What must we do for the forgiveness of sins?

ViaCrucis said:

Be sinners.

Christ died for the sins of the whole world. Christ died to save sinners.

The only thing we do to is be sinners. It is God who appropriates the work of Christ by the power of the Spirit through Word and Sacrament, He does it for us, we do nothing.

-CryptoLutheran

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But then does this still mean that more than forgiveness is necessary for salvation, since salvation is not universal, while sinfulness is?

Jeff4607 said:

Many of the saints seem to be confused as to what constitutes a "work". So I will ask this rhetorical question. What must we do to receive forgiveness, and if there is something we must do, is it work?

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I think it would be prudent to first define "work" or "works" - When I look at that word it isn't really talking about actions as much as motives behind action. A work is something done by a hypocrite with a corrupt heart, trying to look holy. Jesus didn't speak of "works" but he explained the situation perfectly when contrasting the publicans praying loudly in the streets with a believer praying in his closet. They are both praying - the behavior is the same - but the motivation is much different. Another example is in Matthew 7:20-23 these people were prophesying, casting out devils, and preforming many wonderful works, but were rejected by God. Their behavior wasn't the measuring stick it was the condition of their heart, their motivation.

God's grace/forgiveness has been made available to everyone through Jesus Christ. John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world so much that he sent his son... but the benefit of that love only comes for "whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." So, Jesus clearly states that believing in him is a requirement for everlasting life, but it is something that you do a part of your being, not a temporary behavior. There is no behavior (WORK) we can display that should have made us eligible for God's grace and forgiveness, but God loved the world enough to offer it anyway!

James clarifies when he says a man may say you have faith and I have works, show me your works without your faith and I will show you my works by my faith. The works can be the exact same behavior, but James is telling us his works comes from his faith, while the other person in this example is still able to produce works without faith.

To answer your question about what it takes to have sins remitted, that is spelled out pretty well in Acts 2 - when Peter taught the multitude and convicted them that they had just killed the Messiah they had been waiting for, they asked him What Shall We Do?! (How Do We Fix This?!) and Peter explained that they must repent, be baptized in Jesus Name for the remission of sins, and they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Peter goes on to say that that same promise applies to them (the people he was talking to), their children, to all that are afar off (either anyone they went back home and told or potentially to the gentiles who were "sometimes afar off") and even as many as the Lord our God shall call (everybody God is calling - including you and me!). So our sins are remitted the same way as they were when the church first started!

Jeff4607 said:

Many of the saints seem to be confused as to what constitutes a "work". So I will ask this rhetorical question. What must we do to receive forgiveness, and if there is something we must do, is it work?

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There is nothing to "do" (or can be done) because Christ Jesus has already "done" it at the cross. His grace is sufficient!

The responsibility lies on the believer in Jesus Christ to repent and forsake sin and trust in the completed work of Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are the gift of God.

DamianX said:

One of the nice things about being Catholic is having a clear answer to this question. Go to Confession, tell your sins to the priest, be truly sorry for them, and do the assigned penance. This is a normal part of a Catholic's relationship with God, and considering it "work" would be strange.

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Do you have scripture to support this?

Jeff4607 said:

Many of the saints seem to be confused as to what constitutes a "work". So I will ask this rhetorical question. What must we do to receive forgiveness, and if there is something we must do, is it work?

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You have to do absolutely NOTHING to have 99% of your sins forgiven. That will be automatic on judgment day. See below. Only ONE sin will NEVER be forgiven.

Works play NO role in the forgiveness of sin. Works are for blessings while on earth; for each good deed one commits. Our sins are punished each 7 (or 70) fold for each sin while on earth . See below.

IE:

Everyone sins all the time, thus we are punished all the time 7 fold; for EACH sin, from birth to death. Oh indeed yes. UNLESS we flaunt it in Jesus' face; such as ALL practicing homosexuals do, as just one example. Then Jesus increases the punishment by a factor of 10. In other words, any time we sin without conviction or we flaunt it in Jesus' face, we are punished 70 times for that sin.

