Who sins have been forgiven?

It is important I ask the question because there are many in the Church if not most that are convinced that everyone sins have been forgiven by Christ. Is that indeed true? Has Jesus forgiven every last person's sins?

If I could see the faces of everyone that will read this article, I could imagine you looking back at me perplexed saying, "Del are you kidding me? Of course, everyone's sins have been forgiven by Christ!" 

Okay then, we need to test that reasoning against scripture. To me, it is quite simple. If one dies in sin and perishes in hell were their sins forgiven? If one says yes then you believe in a sort of double jeopardy. Meaning that you have Christ paying for sins of the hell-bound, and the lost paying for their own sins. Does that seem logical and fair?

Of course, it is not.

It does not make sense nor is it fair for Christ to die for the sins of those who will eternally perish in hell and pay the penalty for their own sins. Some of you may be gasping in horror by my statement right now and branding me a heretic. It is important that you hear me out so that you understand my reasoning behind my argument. 

To believe that Christ forgave everyone's sins means that he paid the price for them on his cross. This also means he washed their sins away. Now listen and read very carefully: If Christ paid your sin debt in full, that means you cannot go to hell. Why? Because you have no debt to pay so, therefore, you cannot be responsible for your sins anymore - Jesus took care of them. Remember what the Prophet Isaiah declared, "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was placed upon him. By his stripes, we are healed (Isa 53:5). 

The prophet clearly describes the punishment he suffered on our behalf - all those that have put their trust in Christ. So, if everyone in the world sins has been forgiven, then all will go to heaven - there would be no hell. We know that is not true. Most of the world will not believe and will perish in hell.

There is an absolute and necessary condition for one to have their sins forgiven and receive salvation, one must believe! The most well known and celebrated passage in all the Bible tells us that, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son. That whosoever should believe (necessary condition) on him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). 

It is quite elementary, one's sins are only forgiven if they repent and place their faith in the Lord Jesus for the remission of their sins (Heb 9:22). Often times when people are sharing the gospel they will tell someone that Jesus loves them and has forgiven their sins without sharing with them why they need to be forgiven of sin in the first place. How do you know if the person even knows what sin means? 

The person will not appreciate or want the cure unless they realize they are dead in their trespasses and sins and totally cut off from the life of God their creator (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13).  Do not offer the cure until you explain why the person needs the cure - they are spiritually dead and need to be made alive by the power of God's Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born again" (i.e. new birth, born from above) - (John 3:3,5-8).

Concluding, those who have the joy of their sins forgiven are those that have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness and the washing away of their sins forever. It is tragic to tell someone Jesus has forgiven their sins when the person has not believed. The burden of their sins still remains with them. The provision is there and the price for all sin has been paid, but only for those who truly believe!!

I said this in the past, and I will repeat myself, Jesus has paid for all of your sins if you are in him, or he has paid for none of them if you are still in sin. The enemies of God do not get the same benefits as the children of God. Remember, all sins ever committed will be paid for, either by Jesus on the cross for the redeemed, or the sinner will pay for their own sins in hell.

In light of the Fall

My foundation passage for writing this article: Isaiah 46:10, "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I do all my pleasure” (italics added for emphasis).

I often wonder why God created the universe in the light of the fall. What do I mean by this?  In other words, God created the earth knowing at the same time he would allow the fall of man into sin to happen and ruin his perfect creation. If you have ever pondered this reality like I do, then admittedly it brings tension to the mind.

However, this does not make me question God in an accusative way, but rather it makes me desire to get to know the mind of God more so I can love and appreciate his uniqueness and explain to those in my sphere of influence the wonders of our God who also ponder this difficult matter.

Let me say first off that I do not fully understand why God ordained the fall, but I do know that ordaining the fall of man I believe is good in the ultimate salvific sense. Why? Because God allowed it through the sin of Adam to occur. Certainly, God had the power to stop Adam and Eve from committing sin, but he did not. Why? That was not part of his plan. The results of the fall were and are tragic humanly because it has caused unbearable misery, pain, and death but in the mind of our infinite God, there is a silver lining. What is that silver lining I am sure the reader is asking right now?

 Before I attempt to answer that question, the reader MUST understand that the results of the fall of man although ordained and allowed by God are not his fault. God commanded Adam directly not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16-17). So, how do we reconcile this conundrum - God allowing the fall, and dealing with Adam's disobedience that brought about the fall that God ordained?  This definitely seems like a contradiction doesn't it?

