What is the solution to humanity’s problem? Jesus! He came to reveal the true character of our Father. “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (Joh 1:18). Jesus came to make the Father known and He did that by representing Him in all that He did. Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (Joh 14:9).

All of your questions regarding the true nature of God are answered in Jesus. What is God’s will for healing? Since Jesus healed everyone who came to Him, we can only conclude that the Father’s will is to heal everyone. Jesus never gave anyone sickness to teach them things so neither does the Father. Jesus never gave and took away good gifts so neither does the Father. If Jesus is full of grace and truth, then so is the Father. If the Son has forgiven you, then so has the Father. The Son is the exact representation of the Father’s being.

Dead religion will tell you one of two things about God: (1) He’s schizophrenic (He loves you but He hates you) or (2) He’s mysterious (nobody can figure Him out). In contrast, Jesus gives us a consistently clear picture of the unconditional love and grace of God. As John Sheasby writes in his book The Birthright: Out of the Servant’s Quarters into the Father’s House, “Jesus’ entire life was one, long, streaming video that displayed the goodness of the Father.”

A revelation of the Father’s goodness is what this world needs more than anything. Instead of preaching diluted law that leaves Christians condemned and sinners shaking their heads at our hypocrisy, we need to proclaim the good news of God’s grace. God loves you! But this is difficult since most Christians relate to God as servants, rather than children. They view God as a divine employer and they treat people as sales prospects. There may be fullness of joy in the presence of the Lord but these dear servants of God aren’t experiencing it. They are riddled with performance anxiety, battling condemnation, and constantly making and breaking promises to God.

If that describes you, then you need to read this book! In The Birthright, John Sheasby paints a true picture of the Father to counter the distorted picture handed down to us by religion.

Religion tells us that first we must get our house in order. Repent or else! But what does Jesus say? He says to whoever hears his knock and opens the door: “I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev 3:20). In other words, “Let’s have a feast!” But what about the wretchedness, the moral poverty, the spiritual blindness? … He knows that you, like Zacchaeus, will not be changed by performance but by his presence. The power of his love, the joy of his presence, and the peace coming from his acceptance are far more capable of changing the human heart than rebuke, censure, condemnation, and rejection. (p.94)

The devil would love for you to remain ignorant of your birthright, so Sheasby writes to make sure you know what’s yours. As a son or daughter of God you have full rights of access along with an inheritance. Most Christians have some awareness of the first birthright – intimacy – but they are less sure of the second. They are like crippled Mephibosheth who was content to dine at the kings table even as the wicked Ziba stole his father’s possessions (2 Sam 19:30).

Mephibosheth enjoyed access to the king but lost his inheritance. The trouble was his self-consciousness. He was more focused on his own unworthiness than he was on the promises David had made to his father Jonathan. Similarly, many Christians have trouble receiving from God because they see no value in themselves. Why should God be so good to me? I’ve done bad things!

The problem is this: we are unable to see ourselves as God sees us. We are so self-consciousness; the recorded memories of the past and the misunderstanding of the gospel combine to blind our eyes to the truth….is imperative that we allow the truth of God’s Word to challenge the lies of Satan who uses our history against us. ‘Behold the Lamb,’… Not once did the priest examine the worshiper! Not once!… Where is your focus? The Lamb or yourself? (pp.131-2)

You will never rise up in your true and God-given identity until you have had a revelation of how crazy much your Father loves you. You are the apple of His eye! He rejoices over you with singing! And through Christ He has made you an heir of all things.
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Related posts:
- Who do you think you are?
- Son, servant or friend of God?
- Son or sinner: What are you confessing?

But you know what? God is not only the Lord of your present and future, He is also the Lord of your past. When you were born again, He gave you a brand new life complete with a brand new past. How about that! You have a completely new history! And it begins at the cross:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20a)

In our last post we asked the question, What happened to me at the cross? The short answer is, You died! This is one of the most important things that ever happened to you, yet many Christians are ignorant of it! Just once I would like to hear a believer testify about their past like this: I was born, I did some stuff, then I died. I was crucified with Christ and that old self no longer lives. That’s basically what Paul was saying in Galatians 2. He also said that the basis of our new life with Him is supposed to be a revelation that we died with Him:

“This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.” (2 Tim 2:11)

Do you want to live, and I mean, really live, with Him? Then you need to know the answer to three questions: (1) What did I lose at the cross? (2) What did I gain at the cross? (3) What did I retain after the cross?

1. What did I lose at the cross?

At the cross your old self was crucified (Rms 6:6). The person you used to be apart from God – your “old man” – is dead so there’s no point trying to reform him. If your old man gave you a bitter and painful past, then go dance on his grave because he’s gone and he’s not coming back! Do you know what else is gone? All your sin (Ps 103:12). Sin had a death grip on you but Christ cut him loose (Col 2:11). You may still be wrestling with some old habits, but you do so from a place of freedom (Gal 5:1). You are no longer sin’s slave (Rm 6:6).

