WHAT TRUMP MIGHT HAVE MEANT ABOUT FORGIVENESS OF SINS… IF HE KNEW THE BIBLE- 2Cor.5:19

WHAT TRUMP MIGHT HAVE MEANT ABOUT FORGIVENESS OF SINS… IF HE KNEW THE BIBLE- 2Cor.5:19

Do you remember what Trump said after being asked if he had ever asked for forgiveness? He said he did not think he needed forgiveness. Many people were confused by his answer. As well they should have been. But, not for the reason you might think.

Because if he and they knew what the Bible really teaches about forgiveness what he said would make perfect sense. What?! You say! Everyone needs forgiveness of their sins to go to heaven!

Have you ever been in a church where the pastor taught that you need to ask for forgiveness of your sins to have eternal life? Have you ever prayed with someone that begged God for forgiveness of their sins? Do you pray like this?

The reason I’m asking this is because so many preach that this is of utmost importance when it comes to receiving eternal life. They do this because they believe that being forgiven of sins equates to having eternal life. That they are one and the same thing. When they absolutely are not… and I can prove it to you.

When we recognize that being forgiven for sins is not the same thing as having eternal life. We see the scriptures as God intended. And not through the prism of what turns out to be salvation by works created by bad soteriology and theology.

First I’ll ask you this question, did you know the Bible tells us that there was forgiveness of sins under the law? It’s true. Heb.9:13 says “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh”.

And did you know that at the same time the Bible also teaches in Gal.3:21 that life can never come from the law. Paul wrote here asking “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”

What is the point Paul is making here in these 2 passages? That 1 forgiveness and complete cleansing from sin was available under the law. And 2 that life can not come through the law. And 3 that righteousness and life are synonymous. This is proof that forgiveness of sins is not the same thing as, nor does it equate to, having eternal life.

Which should be our focus then? Which would be correct? Preaching that focuses on forgiveness of sins as something the unbeliever still lacks but needs to gain for eternal life? Or preaching that focuses on eternal life?

So why do the apostles preach about forgiveness of sins? And why does John say in 1John1:9 they need to confess their sins to be forgiven of them? Why does Paul ask the question should we sin that grace might abound answering “God forbid”?

Because John was saying when they confess their sins committed while they were still under the law they acknowledge Jesus’ role at the cross in their forgiveness.

To show them that something that was previously only possible by the blood of bulls and goats. Is now a settled issue because the covenant that caused the imputation of sin was removed and done away with at the cross. Where Jesus said “It is finished.”

And Paul asked and answered the question of sin not by saying they would be held to account by God for their naughty behavior. But, because when we sin we make ourselves servants to it. Which means as people know who commit sins bad habits can many times be very hard to break. They take up a place in our lives that they should not have power over in the believer.

So the imputation of sins is not an impediment to a relationship with Jesus. Not because sin is not sin. But, because as Paul said in 2Cor.5:19 God does not impute trespasses to us. We’ll get to more on this later.

But, right now I want to show you that this is why in Gal.3 Paul told them, “But before faith came, we(meaning Israel) were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

See that? The imputation of sins under the law actually shut Israel up from the grace through faith gospel that would come after Jesus rose from the grave. Because as Paul also said in Rom.11:6, “if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

This idea is what prompted David to write of the, “blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” We are that man! Our sins are not imputed because “we are not under law but under grace”- Rom.6:14.

But, since Jesus has come the law that was a schoolmaster for Israel that was placed there by God to guard over them until Jesus came is no longer necessary. Its purpose has been fulfilled. Why? Because messiah has come! Hallelujah! So that now they(meaning Israel) all may be children of God by the faith of Christ. And not by the works of the law.

As I alluded to earlier, In 2Cor.5:19 Paul helps us understand this better by explaining that the ministry of every believer in Jesus is to bring a certain message of reconciliation to the unbeliever. Whether he is a Jew or gentile. Paul says, “19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

Do you see that? When Jesus died on the cross from that time forward Paul says God is “not imputing trespasses”. To anyone. So if He is not imputing trespasses then why if forgiveness of sins is of ultimate importance for eternal life should preachers preach forgiveness of sins as if a person must first attain this forgiveness in order for them to go to heaven?

The church does this because first and foremost they do not understand salvation. They have believed the lie of original sin and sin nature that taints everything they read in the Bible with a works salvation bent.

They have come to believe that the reason Jesus had to die was to pay the penalty for sins that was required by God to appease His wrath. And that this penalty still applies to those who have not come to a saving faith in Jesus. Because in their unbelief they are accountable to the law. This is the strong delusion Paul speaks of in 2Thes.2 that has taken them.