Example: Jesus punished King Nebuchadnezzar for 7 years for an egregious sin he committed. But................ at the same time, Jesus punished His own people for 70 years; because they had flaunted their sins in Jesus' face in a "mocking" way.

But at the same time, they and we are blessed 10 fold for each good deed (works) we commit. But there are cases where the blessing can be a 100 fold or even more. Of course Jesus makes that determination. In the case of Abraham; Jesus blessed not only him, but he blessed ALL of Abraham's "righteous" seed 'til the end of the world. In the case of Solomon; Jesus made him the smartest and richest man that would ever have lived.

However in BOTH cases, Jesus punished them all their lives for their sins. Oh indeed yes. So justice was served. IE: Good works (deeds) blessed WHILE on earth; bad deeds punished WHILE on earth. NO exceptions! Plus, a person can be blessed AND punished at the same time. Believe it or not. Happens all the time! Oh indeed yes! Think about it.

Now to the ONLY sin that will never be forgiven: It is called "Blaspheming against the Holy Spirit (Ghost)". See below. That simply means that a person refuses to allow the Holy Spirit of Jesus to come into their heart and circumcise it and baptize their soul. This is the ultimate sin; and thus it achieves the ultimate punishment, AKA: "A Burning lake of fire" or simply "Hell".

Believe it or not!

Again: "Works play NO role in forgiveness. Forgiveness for our sins is solely the free gift of Jesus. He promised to forgive EVERY sin except for one. Note his words below:

Mark 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, (even) blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: Mark 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

Note the world "ALL". This means NO exceptions. Then notice the word "Never". These are absolutes. NO one can change this. Those who believe that "works" play a part in "forgiveness" are blaspheming Jesus, (forgiven thankfully) whether they know it or not. They are usurping the role of Jesus. For if they were correct, Jesus died in vain. Oh indeed Yes! Think about it.

To summarize ALL of the above: Justice is 100% fulfilled by the way Jesus (God manifest* IN the flesh)) set it up; by what HE did. NOT what we do. The forgiveness of ALL sins; except for that one unforgivable sin; is a result of WHAT Jesus did with His sacrifice while IN the flesh. But He stopped short on one and ONLY one sin. That sin will NEVER be forgiven for ANY reason.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was "manifest in the flesh", justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Thus the sheep (Born Again) are given a complete 100% pardon on Judgment Day; while the goats (Non Born Again) will be given a 99% pardon. Sadly that 1% means hell. Believe it or not.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish (in hell), but have everlasting life.

John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

The saddest part of all is: There will be enumerable MORE "goats" on Judgment Day than "sheep", sadly. But Salvation could have gone to every one who ever lived. MOST chose NOT to receive the greatest gift that could ever be given. Oh indeed yes. Thus their eternal damnation by Jesus is 100% just.

In any case may Jesus richly bless you and yours always.

Jeff4607 said:

Many of the saints seem to be confused as to what constitutes a "work". So I will ask this rhetorical question. What must we do to receive forgiveness, and if there is something we must do, is it work?

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When you sin, 1st John 1:9

I was in a fellowship that taught one should make restitution or apology to those one had harmed. If you have stolen something from someone, you were supposed to pay the person back if you could locate the person.

Of course you must not steal if you will want to be forgiven.

I remember the teaching about a poor homeless leper named Lazarus who used to sit along a public way begging. A rich man who was masterful in making financial gain walked by and would not give him a crumb as he begged. The story indicated the rich man did not win God's favor and could not be rescued when he came into suffering. One should be merciful and not greedy.

If you do no crime, you should not need to ask for forgiveness. If you are a habitual offender, I do not know how confessing is going to help your situation. You might get locked up whether you say you are sorry or not, unless the judge or jury shows you mercy.

Deuteronomy 15:1-2 World English Bible (WEB)
15 At the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts. 2 This is the way it shall be done: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not require payment from his neighbor and his brother; because Yahweh’s release has been proclaimed.

This is an early example of where people were asked to forgive each other. We are supposed to forgive each other of sins, if such is possible.