Your natural inability to please God has also gone (Rm 8:8), as is any relationship you might have had with the law (Rm 7:6). God is pleased with you on account of Jesus so you can say goodbye to guilt and condemnation. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rm 8:1). Rejection is also gone and if you can wrap your mind around the awesome love revealed to you through the cross, then you will find all fear of punishment has gone as well (1 Jn 4:18).

Finally, the world as you knew it is no more (Gal 6:14). Your old sources of identity and security have been replaced with something infinitely better. Any performance anxiety you may have about the future will go when you realize that you are in Him and He has already overcome the world (Jn 16:33, Rev 3:5).

2. What did I gain after the cross?

At the cross, and before you did a single thing, you received peace with God and complete forgiveness (2 Cor 5:19, Col 2:13). When you were placed in Jesus, you gained His acceptance (Eph 1:6), His righteousness (Rms 1:17), His holiness (1 Cor 1:3), indeed, His eternal perfection (Heb 10:4). You don’t act holy to become holy; you act holy because in Him you are holy. Isn’t that wonderful? But wait – it gets better!

As a result of the cross He gave you His life: Christ is your life (Col 3:4). You now stand on His faith (Gal 2:20), are filled with His Spirit (Rom 8:11), and think the thoughts of His mind (1 Cor 2:16). When you were born again you were made into a brand new creature (2 Cor 5:17). As He is so are you in this world (1 Jn 4:17). So obviously you do not have a sinful nature. You are not one person on Sunday and another on Monday. Sure, you can still walk after the flesh and reap corruption, but you are not defined by what you do. And when you do sin, you have a mighty Advocate who speaks to the Father on your behalf (1 Jn 2:1).

But here’s the thing; you no longer want to sin. Because of the cross you have new desires and new aspirations. You used to be driven by the flesh but now you are led by the spirit (Gal 5:18). You used to work to prove yourself but now you are compelled by the love of Christ (2 Cor 5:14). Strangely, you are both more rested and more fruitful than you have ever been before.

Best of all, you gained a new Father (1 Jn 3:1) and now enjoy the full rights of sonship (Gal 3:26). Before the cross you feared God from a distance, but now you approach His throne of grace with confidence (Heb 4:16). Before the cross you were a beggar living off scraps from the king’s table. But because of the cross your every need – whether for healing, deliverance, or provision – has been supplied according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Php 4:19). You are now an ambassador and a royal priest of the Most High King (1 Pet 2:9). And as His representative you have His authority over sickness and demons. You shall lay hands on the sick and they will recover.

3. What did I retain after the cross?

As we have seen, you lost a lot and gained a lot at the cross. But on the day that you were born again, there were two things that you retained unchanged. First, your physical body did not change. You may have been healed, but your body is still subject to the effects of the fall. Although you personally were saved, your earthsuit is still getting older one year at a time. We are still waiting eagerly for “the redemption of our bodies” (Rm 8:23).

Second, beyond repenting and deciding to trust Jesus with your life, your way of thinking probably did not change. If you liked chocolate and drove badly before you were saved, then you probably liked chocolate and drove badly after you were saved.

The beginning of your new story

God’s intention was for you to reign in this life (Rms 5:17). His plan is for you to be the head and not the tail, to be on top of your circumstances and not under them. However, this will not be your experience, either now or in the future, until you appreciate what God has done in your past. Every believer knows what happened to Jesus on the cross, but not every believer knows what happened to them. Because of this they’re striving to become someone they already are and they’re fighting to obtain something they already have. They pray like beggars instead of commanders and they see themselves as servants instead of sons.

The instant you were born again, God did an amazing work in your life. He gave you a glorious new past and a completely new life. He changed just about everything there is to change about you. But one thing God left unchanged was your mind, your way of thinking. Only you can change that.

Given that there is one part of you that did not change at the cross, what do you think is the key to living the victorious life that God wants you to live? That’s right, you need to change the way you think,

“and be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph 4:23)

Our thought patterns are shaped by our past. So which past are you identifying with? Your old man history or your new man history? Everything we need pertaining to life and godliness comes through our knowledge of Him who called us (2 Pet 1:13). If you want to see breakthrough in your life, look to Jesus, look to the cross, and change the way you think:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rm 12:2a)

Now repeat after me: “On the cross I died and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” This is the glorious beginning of your new story!
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Related posts:
- Who do you think you are?
- Son or sinner: What are you confessing?
- Want to be a transparent Christian? Then reveal what’s really inside

Many years ago I participated in a street outreach in Australia. With our loud and upbeat music we soon attracted a large crowd. This was good. Sinners were going to hear the gospel and get saved. Then the preacher got up to speak and it all went pear-shaped. “I have a lust problem.” Oh-oh. Instead of telling the people about Jesus, this man began to share about his private battles with sexual temptation. He said he had suddenly felt convicted about bringing his problem into the light. I was cringing on the inside. What a witness!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for being open and honest with our shortcomings but this was neither the time nor the place. The unsaved people who were there needed to hear about their Father in heaven who loves them so much that He sent Jesus to rescue them. I’m sure it was titillating to hear a preacher talk about his sin, but his words didn’t point anyone to the Savior.

