Hebrews 10 26 if we go on sinning

[fhansen]

Sin separates Man from God.
Forgiveness of sin of true believers restores fellowship and provides reconciliation. 1 John 1

Does that mean that sin is forgiven and reconciliation takes place automatically, so that continuous sin, with or without repentance, still won't separate a true believer from God?

Isn't there a reason for why a true believer isn't condemned-for why belief should relieve us from judgment-that reason being that a change should also take place in the believer as a result of the reconciled relationship which faith fosters? Aren't we expected to now walk uprightly because faith should keep us in Christ and He in us, a relationship or communion which itself is an aspect of our justice? Isn't man's state of justice directly connected to his partnership with God, such that Adam lost justice by separating himself from God while we can now obtain it again by reconnecting with Him, meaning that we're "found" to the extent that we remain in relationship, where sin is excluded by virtue of that relationship, and lost to the extent that we turn away from that relationship (usually by grave sin), losing justice, justification again? I don't think faith, by itself, is enough if it's somehow taken to mean that no amount of sin can separate us from God, as if He suddenly decided to no longer care if actual justice prevails in His universe.

And Matt 25:31-46 is significant here, BTW, where people are judged on their acts of love.

 

[Ron Gurley]

1 John 1...God Is Light
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light,
and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have FELLOWSHIP (no sin barrier!) with Him and yet walk in the darkness,
we lie and do not PRACTICE the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light (FOLLOW Jesus' example) as He Himself is in the Light,
we have fellowship with "one another" (BELIEVERS),
and the blood of Jesus His Son CLEANSES us from ALL sin.
8 If we (Believers after salvation) say that we have no sin,
we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we CONFESS (agree with God about) our sins, He is faithful and righteous to FORGIVE us our sins and to CLEANSE us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

 

[fhansen]

1 John 1...God Is Light
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light,
and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have FELLOWSHIP (no sin barrier!) with Him and yet walk in the darkness,
we lie and do not PRACTICE the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light (FOLLOW Jesus' example) as He Himself is in the Light,
we have fellowship with "one another" (BELIEVERS),
and the blood of Jesus His Son CLEANSES us from ALL sin.
8 If we (Believers after salvation) say that we have no sin,
we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we CONFESS (agree with God about) our sins, He is faithful and righteous to FORGIVE us our sins and to CLEANSE us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

So if we've sinned it's as if we've become dirty again, and must be cleansed. We must have a genuine change of heart and then confess our sins, rather than simply continue as we were, presuming righteousness to simply be ours carte blanc.

Here's another interesting verse, among others that speak of the need for authentic holiness/change within us in order to be counted as righteous and worthy of eternal life.
"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matt 6:14

Definitely not so easy for us to sincerely do, definitely a mark of justice/grace within us. And apparently a requirement above and beyond faith alone.

 

[Ron Gurley]

1. Spirit-led Faith/Belief ALONE in Jesus/His completeted works to be saved / spiritually changed. God's irrevocable spiritual gifts: UNMERITED Grace + Spirit-led Faith/Belief=>SALVATION from eternal spiritual separation from God.
John 3 explained in Ephesians 2.

2. True believers sin after the salvation event and forgiveness/cleansing of sin is possible upon confession.
1 John 1.
Acts 10:43
Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

3. The Sanctification Process from salvation to death of the Body/Soul combo allows the permanently indwelling of God the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide the true believer into the will of God and away from the "old man's" sin nature.

1 Thessalonians 4:3
For this is the will of God, your sanctification...

Romans 6:22
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

 

[fhansen]

But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

Yes, freedom from sin is necessary for entrance into heaven, for being pure of heart so that we're capable of seeing God. Sanctification is God's work of salvation in us, inseparable from justification.

 

[Ron Gurley]

being pure of heart

Man is INCAPABLE of that on his own!

ROMANS 3!

Isaiah 64:6(NASB)
For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

Man is a sinner in need of a Savior!

 

[fhansen]

being pure of heart

Man is INCAPABLE of that on his own!

Yes! And that's the point-man is incapable of that on his own! And yet he must do that in order to see God. So, the essence of the New Covenant: "Apart from Me you can do nothing" John 15:5. "With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible" Matt 19:26

God doesn't ignore or merely impute righteousness in order to make us salvageable; rather He makes us righteous, not without our cooperation, in order to make us salvageable-worthy of salvation.

We don't fulfill the Law in order to be worthy of God; rather we come to God in order to be able to fulfill the Law. By His grace He changes us, He justifies us.

He draws us to Himself, to union with Him as is the right order of things for man to begin with in order to accomplish this, but we can always resist, we can always say "no" at the beginning, or at any step along the way after starting to follow Him.

 

[Ron Gurley]

"the essence of the New Covenant"

"substitutionary atonement"

NT:
The NEW "COVENANT":

Luke 22:20
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying,
“This cup which is poured out FOR you is the "new covenant" in My blood.

covenant...Greek 1242...diatheke...II.a compact, ("contract"?), a testament
E.G. A.God's covenant with Noah, etc.