It is not a contradiction but rather a paradox. When I say that God ordained the fall it does not mean he is the cause of it. Mankind is. God did not bait Adam to Eve to sin and then punish them for it. That would make God unjust. Satan (with God's permission) was the one that tempted Eve (not Adam) to eat the forbidden fruit. She and Adam had a free will to choose to obey or disobey God. We know they chose to disobey because that is what they wanted to do. Their desire at that moment to disobey and eat was greater than their desire to obey and not eat. That is the nature of all mankind. 

So we have two parallel dynamics going on here. It was God's preceptive will that they not eat - meaning they knew the will of God and willfully broke it. They disobeyed with their eyes wide open. At the same time, through their disobedience, God's plan was not stifled in any way. Adam and Eve's disobedience was interwoven in God's providential plan. It had to be otherwise it would have never happened. Once again, God allowed the sin because we have free will to choose what we do. He does not approve of it. That is why he cursed them both, forgave their sin by killing an innocent animal, shedding its blood as their sin substitute to make them coats of skin to cover their nakedness and kicked them out of the garden (Gen 3:16-17,21, 23-24). This was the first act of atoning forgiveness in history. It also foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ for sins on the cross.

Remember sin always results in death (Romans 6:23).

So that is how the writer believes we reconcile God ordaining and allowing the fall versus Adam's disobedience which he clearly forbade.

You see even the evil that men do serves God. It's abhorrent to him. That is why he must punish it. But he uses the evil and turns it around for good (Romans 8:28). God knew what Adam and Eve would do before he created the universe. How? Because the Lord has foresight - meaning he knows and sees everything before it actually happens. It is what scholars call omniscience. It means God has all knowledge. That is why God could plan man's salvation in advance in conjunction of the fall. It is also how God revealed things to the prophets before they happened in time. Mankind is not that way. We only have hindsight - meaning we can only know things when and after they happen. And without divine revelation from God through his word, we will never understand why things happen in the manner that they do - good or bad.

Now, back to the question of "what is the silver lining in all of this?" The silver lining was the plan of God before the foundation of the world to send his perfect and only Begotten Son to come and die for the sins of his people (Matt 1:21). That way God could show the wonders of his grace toward underserving wretched sinners like you and I (Eph 1:6). 

Although the fall of man was tragic, God's grace is greater (Rom 5:20).  In other words, the tragedy of the fall of man pales in comparison to the love, power, and grace of God. 

The fall of man did not in any way defeat or delay God's plan of redemption. Everything God has ever done is right on his schedule despite Adam's sin which clearly God did NOT want him to do. The part that admittedly perplexes me is that God providentially uses sinful man to fulfill his will. What amazes me, even more, is the transcendent wisdom of God - how he can even allow the evil choices that are clearly against his revealed will and use them for good while at the same time punish us for those sinful choices. That is pure brilliance! Now you tell me, who should not fear and reverently worship a God like that? 

God's commands are frustrated by man every day and yet he will still fulfill his plans perfectly. God is victorious every time, while man is piling up sin against the day of God's wrath.

In conclusion, God does allow for sin to occur while at the same not being responsible for it.  Remember what James said, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man. But every man is tempted he when he is drawn away of his own lust (italics mine) and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death (James 1:13-15).

This was the tragic scenario of Adam of Eve in the garden.

I wish you good luck!!

The above mentioned phrase is usually used in our society as a kind way of saying you wish someone well in whatever it is they are doing; whether it is a new job, their education, or perhaps a new business venture. But, what is luck? What does it mean to be lucky or unlucky? Is there actually a thing in our world called luck? And if so, where does it come from?

Permit me to be technical in this article. To some, I may even be annoying. I will accept that. I am going to attempt to break this idea down so we can see if luck really exists. 

A definition of luck: Success or failure brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.

Definition of chance: a force that causes good or bad things to happen.

When we say things happen by chance, we are saying things happen for no reason at all. That is impossible. Absolutely everything that happens in our lives is for a reason even when we do not understand why they happen good or bad. If we are depending on "the luck of the draw" as many count on when gambling, or on the ghost of a chance, then you are depending on false deities that obviously do not exist. This equates to idolatry.

Chance is a word used when dealing with mathematical probabilities. When one flips a coin, we say its a 50-50 chance that the coin will land on heads or tails. Actually, it's a 100-100 reality that the coin will land on heads or tails - think about it.  So, is it blind chance, fate or luck that causes the coin to land on heads or tails, or is it something else? If chance rules the day, then what we have is an effect without a cause. That, of course, is impossible. There is no such thing as a causeless event. And since we cannot have an effect without a cause, there can be no such thing as luck or chance happenings in our world.