Fast forward a few years to another youth outreach, this time in Hong Kong. In front of a large crowd of unsaved teens, the dynamic young man up the front decided that this was the perfect opportunity to confess his sin of “self-sex.” I had never even heard of that expression before but it didn’t sound like it was part of the good news.

What’s wrong with us?!

Somehow we’ve bought into the idea that “transparency” means hanging our dirty laundry in public places. But this is old covenant thinking. In the days of Moses you were supposed to confess your sins (Num 5:7) and sometimes this happened publicly (Ezra 10). But we live under a new and better covenant characterized by the complete and eternal forgiveness of sins. I’m not pretending my behavior is perfect and I’m all for being open and honest. If I sin I’ll talk to my Father about it and if I sin against you I’ll talk to you about it. In any relationship it’s always healthy to own up to our mistakes (Jas 5:16). But I’m not going to stand on a street corner and confess my sins to the whole world. That’s not being transparent; that’s just dumb. Why do we think we’re glorifying God by drawing attention to ourselves? We may call it humility but in truth it’s self-centered. We’re shouting, “Look at me everybody, I’ve got sin!” Well hip-hip-hooray.

Have you ever been in a small group worshiping God when someone interrupts and says, “I got a problem with pornography”? It’s like getting a bucket of cold water thrown over your head! Before you can react, someone else says, “God forgive me, I yell at my kids.” The next thing you know, the confession train’s pulling out of the station and everyone’s climbing on board. “I steal pens from the office stationery cabinet.” “I cheat on my taxes.” “Joey, I’m really sorry I said those terrible things about you.” It doesn’t take long before you’re completely distracted and wondering all sorts of things. What did they say about Joey that was so terrible?

Do you see the problem? We’re called to be Christ-conscious not self-conscious. We don’t honor Jesus by shaming ourselves. You’ve got problems? Guess what – we all have problems! But we’re not here to gather around your sins. We’re here to fix our eyes on Jesus.

We need to redefine what we mean by transparency. In the old covenant they confessed sins because that’s what they were carrying inside. But because of Jesus our sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west. Or think about it this way. Satan is in the business of accusing and shaming the saints (Rev 12:10), while Jesus is in the business of defending us to our Father (1 Jn 2:1). When you accuse and shame yourself, are you acting more like your old master Satan or your new master Jesus?

Transparency in the new covenant means something totally different from confessing sins. It means revealing Jesus who lives within. It means acknowledging every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus (Phm 1:6). It takes no faith to confess our imperfections. It takes faith to declare what God says is true about you in spite of your imperfections! In God’s eyes you’re righteous, holy and perfect. You are a walking, talking trophy of His amazing grace. You are a child of God, seated in heavenly places and the temple of the Holy Spirit.

If you want to be truly transparent, then reveal what’s really inside you. Sure, on the outside you’re just a jar of clay cracked and dusty, but look at the awesome Treasure inside! This is the Treasure that the world needs to see so let Him out. Don’t say, “I dare not – I’ve still got issues.” The Bible pronounces you a competent minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:6)! You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world and by the grace of God you are what you are!
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Related posts:
- Son or sinner – what are you confessing?
- Confession, conviction, confusion
- Who do you think you are?

What’s So Amazing About Grace? must be one of the most popular books on grace. There are 244 reviews of this book on Amazon and another 612 reviews on Facebook. I have little desire to add to this mountain of generally positive, and richly deserved, feedback. But for the benefit of those of you who haven’t read Yancey’s book, here’s my brief summary:

What’s So Amazing about Grace? is a collection of stories about supernatural grace versus worldly ungrace. Stories are drawn from history (the Clapham Sect, Hitler) to events that were current at the time of writing (Bill Clinton and the Balkan crisis), and from classic fiction (Babette’s Feast, Les Miserables) to everyday family dramas. We learn about the founding of the modern hospice movement, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and Prison Fellowship. We get sound-bites from a diverse ensemble of characters ranging from the gracious (Solzhenitsyn, Mother Teresa) to the godless (Bertrand Russell, John Dillinger). It is such a colorful book that if they turned it into a series on the Discovery Channel it would be a winner! As you would expect in a book coming from an American evangelical writer there is a heavy emphasis on politics. But my favorite part is found in the final chapter, when Yancey writes about serving communion to the imperfect people in his church. This part inspired me to ask the question, who can take communion? So all in all, it’s a good book that succeeds in its goal of conveying grace. Read it and be blessed.

