To Behold the Face of God

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By Francis Frangipane

Have you not deeply desired to see God, to know Him intimately and truly? Beloved, to see Jesus is to behold God. Let us not consider it heresy: we can surely see God! But first we must renounce every perception of the Almighty other than what we have proven true in Christ.

Therefore study the life, teachings, and deeds of Jesus Christ, and you will remove the veil of mystery surrounding the nature of God.

Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

What truth could be more profound? Each time we read of what Jesus did, we are actually beholding the nature of God. Every time we listen to what Jesus taught, we are hearing the voice of the living God.

Jesus is the image of the invisible Father (Heb. 1:2-3). “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9). Jesus is God’s form. He mirrored on earth those things He saw His Father doing in Heaven; He echoed the words the Father whispered to Him from eternity.

Do you truly desire to see God? Christ’s words are windows through which the pure in heart behold the Almighty (Matt. 5:8).

Certainly others can greatly edify our hearts, but no one excels the revelation of God in Christ. Ponder Christ, and you contemplate the nature of God. Eat His words, and you assimilate into your spirit the substance of the Almighty.

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2).

God spoke to the prophets “in many portions and in many ways.” Indeed, all their words inspire, correct, and guide our souls; they are all profitable for reproof and correction, that we may be fully instructed. But “in these last days [God] has spoken to us in His Son.”

Prophets will point the way; Christ is the way. Teachers will expound the truth; Jesus is the truth. Apostles will proclaim the life; Jesus is the life. Yes, all speak the word, but the Son of God is the Word.

The teachings of Jesus Christ are not to be blended into the Scriptures as though He were one of many equally important voices used by God. He is, in truth, the living revelation of God Himself, the sole expression of His invisible glory. When Christ speaks, we are listening to God unfiltered, unbiased, unveiled.

So, I ask again, would you see God? Would you pursue the glory of the Lord? Study Jesus. Ponder His words and deeds. For to steadfastly gaze upon Jesus is to behold “the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

Father, I want to see Your glory and to dwell in Your presence. Answer Your Son’s prayer in John 17:24 through me, that I might be with Christ where He is to behold Your glory. Make Your Word come alive to me, and let it transform my soul. Renew my mind that I might live in perpetual union with You.

Adapted from Francis Frangipane’s book, I Will Be Found by You, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

http://www.frangipane.org/

The Shelter of God

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There is a place of immunity for the believer, a spiritual fortress in Christ that shelters us from the attacks of the devil. For those who abide in this stronghold of God, the onslaught of the wicked one does not touch them. Here, in this secret dwelling with the Almighty, we are hidden from the effects of the accuser’s tongue; we are sheltered from the assignment of the destroyer.

The dictionary defines immunity as “freedom or exemption, as from a penalty, burden, duty or evil.” This is how the living God wants His children to walk: in freedom from the penalties and burdens of sin, delivered from the duties of legalistic religion, protected and triumphant over the assault of the evil one.

Survey the landscape of the Bible
You will find hundreds of examples of God’s loving protection. Every time the Lord pleaded with sinful Israel to return to Him, it was to urge them back to His protection; each time they responded, they were secured again within the shelter of God. The Scripture says, “He shielded them and cared for them, guarding them as the apple of his eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10 NAB).

A Father’s Care
God is not only our Creator; He is also our Father. As such, it is inconceivable that He would leave His children unprotected. In Matthew 6:8, Jesus says our Father knows our needs before we ask Him. If we, even in our fallen condition, seek to provide for our children, how much more does God in His perfection seek to shelter and care for His offspring! Scripture testifies that He has “granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). The more we possess a true knowledge of the Almighty, the more accessible His provisions for us become. What has He given us? He has prepared an abiding place for us where all that we need concerning life and godliness is ours. It is a place where every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places belongs to us in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

David knew of this awesome place of protection. He wrote, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress . . . in whom I take refuge; my shield and . . . my stronghold” (Psalms 18:2). Again, speaking of those who fear God, David prayed, “You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues” (Psalms 31:20). And again, “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalms 32:7). In David’s personal life, he knew the living God as a spiritual stronghold and a place of safety from conflict. The king was intimately familiar with this special place in God’s presence. It was here in the fortress of God that David’s soul was sheltered.

For Those Who Follow Christ
This stronghold was not just a special provision for prophets and godly kings. From the day of Christ’s resurrection, the entrance into the citadel of Heaven was opened to all who would follow the Messiah. Discovering this abode where Christ literally floods us with His life is not merely the subject of this message; it is the object of our existence!

