Are All Sins Forgiven – Past, Present and Future?
Where is that in the Bible?
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 1 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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Wow! This is great, Paul! I don’t think I have ever read anyone explain this better! Thank you. I have never preached this before, but it’s time I do.
Is the Sermon on the Mount the new covenant?
To answer that question we need to ask 2 questions: (1) When did the new covenant begin? Answer: at the cross. (2) To whom was Jesus speaking? Answer: People who were born under the law. The Sermon on the Mount, with its heavy emphasis on the law, is very much an old covenant sermon.
That does not mean the Sermon on the Mount has no relevance for us. Everything in the old covenant, from the law to the prophets, is a shadow or signpost of a greater reality to come. We can learn much about the new by studying the sign posts of the old. But if we try to live by the old law, we will fall from grace.
Preach 🙌🏼
Thank you- a much needed refresher explanation; I have been grappling with confusion and disorientation about this very thing ; need to digest this truth CONSTANTLY from Holy Spirit, am thankful of the use of scripture with your posts and I appreciate the use of REALITY for TRUTH it is helping me a lot while praying Ephesians 1 and 3
Hi, Paul.
I’ve been a firm believer in God’s Grace and the liberating power of His Gospel. Your gift for explaining these truths clearly is something I greatly appreciate.
Let me share a question from someone who used to be a “vocational” pastor (now working in the brewing industry) but still feels connected to ministry in a different way.
I’ve been wrestling with theological concepts that used to be crystal clear to me. Specifically, I’m having trouble understanding and explaining how Jesus’ blood cleanses us of all sins. The big question for me is about the “us” part – who does that include? I know we have scripture to back up “us” referring to believers, but if we extend it to non-believers, we risk accusations of universalism, which might have some merit. I hope I’m making sense here.
Recently, we had a fairly regular patron pass away suddenly, and a comment from one of our employees shook me. They said, “Well, he’s probably not in a better place.” The comment was insensitive, for sure, but it got me thinking about this person’s life. Honestly, I can’t tell you if he was a believer. I don’t know. He was a quiet and kind person, someone I’d rather hang out with than some “fervent” believers I know. I understand the pitfalls of works righteousness, so that’s not my difficulty.
I’ve been asked versions of this question over the years, and I usually give a simple, “I don’t fully understand God’s grace and His word, but that doesn’t make it untrue.” It’s kind of a cop-out. I don’t want to offer false hope, but I also don’t want to be insensitive.
Over the past 10 years, my life has been turned upside down by circumstances that shattered my tidy theological beliefs. I’m feeling humbled, weary, and struggling to find the right words. Any thoughts you have on this would be greatly appreciated.
Best,
Pat
That’s a tough one, Pat. I had a dear friend who constantly argued about “the God I don’t believe in” right up until he died of lymphoma. He claimed to be an atheist yet he spoke more about God than most religious people, and he was more Christlike that many Christians. We used to have long discussions about injustice and oppression. He couldn’t stand powerful people who exploited the weak and the poor. He didn’t talk the talk, but in many ways he walked the walk.
If there was some sort of religious test, my friend would probably have failed. But we don’t see people the same way God sees them. Only he really knows what is in their heart. The judging of those who have died is really not our business, but God’s alone.
As to your question about cleansing – yes, I really believe Jesus carried the sins of the whole world. Your sin and my sin are not the issue. People still need to respond in faith to the Savior, but there may be 1001 ways of doing that beyond the traditional methods we all know.
Most people think that “getting” their sins forgiven is somehow indicative of being saved. As I tell people, no one gets their sins forgiven today, for the sins of the whole world were forgiven at the cross. Now the issue is LIFE. We are not saved by His death, but by HIS LIFE, the HOLY SPIRIT coming to live inside of us to give us life. “For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” Romans 5:10
Jesus more than forgives. He paid for our sins. He forgave our sins. He forgets our sins. It is we who continue on in them. Why is it we believe more in our unworthiness than in His boundless, unrelenting love? It is good that we remind each other of how much we are loved.
Now if we truly believe and embrace this, if we truly desire to please this wonderful, generous, compassionate God, then we too must forgive. This is not an easy task and is only possible through Grace which He has imparted to us all… because through Grace it has already been accomplished. We just need to catch up with it. Don’t worry, Jesus is waiting. He is holding out His hand.
Typo detected…
Thanks ATH. Fixed now.
Ya,this is the truth indeed
Great post Saint Paul.
Blessings,
Warren (South Carolina, USA)
Under the subtitle: How the cross proves God’s forgiveness It is asked, “Whose sin did he take? The sin of the whole world.” You then give 2 John 2:2 as proof. That is incorrect. It is 1 John 2:2 which proves this.
Thanks David. Typo now fixed.