THE SCARLET PATH
BIBLE Q & A
BIBLE----QUESTIONS / ANSWER'S
16. IF I SIN AFTER I BECOME A CHRISTIAN, WILL GOD FORGIVE ME?
1ST JOHN 2:1-2, (1) "MY LITTLE CHILDREN, THESE THINGS WRITE I UNTO YOU, THAT YOU SIN NOT. AND IF ANY MAN SIN, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER, JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS."
(2) "AND HE IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS; AND NOT FOR OUR ONLY, BUT ALSO FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD."
NOTE: BUT, "IF ANY MAN SIN", THAT IS ANY BELIEVER WHO HAS ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE WAS A SINNER AND HAS ALREADY BEEN CLEANSED FROM HIS SIN BY THE ATONING SACRIFICE OF CHRIST, IF THIS PERSON SHOULD BE LED OFF INTO SIN, WOULD HE BE ETERNALLY LOST? NO!
HE COULD SIN, BUT HE WOULD NOT BE HOPELESSLY LOST, "BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE".....:WITH THE FATHER", MEANS THAT HE WILL STAND AND FACE THE FATHER FOR US.
IF WE SIN, OUR TROUBLE WITH THE FATHER WILL BE DARKNESS OR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, AND WE WILL BE OUT OF "FELLOWSHIP'.
1ST JOHN 1:6 "IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM, AND WALK IN DARKNESS, WE LIE, AND DO NOT THE TRUTH:'
BUT OUR "ADVOCATE" THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WILL GET US OUT OF THE DIFFICULTY WHEN WE CONFESS OUR SIN.
HEBREWS 4:14-16, (14) "SEEING THEN THAT WE HAVE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST, THAT IS PASSED INTO THE HEAVEN, JESUS THE SON OF GOD, LET US HOLD FAST OUR PROFESSION."
(15) "FOR WE HAVE NOT AN HIGH PRIEST WHICH CANNOT BE TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES; BUT WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN."
(16) "LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED."
NOTE: "PROFESSION", THIS WORD, WHICH IS ALSO TRANSLATED "CONFESSION", INVOLVES BOTH THE INWARD CONFESSION OF THE HEART AND THE OUTWARD PROFESSION BEFORE MEN.
THIS PASSAGE ONLY EXPLICITLY STATES THAT HE DID NOT SIN, NOT THAT HE COULD NOT.
TEMPTATION CAN BE, AND IS, A REALITY APART FROM SIN.
CHRIST WAS TEMPTED; HE DID NOT SIN; HE CAN UNDERSTAND AND INTERCEDE.
BECAUSE OF OUR TRIED AND PROVEN HIGH PRIEST (JESUS CHRIST), WE CAN COME "BOLDLY" TO GOD'S THRONE. WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO COME BEFORE THE LORD AT ANY TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TRULY NEED HELP AND TRULY NEED TO CONFESS OUR SINS TO HIM.
ONLY CHRISTIANITY PROVIDES SUCH BOLDNESS BY SINFUL PEOPLE BEFORE A HOLY GOD, AND THAT BOLDNESS IS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF OUR GREAT INTERCESSOR, JESUS CHRIST.
17. MUST I NOT REPENT? WHAT IS REPENTANCE? HOW CAN I REPENT?
LUKE 24:46-47, (46) "AND SAID UNTO THEM, THUS IT IS WRITTEN, AND THUS IT BEHOVED CHRIST TO SUFFER, AND TO RISE FROM THE DEAD THE THIRD DAY:"
(47) "AND THAT REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SINS SHOULD BE PREACHED IN HIS NAME AMONG ALL NATIONS, BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM."
NOTE: VERSE 46 MUST REFER TO SUCH OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGES AS PSALM 16:10; ISAIAH 53:10, AND THE TYPOLOGY REGARDING JONAH.
EVEN GENESIS 3:15 MAY BE CONSIDERED AS TEACHING THE MESSIAH'S RESURRECTION: OTHERWISE THE "WOUND TO THE HEEL" WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL!
VERSE 47 POINTS TO THE COMING CHANGE IN DISPENSATIONS BECAUSE NOT ONLY THE JEWS ARE TO HEAR THE GOSPEL BUT CHRIST ENLARGES THE COMMISSION EXTENDING TO ALL OF MANKIND.
LUKE 5:32 "I CAME NOT TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS TO REPENTANCE."
NOTE: REPENTANCE IS A TURNING AWAY FROM SIN, DISOBEDIENCE, OR REBELLION AND A TURNING BACK TO GOD.
REPENTANCE MEANS A CHANGE OF MIND OR A FEELING OF REMORSE OR REGRET FOR PAST CONDUCT.
TRUE REPENTANCE IS A "GODLY SORROW" FOR SIN, AN ACT OF TURNING AROUND AND GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THIS TYPE OF REPENTANCE LEADS TO A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN A PERSON'S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
REPENTANCE AND FAITH ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN: BY REPENTANCE, ONE TURNS AWAY FROM SIN, BY FAITH, ONE TURNS TOWARD GOD IN ACCEPTING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
REPENTANCE IS A TURNING FROM WICKEDNESS AND DEAD WORKS, ACTS 8:32; HEBREWS 6:1 AND TURNING TOWARD GOD AND HIS GLORY, ACTS 20:21; REVELATION 16:9; TO ETERNAL LIFE, ACTS 11:18; AND A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, 2ND TIMOTHY 2:25.
AMEN!
