What About the Sins of the Saved
Selected verses
This past week, in bible study, I was teaching from the book of Joshua. In that book then is the story of the sin of a man named Achan. Achan sinned when, in the middle of a battle at Jericho, he found some silver, some gold, and some fine clothing. He took them and hid them in his tent. He had been instructed by Joshua not to take anything because all of the spoils belonged to God.
Joshua called Achan forward in front of the whole assembly of Israel and told him to “fess up.” Which he did ...completely. However, that confession was too late. But the point I made was that one day we would all stand in judgment by God and we would all have to "fess up to every word or deed in our whole life. They will all be there for us to see. Satan will be there as our accuser. And we will be asked to stand in front of a holy, righteous God and give our excuse for why we told that lie, stole that thing, indulged in that lustful thought, said that sinful word, etc.
Someone asked, "I thought that God had removed our sins as far as the east is from the west." Actually that comes from Ps I 03:12: As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
HOWEVER...There was a small problem with that belief. The problem is not a problem or scripture but a problem of TIMING!!!
SALVATION IS A PROCESS Today I want to share with you what the scriptures say about that process.
Before I get started I want to share three scriptures with you.
Phil. 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Phil. 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
Eph 1:13-14 In whom you also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
These three verses are critical in the understanding of our salvation.
Many believe that salvation is a static event... "a done deal." They speak of salvation only in the past tense.
They talk about when they were saved. By that they refer to the time when they made their profession of faith and got baptized. They say they ARE SAVED!
In certain respects that is true... but the incomplete truth.
Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
1. CONVICTION
The first step is that the person becomes convicted of the fact they are a sinner. That truth breaks their heart and they are truly sorry for the way they have hurt God. They desire to be forgiven of their sin and put in right relationship with God.
2. CONFESSION
The next step is to confess sinfulness. Confess that you are a sinner by nature, choice and action. Confess that you are powerless over sin and need Him to deliver you from the power and the punishment for your sins.
3. REPENTANCE
The next step is to repent... or to change the mind. This not just feeling sorry.
It is to be so broken by the sorrow that you are moved to change your thinking and actions.
2 Cor. 7:8-10 spells out the difference between just feeling sorry... which does not lead to salvation, and true Godly sorrow and brokenness that lead to change and to salvation.
8For though I made you sorrow with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
9Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
1For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
When you do that, God does some special things in and for you
These things are spelled out in 1 Cor. 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1. BUT YOU WERE WASHED
He washes you in the blood of Jesus
The vile and dirty sins that stained your heart and soul were washed away.
That is why baptism is the symbol ... it washes away dirt. Jesus' shed blood washes away the stain of sin.
2. BUT YOU WERE SANCTIFIED
Sanctification is the same word as HOLY.
It means separated for God or set aside for use by God and for God's use. While it means the believer is set apart TO/FOR God.... The believer is also separated FROM evil things, ways, and people.
So when you confessed Jesus as Lord you were set aside for, marked as belonging to, culled out of the herd and branded with God's brand.
You no longer belonged to yourself, (You are not your own for you were bought with a price), nor to the world, nor to Satan.
That is why the scriptures refer to believers as "saints. Because a saint is a "sanctified one". All Christians, all true believers, the entire saved are sanctified ... thus saints.
3. BUT YOU WERE JUSTIFIED.
Justification is the process of being reckoned as righteous.... Acquitted of guilt, put in right standing or right relationship.
Before our confession we were sinners, out of fellowship with God, guilty of sin, worthy of punishment, enemies of God. By our faith and confession, we were removed from the position AGAINST God and placed in a position WlTH God, in right relationship, in the relationship of son, or obedience. In this new position we were in the position to receive blessing not punishment. Our guilt, while real, was acquitted and no longer held against us. Our position as debtor changed to one of "paid in full" - good standing.
4. BUT YOU WERE SEALED
This means that God put his seal on us. In the days of Jesus the king wore a signet ring. All official documents were sealed by rolling up the scroll, dropping hot wax on the page to hold it shut, and then the king would press his ring into the hot wax. That seal made it official and binding.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
When we received Christ we were sealed by God, his mark put on us.
It was a mark of security... we could not be pulled away
It was a mark of permanency... we could not fall away
It was a mark of ownership... we belonged to him
The seal that God used was His Holy Spirit. He placed His Holy Spirit in us when we confessed and accepted him.
That seal will always be there, no one has the authority to remove it. When we die we will have the seal.
The Spirit is more than a seal... he is a deposit, a receipt, a proof of purchase.
The word used in that verse is the Greek word "arrabon" which means deposit. It indicates a "down payment"2, a "first installment"3 something that guaranteed the complete payment or that the whole would follow.
God put the Holy Spirit in us as a personal pledge that we would receive the full reward for our salvation.
We are early in the process now... but our Seal is the guarantee that when we get home to heaven, He will bring the process of salvation to completion.
5. WE WERE SET FREE
FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN... death, separation, hell.
FROM THE POWER OF SIN... sin no longer has dominion over us. We have the power to overcome sin by the power of God in us.
6. WE RECEIVED THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
Different gifts
7. WE RECEIVED THE SEEDS FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
It is our job to cultivate and grow in the fruits
But while God has BEGUN A GREAT WORK IN US... started us on the path to salvation, to holiness, to perfection.
THE PROCESS IS STILL ONGOING.
We have to WORK IT OUT IN OUR LIVES.
Cultivate and grow the fruit
Put to death the old self
Grow in grace
Work out our salvation... flesh it out
And one day, we know for sure... GOD WILL BRING IT TO COMPLETION.
The process of salvation will not be complete until we stand in judgment before Jesus, see him open the Lamb's book of life, find our name written in blood, and say to us Well done good servant, you go over on the right with the sheep, the saved. You can enter my heaven.
It won't be real to us until we watch him say to the lost, "DEPART FROM ME YOU DOERS OF EVIL INTO EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT." Then we will watch as they are dragged off to spend eternity in hell.
And the last act of salvation will be the judgment, when we will stand before God and give account of every thought, word and deed.
'Romans•14:12: says So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
We will all give an account before God… EVEN CHRISTIANS Paul says “US” not “them.”
But then all of those words, thoughts, deeds will be tested by fire.
1 Cor. 3:13 says, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
Evil words, deeds and thoughts will be burned away and the believer will receive nothing. Those thoughts, deeds, and words that are good will remain and the believer will receive rewards.
It will be a terrible thing that day to have to stand before the righteous, pure, holy God and 'fess up to our sins.
OUR SALVATION WILL THEN BE COMPLETE
We will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin... Satan in hell
We will be saved from the POWER of sin... flesh is gone
We will be saved from the PUNISHMENT of sin... burned up
Removed as far as the east from the west, cast into the deepest part of the ocean, gone forever, never to be remembered.