How shall we find this spiritual place?
We simply begin by loving Jesus. He said, “He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21). If we persevere in love and obedience, Jesus has promised to progressively reveal Himself to us.

Consider the magnitude of Jesus’ promise! He continued, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23).This unfolding revelation of Jesus Christ to our hearts is the path to the abode of God. It is the shelter of the Most High, which is the stronghold of God.

Lord, with the psalmist I cry, “When shall I enter the courts of the living God?” You are our Father; do not hide Yourself from us, Your children! Bring us to Your lap, O God! Hold us to Your heart; assure us with the fullness of Your Spirit that You indeed are near. Thank You, Lord!

By Francis Frangipane

Adapted from Francis Frangipane’s book, The Shelter of the Most High, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

http://frangipane.org

How Are You and Jesus Doing Today? Part 2

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The last thing is to examine yourself to see if you are still in the faith. But I am in the faith! I believe in Jesus, I have prayed the prayer of salvation, I go to church. None of that means you are saved and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. The question you have to ask is, “Do I have an honest relationship with Christ?” As I have already mentioned, we need to pray and get into God’s Word every single day. This is only way we will grow in the knowledge of Christ. The more we get into God’s Word, the deeper and wider His Word gets.

Now, the question of are you still in the faith. Are you one of those that listen to preachers because you like and agree with what they are teaching? When you get home from church, do you dig into your Bible and study what the preacher just taught? Are you studying those things to make sure that they are so, just like the Bereans did in Acts 17:11? You see, if you are solely relying on what man tells you what scripture says, you can and will be led astray very easily. You will believe those things because you will say to yourself – maybe not consciously, but sub-consciously you will – he is ordained of God to preach, so he should know the scriptures. I have news for you. Man is FALLIBLE! I repeat, man is FALLIBLE! God is INFALLIBLE! Man makes mistakes while God never makes a mistake. Michael Youssef (Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef) made this statement “Sometimes God’s Word will contradict what you have been taught.” This is so true! Let me add to that statement, “When God’s Word is contradicting what you have been taught, then what you have been taught is wrong because Gods Word is NEVER wrong!” Did you get that? Gods Word is NEVER wrong! Man will teach at times what he “thinks” scripture is saying, not what it is actually saying. Man will teach scripture and insert their denominations theology and doctrine into his messages. Man will twist scripture to suit his own beliefs, and present them as scriptural. Man will take scripture out of context and tell you this is what it is saying when in fact, it is totally out of the context of the passage. We have to take scripture in the context it is in to understand the true meaning of the passage. For example, Isaiah 53:5. There a lot of pastors that take the last part “with His stripes we are healed” out of the context of the passage. They say that we are to be healed physically. That really isn’t what the verse is saying in the context of the passage. Let’s take a look at the verse here. It actually reads “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”. Notice the first part of the verse, Isaiah is speaking about Christ. These pastors do not quote the whole verse to make their point because it doesn’t fit their belief. Now go and read the whole chapter and you will see that the chapter is talking about Christ’s death an the cross to heal us spiritually not physically! Context is everything!

There are those that listen to preachers because they tickle their ears with all sorts of false gospels (2 Timothy 4:3,4). A false gospel is one that twists and perverts the Gospel of Jesus Christ to suit their own theology and doctrine. We are told to proof all things, and throw away those things that do not line up with God’s Word (1 Thessalonians 5:21). I am reminded of 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. Rightly dividing here literally means to make a straight cut, dissect. When we study His Word, dig into it (dissect), and make sure that we keep the scripture simple. You see a straight cut is simple, it is straight, it does not go to the right or to the left. Scripture itself goes straight to the heart. Scripture “is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  Keep scripture in context and with the leading of the Holy Spirit, you cannot go wrong in knowing the true meaning of scripture as it actually is written. This does not mean the Holy Spirit won’t give you a revelation that seems to be out of context, when it really is an application for your life. That does happen. Take heed, and be warned that you cannot share the revelation with others and tell them this is what scripture actually says. Remember that it is for you only, in the time you are in.

