amariselle
Jesus Never Fails
- Sep 28, 2004
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Some believe because Jesus cleanses us from all sin, that means sins that don't exist yet.
Scripture is clear that Jesus does indeed cleanse us (believers) from all sin. So, I would say with assurance that those who believe this are in complete agreement with the word of God.
But in reality Jesus cleanses us from all our past sins, there was no sin too great that His blood didn't cleanse.
When Jesus died on the cross, all our sins were "future", as we had not been born yet.
It is dangerous to believe that, okay, my past, present sins and future sins are all cleansed. "For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins." 2 Peter 1:9
Paul wasn't saying that Jesus only died to cleanse "old sins", but that all present or future sins are not cleansed. If that were true than the only people who could have been saved would have been those who were living when Christ died on the cross to cleanse all the sins they had committed up to that point in time. That doesn't make sense Scripturally.
What Paul was referring to was how even those who have been saved and cleansed from sin can still fall short and stumble.
When in reality, Jesus immediately gives us the POWER of God to not sin again with a willful spirit of a fleshly nature.
When we are born again and made "new creations" in Christ, the "inner man" is without sin, but this physical body is still mortal and perishing. As Paul said "in my flesh dwells no good thing", and we know the flesh wars against the Spirit.
One day we will receive new, incorruptible, immortal bodies.
Romans 6:2; Romans 8:9 We are dead to sin, and we are no longer in the flesh if we have the Holy Spirit. And if we do not have the Holy Spirit, we do not belong to Him.
Agreed.
I was in church for almost 30 years before I was dead to sin. That's a long time to be a "Christian" in name only, but not saved. I doubt I am the only person who had never truly repented of sin, the prerequisite to receiving the Holy Spirit.
Repentance is a change of mind, a turning to Christ in faith. It's not a promise that you will obey the Law/never sin again.
I'm saved now, but it is a scary thing to realize that there are many today that only want Jesus as their Savior - their ticket out of hell, not realizing that they are the one still in charge, having never yielded their lives to His Lordship.
What you wrote above troubles me. You suggest that it's not enough for people to "want Jesus as their Saviour." I'm not sure what you are referring to when you say "yielded their lives to His Lordship", as He is Lord, and we don't make Him anything. Also, our salvation does not depend on our perfect obedience. That's the very reason we need Him as our Saviour, because all of us have fallen short of the glory of God.
The claim that you're not saved until you "make Him Lord of your life", is false. He is Lord, He does not become Lord based on some effort or acknowledgement from us.
During that first 30 years I had a problem with sin, but when that problem was something I wanted to overcome because of the PAIN, and tried and failed over and over, I told God I couldn't stop. I was helpless, and needed Him to take the object of my sin away from me where I couldn't get my hands on it again. Within one week, that happened, but I still wasn't saved. I looked for other things to replace the object of my sin, because now I was in PAIN more than ever. When God took that away from me too, and the PAIN kept increasing, I asked Him why. And He sovereignly showed me a vision of my sin, and that He couldn't bless me. It's a long story that I've already shared with you. But that was the night I was baptized in the Spirit and became dead to the desire to sin. And it was the first day I was finally saved.
I wish more people understood that we "rest" in Him and His finished work. Jesus Christ is our "Sabbath." I too used to believe that every time I messed up again, perhaps God would be finished with me. That's not what the Bible says.
Up until then the Holy Spirit was drawing me, as is the case with millions of Christians who have never experienced being born again. They say they are because they can quote the scripture that says Christians are, not realizing they haven't become one yet. You see repentance is the key. It is why John the Baptist came FIRST preaching repentance. We must also have the baptism of fire, not just water.
The key is properly understanding "repentance."
God bless.
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