To declare things happen by luck is to say that luck is an outside arbitrary force that invades our lives at random to make things happen against our will good or bad. We as humans have absolutely nothing to do with how our lives go because we have these "gods" of luck and or chance invading our lives whenever they feel like it. Our hard work and efforts take a back seat to how things unfold in our lives. because luck and chance decided to step in uninvited. For those of us who are sports fans watching the NBA playoffs, the Houston Rockets were "unlucky" because Chris Paul got hurt, and The Golden Warriors got "lucky" because Chris Paul got hurt. Did not the Rockets horrible 3 point shooting and poor second halves in games 6 and 7 when they had halftime leads in both games seal their doom along with the Warriors superior play in the second half of those games cause them to advance to the NBA finals? I will admit had Chris Paul played in those games, the Rockets may have advanced instead of Golden State since they had a 3-2 games lead in the series.  My point? Luck had nothing to do with the outcome, at all!! One team outplayed the other when it mattered the most. For Golden State execution was the cause, and victory was the effect. People say we have good or bad luck because there are so many unexplainable things in our lives with apparently no rhyme or reason. In other words, our ignorance of the anomalies in life is chalked up as luck and chance. 

What is so tragic about this mindset is that the world is depending upon fantasy than on the fact that all things are a result of a creator God. God ordains whatever comes to past - even the evil that is in the world. Before the reader gasps in horror that I said God ordains the evil that is in the world, I will carefully explain a little later as best as I can what I mean.

In Isaiah 46:10 we read, "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done. Saying my purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure".

The reality that God is in control of all things instead of lady luck, your lucky stars or some omen should provide all with relief, but sadly for most, it does not. If one does not believe in The Almighty who is in complete control of all things, then all one has is the apparitions of luck and chance. This means you have nothing. From that point of view, one's life is one cosmic accident - you are existing with no purpose. Your life is no more important than a slot machine or cards on a blackjack table in  Vegas. That is the tragic view of the Darwinian evolutionist, not that of one who believes in a benevolent creator.

I don't know about you, but I would rather leave my life in the hands of God than luck, chance or fate. 

Since God is the cause of all things in the universe and not luck and or chance how can he be good if evil exists?

I have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. God is good always, and his mercy endures forever (Psalm 136). Remember evil exists because Adam and Eve way back in the garden of Eden chose to disobey God (Gen 3:6). That was the origin of human moral evil. Evil is the absence of good - of moral righteousness. Evil is not a force, but rather a disposition that is hostile toward God. As strange as it may sound to one's ears, God did ordain that evil exist.  Please understand that by ordaining it, he allowed it to pollute his creation through the willful disobedience of man. God can never be the author of evil in that he created it for everything God created was very good (Gen 1:31). Evil is not a result of bad luck infusing it as some wicked parasitical black ooze that possesses mankind. Evil is always connected to our cognizant willful choices. We do evil because we want to. No one can make us. Our choices are free. 

At this point, someone may ask the question,"Why would a good God allow evil to ruin his perfect world?" The best answer I can give is a long one. It's a mystery in part to me why God would allow evil to infiltrate his wonderful creation. But God who is all wise apparently decided his glory would be served best this way - meaning allowing evil to pervade this world, and casting it into ruin. Defeating and conquering sin by sending his only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ the perfect sacrifice for our sins. All those who believe will receive eternal life and forgiveness of their sins. This incomparable act of love puts God's power and glory on full display for the whole world to see. 

Please just remember this, the terrible things we experience in this life is mankind's fault at the root. The good that happens to us is because of the sheer grace and mercy of God. Let me prove that. 

James 1:17 says,"Every good thing and every perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."

God is good and blesses us with good all the time. When bad things happen, it never diminishes the goodness of God, but it should be a painful reminder of the wickedness of man. Evil looms so large that like a thick black cloud it appears to block out the good in our lives so the evil is all we see. We ourselves are indeed our worst enemy. The internal evil we toil with, along with the external evil we wrestle with is a result of our sinful nature - God help us!!

Good and bad are not arbitrary in our lives. All things happen for a reason. We do not know all the reasons nor are we supposed to know. If we did, there would be no need for faith in God. It is futile especially for the Christian to abandon things to luck and chance. It proves one is not trusting in God. Remember God will not share his throne or give his glory to someone or something (Isa 48:11) especially not to luck and chance. We are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge him, and he will direct our paths (Pro 3:5-6).

