Are All Sins Forgiven – Past, Present and Future?

Paul Ellis

Sep 21

Are all your sins forgiven, past, present and future? This is one of those questions that sounds hard but is easy to answer, provided you have the right definition. What does forgive mean?

Biblical forgiveness

To forgive means to send away or dismiss. It means you are no longer holding onto an offense or a hurt.

In the New Testament two verbs are translated as forgive:

aphiēmi means to send away (e.g., Matt. 6:12)
charizomai means to show favor or kindness (e.g., Gal. 3:18) and can imply the forgiveness of debts (e.g., Luke 7:42)

The noun that is translated as forgiveness (aphesis) is sometimes translated as remission. It means a dismissal, pardon or release (e.g., Luke 24:47).

Capiche?

What did Jesus say about forgiveness?

Prior to the cross, Jesus preached conditional forgiveness to people living under the old covenant. "If you forgive, God will forgive" (Matt. 6:14, Mark 11:25). This was law for those under law.

But as the messenger of the new covenant, Jesus also proclaimed and demonstrated unconditional forgiveness (see Matt. 9:2, 18:22, 27, Luke 7:42, 47, 11:4, 15:22-24, 23:34, John 8:11).

In Christ's ministry, we see TWO types of forgiveness:

old covenant forgiveness (for those under law)
new covenant forgiveness (for those under grace)

Which type do you prefer? Obviously we all want the second kind, unconditional forgiveness. And this is what God gives us. The cross is the proof.

How the cross proves God's forgiveness

John the Baptist said of Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).

When did Jesus take away sin? On the cross.

Whose sin did he take? The sin of the whole world (see also 2 John 2:2).

Did Jesus miss any sins? He carried them all, every last one .

How can we be sure?

On the night he rose from the dead, Jesus told the disciples to start preaching the remission of sins or the good news of unconditional forgiveness (Luke 24:47).

Do you see? Before the cross Jesus preached a promise: "All sins will be forgiven" (Mark 3:28). But after the cross, Jesus preached the promise fulfilled:

Did the apostles get the message? They sure did. They travelled the world encouraging people to receive the gift of God's forgiveness:

Peter said that "everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins" (Act 10:43).

John said the blood of Jesus "cleanses us from all sin"—past, present, and future (1 John 1:7). Then he adds, "your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake" (1 John 2:12).

Paul preached so that people "may receive forgiveness of sins" (Act 26:18). See also Acts 2:38, 5:31, 13:38-39, Rom. 4:7, 2 Cor. 5:19, Eph. 1:7, 4:32, Col. 1:14, 2:13, 3:13, Heb. 9:22, 10:18, 1 John 2:12.

What about these scriptures?

Preach the unconditional forgiveness of God and you will be hit with four "What about…?" scriptures. How do we read these scriptures through the lens of grace? Relevant responses are linked below:

the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:15)
the unforgivable sin (Matt. 12:31)
confession of sins (1 John 1:9)
the sin that leads to death (1 John 5:16)

Let's recap. To forgive is to pardon or remit. It is not merely ceasing to be angry or resentful, but a deliberate letting go or dismissal of a debt or sin.

Are all your sins forgiven? Let me answer that question with another: Will Jesus ever come and die on the cross again? No. Once was enough. On the cross, all your sins were carried away by the Lamb of God.

His perfect sacrifice dealt with all sin including unconfessed sin, unrepented sin, and all the sins yet to be done.

As far as the east is from the west, So far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)

At Calvary, all your sins, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, were forgiven or carried away as far as the east is from the west. Your part is to believe the good news. Quit trying to get forgiven, and receive, by faith, the gift of God's forgiveness.

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