The Power of One

The Bible is the autobiography of God. It is His story and we are living out not our lives but the very story of God and His creation. A fundamental truth of this epic is the power of one. Just as we recognize the power of unity in a military fighting force or sports team we see the same power of oneness in everything God does. For us it is important to recognize this unity as His children. In Ephesians 4:3 Paul writes that we are to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” With this plea the following truths are set forth (vv 4–6); There is:

One Body – What mankind (and Satan) has done to cause division in the church and create the plethora of denominations, false teachings, and confusion has led to a weakening of the cause of Christ. God commanded that we be united (1 Corinthians 1:10, 12:25) but warned that divisions would come (Acts 20:29–30; 1 Timothy 4:1). While the religious world recoils at the doctrine of one true church the Bible bears out that there is one body and in it there is great power.

One Spirit – The job of the Spirit was to reveal God’s words, His message, to mankind (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:13). It was the spirit who proclaimed and confirmed the message through inspiration and with powerful miracles. Let us not miss the great power in the Spirit: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

One Hope – The Bible reveals then the one true hope: salvation from our sins and eternal life in Heaven, escaping the eternal torment of a devil’s hell. Many people have tried to assert that even if Christianity is false, or if God is not real, this life is still the best life to live. However the Bible disagrees. In fact Paul says, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:10). There is eternal power in the one hope.

One Lord ­– We have all heard the old adage of there being too many “cooks in the kitchen” or “too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” Spiritually speaking the world has too many lords: self, family, work, money, sports, sin or anything else that unseats Christ from the throne of your heart. There is power and freedom in having the one true Lord of lords ruling your life.

One Faith – Another damning division and effective tool of Satan has been the idea that there are many different faiths. This has taken a bit longer than denominationalism to materialize but we now are told that it really doesn’t matter what you believe, what faith (system of belief) you follow everyone goes to heaven (except for the really bad people). But as Christians we need to be more assertive with our defense of the one true faith (Jude 3). It is this one faith that has the power to save us (Ephesians 2:8).

One Baptism – The Bible lists seven different baptism, so what do we make of this “one baptism” here in Ephesians 4? The only one commanded, taught and said to put us into Christ (Galatians 3:27) and wash away our sins and save us (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21) is the baptism in water for the remission of our sin in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus shed His blood to redeem us and coming into contact with that blood is essential (Romans 6:3–6). There is power in the blood and there is power in the one baptism.

One God and Father of all – This is His story. He is the author of life, both limited physical life and eternal spiritual life. He is omnipotent (all-powerful)!

There is power in one but that power is not in you and I individually as finite, sinful human beings. We must then be submissive, obedient, and faithful. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

 

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The Deity of Christ

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-15) (1)

The question of the Deity of Christ is debated by many. The atheist denies the existence of God. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim Christ was a created being. The Mormon believes Christ was a man who became a god. Muslims declare Christ was simply a prophet of Allah. The answer does not rely upon the decision of any individual or group. Jesus is either Deity or He is not based upon fact. Most Christians believe Jesus is Deity based upon the belief the Bible is a God-breathed, inerrant, word for word record by which God wants man to pattern his life. It is therefore the final authority of examination for all answers man derives (2 Peter 1:2-3). In a nutshell, the Word of God is truth and if any conclusion contradicts the Word, the conclusion must be in error (John 17:17). Before and after the appearance of Jesus, man looked to the scriptures, now completely revealed, to affirm the Deity of the Messiah. By the lifetime of Christ, the world had the Old Testament in complete, affirmed by Christ, and the prophets to examine any claim of Deity. By the end of the first century, man also had the complete New Testament of the Bible to examine any claims of Deity, during the formation of which the apostles and prophets affirmed the scriptures. Since the Bible is declared the source for the claims of Deity, whether one believes in the inerrancy of the Bible or not, verification the Bible makes the claim of Deity for Christ must be accomplished.