Customary and Universal Application

In the book of Leviticus chapters 18:22 and 20:13 God through Moses condemns homosexuality. Also in Leviticus 19:19b the word tells Israel that they were not to wear two different types of material sewn together. The command regarding the clothing is an ambiguous one. The reasoning behind that one is some believe that pagan nations may have worn different clothing sewn together when performing some type of occultic ritual and thus Israel who were/are God's chosen people, and had to be separate in every way from all other nations were forbidden from this practice. We do not know for sure.

The reason I bring the matter up is that so many people who lack Biblical discernment have this notion that since homosexuality was condemned in the Mosaic law and is of course condemned in the new testament (Read Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6), then it is also sinful to wear two different types of clothing (i.e. Denim and cotton), and to eat shellfish or shrimp since they were also supposedly forbidden.

Does the Bible condemn the eating of shrimp or the wearing of multiple fabrics?

What must be differentiated in the law is what was customary verses what has universal application. We are talking about the ancient Hebrews in Leviticus. Their dietary laws have been abolished with the arrival of the new covenant. This is what the Lord told Peter in Acts 10, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy"(Acts 10:15).  What does that mean? God has put Peter into a trance. Peter saw a sheet come out of heaven and in it was all types of animals that their the old law forbade him to eat. So when Peter heard a voice tell him "to kill and eat", Peter said, "No Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean." 

What God was trying to tell Peter is that the Old Covenant you knew your whole life has been superseded by a new and better covenant based on better promises (Heb 8:6,13). Also, Peter and his companions were there to preach the gospel to Gentiles for the first time - The Roman Centurion Cornelius and those in his house (Acts 10). The Gentiles are the ones God had cleansed in Peter's vision. Something the Jews never would have imagined!

Also, In 1 Timothy 4:3-4 we read, "Men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer."

Point being is that no food is forbidden to us now. Of course, that does that mean we have to eat everything in sight. Some things we are better not consuming. The prohibition of certain foods in the Hebrews diet and the wearing of certain types clothing along with trimming of the beards, tattoos, etc were binding upon the nation of Israel to separate them from the other nations surrounding them that were evil. However, homosexuality is a moral law that was not abolished in the New Testament. It is binding upon us now. All of the moral commandments of the Mosaic law are still in force today; do not take the Lord's name in vain, do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, etc (Exodus 20).

So when someone wants to say that since Christians always want to condemn homosexuality and those same people want to argue that the Old Testament law condemns the wearing of different fabrics, or say you cannot eat shellfish or shrimp, kindly explain to them what laws are binding upon us now, and which ones are not binding.

God's moral law always applies to us. God's customary laws do not apply because those laws have been abolished with the ushering in of the New Covenant.

Hezekiah's Plea to the Lord

In Isaiah chapter 38 we read that King Hezekiah became very ill to the point of death. He is in the prime of his life so he humbles and prays to the Lord how he has been faithful to God, and how he has served him with his whole heart. 

God hears his prayer and sends him word through the prophet Isaiah that he will add fifteen years to his life (vs 5). Hezekiah was suffering from a painful boil. A cake of figs was made which apparently had the medicinal properties to heal Hezekiah once it was rubbed on the boil to heal him (vs 21).

Question, how did Hezekiah's life change so dramatically when it was told to him by the prophet to "put your house in order because you are going to die and not live" (vs 1)?

Simply, due to Hezekiah's prayer. It moved the hand and heart of God to act on his behalf. The text said the Lord heard Hezekiah's prayer and saw his tears (vs 5).  I am bringing this point up because of the fact that some reading this account may get the impression or simply believe that God changed his mind regarding what he decided to do regarding Hezekiah. 

No, God did not nor does he ever change his mind. Hezekiah certainly would have died of his sickness had he not prayed to God to spare his life. God also knew that Hezekiah would pray that prayer of humility to him which gave the Lord the opportunity to bless him. Both scenarios are true. Had Hezekiah not prayed he would have died. Because he did pray, God granted fifteen more years and healed him. Some look at the word Isaiah gave Hezekiah regarding him dying as an intention and not a declaration from the Lord; a divine intention God can change if one prays (as was the case of Hezekiah praying for himself), or if one intercedes, but a decree from God must be fulfilled.

This story should be of great encouragement to us as children of God. The Lord hears the prayers and sees the tears of his saints. Just like with Hezekiah, he is moved with compassion to act on our behalf. But please notice what Hezekiah prayed, "Remember now O Lord how I have walked before you in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight" (vs 3).