DarthNeo said:

Accepting Christ as your savior, TRUE repentance (a changing of the mind) about WHO Christ is and WHAT He did, will forgive all past, present, and future sins...

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How do you do that exactly, anything else I missed? I am a member of his church. I know WHO the Lord Jesus Christ is and WHAT he did.

SkyWriting said:

Are you worried that your number of sex partners
this year has overstepped the limits of "multitude"
and that some may not be covered?

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Funny!
I'm sure he is just only asking.
But Obamacare covers HIV and stuff.

Repent and ask for forgiveness. Be sincere.

Jeff4607 said:

Many of the saints seem to be confused as to what constitutes a "work". So I will ask this rhetorical question. What must we do to receive forgiveness, and if there is something we must do, is it work?

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If its paul talking it is actions of mosaic law..ie. Circumcision，shedding blood of bulls ，abstaining from. Certain meats etc.
If its James talking... Its Action based upon true belief .

To recieve forgiveness.we must
Repent. And remain repentant.
Be baptised for remission of our sin.

Abraham had righteousness credited to him “by faith“
That means because he believed God he went and acted on it. Faith is a verb.
He did not just say he believed god but. Acted in obedience to prove it. That is what faith is.
Obedient action based upon what one truly believes.

Many think they can Say they have faith.
Continue in thier action of sin and be saved.
They think they can hear the gospel but not obey it..and be saved.
They decieve themSelves.

MJFlores said:

How do you do that exactly, anything else I missed? I am a member of his church. I know WHO the Lord Jesus Christ is and WHAT he did.




Funny!
I'm sure he is just only asking.
But Obamacare covers HIV and stuff.

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I didn't watch the whole video but it seems to suggest that Christ is not God, so I turned it off...

Confess you are a sinner. Repent. Love the Lord with all your heart. Be baptized. Follow in Jesus footsteps. Accept that Jesus took the whip and punishment in the form of Roman crucifixion for you and took your sins to Hell and buried them there forever. Are these works? No, this is living as if you were a sinner and still are a sinner. As if a perfect sacrifice was made for you. It is living according to the infallible Word of God. Works is building a chapel and saying see the beautiful thing I did for God. It is beating your back raw and rolling across glass until you get to the the Church of the Holy Sepulchre while standing on your head in horse poo and saying, See there Jesus. YOu didn't have to take my punishment. I took it myself. My works are sufficient to get me into heaven. Works is feeding the poor at Christmas time and forgetting them for the rest of the year. Works is anything you do to convince the world you are good enough for God without confessing, repenting, and if you have the ability, being baptized. As for me, there is nothing I can do myself of my own accord that is sufficient to satisfy justice in order to find forgiveness with God. He has already forgiven me as I confessed my sins, repented of them (meaning to turn away for real and even though I still sin and will still sin, remembering that God found my repentance sufficient because of my belief in His Son and His Sacrifice). And remember this ONE word should never be taken out of your communication. Begotten. Fog God so loved the world that he gave his only BEGOTTEN Son...

marineimaging said:

Confess you are a sinner. Repent. Love the Lord with all your heart. Be baptized. Follow in Jesus footsteps. Accept that Jesus took the whip and punishment in the form of Roman crucifixion for you and took your sins to Hell and buried them there forever. Are these works? No, this is living as if you were a sinner and still are a sinner. As if a perfect sacrifice was made for you. It is living according to the infallible Word of God. Works is building a chapel and saying see the beautiful thing I did for God. It is beating your back raw and rolling across glass until you get to the the Church of the Holy Sepulchre while standing on your head in horse poo and saying, See there Jesus. YOu didn't have to take my punishment. I took it myself. My works are sufficient to get me into heaven. Works is feeding the poor at Christmas time and forgetting them for the rest of the year. Works is anything you do to convince the world you are good enough for God without confessing, repenting, and if you have the ability, being baptized.

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(assuming you meant insufficient) but you make the comment were and are a sinner..
And befor this you say we must repent.
But to repent of your sin you know what your sins are.
So if you are still a sinner (still doing the sins you know you were doing) then you have not yet repented ..its just faking it.Gods not fooled.

