to pray, confess, or perform works of any kind to receive complete forgiveness by God. All true members of the "body of Christ" share and enjoy together the peace, love, and joy of all sins forgiven! Mr. Hargett pastors Suncoast Bible Fellowship in St. Petersburg. Florida. Suncoast Bible Fellowship http://www.suncoastbible.org/index.html From Web-Site: MAGNIFIED WORD http://www.magnifiedword.com/ [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]