I entreat you. Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith by examining yourself against the Word of God. Seek Him while He is near, ask Him to reveal those areas of your life that are a weakness. Ask Him to strengthen you and He will give you more grace to bear those weaknesses, to get through those times. Remember the words of Christ to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

How are you and Jesus Doing Today? Part 1

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How are you and Jesus doing today? Before you answer the question, examine yourself to see if you are still in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). There are a lot of people who say they are Christians, who will say their relationship with Jesus is good, and yet they live like the rest of the world.  There are people who say they are Christians, who say their relationship with Jesus is good, and they are walking the walk and talking the talk. Yet their life seems to be a bed of roses, with no problems, no temptations, they have smooth sailing. I would say to them that they don’t have a relationship with Jesus because they more than likely are not saved. Jesus tells us in John 14:15 “If ye Love me, keep My commandments.” He tells us again in verse 21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” Again, in verse 23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” This is 3 times in 8 verses Jesus is telling us the if we love Him we will keep His words. Yes, His commandments are His words. Do you think keeping His commandments are important? Yes, it is very important in order to have a relationship with Him.

Let’s get back to examining yourself. How do you do it? What do you use to examine yourself? Well, the answer is to start with the ten commandments (Exodus 20:3-17). But you say, Jesus Himself gave two new commandments, the first being “Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind, and soul”, and the second to “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:37,39; Mark 12:29,31; Luke 10:27). I say you are correct. Take a look at these two commandments, the first one covers the first four of the ten commandments, while the second commandment covers the last six. Start with the first one, and go to God in prayer for each individual commandment. Seek Him, and ask Him to reveal any commandment you have broken. Charles Spurgeon has this to say: “Read the ten commandments, and pause at each one, and confess that you have broken it either in thought, or word, or deed. Remember that by a glance we may commit adultery, by a thought we may be guilty of murder, by a desire we may steal.”

Let’s start with the first two as they really go hand in hand. The first is “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”, and the second is “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” Now, read this slowly. ANYTHING you put before God is idolatry. ANYTHING! It doesn’t matter if you don’t physically make a graven image. If you make a graven image in your heart, then you have committed idolatry! But that’s not what the second commandment is saying! You say it is saying to make a graven image, a physical graven image. I point you to what Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Notice that Jesus said “already in his heart”, not to physically lie with her. This is where adultery really starts, in the heart. Just like putting your job before God, or putting money before God is idolatry. You see, the ten commandments deal with the heart and nothing else. Now I will stop and clarify, I’m not talking about every now and then you put something before God, as in you get up late and you have to rush out to work. I’m talking about continuously and willfully putting things before God. As a Christian, this is also considered by God to be spiritual adultery.

So, what is one of the first things you do in the morning after you get up? Showered and dressed you say. Okay, then what do you do? I bet that a lot of you would say eat breakfast and then leave for work. What about your time with God, alone? Do you pray? Do you read your Bible? How about study your Bible? These should be done before you start your day, put God first and see how God will bless you during the day. See how much easier your day seems to be. See how peaceful you are during the day despite all of the problems that come your way. See how those problems seem to be minor ones. Your day will seem to be move along smoothly. Now, please, I am not going to tell you every day will be like that. Lean on Him throughout the day, pray during the day because we should really pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Do this for the rest of the ten commandments. When you ask God to reveal those areas in your life that you are falling short in, He will do it. Ask Him to forgive you in those areas and then work on those things. Search out the things of God first and foremost, abide in Christ and you will have all the strength to overcome the temptations that will come your way. I personally ask our Father to give His angels charge over me (Psalms 91:11), to protect me and to keep evil from me so that I don’t grieve Him.

The Judgment

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Laugh at religion now! scoff at Christ now! now that the angels are gathering for the judgment, now that the trumpet sounds exceedingly loud and long, now that the heavens are red with fire, that the great furnace of hell o’er leaps its boundary, and is about to encircle thee in its flame. Now despise religion! Ah, no! I see thee. Now thy stiff knees are bending, now thy bold forehead, for the first time, is covered with hot sweat of trembling, now thine eyes that once were full of scorn are full of tears; thou dost look on Him whom thou didst despise, and thou art weeping for thy sin.

O sinner! it will be too late then. Where thou fallest, there thou liest. Where judgment finds thee, there eternity shall leave thee. Time shall be no more when judgment comes; and when time is no more, change is impossible! In eternity there can be no change, no deliverance, no signing of acquittal. Once lost, lost for ever; once damned, damned to all eternity!

In hell there is no hope. They have not even the hope of dying—the hope of being annihilated. They are for ever—for ever—for ever—lost! On every chain in hell there is written “for ever.” In the fires, there blazes out the words “for ever.” Up above their heads they read “for ever.” Their eyes are galled, and their hearts are pained with the thought that it is “for ever.” Oh! if I could tell you that hell would one day be burned out, and that those who were lost might be saved, there would be a jubilee in hell at the very thought of it. But it cannot be—they are cast into outer darkness for ever.