That said, I have three concerns with Yancey’s theology. I list these here not to criticize his work but to build upon it in the hope that we might advance towards our shared goal of seeing the church become a place where grace is found “on tap.” I wholeheartedly agree with Yancey when he says that a Christian’s main contribution to society is dispensing God’s grace. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do that.

1. Forgiveness doesn’t start with us

Yancey argues forcefully that the human race needs forgiveness if we are to break the chains of ungrace. But he over-steps when he says, “In some mysterious way, divine forgiveness depends on us” (p.88). The context of this comment is the Lord’s Prayer. In Matthew 6:15 Jesus said if we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us. Yancey wishes these words weren’t in the Bible for they seem to turn grace into law. He frets that if we think others are unworthy of forgiveness, we make ourselves unworthy of it too.

Yancey need not fret. These words of Jesus were spoken to people living under the law and not to us. To the law-conscious Jews, Jesus made forgiveness conditional in order to silence the self-righteous and reveal our need for a Savior (Gal 3:24). Thankfully the cross changed everything. We are not under law but grace (Rms 6:14) and forgiveness really does start with God (Col 2:13). As Yancey says elsewhere, forgiveness is a gift. You cannot earn it or qualify for it. You can only receive it.

2. We’re not sinful saints

Yancey is clearly impressed with the grace-dispensing practices of Alcoholics Anonymous. He seems to think that the church will be better off if we adopt AA’s principles of radical honesty and utter dependence on God. I agree. But radical honesty for Yancey means standing up, like an AA member, and declaring that one is still a sinner – even if one has been born again. I would say this radical dishonesty for it denies the transforming power of God’s grace.

For someone who is concerned with the original meaning of words like grace and charity, it is puzzling that Yancey uses the word saint pejoratively, usually to describe someone who is self-righteous and religious. Yancey clarifies that “true saints never lose sight of their sinfulness” (p.273). I guess there is a logic to this. If you know you are sinful and impure, you will be receptive to God’s grace. But give God a little credit! His grace turns sinners into saints. As the song says, I once was lost, but now I am found. It would be foolish of me to pretend I’m still lost or that I’m blind now that I can see. When you come to Jesus you get a new nature and it’s His nature. Would you call Jesus a sinner? I’m not denying the reality of our imperfections; I’m declaring faith in a higher reality which is Christ in me the hope of glory (Col 1:27). Yancey says that spiritual maturity is being aware of your own impurities (p.88). But the Bible challenges us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him (2 Pe 3:18). Real maturity comes from knowing Jesus and appreciating what He has accomplished on your behalf (Eph 4:18).

Telling saints to pretend that they’re still sinners is the wrong way to release grace. It’ll get you asking for something you already have. The Bible says that he who is in Christ is a new creation (2 Co 5:17). Do you know what’s new about you? It’s true that we remain works-in-progress, but there will be no progress unless we learn to see ourselves as God sees us.

3. Trying harder is not the secret to Christian living

As I said I am completely in agreement with Yancey’s desire to see the church become a place where grace is dispensed. He is right on the money when it comes to the what. But he misses the mark when it comes to the how. How are we to forgive when forgiveness is so often hard to do? You must just try, says Yancey, for even though forgiveness is hard, the alternative is harder still. In other words, it’s up to us.

As an exemplar of this self-centered approach, Yancey describes Martin Luther King’s constant struggle to meet physical force with grace: “King had to fast for several days to achieve the spiritual discipline necessary for him to forgive his enemies” (p.132). What an achievement! But what does this have to do with grace? Nothing. This is walking after the flesh. It’s willpower not Spirit-power. I think Martin Luther King had an amazing revelation of grace but I have little faith in “soul force” or any other fleshly manifestation. The kind of grace that changes men comes from above, not within.

The choice is simple: You can try or you can trust. Perhaps you’ve achieved some successes in your own strength, but how will this help you when life hands you an impossible challenge? How will you forgive the unforgiveable? How do you love your enemies and those who spitefully use you? Yancey readily acknowledges that we all have limits and that we will likely fail. We should not pretend to be perfect – that’s hypocrisy. Far better to repent and resolve to do better next time. But this leads to yo-yo Christianity. You’ll be up one day but down the next. There’s a reason it doesn’t work: it’s a flesh trip and God won’t bless it.