The contemplation of Christ as Deity must be broken up into two separate questions: First – Is Jesus Deity? Second – Is Jesus God? For some, this question means the same thing. For others, it does not. They declare Jesus is a god, but not God; He is just the son of God, a demigod, but not equal to the eternal God of all. The concept of a triune or “trinity” God is rejected by some because this would in their mind mean that there are three Gods and not one God. Since this article will not examine in depth the “trinity” or Godhead, it must be understood that this author believes the Father (John 20:17, I Corinthians 8:6, Galatians 1:1, Philippians 2:11), Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4, 2 Cor. 3:17-18, Mat. 28:19), and Jesus the Son are one God in total. They are three individual entities of the Godhead. To illustrate, consider an army. An army from the Commander in Chief all the way down to the private is still one army, but many parts. Also consider the marriage which is composed of two separate parts, a man and a woman. Together they are not marriages, but a singular marriage. Finally, consider the Church as a singular body consisting of many members making up its whole (Romans 1:16, Galatians 3:8, I Corinthians 12:12-27). In all of these cases, there are different responsibilities, but this does not divide their singular makeup. Jesus declares about God: “…Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:” (Mark 12:29). If it is concluded that Jesus is Deity, then it should be clear to see that Jesus is also God.

Deity is defined by the Collins English Dictionary as: “1. a god or goddess 2. the state of being divine; godhead 3. the rank, status, or position of a god 4. the nature or character of God”. (2) In order to determine that Jesus is Deity and therefore God, the definition of Deity must apply to Him.

John the immerser speaks in John 1:40 and the following occurred: “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” Who is this Messiah or Christ they were looking to find? Knowledge of the coming Messiah dated back to the Old Testament. God promised Abraham that through his descendant (singular referencing the Messiah) all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:18). Isaiah said He would be one referred to as “with us is God” and be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). He also said this Messiah would be named “mighty God” and “eternal Father” (Isaiah 9:6). Micah 5:2 establishes this Messiah would be born in Bethlehem though his existence was from always or everlasting. This establishes that the Messiah to come would be God for the Lord said this about himself in Isaiah 41:4, “Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.” If the Messiah were from everlasting, then it means he could not come after God. He must, therefore, be God. Taken with the other Old Testament verses, this is quite obvious and confirms Christ’s Deity.

From the introductory scripture of Matthew 16:13-15, Christ asked his disciples who they believed He was. Peter’s answer was that Jesus was “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. The retort by skeptics of Christ as God is in part made from this verse. Christ is only the son and not God establishes the accusation. However, putting aside for the moment the claim Christ is not God, the phrase “Son of God” needs to be understood. For ages leading up to and beyond the time of Christ, the phrase “son of God” has been applied to leaders of nations and others thought to have divine nature. It applied to the genuine belief the individual being spoken about was Deity. This phrase was even seen during the times of Daniel when the fourth image was seen with Daniel and his friends in the fiery pit. Nebuchadnezzar then used the phrase, “son of the gods” in reference to Deity in Daniel 3:25. This was some 500 years before the time of Christ.

The Jews of Jesus time had a very clear understanding of what it meant to claim to be the “Son of God”. In Matthew 26:63-65, Jesus is before the Sanhedrin, the spiritual leadership of the Jews. Jesus is asked if He is “the Christ, the Son of God”. His reply, declaring that He would come in the clouds of heaven and they would see Him, leads the Sanhedrin to declare that Christ has blasphemed. It is not perfectly clear, initially, upon what they base the claim of blasphemy. Is it the affirmation that He is the Son of God? Or the declaration He would come from heaven? Or perhaps the idea He would be coming in judgment (God Judges – Ecclesiastes 12:14)? What aids in making this situation clearer is the passage found in John 10:22-39. The Jews gathered in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Dedication. They asked Jesus to tell them clearly if He was the Christ. He tells them that He has told them before and the works He does should identify who He is. Jesus further tells them that He gives eternal life and He and the Father are one. There are those today who believe the statement that Christ was one with the Father means they both have righteous purposes. However, that is not at all what the Jews understood. They state: “You being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” Jesus responds by pointing out God has referred to them as gods (judges with divine authority – Psalms 82) who were to impart and uphold the commands of God. Being in that position, they were accusing Jesus of blaspheming by saying that He was the Son of God. Remember, they equated the phrase “the Son of God” with being God from their own words in this text. Jesus asks them with their understanding of the Law of God, if they were making the charge because His works were contrary to the Law. Of course, His works were not contrary. He further bolsters his case of being God (Son of God) by pointing out the miraculous works which confirmed He was who He said He was. It should be noted in neither Matthew nor John did Jesus deny His Deity, but rather affirmed it in both situations. The Son of God references Deity.

