Scott...it's very difficult to read every word you type.
Not only are your posts so very lengthy, the way you handle the Word of God can be very, er, off-putting?
I know you think it's because people (like me) can't stand to hear the 'truth', and that's your prerogative. I s'pose you and I both are quite intransigent on this issue, as we both believe ourselves to be correct.
And though we agree about a lot, there are one or two things that are essential to the Faith that I am as adamant about as you.
But if it isn't too much to ask...I do ask that you explain exactly how what I bolded above is accomplished?
What steps are taken, and by whom, and in which order?
You know, Dragnet it for me?
It's okay to just post a reference...I have a Bible right here and can look up any verse reference I don't just know.
Thanks,
ellie
"He came to save people from their sins."
The Bible says this...
Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for
he shall save his people from their sins.
How is this salvation is wrought?
Firstly there is the problem that all people HAVE sinned. They have willingly turned from God and yielded to the lusts of their flesh and thus wrought on themselves condemnation.
It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that these sins can be remitted. Without the shedding of blood there can be no remission. The blood purifies the offering.
Heb 9:21 Moreover
he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
Heb 9:22 And almost
all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
The blood of Jesus Christ purges our conscience of our criminal record. The blood washes away our guilt so that we can serve the living God. It is through the blood that we are sanctified and set apart unto holiness (serving God).
Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God,
purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
This purging is only for the "former sins" because the repentant sinner has FORSAKEN their rebellion. It is not a purging of future rebellion.
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was
purged from his old sins.
The blood of the covenant sanctifies us once and for all and thus to "continue" to sin against grace is to treat the blood with contempt. No sacrifice remains for those who willingly sin against grace. This is because Jesus Christ cannot be sacrificed over and over again, His blood is not a get out of jail free card which someone can use with contempt, hence "willful sin" (connected to knowledge) in verse 26.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of
how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
It is through the blood that reconciliation to God is made possible.
Col 1:20 And, having made peace
through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Col 1:21 And
you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
The Bible also connects the baptism of repentance to the remission of sins.
Mar 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
John preached the Baptism of Repentance to prepare the way for the Messiah because one cannot access the work of Messiah without repentance. You can see in Acts certain men who had undergone the Baptism of Repentance but had not yet received the Holy Ghost. Thus the Baptism of Repentance does not save someone, it simply prepares an individual for salvation.
Act 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
Act 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Act 19:3 And he said unto them,
Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
Act 19:4 Then said Paul,
John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Act 19:5
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 19:6
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Jesus also taught that repentance and remission of sin be preached together.
Luk_24:47 And that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
In many other posts I have clearly shown that repentance is the "mind change" which necessitates that "deeds change" ie. The Prodigal Son (Luke 15), Nineveh (Jon 3:5-10, Mat 12:41), parable of the two sons sons ( Mat 21:28-32). This is why in Acts they preached repentance PROVEN by deeds (Act 26:20).
Hence we have "repentance" necessitating "conversion" which puts an individual in the state needed for their "sins to be blotted out" at the times of refreshing.
Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
The time of refreshing is when the blood if applied to the living sacrifice (the repentant sinner) and their PAST SINS are forgiven. Blotting out of sin, purging of sin, being cleansed of all sin, sins being remitted, is all the same thing.
All the different scriptures on the subject harmonise perfectly on this. Repentance is for remission because it is through repentance that the soul is placed in a savable state. In other words, God will not purge a rebel of their sin. The rebellion must cease first.
Look carefully at this scripture for it depicts the same pattern...
1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
The "cleansing of all sin" is conditioned on WALKING in the light. A walk is what someone does, it is their deeds, the choices they make, how they conduct themselves.
The method by which one "comes to the place" of "actually walking in the light" is through repentance and faith. John is teaching this in 1Jn 1:8-10. A sinner has to come to God in repentance confessing their sin just like the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. The Prodigal Son could not have said "I have no sin" otherwise the truth would not have been in him. The Prodigal Son confessed his sin and the Father was faithful in forgiving him his sin.
I have made many other posts about how repentance is wrought in the mind of an individual so I won't repeat myself here. I will say though that 2Cor 7:10-11 are very powerful scriptures which clearly lay out how it is through "godly sorrow" that repentance is wrought and particularly in verse 11 where the fruit of godly sorrow is laid out. Repentance is simply where the wild self-willed horse is broken into submission. The sinner is brought out of rebellion into a submissive state before God. It is very simple.
If we say we have NEVER sinned we make Him a liar and His word (the truth) is not in us.
See how 1Joh 5-10 perfectly harmonises with all the other scriptures? 1Joh 1:8 is not teaching "inbred sin" or that "the sin never stops." If it was teaching that then it would be in complete contradiction which so much of the Bible (go and sin no more (Jn 8:11), depart from iniquity (2Tim 2:19), children of God do not sin (1Joh 3:9), ceased from sin (1Pet 4:1).
Very clearly the Bible teaches that the blood is only applied to a sinner who has forsaken their sin. Hence it perfectly harmonises with the scriptures which teach that forgiveness is conditional on the forsaking of sin (Isa 55:7, Pro 28:13, Jer 26:13 etc.).
It is through repentance and faith that one enters BOLDLY into the Holy Place in a NEW AND LIVING WAY. The "new and living way" is "walking in the light as He is in the light." The ONE SACRIFICE perfects us forever (because it washes away our past rebellion and purifies our inner being).
Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By
a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised
Read the above passage several times and really think about it. How can someone who has been washed from an evil conscience and has been purified be walking in rebellion to God? It is impossible.
The blood of Christ is not a cover for the ongoing rebellion of a sinner.
In the context of being "saved from our sins" look at this passage...
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Jesus came to redeem us from all iniquity. Through his blood he PURCHASED US or RANSOMED US. Sin has a hold over sinners because they have violated the law and death was their due. Jesus ransomed sinners from this state and not only that He PURIFIES THEM.
Purity is heart is wrought through obedience to the truth by the Spirit (1Pet 1:21). Thus when a saint is walking in the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ (Rom 8:2) their mind is being constantly renewed as they continually yield to the leading of God. They are being reprogrammed if you will. Thus over time they come more and more into the image of Jesus Christ. This is the perfecting of the saints which is spoken of in Eph 4:12. It is not to be confused with "sinning less" or "rebelling less."
The modern Gospel has removed PURITY OF HEART and twisted sanctification into being state where you "rebel less and less" over time. There is no heart purity in that and that is why they teach that the literal righteousness of Jesus is TRANSFERRED to our account. They have to teach something like that to cover the shortcomings and continual defilement of the Christian.
Sanctification in the Bible is being set apart for God. It is a state of obeying God from the heart and growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. There is an ongoing purification for sure, as God reveals things that need to be changed to the saint they YIELD and make the change. The HEART IS OBEDIENT. The HEART IS PURE. The saint has ESCAPED the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Prove all things and hold fast to that which is true.