Grace Revolution: Experience the Power to Live Above Defeat (7 page)
Read Grace Revolution: Experience the Power to Live Above Defeat Online
Authors: Joseph Prince
Tags: #Religion / Christian Life / Personal Growth, #RELIGION / Christian Life / Spiritual Growth, #Religion / Christian Life / Inspirational
Pastor Prince, if all my sins are forgiven, that means my future sins are too. But how can my future sins be forgiven?
That’s a great question. The reality is, when Jesus died on the cross two thousand years ago,
all
our sins were in the future.
There are people who argue that there is no Scripture that says all our future sins are forgiven. They teach that when we receive Jesus, all
our past sins are forgiven, but our future sins are only forgiven as we confess them and ask God for forgiveness.
First let me address those who claim that there is no Bible verse stating that our future sins are forgiven. Let me put it to them that there is no Bible verse stating that only our past sins are forgiven! But there is a Scripture that clearly states, “In Him we
have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7, emphasis mine). In the original Greek text, the verb for “have” is in the present tense, which indicates
durative action
, meaning
we are continually having forgiveness of sins
, including every sin we will ever commit.
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Furthermore, 1 John 2:12 says, “I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” The Greek perfect tense is used here for “are forgiven,” meaning this forgiveness is a definite action completed in the past, with the effect continuing into the present.
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This means that God’s forgiveness avails for you in your present, and continues into your future.
Let me give you another clear Scripture that states that all our sins, including our future sins, have been forgiven:
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave
all
our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
—Colossians 2:13–14
NLT
(emphasis mine)
Jesus forgave
all
our sins! The word “all” in the above Scripture is the Greek
pas
, meaning “every kind or variety… the totality of the persons or things referred to.”
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It refers to “all, any, every, the whole.”
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So “all” means
all
. God’s forgiveness of our sins covers
every
sin—past,
present, and future! When we received the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we received the total and complete forgiveness of all our sins.
In Hebrews 10:11–14, the Bible says, “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
Now, according to this Scripture, as a believer, for how long are you perfected?
Forever!
How can you be perfected forever, if your future sins are not forgiven?
Many believers are worried that when the truth of the gospel is told like that, people will take advantage of the revelation of their total forgiveness in Christ and go on to lead godless lives. They are worried that such teaching places no emphasis on sanctification or the desire to live holy, God-glorifying lives. So allow me to explain here that while you have been justified and made righteous by the blood of Jesus or perfected forever, the truth is that sanctification is ongoing in your growth as a Christian. This is why the author of the book of Hebrews says that we are
being sanctified
even though we are
perfected forever
by Christ’s one act of obedience at the cross (see Heb. 10:14).
As a believer you cannot become more righteous, but you can
become more sanctified or holy in terms of how you live your life. Justification by faith happened instantaneously. The moment you received Jesus, you were forgiven, cleansed, perfected in righteousness, and saved. You were also sanctified
in Christ
(see Heb. 10:10). However, it is important to understand that the revelation and outworking of your sanctification in Christ is progressive. This means that the more you grow in your relationship with the Lord Jesus, the more holy you will become in every area of your life.
I remember a precious brother writing to my ministry describing how the revelation of our forgiveness in Christ brought him into an intimacy with God that he had previously only dreamed about. “Previously, when I was
trying
to be a good Christian,” he said, “I was only
crawling
along, inch by inch. But now that I’ve got hold of grace, I’m
running
in my relationship with God! The more I learn about God’s amazing grace, the more I desperately want to glorify Him with my life!”
What a beautiful, true-life picture of what really happens when a person sits under teaching that uncovers the undiluted gospel of grace! My dear friend, we know that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16), so how can we say that behavior is not important? But contrary to what many people imagine, the revelation of forgiveness does not detract from, nor is it at the expense of, right living. Instead it is the fuel that makes right living happen.
The revelation of forgiveness does not detract from, nor is it at the expense of, right living. Instead it is the fuel that makes right living happen.
