This is good news.
Let’s begin this post about the wonderful promises of God. But first let’s review the effects of sin.
1.0 The Results of Sin
1.1 We Are Responsible.
Ezekiel 18:10-18 says that we ourselves are responsible for our sins, not our fathers. Yes, by virtue of being humans, we inherit our sin nature from our ancestors, but each one is responsible for his evil actions. His father will die for his own sins, and the son will die for his own sins.
10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11 (though the father has done none of them):
“He eats at the mountain shrines.
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12 He oppresses the poor and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.
13 He lends at interest and takes a profit.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.
14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:
15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
16 He does not oppress anyone
or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
17 He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.
He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. (Ezek. 18:10-18)
1.2 We Are Held Accountable.
Jeremiah 17:10 says that the LORD himself searches the hearts and rewards each one according to their conduct and what their deeds deserve.
10 “I the Lord search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jer. 17:10)
2 Corinthians 5:10 says that we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so we can receive from him what is our due, by the things done while living here in our earthly bodies. Now the believer in Jesus will not be at the judgment of those outside of faith in Christ, with the unbelievers. But both will go through judgment for their works at different judgments. The unproductive believers will have their “wood, straw, and stubble” burn away but admitted into heaven, while the unbelievers will be judged for a different eternal destiny.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:10)
1.3 We Die Because of Sin.
In Genesis 2:17, in the beginning, Mankind (Adam) was told that if he ate of the knowledge of the tree of good and evil (a symbol of moral law), he would die. He ate, and he died many years later.
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Gen. 2:17)
Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. We die because we sin, and we sin by virtue of our connection to Humankind.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)
James 1:15 presents a progression of sin. We have desires, and some of them are bad. The bad desires give birth to sin and sinful conduct. When sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:14-15)
1.4 We Cannot Atone for Our Own Sins.
Psalm 49:7-8 teaches a stark truth. No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him, because human life is so costly that no payment is ever enough; he cannot through a ransom live on forever without seeing decay. Then along came Jesus, the God-Man; he was qualified to pay the ransom.
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—
9 so that they should live on forever
and not see decay. (Ps. 49:7-9)
In Matthew 16:26, Jesus says if a man gains the whole world, he risks forfeiting his soul. He cannot give anything in exchange for his own soul.
26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matt. 16:26)
2.0 Our Repentance
2.1 We Must and Need to Repent.
Acts 3:19-20 says that when Peter was preaching before the crowd of Jews in Jerusalem, since God worked a miracle through him, he proclaimed that they should repent so that their sins would be blotted out (note the meaning of atonement in the previous point, III). That’s why God sent the Messiah, says Peter.
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. (Acts 3:19-20)
In Acts 20:21, Paul told the Ephesian elders that that everyone—Jews and Gentiles—must turn to God in repentance and have faith in Jesus Christ. That’s the essential gospel: Repent for the forgiveness of sins and believe in Jesus.
21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:21)
Yes, we should repent, but we also need to repent.
2.2 We Must and Need to Confess Our Sins.
In Psalm 32:1-5, a great psalm, the psalmist says it is a blessing when a man’s sins are not counted against him. Before he confessed his sin but kept silent, he was wasting away. When he did confess, he was forgiven.
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin. (Ps. 32:1-5)
Proverbs 28:13 reminds us that when we conceal our sins, we don’t prosper, but when we confess and renounce them, we find mercy.
13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. (Prov. 28:13)
First John 1:9 teaches us that when we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse of all unrighteousness—all. Some teach that this verse is directed at proto-Gnostics (mystical unbelievers who denied Christ came in the flesh), but this verse is directed at everyone.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
2.3 We Must and Need to Turn from Sin.
Psalm 34:14 teaches straightforwardly that we must turn from evil and do good.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it. (Ps. 34:14)
Isaiah 1:16 says that we must wash ourselves and make ourselves clean. Evil deeds must be removed from God’s sight; the people must stop doing wrong.
16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong. (Is. 1:15)
Then the next verse says we are called to do good works:
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow. (Is. 1:17)
Next, 3 John 11 says that we must not imitate what is evil, but what is good.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. (3 John 11)
Repentance means a complete, 180 degrees turnaround, spirit, soul and body.