Matthew 26:28
for this is My blood of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

Mark 14:24
And He said to them, “This is My blood of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for many.

Hebrews 9:15
For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 12:24
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

SUBSTITUTION:

2 Corinthians 5:21, ...imputed righteousness!
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin "on our behalf", that we might become the righteousness of God IN Him."

Romans 6:10
For the death that He died, He died to sin once FOR all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

1 Peter 3:18 -
"For Christ also died FOR sins once FOR all,
the righteous (Jesus) FOR the unrighteous (Man),
that he might bring us to God" (reconciliation)

Atonement = basic meaning of RECONCILIATION....work of redemption on behalf of ...

"Atonement" = at-ONE-ment = spiritual reconciliation and other benefits of salvation...
...some spiritual act that "pays for" / redeems Man from his sin nature / sin / sin(s)
...the penalty due to Man's sins are avoided
...action decreed by God for the re-establishment of a positive relationship between Man (the sinner) and Himself (the holy God).

Romans 5:11
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement.

the atonement. ...Greek 2643....katallage....adjustment of a difference, RECONCILIATION, restoration to favour

Romans 5: 6-11 (NASB)
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died FOR the ungodly.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man;
though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died FOR us.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,
much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

See also: PROPITIATION ...

New Testament Greek:
G2435 hilasterion =~ propitiation, mercyseat

...“The word propitiation carries the basic idea of appeasement, or satisfaction, specifically towards God.
Propitiation is a two-part act that involves
appeasing the wrath of an offended person and
being reconciled to them.”
Propitiation is that:
“by which it becomes consistent with his character and government to pardon and bless the sinner.
The propitiation does not procure his love or make him loving; (God is ALSO perfectly LOVING and MERCIFUL!)
it only renders it consistent for him to exercise his love towards sinners...

1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation FOR our sins.

Hebrews 2:17
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things,
so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make propitiation FOR the sins of the people.

 

[fhansen]

"the essence of the New Covenant"

"substitutionary atonement"

NT:
The NEW "COVENANT":

Luke 22:20
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying,
“This cup which is poured out FOR you is the "new covenant" in My blood.

covenant...Greek 1242...diatheke...II.a compact, ("contract"?), a testament
E.G. A.God's covenant with Noah, etc.

Matthew 26:28
for this is My blood of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

Mark 14:24
And He said to them, “This is My blood of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for many.

Hebrews 9:15
For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 12:24
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

SUBSTITUTION:

2 Corinthians 5:21, ...imputed righteousness!
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin "on our behalf", that we might become the righteousness of God IN Him."

Romans 6:10
For the death that He died, He died to sin once FOR all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

1 Peter 3:18 -
"For Christ also died FOR sins once FOR all,
the righteous (Jesus) FOR the unrighteous (Man),
that he might bring us to God" (reconciliation)

Atonement = basic meaning of RECONCILIATION....work of redemption on behalf of ...

"Atonement" = at-ONE-ment = spiritual reconciliation and other benefits of salvation...
...some spiritual act that "pays for" / redeems Man from his sin nature / sin / sin(s)
...the penalty due to Man's sins are avoided
...action decreed by God for the re-establishment of a positive relationship between Man (the sinner) and Himself (the holy God).

Romans 5:11
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement.

the atonement. ...Greek 2643....katallage....adjustment of a difference, RECONCILIATION, restoration to favour

Romans 5: 6-11 (NASB)
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died FOR the ungodly.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man;
though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died FOR us.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,
much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

See also: PROPITIATION ...

New Testament Greek:
G2435 hilasterion =~ propitiation, mercyseat

...“The word propitiation carries the basic idea of appeasement, or satisfaction, specifically towards God.
Propitiation is a two-part act that involves
appeasing the wrath of an offended person and
being reconciled to them.”
Propitiation is that:
“by which it becomes consistent with his character and government to pardon and bless the sinner.
The propitiation does not procure his love or make him loving; (God is ALSO perfectly LOVING and MERCIFUL!)
it only renders it consistent for him to exercise his love towards sinners...

1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation FOR our sins.

Hebrews 2:17
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things,
so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make propitiation FOR the sins of the people.

Yes, the atonement wins reconcilation with God, so that, again, we may commune with Him as is the right, proper, and just order of things for man. He can then do a work in us unto salvation as we work that out together with Him.

It's not so complicated. He not only forgives but also cleanses and makes us a new creation. From there more is expected as more is given; we're to continue following and staying true to Him, cooperating with grace, growing in alignment with His will, "owning" more of our justice as we do. This is how God patiently molds and perfects His creation. This is how He makes us pure of heart, so that we may "see" Him, so that we're capable of seeing Him as we come to truly place Him first above all else.