The Christian life is not just hard, it’s impossible. No one can life the Christian life except Christ. The key to succeeding is not to try harder, but to see your self as crucified with Christ. Sometimes the best thing you can say is, “Lord I can’t do it!” Wonderful! Now stand aside and watch Him do it through you. Some of the people Yancey writes about illustrate this truth. He quotes a Polish Christian who could not forgive the Germans for their WWII atrocities: “Humanly speaking, I cannot do it, but God will give us his strength!” (p.123). That’s where grace is found – in saying, “Lord, I cannot, but You can!”

What is the secret to living the Christian life? Paul tells us:

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20)

Grace truly is amazing and Yancey does a good job of telling stories about it. But grace is even more amazing than Yancey describes, for Grace forgives us even before we have forgiven others, He makes us new, and He empowers us to reign in life supernaturally.
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Related posts:
-    The test of your gospel
-    Seven signs that you might be living under law
-    see all E2R’s book reviews here

Below are 50 things you need to know about your new God-given identity. Read these 344 words out loud, with conviction, and I guarantee you it will leave you feeling mightily encouraged… and new!

I Am

I am a saint, a trophy of Christ’s victory

I am born again of imperishable seed
I am a new creation, complete in Christ and perfect forever

I am a child of God, the apple of my Father’s eye
I am one with the Lord and the temple of the Holy Spirit

I am eternally redeemed and completely forgiven
I am seated with Christ in heavenly realms
I am summoned by name and I am His

I am dead to sin and alive to God
I am free from guilt and condemnation
I am righteous, holy and blameless!
I am healed and I am strong in the Lord

I am hidden in Christ and eternally secure
I am loved with an everlasting love and I am highly favored

I am my Beloved’s and He is mine

Selah

I am the head and not the tail
I am blessed with every spiritual blessing and I am a joint heir with Christ

I am a competent minister of the new covenant
I am bona fide and qualified, chosen and anointed
I am His royal ambassador, a missionary to the world

I am a stranger on earth, a citizen of a city whose maker is God
I am not looking back but I am pressing on to know Him more

I am trusting that He will finish in me that which He started

I am a king and a priest; a carrier of the Lord’s authority
I am a healer of the sick and a demon’s worst nightmare
I am king o’ the world because His victory is mine!

I am as bold as a lion and more than a conqueror
I am a towering testimony of the Spirit’s power

I am the salt of the earth and the light of the world
I am the sweet smell of Jesus to those who are perishing

I am a tree planted by the water, and I am a fruitful branch
I am the disciple whom Jesus loves

And by the grace of God I am what I am

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Sources:
I am a saint (Rm 1:7, Eph 1:1, Php 1:1 Ju 1:3), a trophy of Christ’s victory (2 Cor 2:14, AMP); born again (1 Pe 1:23), a new creation (2 Cor 5:17); complete in Christ (Col 2:10) and perfect forever (He 10:14); a child of God (1 Jn 3:1), the apple of my Father’s eye (Ps 17:8); one with the Lord (1 Cor 6:17) and the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19); eternally redeemed (He 9:12) and completely forgiven (Col 2:13); seated with Christ in heavenly realms (Eph 2:6); summoned by name and His (Is 43:1, 2 Cor 1:22); dead to sin and alive to God (Rm 6:11); free from guilt and condemnation (He 10:22, Rm 8:1); righteous (2 Cor 5:21), holy and blameless! (Eph 1:4); healed (1 Pet 2:24) and strong in the Lord (Eph 6:10); hidden in Christ (Col 3:3) and eternally secure (He 6:19); loved with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3); highly favored (Eph 1:6 charitoo); my Beloved’s and He is mine (Son 6:3); the head and not the tail (De 28:13); blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3) and a joint heir with Christ (Rm 8:17); a competent minister of the new covenant (2 Co 3:6); bona fide and qualified (Col 1:12), chosen (Jn 15:8, Col 3:12, 1 Th 1:4, 1 Pe 2:9) and anointed (1 Jn 2:27); His royal ambassador (2 Co 5:20), a missionary to the world (Mt 28:19); a stranger on earth (He 11:13), a citizen of a city whose maker is God (He 11:10,16, 12:22); pressing on to know Him more (Ph 3:14); He will finish what He started (He 12:2, Ju 1:24, 2 Co 9:8); a king and a priest (Rev 1:6); a carrier of the Lord’s authority (Lk 10:19); a healer of the sick (Mark 16:18) and a demon’s worst nightmare (Mt 10:8); king o’ the world (1 Jn 5:4) because His victory is mine (1 Co 15:57); as bold as a lion (Pr 28:1) and more than a conqueror (Rm 8:37); a testimony of the Spirit’s power (1 Cor 2:4, 12:7, 2 Co 1:9); the salt (Mt 5:13) and light of the world (Mt 5:14); the sweet smell of Jesus to those who are perishing (2 Cor 2:15); a tree planted by the water (Ps 1:3, Jer 17:7), and  a fruitful branch (Jn 15:8); the disciple whom Jesus loves (Eph 1:6) and by the grace of God I am what I am (1 Co 15:10). Hallelujah!

