forgiveness

Did Peter Preach Conditional Forgiveness to Simon the Sorcerer? (Acts 8:22)

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If God loves you, God forgives you, and God loves you indeed! God’s forgiveness is revealed in the matchless and unrepeatable sacrifice of the One who died for all sin. In Christ, you are eternally and unconditionally forgiven. Good news, no? It’s a liberating truth, yet many haven’t heard it. They’re [...]

How Your Bible May Be Ruining the Gospel

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My wife is a good cook. She does a Danish roast with crackling pork and all the trimmings that is second-to-none. In fact, she is preparing a sumptuous roast dinner as I write. I’m practically drooling on the keyboard. Knowing that my wife is a good cook, which of these two sentences do you prefer? 1. Camilla [...]

Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs

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Have you heard the one about how God is recording everything you say and do, and on Judgment Day he’ll show all your dark, dirty secrets on a big TV screen? It’s a frightening thought—but it’s a fiction. God is not like that. God is love, and love keeps no record of wrongs. Not a diary, not a videotape, [...]

Does James 5:15 Preach Conditional Forgiveness?

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Those who put price tags on grace sometimes point to this verse: The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. (James 5:15) “See – you have to confess and pray to be forgiven,” they say. “If you don’t do these [...]

Did Jesus Put Price tags on Forgiveness? (Matthew 6:14-15)

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The gospel that Jesus revealed declares that God loves you like a father, he holds nothing against you, and he longs for his sons and daughters to come home. It’s the good news an orphaned world desperately needs to hear. So why did Jesus say this: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your [...]

Is Forgiveness like a Debit Card?

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Are you completely forgiven or partly forgiven? It’s a simple question that reveals whether you appreciate all Christ did for you on the cross. Recently I heard a critic of the grace message say two contradictory statements: Christ paid for your complete redemption (amen!) but you are not completely forgiven [...]

Is it Wrong to Ask God for Forgiveness?

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“Beware the grace Pharisees who jump on you if you dare to ask God for forgiveness. They will say you’re operating in unbelief and legalism.” This claim is sometimes made against those who preach grace. Because we say God has forgiven all your sins, apparently it’s wrong to ask him to forgive you. [...]

1 John 1:9 – Ask the Right Question

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In many grace books it is common to find some discussion on 1 John 1:9. This verse is special because it is the only verse in the new covenant that appears to link confession of sins with God’s forgiveness. If this verse was in the old covenant it would be no great thing, but because it’s in the new it stands [...]

Why Do People Need to Receive the Gift of Forgiveness if the Whole World is Already Forgiven?

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A friend of mine recently asked me some questions about forgiveness. If God forgave everyone at the cross, what use will sinners have for Jesus? Why will they care about the good news if there is no bad news? And aren’t we giving sinners a false sense of all-is-well by saying “all are forgiven”? His concern [...]

Is Forgiveness Something God Does or Gives?

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When you sin against someone, your relationship with that person comes under strain. There’s this Thing that comes between the two of you. To be reconciled you need to deal with the Thing. Jesus said if you are bringing your gift to the altar and you remember your brother has some Thing against you, go and deal [...]

1 John 1:9 – Something Old, Something New

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“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What’s the problem with 1 John 1:9? The problem is that it’s in the wrong part of the Bible. It’s a classic piece of old covenant theology that somehow found its way into the new. It’s on [...]

Forgiven, Reconciled, and Saved?

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The world sure is a strange place. Just when you think you’ve seen everything, something new hits you on the side of the head. When I was growing up, the number one theological question was this one: “Once saved, always saved?” People who asked this question wanted to know whether it is possible for a [...]