2 Chronicles 29:2 tells us that Hezekiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord. His relationship with the Lord no doubt gave him the confidence to petition the Lord to spare his life.

Is Paul usurping the Lord's authority in I Corinthians 7:12?

Paul is discussing marriage in this chapter. The reason I wanted to discuss the matter is because I'm sure there is confusion regarding the fact that Paul says in verse 12 that, "To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.

For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called us to peace. For how do you know, wife whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know husband if you will save your wife?

When Paul states in verse 12 to the rest I say and not the Lord, he is by no means giving his personal opinion on the matter. Rather he is providing new revelation never dispensed before regarding marriage. If you read verses 10-11 in this chapter Paul talks about if one is married, do not separate from your spouse. For if you do, remain unmarried or reconcile with your spouse. Understand this particular command came from the Lord Jesus. Jesus stated the following, "It was said,'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you (i.e. not Moses and the law, but I, Jesus say) that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery" (Matt 5:31,32). The part where Jesus declares that those that divorce and marry another commit adultery was brand new revelation at that time. Moses never made that declaration in the law. 

So do you see why it was important for Paul to differeniate between what Jesus commanded and the new command given to him from the Spirit of God to deliver to the church at Corinth?  What Paul wrote Jesus never spoke about. Let discuss the new revelation Paul gives regarding marriage.

1. Paul discusses that if an unbelieving spouse desires to remain with their believing spouse, let them remain. Do not get a divorce (vv 12-13).

2. But, if the unbelieving spouse desires to leave, for the sake of peace let them leave. The believer can re-marry in the Lord (vv 15, 39).

3. The believing spouse because the Lord's favor rests upon them, sanctifies [(not saves) their unsaved partner and children, vs 14)]. The unsaved partner can receive blessings they would not otherwise enjoy if they were married to an unbeliever like themselves. The saved spouse provides a holy covering for the unsaved spouse. Hopefully the unsaved acknowledges the blessings they are receiving because of their saved partner and becomes a believer in Christ by repenting and turning to the Lord by faith.

In conclusion, just because Paul said "I said" and not the Lord does not mean Paul is usurping the Lord's authority. Once again these particular truths Paul revealed were never spoken of by Christ. What this also proves is that the same Holy Spirit that led our Lord to declare absolute truth is the same Spirit that led Paul and leads all true believers. Paul's words had just as much force and power as Jesus' words for he was an Apostle inspired by the Holy Spirit.

What did Jesus mean when he said, "I came not to bring peace but a sword!"

This is one of those apparent contradictory statements by Jesus again. I love these type of statements by the Lord. And why? Because it forces me to carefully examine the text to see what he meant by this controversial phrase. 

Once again to understand what Jesus meant, we must understand the context in which he said it. Matthew 10:34-37 says, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth, but a sword. For I came to set a man against Father, and a Daughter against her Mother, and a Daughter-In-Law against her Mother-In-Law; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves Father and Mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who will lose his life for my sake will find it."

The prior verses tell us that Jesus had commissioned his disciples to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast of demons (Matt 10:5-8). 

When Jesus said, "I came not to bring peace, but a sword", he was making reference to a sword of division between family members. Why in the world would Jesus want to do that? Because, family are the closest relationships we have in the earth. If we are to be effective genuine Christians, we have to be willing to abandon any and all relationships for the excellency that is in Jesus Christ or else we CANNOT serve him.  Jesus is commanding ultimate love and devotion to him first. All other relationships must be subservient to his. 

Jesus is not being double minded when he says that he came not to bring peace. He is and always will be the Prince of Peace as Isaiah 9:6 tells us. Yet at the same time, the life we must live as Christians will not be totally devoid of conflict and trial. Ultimately peace will prevail, but prior to obtaining eternal peace we will have conflict; perhaps even in our own family. Jesus is warning his readers that a cost is required to follow him. It is like he is saying, "Are you willing to cast your vote for me even at the expense of your family and even your own life?" If one is unwilling to do that, they cannot be Jesus' disciple. 

In Luke 9:59-62 we read these words, And he said to another, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my Father. But he said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." Another also said, "I will follow you Lord, but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him. "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God."

If we are to follow Christ, we cannot make any excuses. Either we are all the way in, or we are out; no middle ground! Thank the Lord he cares enough about us to warn us first what is required to  follow him. Jesus does not paint a unrealistic pretty picture, but a real one of the cost of discipleship.