Merriam-Webster Online
describes
sanctification
as “the state of growing in divine grace as a result of Christian commitment after conversion.”
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You see, it is all about growing in grace. Establish yourself in the gospel of grace. Paul told Timothy to be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1). Peter encouraged believers to build a strong foundation with these closing words in his last epistle: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).
Precious believers all around the world are today growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have observed that the more I focus my preaching on unveiling the person of Jesus in the gospel of grace, the more my ministry office receives testimonies from people who have found freedom from the power of sin! Today they are so in love with Jesus and so filled with His peace and life that they begin to lose the desire to dabble in self-destructive behaviors!
You see, grace produces true holiness. The more you grow in grace—the more you are washed, again and again, by the water of the word of God’s grace—the more you grow in sanctification and holiness, and the more you allow the Holy Spirit to correct habits and thinking that keep you in bondage. Beloved, when you experience the grace of our Lord Jesus, the allure and passing pleasures of sin fade in the light of His glory and grace. Victory also begins to come into previous areas of struggle, weakness, and defeat.
When you experience the grace of our Lord Jesus, the allure and passing pleasures of sin fade in the light of His glory and grace.
Listen to this heartwarming praise report that I received from Reese, who lives in California:
While surfing television channels one evening, I came across Joseph Prince’s broadcast. What I heard blessed me so much that on the following Friday at 9:00 p.m., I was glued to the TV as I listened to him preach again.
I decided to purchase two of Pastor Joseph Prince’s CD sermons on grace and righteousness, and listened to them many times over. Never in my whole life had I heard such preaching. I was born into a Christian family, personally received Christ at age twenty-two, yet felt I was hearing the gospel for the very first time. My heart jumped within me and bore witness that what I heard was the real gospel.
I grew up being told that I had to keep God’s laws to make it to heaven. I was also told that I had to be approved by God in order to have my prayers answered. God was presented to me as a mean old man in heaven, looking and waiting for me to make one mistake so He could discipline me. I was also told that righteousness and salvation had to be worked for by keeping the old covenant laws and living a holy life. What I was taught made me fearful, unstable, and confused all my life. I kept repeating the cycle of falling into sin and repenting. The Christian life was very hard for me.
To hear the true gospel of grace—how grace means unmerited, undeserved favor—and that righteousness is a gift that I
received when I got saved and didn’t have to earn, was much-needed water and nourishment to my soul.
I have since bought all of Joseph Prince’s books and many of his sermons on CD. I also listen to his broadcast every day. Everything that Joseph Prince preaches has been so liberating to me, especially his sermons on God’s gift of no condemnation. There is nothing as liberating as knowing that all my sins—past, present, and future—are forgiven and that God does not see any sin in me because He saw them all judged on the body of Jesus Christ. Therefore, God does not—and will not—condemn me anymore. I can’t describe the freedom that I feel, and the joy and peace of knowing that God is cool with me. This is so sweet.
The revelation of grace I received through Joseph’s teaching has resulted in so many blessings: My relationships with people have improved. I have been healed from a seven-year struggle with high blood pressure and from insomnia. Moreover, God miraculously provided the finances to buy a three-bedroom town house. He provided the money even though I was laid off from work the same year. Six months after the layoff, I got the kind of job that I had always wanted to have, in an industry that I had always wanted to work in, along with a very good salary despite the economic downturn. On top of that, I recently received a promotion with a good pay increase.
Now I see God’s favor all around my family. I am emotionally much more stable and I face every day confident in Christ. My husband tells me that I have become “solid.” We are no longer fighting the way we used to because God has also blessed our marriage.
May all the glory be unto Lord Jesus, my Savior!
What a precious testimony. Thank you for sharing your journey of faith, Reese. I celebrate and rejoice with you.