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Related posts:
- Son, servant or friend of God?
- Son or sinner – what are you confessing?
- Grace and love in the Chronicles of Narnia

Now substitute the word “marriage” for “forgiveness,” and “$50” for “confess-your-sins,” and you have the standard sermon on confession. “Forgiveness is wonderful. Forgiveness is a gift from God. God is so faithful that whenever we confess our sins, He will forgive us and restore our fellowship with Him.” It sounds good but it’s not. Yes, forgiveness is wonderful and God is faithful. But you cannot put a price tag on the free gift of forgiveness. Don’t let anyone charge you for what God has already given you.

We were forgiven at the cross by the blood of Jesus. Jesus did not die merely to secure our forgiveness – salvation is so much more than that – but forgiveness is the gift that unlocks all the other gifts. The Bible tells us that those who are uncertain about their forgiveness remain weak and unproductive. You might be confused about confession if you think it’s the Holy Spirit who is convicting you of your sins. So far in this study, we have looked at eight reasons why Christians never need to confess-to-be-forgiven. Today we will pull out the big guns and hopefully do away for good the diabolical lie that says Christians must confess-to-be-forgiven. Here are the final four reasons to be thankful for God’s gift of forgiveness.

9.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven puts us under law

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Rms 6:14)

Would you sing a hymn like this: “Your sacrifice is not good enough to do away with sin, Your blood was not sufficient to redeem me, You will not finish what you started, But with my help we can save me. We are co-Saviors.” Of course no believer would ever sing such nonsense! Yet that is exactly what we’re saying if we think we must confess-to-be-forgiven.

Living under law means more than keeping the 10 commandments. It means living by the power of the flesh in the vain hope of earning what God has freely given us. At the cross God cancelled the law that stood against us (Col 2:14) and without the law there is no transgression (Rms 4:15). All who rely on the law are under a curse (Gal 3:10), but because of Jesus we are now the “blessed man” whose sins God is no longer imputing (Rms 4:8). Jesus went to the cross so that you can live under the grace of God. If you who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb still think that you must confess-to-be-forgiven, then you are setting aside grace and cursing what God has blessed.

10.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven empowers sin and leads to death

“…the strength of sin is the law.” (1 Co 15:56)

If you live under the self-imposed law that says, “I must confess-to-be-forgiven,” then sin will have dominion over you (Rms 6:14). Rather than dealing with sin, this sort of confession actually makes things worse for it strengthens sin making it harder to resist the next time. Guess what happens when you follow this path to its logical conclusion? Romans 7:5 says that when we combine our fleshly performance with the law, sinful passions are aroused that work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Confessing-to-be-forgiven, like any law-based ministry, ultimately brings death (2 Co 3:7).

We are called to live by faith in the Son of God who gave Himself for us (Gal 2:20). Our choice is simple: we can trust God that His work on the cross was sufficient, or we can trust the work of our flesh. When you sin it takes faith to look at the cross, listen to the Holy Spirit, and confess “I messed up, but because of Jesus I am still righteous! I am still forgiven!” It takes absolutely no faith to feel unrighteous and unforgiven. It takes faith to trust that God’s grace is greater than your sin; to trust that His grace will empower you to say no to ungodliness so you can go and sin no more (Tit 2:12). It takes no faith to believe you must make things right, perhaps through confession. Whatever is not of faith is sin (Rm 14:23). Call it for what it is: confessing-to-be-forgiven is the sin of unbelief in the goodness and grace of God.

11.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven keeps us from God

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience…” (Heb 10:19,22)

Another argument which is sometimes used to justify confession is that it restores our fellowship with God. Confessing our faults is certainly a good idea when we sin against each other (Jas 5:16). But don’t make the mistake of relating to God on human terms. God does not love us with human love. He doesn’t love us because we are lovable and open about our mistakes. He loves us because it’s in His nature to love us. He is love (1 Jn 4:16). Let’s not fool ourselves – even the best of us is wholly unworthy, wholly undeserving of His love. The good news is that He loves us anyway.

When you sin you may feel like you are distant from God even though He has promised to never leave nor forsake us (Heb 13:5). You messed up so you may feel like you need to do something to restore your relationship. But confessing-sins-to-get-rid-of-a-bad-feeling is to walk in the flesh; it is not the way of faith. It’s never a good idea to interpret your relationship with God through the filter of your feelings. Feelings should always follow facts and faith.

