The Sin and Repentance Cycle is Broken
The elephant in the room is the whole “sin and repentance cycle” that is so popular in Christendom. This is a doctrine that is keeping freed men/women of God in bondage because we can never achieve the state of being sinless as long as we are in this body/flesh. (Romans7:14-25)
So what is the remedy for sin?
1 John 1:9 is not the “Christian’s bar of soap”. This is pushed as our solution for sin, because without it, there is none other than the solution that is given in The Scriptures. Every person who takes the Bible seriously should know that you can’t build a doctrine off of one verse anyway. Especially when it clearly states in both the OT & NT that sin is only appeased through the shedding of blood, not through an apology or a confession. (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22)
The confusion comes from a misunderstanding, (either deliberate or unintentional), of the context of 1 John 1:9. He was not addressing saved people in chapter 1, he was addressing those who are on the “outside”. Repentance leads unto salvation as stated in 2 Corinthians 7:10, so this confession that John is talking about is an invitation for those who are outside to be saved, not as a remedy for sin when we fall short.
The bottom line is once you have been born again by The Spirit of The Living God dwelling within you, sin/transgression is no longer held against you, ever again! This is according to the New Covenant/Testament that was brought into effect upon the death of the Messiah. (Hebrews 9:15-28)
New Covenant: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:10-13
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds will I remember no more.” NASB
The work that Jesus completed on the cross was all that it took to save us from condemnation, and make us acceptable in Our Father’s sight. This is also known as reconciliation!
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10
And it had nothing to do with the works that we do, or not do. Example, the thief on the cross, he did nothing more than believe that Jesus had the power and willingness to save him, and he was saved.
He also didn’t just cover our sins as in the example of atonement where the sin is still visible even though it was covered. (Hebrews 10:3) What He did was He made PROPITIATION for our sins/transgressions, he wiped them away completely! Once and FOR ALL! (Hebrews 10:10)
Strong’s Concordance definition or propitiation: (2434 ἱλασμός (hilasmós) – properly, propitiation; an offering to appease (satisfy) an angry God.)
Dictionary definition of propitiation: win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.
Also defined as “expiate”, which means to 1. to make amends for or to extinguish the guilt incurred by; 2. obsolete : to put an end to.
And this propitiation is applied to every believer who has accepted by faith, what He did on our behalf to appease the Father. (Hebrews 9:12-14) (Acts 2:21)
“And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” KJV
Also, pay close attention to what John the Baptist said in John 1:29:
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” KJV
This is not “easy believism”, this is the true Gospel message!
If it isn’t, then why did Jesus have to die then?
Paul stated in Galatians 2:21 that:
“I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the Law, Christ died in vein.”KJV
(for nothing, for no reason or needlessly)
The battle to be sinless or harness your sinful desires is not the “good fight” that big named evangelists tell us it is. The battle is rather in keeping our faith in what Jesus promised us. That the appeasing work has been completed, and for that reason alone we are saved, or made right in God’s sight.
His promise is echoed in the most famous verse known throughout the world, John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” KJV
“8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” KJV (Ephesians 2:8-9) also in (Romans 3:28)
The only “work” that our Lord regards is the work or believing in Him, and what He has done! All other work that is done for the purpose of trying to “appease God” or “look righteous” is considered filthy rags in His sight. (Isaiah 64:6) as well as (Romans 14:23).
This fact is recorded in John 6:28-29:
“28 Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” KJV
Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6
Faith and belief are synonymous with each other, and so is unbelief and disobedience. Not resting upon the sufficiency of the completed work of the cross, as the sole reason for our salvation, is defined as unbelief/disobedience in the book of Hebrews. In chapters 3&4 Paul, uh I mean “the writer” used the Sons of Israel as the object lesson to illustrate this point.
Did they fall in the wilderness because they didn’t do enough works? They had the Law and the Tabernacle, so that couldn’t be the reason. They fell because they simply didn’t believe God. They didn’t believe that He was capable enough to deliver on what He promised them. They then attempted to try to do the work themselves a couple of days later and failed miserably. (Numbers 14:39-45)
As a matter of fact, they were not only not commended for this, but they were considered to be transgressing the commandment of the LORD when they “tried to be faithful” under their own power after The Lord had already rejected them for their disobedience/unbelief/unfaithfulness. (Numbers 14:41)
This brings to mind Hebrews 4:1
“Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it” NASB
So with the example of the Sons of Israel in the wilderness, how did they fall short from entering God’s rest? They didn’t believe that He was capable of delivering upon His promise.
From what I gather, His rest means a complete rest from trying to appease God through your own works and means. That’s why the severity of missing out on His rest is compared to the Seventh Day. Because if you read the Sabbath Law you will see that transgressing it is punishable by death. (Exodus 31:15)
“8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” NASB
This interpretation of the Gospel message may not be very popular with “mainstream Christianity”, but is “the truth” usually widely accepted? If you really look at it, since when does The Lord ever use the masses to spread messages for Him? From the Biblical record, He always utilized the remnant, the few, the people who nobody regarded as “qualified” for His service.
If a doctrine, notion or concept is popularly held by the masses, 9 times out of 10 it’s false.
Peace,
Bill