Where does forgiveness figure in God's granting salvation?

[newton3003]

[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Wheredoes forgiveness figure in God's granting salvation?[/FONT]


[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Ecclesiastes7:20 says, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who doesgood and never sins.” That passage is a confirmation that we allhave sinned in our lives. Granted, this was written before Jesuslived on the earth, but, aside from Jesus, that passage holds foreverybody. But since God does not populate Heaven with those whosesins dangle from themselves like an albatross, it would be an emptyHeaven indeed, except for the angels who were with God when Hecreated the heavens and the earth, and except for those like Jesuswhom God in His own wisdom granted eternal life, if only those whonever sinned were allowed in Heaven. [/FONT]


[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]So,the thing that could help each of us get and keep our salvation fromdeath and therefore gain entry into Heaven is the thing calledforgiveness. That is, first in fulfillment of Psalm 51:2, God willwash us of our sins when He forgives us, so they don't remain hangingon earth. For it is those who are cleansed, who may enter Heaven.[/FONT]


[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Howcan we obtain His forgiveness? Can we just stand around and hope thatwhen He notices the sins around our necks He will forgive us? Whilenobody has a full understanding of God, hence Proverbs 3:5, thosewho feel they don't have to do anything to obtain God's forgivenessmay have a long wait at best and may not be forgiven at all, atworst. [/FONT]


[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]TheBible tells us, then, that we must ask God for forgiveness byconfessing our sins. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, heis faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us fromall unrighteousness.” Similarly, PSALM 32:5 says, “Iacknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said,'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and you forgave theiniquity of my sin.” Does this run headlong into the faith vs.works conflict in gaining God's granting of grace to us? I guess youwould first have to ask if the confessing of our sins amounts to amatter of works or a matter of faith. In any event, we have acertainty that nobody since the days of Adam and Eve, at least, canenter Heaven without their sins having been washed from them.[/FONT]


[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Wecan ask God for forgiveness at any time and for any thing. There isno act that can be performed by man that may not be taken intoconsideration in requesting forgiveness...except one, perhaps. We arewarned in Matthew 12:31-32 that those who speak against the Spirit ofGod will not be forgiven. It is one thing to have acted againstGod's Law without knowing that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacobexists. And it is for these people, and for others who were willingto see God in a new light, that JOHN 3:16 says, “For God so lovedthe world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in himshould not perish but have eternal life.” But those who have tastedthe fruit of God and then have turned away from Him will, at least tothe extent of our understanding, be condemned.[/FONT]


[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Thereis another caveat in asking for forgiveness: It is unlikely that Godwill forgive those who don't forgive others. Matthew 6:14-15 says,“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Fatherwill also forgive you but if you do not forgive others theirtrespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Similarly, Psalm 18:25-26 says, “With the merciful you showyourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourselfblameless; with the purified you show yourself pure...” Also, in asimilar vein, Proverbs 21:13 says “Whoever closes his ear to thecry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered,” for whois the poor but anyone who is lacking?[/FONT]


[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Ina sense, Matthew 12:31-32 serves as warning against those who defythe first great commandment of Jesus which is to love God with allyour heart, soul and mind, and Matthew 6:14-15 serves as a warningagainst defying the second great commandment of Jesus, which is tolove eachother as you love yourself.[/FONT]


[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Inclosing, we have the words of Micah 7:18 which says, “Who is a Godlike you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for theremnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever,because he delights in steadfast love.”[/FONT]

 

[FlSnookman7]

All the verses you quoted were before the cross....just sayin.

 

[Nehemiah6]

All the verses you quoted were before the cross....just sayin.

Well isn't that the problem with all half-baked doctrines? People go to Ecclesiastes for their doctrines instead of going to Romans or Hebrews.

As to the question in the OP the words of Christ should suffice, but they were not even quoted (Luke 24:46-48):

And [Christ] said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.

So the sinner who repents and turns to Christ for salvation receives remission or forgiveness of sins.

 

[garee]

We go to Him because there is forgiveness with Him . Without Him there is none. He must increase we must decrease.

 

[mcubed]

Forgiveness fits into Salvation before the foundation of the world; He is the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the World!

 

[Desertsrose]

All the verses you quoted were before the cross....just sayin.

Just for you FIS,

Acts 2:37-42

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 10:43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

Acts 13:38-39
Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

Ephesians 1:7-8
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.

 

[Hizikyah]

Without underserved mercy granted by Yah none would enter in.

Jeremiah 9:23-25, "This is what YHWH says: Let not the wise glory in their wisdom, let not the mighty glory in their power, let not the rich glory in their riches; But let those who glory, glorify in this--that he understands and knows Me, that I am YHWH Who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in this I delight, says YHWH. Behold, the days come, says YHWH: that I will punish all those who are circumcised only physically, in their foreskins."