My friend, you can have the same joy, security, and amazing restoration that Reese is enjoying today. Like Reese, you can go from being trapped in “the cycle of falling into sin and repenting,” with no real difference resulting from such repentance, to walking in victory and freedom in a greater and greater measure every day. True repentance is turning to the cross when you have failed and returning to God’s grace. You no longer have to be burdened by confusion and fear, guilt, and condemnation in your Christian walk. Come to your loving Savior and receive His grace and the assurance of His total forgiveness of your sins. He has paid for it all with His blood. It will set you free to have the kind of relationship you’ve always longed for with God, one that is intimate, powerful, and full of peace, joy, and good fruit!
BEGIN LIVING WITH CONFIDENCE
M
y dear friend, when you understand the power of Jesus’ ever-cleansing blood, it changes your life forever. Fear and depression give way to indescribable peace and joy. No longer do you feel insecure in your salvation, because you now possess the blessed assurance that Christ’s eternal and efficacious blood has cleansed you and continues to cleanse you of every sin!
When you understand the power of Jesus’ ever-cleansing blood, fear and depression give way to indescribable peace and joy.
Frances Ridley Havergal, a famous English hymn writer of the nineteenth century, was someone who experienced this very life-changing experience. Frances wrote more than eighty hymns, including the well-loved
Like a River Glorious
and
Take My Life and Let It Be
. Born to devoted Christian parents, she was a beautiful, bright, and energetic child. So full of life was she that her father fondly called her his “Little Quicksilver.”
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Frances was also an extremely gifted child, able to read simple books at the age of three. At four years of age, she could write well and read the Bible and other books for grown-ups. Later she studied in England and Germany and mastered Latin, French, German, Hebrew, and Greek. At the age of twenty-two, she knew by heart the four gospel books, the epistles, and the books of Psalms, Isaiah, and Revelation!
But there was something about Frances that few people know. Despite her gifts and despite having received Christ as her Savior at a young age and loving the Lord, Frances was very unhappy. On the outside she was a cheerful, active Christian, but deep within she battled fear, insecurity, and depression. She was convinced her “great wickedness of heart” impeded a full and intimate walk with the Lord.
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Frances spent her days longing for a deeper, fuller experience with Jesus, one in which she could have continuous enjoyment of abundant life. Most of all, she wanted to be able to trust Jesus fully for complete forgiveness of sins, enjoy intimacy with God, and have a rock-solid assurance of her salvation.
As I was reading about her experience, I was curious—
So how did she find that deeper, fuller experience in which joy was continuous? How did she come to trust Jesus fully for her complete forgiveness of sins and be free from sin-consciousness and depression?
As I read on I discovered that it was a revelation of 1 John 1:7—of how the blood of Jesus continuously cleansed her from all sin—that lifted her out of the doldrums and the depths of despair:
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
—1 John 1:7
Because Frances knew the Greek language well, she understood that the Greek word for “cleanses” in 1 John 1:7 is in the present tense, which means that Jesus’ blood
continually cleanses or keeps on cleansing
.
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His blood, shed two thousand years ago, continues to have an ongoing cleansing power!
When asked about how she came to this revelation, Frances said,
I was shown that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin,” and then it was made plain to me that He Who had thus cleansed me had power to keep me clean; so I just utterly yielded myself to Him and utterly trusted Him to keep me.…
Have we not been limiting the cleansing power of the precious blood when applied by the Holy Spirit, and also the keeping power of God? Have we not been limiting 1 John 1:7, by practically making it refer only to “remission of sins that are past” instead of taking the grand simplicity of “cleanseth from all sin”? “All” is all; and as we may trust Him to cleanse us from the stain of past sins so we may trust Him to cleanse us from all present defilement; yes, all!
If not, we take away from this most precious promise, and, by refusing to take it in its fullness, lose the fullness of its application and power…. It was that one word “cleanseth” which opened the door of a very glory of hope and joy to me. I had never seen the force of the tense before, a continual present, always a present tense, not a present which the next moment
becomes a past. It goes on cleansing, and I have no words to tell how my heart rejoices in it. Not a coming to be cleansed in the fountain only, but a remaining in the fountain, so that it may and can go on cleansing.
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