Jeff4607 said:

Many of the saints seem to be confused as to what constitutes a "work". So I will ask this rhetorical question. What must we do to receive forgiveness, and if there is something we must do, is it work?

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Salvation isn’t given because of works but because of God and what He did for us through Jesus Christ His Son. It is repentance with a sincere heart that we receive grace, through the acceptance of what He did through Jesus Christ. Once we are saved; once we “sincerely” accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are saved. As He teaches us and through our loyalty to Him, we do His work as He calls us to do it through His spirit, it shouldn’t be about us, that is for sure! All glory should go to Him. Basically it is cause and effect, our re-birth and sincere heart to have a close relationship with Him causes us to desire to do His will and not our own.

R

jimbohank said:

Salvation isn’t given because of works but because of God and what He did for us through Jesus Christ His Son. It is repentance with a sincere heart that we receive grace, through the acceptance of what He did through Jesus Christ. Once we are saved; once we “sincerely” accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are saved. As He teaches us and through our loyalty to Him, we do His work as He calls us to do it through His spirit, it shouldn’t be about us, that is for sure! All glory should go to Him. Basically it is cause and effect, our re-birth and sincere heart to have a close relationship with Him causes us to desire to do His will and not our own.

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Repentance with a sincere heart it must be noted.does not go back and continue doing the same sins ..but CEACES that behaviour.


it is written : For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,...“ why then are not all people saved ? Because God has already shown us grace and done All that needs to be done to save us from sin. And now he awaits our obedient response.....

Alithis said:

R

Repentance with a sincere heart it must be noted.does not go back and continue doing the same sins ..but CEACES that behaviour.


it is written : For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,...“ why then are not all people saved ? Because God has already shown us grace and done All that needs to be done to save us from sin. And now he awaits our obedient response.....

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it is written : For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,...“ why then are not all people saved ? Because God has already shown us grace and done All that needs to be done to save us from sin. And now he awaits our obedient response.....

I agree that repentance is necessary, and God is not mocked. What we do with our lives matters.

But for the sake of one who might read this thread and see condemnation, what do you say of someone who genuinely struggles?

An addict who converts, but is not miraculously delivered upon his conversion, still craves whatever he is addicted to, and may struggle mightily against it, but might also fail, and then come to himself and weep bitterly at his failure. Will God not receive him in forgiveness? Of course He will ...

And for that matter, let us examine ourselves? Are we perfected? Is pride a sin? Of course. Yet have we ever looked at a fellow Christian in disdain at how they are behaving, thinking we would not do such a thing? Is adultery, fornication a sin? Of course. Yet have we ever noticed someone and been drawn to desire them, even for a moment? Is covetousness a sin? Of course. Yet do we ever look with envy at something that doesn't belong to us, wishing it could be ours? Do we give cheerfully to all who ask? Do we do every single good thing we know to do, neglecting not one of them?

In truth, we all sin. We all have struggles.


How we live matters. We should honor God with our actions, words, thoughts, and attitudes. We should love one another, forgiving all who offend us. But at the end of the day, forgiveness is of God, and it is not ours to limit or restrict. Yet if we fail to LIVE as Christians (little Christs, being in His likeness as much as we can be) ... then we ought to examine ourselves carefully, to see if we are in the faith at all. But we don't judge others in this way. Ever.

What must we do for the forgiveness of sins?
Humbly repent of your sins, ( daily ) and put your faith and trust in the One and only Savior for mankind, Jesus Christ. There are many verses in the Bible that covers this in different terms. They all end in up in the Blood that was shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Himself said in the last meal He had with His disciples, Then He took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.…
ronandcarol

Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

/thread

Jeff4607 said:

Many of the saints seem to be confused as to what constitutes a "work". So I will ask this rhetorical question. What must we do to receive forgiveness, and if there is something we must do, is it work?

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God has already forgiven the sins of the world.
This is what Jesus is doing on the cross and death and resurrection.
So, "forgiveness" is already available.
Its getting it applied that IS Salvation.