2.4 We Must and Need to Hate Sin.
Psalm 97:10 says that if we love the Lord, we must hate evil. It’s that simple.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Ps. 97:10)
Amos 5:14-15 says to seek good, not evil, and to hate evil and love good.
14 Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15 Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
on the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:14-15)
God hates evil (Deut. 12:31; 16:22; Prov. 6:16), because it hurts people. Paul in Romans 12:9, quoting Prov. 6:16, says that we believers must hate what is evil.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. (Rom. 12:9)
2.5 We Must and Need to Throw off Sin.
Hebrews 12:1 says that everything that hinders us and the sin that entangles us so easily—we must throw it off of us, like dirty clothes. But this does not mean that we are saved after we throw off our sins. This is the sanctification process–or the process of making us holy. Salvation first, sanctification second.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb. 12:1)
2.6 We Must and Need to Fight against Sin.
Ephesians 6:12-13 say we are in a fight against spiritual rulers and powers and spiritual forces of wickedness in high places—evil spirit beings that tempt us to sin.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Eph. 6:12-13)
Hebrews 12:4 says we have to make every effort to be and live holy. This verse is important because some Bible teachers today say that all we have to do is sit on the deck chairs on a cruise ship and “chill” in our Christian walk. However, our rest in grace does not mean passivity and laziness. We have to fight.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Heb. 13:4)
3.0 God’s Forgiveness
3.1 Confess Your sins and Receive Forgiveness
David said he would confess his sins, and the Lord would forgive the guilt of his sins (Ps. 32:5).
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin. (Ps. 32:5)
Most famously, the Suffering Servant would carry or bear the sins of another person, and by this he would make many righteous and receive great honor and reward (Is. 53:12).
Now what are the results of confessing our sins and receiving God’s forgiveness>
3.2 Our Sins Disappear from God’s Sight
Isaiah 38:17 records a prayer written by King Hezekiah that says that God has put all the king’s sins behind God’s back. In other words, the sins are hidden or concealed, out of sight.
17 Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back. (Is. 28:17)
3.3 Our Sins Are Thrown Out
Recall that Micah 7:19 says God hurls our sins and iniquities in the sea. And Psalm 103:8, 11-12, says that our sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west. These passages are so good, let’s quote them again.
Micah 7:18-19)
18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. (Mic. 7:18-19)
And here are the verse from Psalm 103.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love. […]
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Ps. 103:8, 10-12)
3.4 They Go out of God’s Mind
Isaiah 43:25 says that God blots out our transgressions, for his own sake, and remembers our sins no more.
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more. (Is. 43:25)
Jeremiah 31:34 and Hebrews 8:12 say that God will forgive the people’s wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Jeremiah predicts the New Covenant (vv. 31-36), and the author of Hebrews quotes from it:
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.” (Jer. 31:34)
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.” (Heb. 8:12)
3.5 They Pass out of Existence
Recall that Psalm 51:1 says that David prayed God would blot out his transgressions. Verse 2 asks God to wash away all his iniquities and cleanse him from his sin. Verse 7 asks God to use hyssop and more washing, so he will be white as snow. Hyssop was an herb uses for cleansing and purifying (Num. 19:6). And verse 9 ask God to hide his face from David’s iniquities and again to blot out all of his iniquities.
Here is v. 9.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity. (Ps. 51:9)
Isaiah 44:22 says that God has swept away offenses like a cloud and our sins like the morning mist.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.” (Is. 44:22)
In apostolic teaching, this time by Peter to his fellow Jews, Peter tells them to repent and turn to God, so that their sins would be wiped out (Acts 3:19).
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, (Acts 3:19)
Now we receive god’s solution, which is salvation.
4.0 God’s Salvation
4.1 Atoning Death of Christ
Some Christians teach that the atoning death of Christ was needless and even unscriptural (!). All they have to do is ask for forgiveness of their sins. No need for Christ’s blood! However, they overlook the biblical truth that Christ paid for those sins that they so breezily confess, and the only reason they can stand in God’s presence to ask for forgiveness is through Christ’s bloody sacrifice. That is God’s way. But where does this way come from?