The facts of the matter are this: we had a debt we could not pay and Jesus paid it in full with His blood. All of our sins have been forgiven and we are now debt-free. The proper response in light of these facts is joy (Is 12:3). Faith looks at the cross and the empty tomb and shouts, “thank you Jesus!” If you are feeling bad because of a guilty conscience, you have misplaced your faith. You need to review the facts. According to Hebrews 10:22, the blood of Jesus is the best remedy for dealing with a guilty conscience. So instead of confessing your sins and reminding yourself of how unholy you are, confess the blood of Jesus that sanctifies you (Heb 9:13-14). Then draw near to God with the full assurance that faith brings.

12.    We’re called to be Christ-conscious, not sin-conscious

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (Jn 17:3)

Confessing-to-be-forgiven distracts us from the purpose of life which is to know and enjoy God our Father and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Confession tends to make us introspective and gloomy. When you look at all you’ve done wrong, how could you not get depressed? Our heavenly Father doesn’t want us to live like that. God didn’t send His Son to make us self-aware but Christ-aware. We don’t need healthy self-esteem, but life-giving Christ-esteem. The law makes us conscious of sin, but we are to be conscious of Christ our righteousness (Rm 3:20-22).

Every minute you spend dwelling on your sin is a minute wasted. You could’ve spent that time praising God for His mighty works! Instead of testifying of your badness, praise Him for His goodness. Instead of examining your unworthiness, celebrate His worth! Jesus died to make unworthy men worthy. If you were worthy, He would never have died for you. But you weren’t and He did and now you are! Glory to God!

If this is not practical enough for you, let me finish with Matthew 6:33. When you seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, all your unrighteous hang-ups will get taken care of. Make Jesus your focus. Hebrews 10:2 says that we’re not supposed to be conscious of our sins. How can we confess something we’re not conscious of? As a man thinks, so he is (Pro 23:7). If you think of yourself as a reformed sinner saved by grace, you’ll never be anything more than just a sinner. It’s smart for sinners to confess their sins (1 Jn 1:9), when confession means agreeing with God about our need for a Savior. But when a Christian confesses-to-be-forgiven, he’s acting like a sinner. He has become an unbelieving believer, a living contradiction. He’s like a married person who still acts as if he’s single. See yourself as God sees you. God calls you a son (Gal 4:6). Confess what you are, not what you were. Confess your sonship not your sinnership.

God’s great gift of forgiveness

Knowing that you have been forgiven by the grace of God is just about the best thing in the world! Forgiveness is a great gift and worth protecting; don’t let anyone take it from you. Don’t let anyone charge you for what Jesus has already paid for.

Nowhere in the New Testament do you find believers confessing their sins to be forgiven. Confessing-to-be-forgiven is an extra-Biblical church tradition. It is one of those things that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death (Pro 14:12). It is a work of the flesh that kills faith, nullifies grace, and treats as unholy the blood of the covenant that sanctifies us.

In this study we have reviewed 12 reasons why those who have been born again never need to confess-to-be-forgiven. You don’t have to do something you’ve already done to gain something you already have.

Be blessed!

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(a) servant of God,
(b) a friend of God, or
(c) a son of God?

When Samuel Mathew posed this question on his Facebook page yesterday, I was so surprised at the results, that I had to repost on E2R’s FB page as well. (Before you read on, answer the question for yourself. How do you primarily relate to God? As a servant, a friend or a son?)

So far about 30 people have responded to the FB polls. To my astonishment, less than half picked (c) “son of God.” And so, once again, Facebook has provided a brilliant answer to one of the world’s most pressing questions:

Why is the world still a mess, even though Jesus did everything He came to do, 2000 years ago?

The problem may not be what you think. It’s not legalism, condemnation, or even sin. The root cause of the problem is that the majority of people do not identify with God as their Father. They relate to Him as something other than sons. That is, they have an orphan spirit. Those outside the church are like the prodigal son, while many of those inside the church are like the elder brother. Neither received their father’s love. Both trusted in their own labor and had little confidence in the grace and provision of their loving father.

There may be only two kinds of people in the world: sons and orphans. Which are you? The devil’s plan is to get you confused about your identity. He will try and sow doubt by asking, “if you are the Son of God…” (Mt 4:3). To the degree that you are uncertain about your sonship, to that degree you have an orphan spirit.

I will probably write more about this some other time, but the FB polls have fired me up. I couldn’t sleep for thinking about it. So many of you are evidently victims of identity theft! I can’t stay silent while the devil runs off with your birth certificates, so below are 10 reasons why (c) is the best response to the question above. Even if you serve a God who is your best friend, first and foremost you are a son of God. And this applies equally to the ladies, for we are all one in Christ (Gal 3:28).

(I was greatly helped in preparing this list by the excellent series currently being preached by Martin Steel at Harbourside Church. If you want to learn more about the Spirit of Sonship, I highly recommend that you download his podcasts for the Sundays beginning 5 September 2010.)

Top 10 reasons why I am a son of God first and foremost

(1)    The Holy Spirit says so. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Rms 8:15).