Oh, bethink you that there is but one hope, and that one hope lost it is gone for ever! Defeated in one battle, a commander attempts another, and hopes that he may yet win the campaign. Your life is your own fight, and if it is lost, it is lost for ever. The man who was bankrupt yesterday commences in business again with good heart, and hopes that he may yet succeed; but in the business of this mortal life, if you are found bankrupt, you are bankrupt for ever and ever.

I do therefore charge you, by the living God, before whom I stand and before whom I may have to give an account of this day’s preaching ere another sun shall shine, I charge you to see to your own salvation.

C.H. Spurgeon
Gospel Extracts.

Find God!

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By Francis Frangipane

There is only one thing that keeps some churches from prospering spiritually. They have yet to find God.
Holiness Comes from Seeking the Glory of God
Jesus warned, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (John 5:44). If we are displaying our spirituality to impress men, still seeking honor from others, still living to appear righteous or special or “anointed” before people, can we honestly say we have been walking near to the living God? We know we are relating correctly to God when our hunger for His glory causes us to forsake the praise of men.Does not all glory fade in the light of His glory? Even as Jesus challenged the genuineness of the Pharisees’ faith, so He challenges us: “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another?”

What a weak comfort is the praise of men. Upon such a frail ledge do we mortals build our happiness. Consider: within but a few days after the Lycaonians attempted to worship Paul, they were congratulating themselves for having stoned him (Acts 14:11-19). Consider: was it not the same city whose songs and praise welcomed Jesus as “King . . . gentle, and mounted on a donkey” (Matt. 21:5-9) that roared, “Crucify Him!” less than one week later (Luke 23:21)? To seek the praise of men is to be tossed upon such a sea of instability!

We must ask ourselves, whose glory do we seek in life, God’s or our own? Jesus said, “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory” (John 7:18). When we speak from ourselves and of ourselves, are we not seeking to solicit from men the praise that belongs only to God? To seek our glory is to fall headlong into vanity and deception. “But,” Jesus continued, “He who is seeking the glory of the one who sent Him, He is true and there is no unrighteousness in Him” (v. 18). The same quality of heart that made Christ’s intentions true must become our standard as well. For only to the degree that we are seeking the glory of God are our motivations true! Only to the degree that we abide in the glory of Him who sends us is there no unrighteousness in our hearts!

Therefore, let us give ourselves to seeking the glory of God, and let us do so until we find Him. As we behold the nature of Christ, as our eyes see Him, like Job we “abhor” ourselves and “repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6 KJV). As we are bathed in His glory, we shall be washed from seeking the glory of man.

If we truly find Him, no one will have to tell us to be humble. No one need convince us our old natures are as filthy rags. As we truly find God, the things which are so highly esteemed among men will become detestable in our sight (Luke 16:15).

What could be more important than finding God? Take a day, a week or a month and do nothing but seek Him, persisting until you find Him. He has promised, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). Find God, and once you have Him, determine to live the rest of your life in pursuit of His glory. As you touch Him, something will come alive in you: something eternal, someone Almighty! Instead of looking down on people, you will seek to lift them up. You will dwell in the presence of God. And you will be holy, for He is holy.

Adapted from Francis Frangipane’s book, Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

Reprinted with permission from Ministries of Francis Frangipane – www.frangipane.org

Have a Perfect Heart

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We need to have a perfect heart before the Lord. How can we have a perfect heart before the Lord, there is no way we can be perfect. We will mess up because of the sinful nature in us. That is exactly what the devil wants you to believe! Did you know that David had a perfect heart with God? Yes the same David who committed adultery with Bathsheba, who then had her husband Uriah the Hittite killed. God told us that David had a perfect heart with the Lord God. We read this in 1 Kings 15:3 “And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father” Why did God regard David has having a perfect heart with Him? We are told the reason why David had a perfect heart in 1 Kings 15:5 “Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”

Notice that it was because David followed after God and obeyed the Word of Lord all the days of his life, except when he had Uriah the Hittite killed. We see through the life of David that he always went to God for guidance, and when given that guidance, he did what was required of him.

Meditate on this, to be perfect in heart, only requires us to obey the Word of the Lord. Yes we will mess up, that is okay. David messed up quite a few times, and yet, God regarded David as having a perfect heart with Him. Whenever David messed up, he immediately went to God to confess and repent of his sin. The only time David didn’t, was with Uriah. Nathan his seer, had to tell him that he messed up.