In the New Testament Christ fulfilled that sacrificial system. He was our substitute and took our penalty. He absorbed our sins. Our sins are atoned for through him, once and for all, and our consciences have been sprinkled with his blood, and our bodies have been washed with pure water (Heb. 9:11-28; Heb. 10:22)
More Scriptures supporting Christ’s atoning, sacrificial work:
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. (Eph. 1:7-8)
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Rom. 3:24-26)
4.2 Old Testament Background
In the Old Testament, animals stood in for the human offering it as a sacrifice (Lev. 1-16). It was the human’s substitute. It took on human sin, or the sin was transferred to the animal. The blood was necessary because life is in it. Then the person walked away forgiven because his sins were atoned and forgiven (“atone” can mean “wipe away” or “blot out).
4.3 Faith in Christ
Scripture is clear about salvation …..
To be saved, all you have to do is to obey the truths in these verses:
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. (1 John 4:15)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father [God] loves his child, as well. (1 John 5:1)
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13)
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. […] 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9-10, 13)
Allow me to combine these verses from different chapters in Acts:
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, […] 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 3:19, 16:31)
Here are two verses from John’s Gospel that speak of regeneration or being born again. The Spirit must do it.
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. […] 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:3, 8)
Peter says in Acts:
All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes on him receives forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43)
And so to be saved: Just call on his name, and with saving faith believe in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. Repent of your sins and turn back to God. Profess your saving faith out loud. Declare him Lord, with your mouth. Believe in your heart that God resurrected him (= vindicated his Son’s entire life, ministry, and death). The Spirit causes you to be born again. And then you shall be saved and born of God. Simple. Even a child can do this with his childlike faith.
Here is a time-tested acronym to explain faith:
F-A-I-T-H = Forsaking All, I Trust Him.
I see nothing in those verses about understanding or believing in the complicated theologies to be saved.
To be saved: Just call on his name, and with saving faith believe in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God.
Sec. 8, 1 Soteriology, Doctrine of Salvation: The Basics
5.0 Application
5.1 Practical Steps towards Victory
Here are some practical steps to see the power of sin broken in you.
5.1.1 Go to a Spirit-filled, Bible-teaching church.
5.1.2 Go to a small group that can help with your personal needs. They can pray for you.
5.1.3 How Jesus overcame temptations
During his temptation Jesus overcame Satan by quoting Scripture (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). If Scripture was good enough for him, it ought to be good enough for us. And for me it is. Every day I pray Ephesians 6:16, which says to lift up a shield of faith, which quenches the fiery arrows of the enemy. “Lord, I lift up over my mind a shield of faith that quenches the fiery arrows of the enemy.” I have in mind my specific weakness, and it has diminished down to almost nothing.
5.1.4 Go on a partial fast for thirty days or more days.
Skip a meal three or four times a week, and pray specifically for your sin, during that time.
5.1.5 Fasting
Sometimes sin is so deeply rooted, like addictions, that fasting has to be done. You pick what kind of fast.
5.1.6 If you have your prayer language, use it.
It builds up your spirit (1 Cor. 14:4). If you don’t have it, ask God for it and he will give you the Holy Spirit in his fullness and not a counterfeit spirit (Luke 11:11-12). From this fullness can come your prayer language. Then you can pray in it quietly throughout the day, particularly when you fast.
5.2 Pray
If you want salvation by faith alone, through faith alone and in Christ alone, pray this prayer from your heart:
“Father, I confess all my sins to you, because I am sinful by nature and by my actions. I have lied and stolen small or big things or time. I lust and am greedy for other people’s positions and money and sex. I have committed many other sins. But now I surrender them to you. I repent of all of them. I trust that Jesus Christ cleanses me from all unrighteousness. I proclaim him to be the Lord—and my Lord. I believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead. I surrender my entire life to you. Now take it and use it as you please. In Jesus’s name, amen.”
5.3 Results
If you have prayed that prayer sincerely, you are now clean and consecrated to God. You have been transferred from light to darkness. Your old sins and addictions and habits no longer have dominion or power over you (Rom. 6:14). You can begin a new life in Christ. Read the New Testament from beginning to end. Get involved in a Spirit-filled, Bible-teaching church.
The remaining posts throughout Concise Theology expand on this simple solution.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
At that link, look for the NIV Study Bible.