(2)    Do you really need more reasons? Come on now! Paul thought this was such an important truth that he said it twice. “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, ‘Papa! Father!’” (Gal 4:6, MSG). God Himself calls you son. (You wouldn’t want to call God a liar now would you?) And He makes it possible for you to call Him Papa!

(3)    The Bible says so – in many places (see Gal 3:26, Rms 8:14, Heb 12:7, 1 Jn 3:1 for starters).

(4)    The Old Testament prophets longed for the day when God’s people would be called “sons of God” (Hos 1:10). They thought it applied to the Jews, but Paul says it includes “even us whom He also called” (Rms 9:23). Jesus came to reveal the Father (Mt 11:27). This is what makes the new covenant new. Sonship – not servanthood, not friendship – is the pinnacle of redemption. Not even Adam and Eve were identified as sons! Because of Jesus we have come closer to God than when we started out in the Garden. How awesome is that?!

(5)    We are to be servant-hearted, but not servant-minded. Someone with an orphan spirit readily identifies themselves as a servant of God. It sounds noble, but it insults the cross and the Spirit of grace. Servants work for wages. But we live under grace! Besides, there are no wages (other than death for sin). Sons are shareholders, not employees. We don’t work because we have to, but because we are wholly invested in the success of the family-business.

(6)    A servant doesn’t know his master’s will, has to be told what to do, and then relates to God on the basis of what he does. If he does good, he thinks God loves him more. How sad, how utterly tragic to be enslaved to such a demonic doctrine. A mature son is nothing like that. He has the mind of Christ (1 Co 2:16), is clothed with His righteousness (Is 61:10), and relates on the basis of the Father’s love first shown to him (1 Jn 4:19). A servant waits on God. A son just does what he sees His Father doing (Jn 5:19).

(7)    Servants suffer from performance-anxiety. Even friends may worry thinking they have to pound on doors in the middle of the night merely to borrow something (Lk 11:5). But sons need not worry, for our “heavenly Father knows we need all these things” (Mt 6:32). Our Father – not our master nor our friend – delights to give good gifts to those who ask Him (Mt 7:11). Only sons are secure.

(8)    True, Abraham was a friend of God (Is 41:8) and we are friends if we do what Jesus says (Jn 15:14). This is a good thing and something to treasure. But sonship is better by far! Sons have “full rights” of access that friends lack (Gal 4:5). Sons have an expectation of intimacy that servants and friends do not enjoy. My kids are with me 24/7 (it’s the school holidays). In contrast, I only see and enjoy my friends occasionally. Wouldn’t you rather walk with God enjoying His presence continuously? As a son you have full rights to do so!

(9)    Sons are heirs. I have an inheritance and it’s the entire planet (Rms 4:13). All the cattle on all the hills and all the blessings of Abraham are ours, paid for with Jesus’ blood. Indeed, we are co-heirs with Christ (Rm 8:17). Our share is no less than Christ’s!

(10)    What will it take to fix this broken, poisoned planet? A revelation of the sons of God (Rms 8:19)! In the garden God gave us a planet to keep. We lost it, Jesus got it back, yet we still act like it belongs to the devil. It is OURS! Jesus paid a very high price to redeem it for us. Creation is not waiting for the church to rise up. Neither is creation waiting for God’s servants or His friends to rise up. Instead, creation waits for the sons of God to rise up and say with authority “this is my planet and I’m taking it back!”

If you’re still having trouble wrapping your head around this, look to Jesus. Did Jesus describe God as His (a) Master, (b) Friend, or (c) Father? That’s an easy question! Under the obsolete law covenant, God was Master. Under the Abrahamic covenant, God is our Friend. But under the new covenant in Jesus’ blood, God relates to us as our Father!

And don’t water this down by saying that God is “all of the above.” He’s no more “all of the above” than you are “all of the above” to your own children. My kids will serve many employers and have many friends, but they will only have one earthly father. That’s me! I am thrilled beyond words to be identified as my children’s father because it is my unique privilege. I hope they will be equally thrilled to be identified as their father’s children. It makes my heart soar when they call me Papa. I’m less thrilled when they call me “your majesty.”

He is our Father! Yes I serve Him and yes He is my closest friend. But service and friendship stem from my secure position as His adopted son. There’s nothing I enjoy more than being with Him, knowing Him, walking with Him and talking with Him. Every day with Him is an adventure!

When you have a revelation of your sonship, it will change the way you pray. You will pray for the smallest things, because if it matters to you it matters to Him. But you will also ask Him for big things, because God has promised you the nations! You won’t hold back like a waiter or a friend – you’ll come running in to Papa knowing that He loves to give good gifts to His children.

Paul prayed, and so do I…

“…that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Eph 1:18-19)

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