Is The Forgiveness Of Sins Salvation?
2008-12-13 21:46
The forgiveness of sins is not just for some people. It is the grace of God that is equally given to all people on earth through the blood of Christ. The testimony says, "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2).
The blood of Christ Jesus is different from the blood of animals for the annual atonement. The blood of Christ is the blood of the Son of God that has redeemed the whole world including the Gentiles once for all.
The Bible clearly says about it, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.'" (Hebrews 10:1-7).
Therefore, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin because the sacrifice that was offered through the blood of the body prepared for Christ is the sacrifice for eternal redemption. It is written, "Then he adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.' And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin." (Hebrews 10:17-18).
Eternal redemption is the righteousness of God that is revealed in the gospel. God justifies those who believe in Christ Jesus, the righteousness of God. God's justifying is the confirmation of the forgiveness of sins, but it is not salvation.
Therefore, the Bible refers to the forgiveness of sins as redemption, not salvation. It is written, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace..." (Ephesians 1:7). And again, "...in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:14).
In the above testimony, "We" means all people on earth. However, when God finished eternal redemption by the blood of His Son, no one in the world understood it. The wisdom of eternal redemption by the blood of Christ was hidden in the prophecies of the prophets, and was the mystery of God that no one could understand.
It is written, "No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2:7-8).
If they had understood the wisdom, they would not have crucified the Son of God, and so the eternal redemption could not have been fulfilled. God and His Son our Lord Jesus, who made people unable to understand the wisdom and fulfilled it in secret, ought to be truly praised forever.
Eternal redemption is not salvation but redemption from sin. Redemption is like seed, and salvation is like fruit. Seed is sown, and fruit is reaped. Being born again means gaining imperishable seed, Christ. Gaining seed does not mean the end of farm work. After seed is sown and fruit like that seed is reaped, the farm work is finished and the comfortable rest comes.
Therefore, it is written, "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." (1 Peter 1:23). Being born again means gaining the life of Christ as seed.
If seed is gained, that seed should be sown and fruit exactly like that seed should be reaped. After that, eternal salvation is accomplished. Therefore, the Bible says again, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Romans 6:22).
Seed is freely gained through faith in the grace of God, and fruit is produced through faith in the full measure of the grace of Christ. Therefore, the elder, who gained seed by grace and produced fruit by grace, said, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Therefore, I wish that the seed of the forgiveness of sins, that was gained by faith, would not be in vain. We cannot live forever only by eating seed. Seed is redemption, and fruit is salvation. If anyone says that he has been saved only by gaining seed, it is a thing taught by demons. It is written, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." (1 Timothy 4:1)
The Bible says about it, "These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted--twice dead." (Jude 1:12). But for those who have been called by the Spirit of the Lord, the seed of the forgiveness of sins will be sown in Christ, and the fruit to holiness will be produced. Amen. Thank you, Lord.
The blood of Christ Jesus is different from the blood of animals for the annual atonement. The blood of Christ is the blood of the Son of God that has redeemed the whole world including the Gentiles once for all.
The Bible clearly says about it, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.'" (Hebrews 10:1-7).
Therefore, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin because the sacrifice that was offered through the blood of the body prepared for Christ is the sacrifice for eternal redemption. It is written, "Then he adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.' And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin." (Hebrews 10:17-18).
Eternal redemption is the righteousness of God that is revealed in the gospel. God justifies those who believe in Christ Jesus, the righteousness of God. God's justifying is the confirmation of the forgiveness of sins, but it is not salvation.
Therefore, the Bible refers to the forgiveness of sins as redemption, not salvation. It is written, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace..." (Ephesians 1:7). And again, "...in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:14).
In the above testimony, "We" means all people on earth. However, when God finished eternal redemption by the blood of His Son, no one in the world understood it. The wisdom of eternal redemption by the blood of Christ was hidden in the prophecies of the prophets, and was the mystery of God that no one could understand.
It is written, "No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2:7-8).
If they had understood the wisdom, they would not have crucified the Son of God, and so the eternal redemption could not have been fulfilled. God and His Son our Lord Jesus, who made people unable to understand the wisdom and fulfilled it in secret, ought to be truly praised forever.
Eternal redemption is not salvation but redemption from sin. Redemption is like seed, and salvation is like fruit. Seed is sown, and fruit is reaped. Being born again means gaining imperishable seed, Christ. Gaining seed does not mean the end of farm work. After seed is sown and fruit like that seed is reaped, the farm work is finished and the comfortable rest comes.
Therefore, it is written, "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." (1 Peter 1:23). Being born again means gaining the life of Christ as seed.
If seed is gained, that seed should be sown and fruit exactly like that seed should be reaped. After that, eternal salvation is accomplished. Therefore, the Bible says again, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Romans 6:22).
Seed is freely gained through faith in the grace of God, and fruit is produced through faith in the full measure of the grace of Christ. Therefore, the elder, who gained seed by grace and produced fruit by grace, said, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Therefore, I wish that the seed of the forgiveness of sins, that was gained by faith, would not be in vain. We cannot live forever only by eating seed. Seed is redemption, and fruit is salvation. If anyone says that he has been saved only by gaining seed, it is a thing taught by demons. It is written, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." (1 Timothy 4:1)
The Bible says about it, "These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted--twice dead." (Jude 1:12). But for those who have been called by the Spirit of the Lord, the seed of the forgiveness of sins will be sown in Christ, and the fruit to holiness will be produced. Amen. Thank you, Lord.