How can Jesus claim to be the son of man and Son of God and not be a demigod? A demigod is part mortal and part God. If Jesus was part both, why is He not considered a demi-god? Christ was indeed flesh. He was born of a virgin as prophesied (Matthew 1:18-25). He was born a descendant of David according to the flesh (Romans 1:3). He was a descendant of Abraham according to the flesh (Acts 2:29-32). By the flesh, Jesus suffered for mankind (I Peter 4:1). In His flesh and blood, He was crucified and put away the Law of Moses through fulfillment (Ephesians 2:13-16, Colossians 1:22). In His flesh and blood, He died as all men die (Hebrews 2:14). Jesus was resurrected in His flesh and appeared to the disciples and ate with them (Luke 24:36-43). It is the flesh and blood of Jesus which man remembers in the partaking of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-29). Jesus was 100% flesh. He was not partly flesh. Jesus was not born from Heaven. Jesus was sent from Heaven (Matthew 21:37, John 3:16, 5:23, 6:39, 10:36, 14:24). He was the begotten of God (John 1:14, 3:16, 3:18, I John 4:9). The term begotten used in reference to Christ means “single or one of its kind” according to Thayer’s Greek Definitions. Colossians 2:9 says of Jesus, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form”. This certainly would explain Jesus being the begotten of God. God took the form of man and His name was Jesus. As established by “all” and “fullness”, it was not “part” of God in the form of Jesus. It must be understood Christ is the “only” of God because He was 100% Deity. Jesus was not part man, part God, and thus, a demi-god. Jesus equals God.

To say Jesus is equal to God must be demonstrated through the use of scripture. It has already been established the Jews understood Jesus was claiming to be equal to God (John 5:18) and He backed this claim with the power of God. Paul further affirms this fact by his inspired words in Philippians 2:5-7, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” This verse establishes Jesus was in the form of God. The word “form” refers to his image, nature, makeup, and essence. “Form” doesn’t mean just “personality” or righteous attributes here. Jesus was God in heaven and therefore being God it was not an issue to be considered equal to God. When Jesus was sent to man, He completely assumed the role of servant and put on the image of man, being flesh. Though, He took the more humble form of man, He did not give up his Deity.

When attempting to discern if there is a difference in the nature of God and Jesus, the process is relatively simple. Identify the unique attributes of God and if Jesus does not have these attributes, then he cannot be God. When the Jews identified Jesus’ claim as having equality with God, Jesus laid out a number of attributes showing it was so. In John 5:9-24, He mentions that whatever the Father could do, He could do. He could raise the dead, judge all men, receive the same honor, and give eternal life. At the end of the passage, Jesus again mentions the miracles witnessed His words as true. Further attributes to be noted: Jesus could forgive sins (Mark 2:5). Jesus knew the hearts and minds of men (Matthew 9:4, John 2:24-25). God has no sin (I John 1:5), Jesus did not sin (I Peter 2:21-22). Jesus accepted worship of man (Matthew 28:9), while stating such was for God alone (Matthew 4:10). Jesus is omnipresent (Matthew 18:20). God is everlasting (Psalm 90:2) and Jesus is everlasting (Hebrews 1:8). By examination of attributes alone, Jesus can be seen to be God.

The Hebrews 1:8 scripture not only proclaims Jesus as everlasting, but even more astounding is the knowledge the words spoken there are by God and He calls Jesus “God”. This is not the only place in scripture Jesus is identified as God. Jesus established himself as existing before Abraham and identified Himself as “I AM” the same way God did to Moses (John 8:58-59, Exodus 3:13-15). Following Jesus’ crucifixion, the apostle Thomas said he would not believe Jesus had risen until he personally could “see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side,” John 20:24-28 records those comments and the moment Thomas saw Him and then and there declared to Jesus “My Lord and my God”. Jesus did not rebuke him, but affirms his belief. I Timothy 3:16 speaking of Jesus Christ, proclaims God appeared in the flesh. Romans 9:5 announces Jesus as God overall all. Titus 2:13 speaks of the return of Christ calling Him God and Savior. One verse is all that is needed to validate Jesus as God, but there are numerous examples in scripture.

