Page 65 - The Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2009

Paul’s next Scripture about the believer’s relationship to sin and God’s grace shows that when a
believer becomes justified by God’s grace by means of the new birth, it is only sins that were
previously committed that are forgiven, not sins of the future:

“BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS,
WHOM GOD SET FORTH TO BE PROPITIATION (“MERCY SEAT”) BY HIS BLOOD THROUGH FAITH,
TO DEMONSTRATE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, BECAUSE IN HIS FORBEARANCE GOD HAS PASSED OVER
THE SINS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY COMMITTED.” Rom. 3:24-25

It is very important to note Paul’s reference to the Blood of Christ being a propitiation, or “mercy seat”

(alternate reading) by which our sins of the past were forgiven. Look now at the apostle John’s use of

this same word pertaining to sinning in the present as a believer:

“MY LITTLE CHILDREN, THESE THINGS I WRITE TO YOU, THAT YOU MAY NOT SIN. AND
IF ANYONE SINS, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER, JESUS CHRIST THE
RIGHTEOUS. AND HE HIMSELF IS THE PROPITIATION (“MERCY SEAT”) FOR OUR SINS,
AND NOT ONLY FOR OURS BUT ALSO FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.” 1John 2:1-2

John’s “little children” are blood-washed believers. He tells them not to sin, THE APOSTLE JOHN

but if they do, then the same mercy seat Paul mentions above is available once more to forgive these

new sins. Notice there is no hint of those sins already being “under the Blood” as many espouse. John

has already stated in the previous Chapter what a believer must do when he/she sins after having been

cleansed initially. Consider the abundance of conditional “IF’s” in John’s counsel:

“BUT IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER,
AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN.
IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US.
IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE OUR SINS
AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT SINNED, WE MAKE HIM A LIAR, AND HIS WORD IN NOT IN US. MY
LITTLE CHILDREN, THESE THINGS I WRITE TO YOU, THAT YOU MAY NOT SIN. AND
IF ANYONE SINS, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER…”
1John 1:7-10, 2:1

How does Charles Spurgeon and his modern-day progeny theologians stack up against these words
from the apostle John? Are we to confess we have no sin because of God’s supposed “pre-forgiveness
of sin”, or are we to confess our sins in order that the Blood of Christ may CONTINUE to “cleanse us
from all unrighteousness?” Is John advising God’s people to be very conscious of sin or unconscious
of sin as some modern-day grace teachers advise? How is it that God’s people could say, “I have no
sin” other than by means of a false doctrine like the pre-forgiveness of sin?

Let us now add the apostle James thoughts about sin in the life of a believer to those of the apostle
Paul and the apostle John:

“IS ANY AMONG YOU SICK? LET HIM CALL FOR THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH, AND LET
THEM PRAY OVER HIM…AND THE LORD WILL RAISE HIM UP. AND IF HE HAS
COMMITTED SINS, HE WILL BE FORGIVEN.” Jam. 5:13-15 excerpts

THE APOSTLE JAMES Notice James teaches that if a believer has committed sins, “…he WILL be
forgiven,” and not “already has been forgiven.” James does not state “every sin a
believer will ever commit is already under the Blood of Jesus.” The implication in
these verses is that this sinning believer may be sick because he is in a sinful state.

Paul taught that principle as well:

“FOR THIS REASON MANY ARE WEAK AND SICK AMONG YOU AND MANY SLEEP (ARE DEAD).
FOR IF WE WOULD JUDGE OURSELVES, WE WOULD NOT BE JUDGED.” 1 Cor. 11:30-31

James has more to say about the believer’s relationship to sin that will repudiate the false doctrine of
pre-forgiveness of sin:

“BRETHREN, IF ANYONE AMONG YOU WANDERS FROM THE TRUTH, AND SOMEONE TURNS HIM BACK,
LET HIM KNOW THAT HE WHO TURNS A SINNER FROM THE ERROR OF HIS WAY WILL SAVE A SOUL
FROM DEATH AND COVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS.” James 5:19-20