Dig into the God’s Word and obey His commandments, and like David, you will have a perfect heart with God.

 

If God is Love, why does He let bad things happen?

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You may have heard people say “If God is Love, why does He let things bad things happen?” Just because bad things happen does not mean God doesn’t love us, it only means that there is a reason, or a purpose for those things. It may be to bring you to your knees, and back to Him. Or it may be that He is bringing someone else to Himself. When things happen, many people – Christians included – question God and ask Him why? Asking God is not wrong, He wants us to ask Him why. If you do ask the question, be prepared for the answer, or even no answer. Recently my best friend died in a tragic accident. We were so close that we actually were like brothers. Yes he was a Christian, so that made us brothers in that respect. I’m talking we were like flesh and blood brothers.

The night I found out I cried my heart out. I even pounded my fists on the wall of my truck and asked God why did this happen. Immediately after I asked the question, I heard “He has a reason”. My spirit immediately prayed “I know Father you have a reason in this, that you allowed this to happen for a reason.” Right away He filled me with His peace. Do I know the reason for this accident, no, but I trust God, and lean on Him for comfort and peace knowing that my friend is with Christ right now! Praise God!

We may not know the reason, and God may not reveal the reason to us immediately, or ever. That is okay, we need to just lean and trust in His ways. Remember what God told Isaiah in Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” What we think God should do or not do will always be different than what He will do or not do.

When God created man, He gave man free will to choose the direction of his/her life. When God placed Adam in the garden of Eden, God told Adam that he could eat of any tree he wanted to, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:17. God gave man the choice to obey His Word, or not to. If he didn’t obey His Word, then then are consequences. Unfortunately Adam choose not to obey God’s Word, and he ultimately did die a physical and spiritual death. The result of our fallen nature is that bad things do happen. It is what we do during those times that will cause us to grow in our relationship with Christ Jesus, or will separate us from Christ. We have a choice to make, trust that He has a reason, which is His plan, or question Him, and then blame Him for it.

We should as David said in Psalm 62:8 “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”  David did not tell us to trust Him sometimes, but ALL times! That means in those times when we may asking why did God do this, or allow this to happen. Not only should we place all of our trust in God at all times, we should “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Now Paul wasn’t talking about giving thanks for the situation we are in, or give thanks for the bad or good things that happen. Paul was talking about WHILE we are IN or GOING through those things, we are to give thanks to God.

When we can place our trust in God’s plan no matter what happened or is happening, our faith will increase. This is what God wants, to grow in Him so that we can have a close relationship with Him.

Place your trust in Him and lean on Him for all understanding in those times, and He will give you His peace, not as the world gives, John 14:27.

Are our Future Sins Forgiven?

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This is a doctrine being taught in churches that when you ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, He forgives you of all your future sins as well as your past sins. Well, that is a doctrine not supported by scripture, and is therefore a false doctrine.

The fact of the matter is this. Only your PAST sins have been forgiven. Paul in Romans 3:25 tells us that Christ became a sacrifice to forgive us of PAST sins. The word past in the original Greek means “to be already, i.e. have previously transpired”. Paul didn’t tell us that Christ became a sacrifice to forgive us of every single sin that we have done, and are going to commit!

Some of you are already saying I’m wrong, and that all of our sins are forgiven. Well you are partially right on that point. Let me ask you this. When you sin, do you go before the Lord and ask forgiveness for that sin? If so, why do you ask for forgiveness for it if it was already forgiven you? Why do you slap Jesus on the face and tell Him His forgiveness wasn’t good enough the first time around? Think about these things while I continue to show you why this doctrine is a false doctrine.

When Jesus forgives you, what happens to that sin? David tells us in Psalms 103:12. God removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. He removes them from us so that we know longer have that sin accounted toward us. When something is removed out of your life, you no longer have that item. Since the sin is no longer accounted to us, then we are without sin since God has removed it from us.

Now, if God has removed our future sins from us, why did John write in 1 John 1:8. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” ? If God forgives our future sins, and removes them from us, then we have a contradiction. For by default, if we say all of our future sins have been forgiven us, and God removes them as far as the east is from the west, then we have no sin. Again I ask, why did John tell us that the truth is not in us since apparently we have no sin? John is writing to Christians, not the unbeliever here, so it applies to us.