Another identification of Jesus Christ in scripture is by the Greek term “logos” or simply “Word”. The first 18 verses of the first chapter of the book of John go a long way to understanding Jesus relationship to Deity by using the term “logos”. John 1:1 establishes three things: 1) The Word was in the beginning, 2) the Word was with God, and 3) the Word was God. The evidence the Word is Jesus dominates the full text. Verse 4: The Word was life – Jesus is the life (John 14:6). The Word was the light – Jesus is the light (John 8:12). Verse 7: John came to bear witness of the light – John bore witness of Jesus (John 1:29-30) [Note: John says in this text Jesus existed before him, yet, Jesus was six months younger… see Luke 1:35-36… this points again to the Deity of Christ.]. Verse 10 – The Word was in the world – Jesus was sent into the world (John 3:16). Verse 14: The Word became flesh – Jesus became flesh (Romans 1:3). The Word was the begotten of God – Jesus was the begotten of God (Acts 13:33). There are many more proofs within the John 1 text which demonstrate Jesus was God, but from these samples it is clear the statement is true. The New World Translation attempts to say Jesus was “a” god, however, it does so in attempt to try to prove Christ as simply a glorified man. This is a twisted doctrine which ignores the Greek language and even contradicts its own application of the grammar in question. This belief is brought up now in light of all the evidence thus far seen regarding Christ’s Deity. A deep analysis in the Greek is not needed when it is clear such a twisting of scripture would contradict the Bible presentation of Christ extensively.

The final examination of the Deity of Christ must be taken from the Church of God. This is a phrase which the apostle Paul used with the Churches in Ephesus, Corinth, Galatia, and Thessalonica (Acts 20:28, I Corinthians 1:2, 10:32, 11:16, 22, 15:9, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:13, I Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Thessalonians 1:4). Additionally, he referred to the Church of God in his first letter to Timothy (I Timothy 3:5, 15). It is seen that God added the saved to His Church in Acts 2:47. If it is God’s church, should He not be the head of it? Ephesians 5:23 says Christ is the head of the Church and Savior of it. The Church is also sanctified by Christ (I Corinthians 1:2, Ephesisans 5:26). The Church is presented to Christ by Himself (Ephesians 5:27). How could He present something to Himself which is not His in the first place? The Church is described as His body in Colossians 1:24 by the apostle Paul. He used the term Church of God many times, yet uses the synonymous phrase “Churches of Christ” in Romans 16:16. With such evidence, how can one claim that the Church of God is not the Church of Christ? Even more importantly, how does an individual claim Christ is not God? It is God’s Church. Continuing on from the initial passage of this article (Matthew 16) upon Peter’s confession, Jesus is the Christ and Son of God, Jesus tells him upon that rock (which is Christ – I Corinthians 10:4, I Corinthians 3:11), “I will build my Church”. Whose Church is it? Christ’s Church! Whose Church is it? God’s Church! There is one Church, one body, built by the one God of all (Ephesians 4:4-6). God is the one and only Deity. He is the Father, He is the Son, and He most certainly is Jesus the Christ.

While those who utilize means of authority outside of the Bible will continue to proclaim “Jesus is not Deity, He is not God”, the Bible as the sole means of authority to the Christian confirms that He is. Jesus the Messiah was presented as being God in the Old Testament. Jesus also was presented as being God in the New Testament. Being the Son of God, He was obviously understood to claim Deity by the people of His age. He was all man and all God and not just part of one or the other. He is equal to God, shares the attributes of God, and proclaimed to be God by God and man. He is said to be the Word God, present from the beginning, and presented upon the earth in the flesh. The Church of God has the blessing of being Christ’s Church, the only Church, and the Church accountable to His headship. If Christ is not God, then the Bible is a false witness, and the Christian faith is in vain. The concept of the Deity of Christ must not be set aside or approached lightly for it is the foundation upon which Christians are born and the Church stands.

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Deception of Sin

A Matter of Perception

Many years ago, I got to see sin up close and personal. I saw its intention. I saw its form. I saw its effects. It was ugly. You may wonder what particular sin that it is I saw. And while that would be a discussion that has merit and would be productive on another occasion, it isn’t the point that I wish to make now. One sin is just as ugly to God as another (Isaiah 59:2). It is a sobering fact that any sin we habitually commit will sever us from our relationship with God (John 8:34). It really does not matter what that sin is, per se. Oh, we may deceive ourselves from time to time with the idea that “my sin” is not as bad as “your sin.” But such is simply deception. It is a lie; a falsehood that Satan tells us to try to get us to believe that sin is not really all that serious. Sin is deadly serious.

Take someone who is addicted to drugs as an example. Here is a sin that is generally recognized in society. We see the drug addict and we think, “How sad for him that he is so possessed by such a thing.” We know that he is possessed by his drugs, because we see his desire for them. We see the craving. We see the “joy” he gets from using them. We see the consumption that results from such use. We see the gutter-filled-trashed-out effects of their use. And we see the addict return time after time to the same estate. We wonder, “How could anyone live like that?” They live like that because the ultimate goal of Satan is to so deceive someone as to make them think that there is nothing wrong with their sinful situation. Our pity for such a one should not be due to the condition, but the deception.

And we ask, “How could one be so deceived so as to be involved in such a pathetic suit?” The truth however, is that we frequently live the same way. Satan has deceived many of us as well. Many live in a state of societally approved addictions that while outwardly appear perfectly benign, inwardly they destroy us just as cancerously as the sin of the drug addict. These addictions display much more subtle and deceptive effects. These effects sometimes even robe themselves in a façade of righteousness so as to have the appearance of something decent. We see such effects in the faces of those who turn their nose in disgust at the addictions of others without even acknowledging that their own addiction is equally as deadly. Do we see in these the same symptoms? The craving? The possession? The “joy?” The consumption? Indeed, who is the more deceived?

It was for precisely this reason that Jesus gave himself on the cross. So that we could be free from the possession of sin. He was resurrected so that we could walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Indeed, to habitually fail to examine our own lives, to habitually fail to reflect upon what God has done for us when we were possessed in sin, is an addiction of an equally worse and deceptive kind. It is equally being in the possession of sin. What greater triumph could Satan have than to cause us to cease to examine our own personal sin on a daily basis and the relationship of forgiveness that we have with God as a result of the vicarious sacrifice of Christ? What greater triumph than to deceive us into thinking that our sinful situation is any better than that of others?

I learned a little more about the love of God and Jesus so many years ago when I tried to help a Christian who was a practicing alcoholic, because I saw in my experience something that God must see in all humanity—a great and tremendous need for salvation from sin. Not just of those with visible addictions, but those of us with the invisible one’s as well. God once told Samuel, “… for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). We may look outwardly and see all kinds of wrongs and evils in this world, and even do so justifiably. However, if we look outward while failing to look inward, our sin is merely a matter of perception, and that of an equally deceptive sort. May God bless us with HIS eyes so as to look upon the things that we ought to look upon, both outward and inward, in our daily walk with Him.

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We Need

We know from studying the evidence that God is the perfect designer. Beyond just designing the universe we see in impeccable detail, though, He also perfectly designed the family and the church as institutions in which we can love each other and serve Him. Humans have a unique way of corrupting that which is good, though. Families suffer as children are considered nothing more than accessories and marriage and sexual are for anybody and everybody. We aren’t surprised when we see society crumble around weak families, but we should likewise understand that weak churches are even more responsible for the cultural apostasy. It is the church that God entrusted with shining His light in the world. If He wanted us to stay silent, He wouldn’t have given us the Word and the Spirit. With declining retention rates among our youth and stagnant evangelism in most places, it’s safe to say that the church isn’t what it should be. If we just assume that problem will correct itself, nothing is going to change. We must be intentional about fixing what is wrong. Here are three areas the church must address if it is going to reestablish God’s influence over culture.

– We need elders. Though the church has a number of fine elders, the fact remains that many congregations go without elders, as none of their men are qualified. Other congregations install men who do not meet the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 out of desperation to have some form of leadership. Still other congregations have men who meet those qualifications but are not spiritually-minded enough to guide the congregation in the way it needs to go. To those who are elders – are you training and mentoring the younger men in your congregation to replace you some day? To parents – perhaps instead of hoping that our children will survive their college years with their faith, shouldn’t we be training them with the goal of someday leading and serving the church according to the Scriptures? God blesses families with children, and He expects them to be returned to Him and used in His service as arrows (Psalm 127, Proverbs 22:6). The church will always need elders, and with nearly two whole generations missing we desperately need to start turning up the intensity in our efforts to train future elders.

– We need preachers. There will always be people looking for a speaker who will “tickle their ears” (2 Timothy 4:3-4) and make them feel good about themselves regardless of how they live. Sadly, there will always be preachers who look to fill that niche, too. Though we need to fight to convince those people of the truth, we should put even more focus into fighting the problem of “fluff.” What we need in the pulpits are not men who will give a shallow pep talk or will skim over the tough stuff. We need men who will dig deep and show the way into the Word. We need men who will challenge the listener’s understanding of the Bible. We need men who will inspire an enthusiasm for the Bible that is contagious. As many pulpits remain unfilled, many are filled with those who teach falsely, and a number are filled with shallow preachers, we need those preachers who are strong in the Word to set an example and take others under their wing. An introductory reading of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus show the seriousness with which Paul viewed His ministry. That’s the attitude we need more of.