We know that there are no contradictions in the Bible, so where does that leave us? It leaves us right back at Romans 3:25, Jesus came to forgive us of our past sins only, not the future ones. Peter confirms this in 2 Peter 1:9 when he says “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” What did Peter mean by the first part of this verse? We need to look back to verses 5 through 8. These things are virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and finally love. Now verse 9 makes more sense when you read it in context. Notice that Peter says “purged from his old sins”. Purged means purified, cleansed, washed off, while the word old denotes something that has passed. Peter did not tell us that we have been purged of our future sins, only our old sins.

Throughout scripture – especially in the New Testament – we are told to repent, ask forgiveness of our sins. 1 John 1:9 tells us “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Remember that John was writing to Christians, not the unsaved. So why would John write “If we confess our sins…” if they have already been forgiven?

Here’s another question. Why do we feel guilty when we sin? If our future sins have been forgiven us, why does the Holy Spirit convict us of those sins, and tell us we need to fess up? The Holy Spirit convicts us because our future sins have not been forgiven us!

If our future sins have been forgiven us then we have no need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phillipians 2:12). The fear here is not the reverence fear, but is the Greek word meaning from a primary phebomai (to be put in fear); alarm or fright :- be afraid, + exceedingly, fear, terror. This is a physical fear!

What some people think and do is this. They think that since they have been forgiven of every single sin they have, and will commit, they can go about living their lives as they had before. By saying all future sins are forgiven they have a false sense of security of their salvation, and end up falling out of their faith.

Take heed and remember that God is not mocked. By declaring that all future sins are forgiven, and then asking for forgiveness of them again, you are mocking God. In Galatians 6:7, mocked in the original Greek means “to ridicule”. We ridicule God when we say all of our future sins are forgiven, and yet, when we actually commit those sins, we ask for forgiveness of them a second time.

Forgive to be Forgiven

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If we want our sins to be forgiven, we have to forgive others of their sins against us. This isn’t merely a suggestion, it is a commandment, and a warning to us from God.

If we don’t forgive others, we will be living in sin until we do what God commands us to do.

Jesus tells us in Mark 11:25-26 and Matthew 6:14,15 that we are to forgive others their sins against us while we are in prayer and your Father in Heaven will forgive you your sins. Mark 11:26 and Matthew 6:15 is the warning Jesus gives us. Jesus says “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Did you read that? Jesus tells us that He will not forgive us if we don’t forgive others. Have you forgiven others so you can be forgiven? If not, then you need to ask God who you need to forgive, and then forgive them their sins against you, and then ask for forgiveness of your sins!

Part of forgiving others can be found in Matthew 5:23,24. This passage tells us when we come to altar, and remember that a brother – or sister – has something against us, we are to leave the altar and go to our brother or sister, and be reconciled to them, and then, and only then we can come back to the altar, and offer up our praise, our worship, and our supplications to God. Part of the reconciliation process involves forgiving them and asking them to forgive you.

What if a brother or sister sins against me repeatedly? What should I do then? Should I only forgive that person a couple of times, or continually forgive them? Jesus in Luke 17:3,4 tells us we are to admonish that person, and if they repent, we are to forgive them. Notice in verse 3 Jesus says “… and if he repent, forgive him.”  Jesus did not tell us to think about forgiving him, but to just forgive him. Jesus goes on to say in verse 4, that even if that person continually sins against us and repents, we are to forgive them.

When we don’t forgive others, we end up living in sin due to Jesus not forgiving us. With living in sin comes sickness and disease! David in Psalms 38:1-11, said that his sickness was the result of unforgiven sin! What David talked about in this passage is confirmed with research from the University of Wisconsin. They found that internalizing, or holding on to, hurt and resentment can lead to depression, post-traumatic stress, increased anger, anxiety, illness, drug and alcohol abuse, sleep and even eating disorders. Holding unto grudges affects your present attitude, how you treat people, even your health. When you’re stressed, bitter, and tense, you’re more prone to numerous ailments such as ulcers, heart problems, anxiety attacks, even cancer!

By not forgiving someone, you are in fact, holding a grudge. Would Jesus hold a grudge against us? I hardly think so! Instead He gave His life and forgave us our sins, how much more so should we forgive others their sins against us. Take heed of what the servant did in Matthew 18:23-35, for what you will do, the Lord your God will do to you (verse 35).

We are supposed to follow Christ. We are supposed obey His commandments – and this is one of them. We are supposed to be Christ-like! How can we be Christ-like if we can’t forgive others their sins against us? Jesus led by example, so follow His example by forgiving others!