– We need servants. Not every man is going to be an elder or a preacher, not every woman is going to be an elder’s wife, a preacher’s wife, or a teacher among women and children. In fact, the majority of people who attend congregations won’t be. What we need is for those people to make a commitment to the church that they will be there when it’s time to worship and won’t put anything else over their commitment to God. We need them to make the Joshua 24:15 promise to serve God and Him only in their households. We need them to strengthen and encourage their elders and preachers, and we need them to constantly study so that they can have their own relationships with God and so they can confirm what they’re taught from the Scriptures like the Bereans of Acts 17.

No matter which one of these three you are or might become, we need you. The church’s problems aren’t going to fix themselves. They’re going to require each one of us to look at ourselves, our families, and our church so we can understand what role we need to fill and what we can do to help the church spread into the culture rather than the opposite. Christ is our foundation (1 Peter 2:6-8) and as long as our efforts build on Him, we’ll never go wrong. It’s time to start building again. Can the church count on you?

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Forgiveness

Mark Twain once said, “Forgiveness is the  fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that  has crushed it.” Many in the world do not  understand the subject of forgiveness since they fail  to see what God says in His word about such. Some  think that if we only pray to God concerning sin, no  matter what the circumstances, God automatically and  immediately forgives. Some think that we should forgive  others even if they refuse to admit guilt, express remorse  or show any signs of repentance. What are we to make  of this confusing subject?

Let us first define this word in the way the Bible  defines it, which it does employing five different terms:

•  It uses a financial term called “ remission ”  (Matt. 26:28). Concerning sin, man is indebted  to God (Matt. 6:12), but in forgiveness, the  blood of Jesus remits the guilt of past sins and  forwards a zero balance.

•  It uses a judicial term called “ justification ”  (Rom. 3:24-26). Concerning sin, man stands  guilty (James 2:10), but in forgiveness, the  blood of Jesus removes our guilt and releases  us from the penalty of sin.

•  It uses a ceremonial term called “ purification ”  (Titus 2:14). Concerning sin, our souls are  defiled (Jer. 2:23), but in forgiveness, the blood  of Jesus cleanses us from the filth of iniquity  (1 John 1:7; Isa. 1:18).

•  It uses a geographic term called “ sanctification ”  (Heb. 10:29). Concerning sin, we stand in the  realm of the world and all who are friends to  it (James 4:4), but in forgiveness, the blood of  Jesus cuts us loose and sets us apart for holy  service in His church (Rom. 12:1-2).

•  It uses a social term called “ reconciliation ”  (Rom. 5:10). Concerning sin, we are separated  from God (Isa. 59:1-2), but in forgiveness, the  blood of Jesus satisfies the justice of God and  allows us to draw near to Him in fellowship  (Heb. 8:10; James 4:8).

Now, there is actually a great deal of difference  in demonstrating a forgiving spirit and obtaining  forgiveness, because forgiveness is a two-way street.  Let us now distinguish the two. The Bible declares  that we must be people who are willing to forgive  (Matt. 5:44-45; 6:14-15; Mark 11:25; Eph. 4:32; Matt.  18:21-35). This was the demonstration by example of  our Lord on Calvary in Luke 23:34: “ Father, forgive  them; for they know not what they do .” Nevertheless,  unless the perpetrator recognizes fault and expresses  proper remorse, one cannot obtain forgiveness. Since  we have offended God by our sins, we must obtain His  forgiveness based upon His terms. The Bible is replete  with passages that inform us of the need of developing  a broken and contrite spirit (Ps. 34:18; 51:17). The  New Testament declares thus for the child of God: “ If  we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us  our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ” (1  John 1:9). Peter told the anguished ones who crucified  the Lord, “ Repent, and be baptized every one of you in  the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins …”  (Acts 2:38) for this reason—while Jesus demonstrated a  forgiving spirit, they still needed to indicate proper steps  of recognition and remorse for what they did. With both  of these, they were able to obtain forgiveness from God,  which serves as a wonderful pattern for us in forgiving  others also.

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