If We Confess Our Sins

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). God sent Jesus into this world to take away our sins. Believers know that God is faithful to forgive and cleanse us from all sin. 

Jesus suffered, bled and died, that believers could be forgiven and cleansed from all sin. God's word to believers through the Bible is that you are forgiven from all sin, by the faithfulness of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

If there a sin in your past that causes you to feel unclean before God, confess that sin in prayer. Ask God to forgive and cleanse you through Jesus Christ. God will forgive you. His Son died that you may be cleansed from all sin. God is faithful in Christ to cleanse us from all guilt and shame.

Someone may say, "I know that Christ died for the sins of the world, but I have a past sin that makes me feel guilty." Believers say, "Christ died for all of my sins. I am forgiven and cleansed." Faith is sure because of the faithfulness of God in Christ to forgive and cleanse every believer.

Jesus Christ did not die to take away some of our sins. He died to cleanse us of all our sins. Trusting in Christ to take away everyone of our sins is based upon the faithfulness of God. That trust is based upon the faithful promise of God. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

The Gospel In Genesis

We see that God makes the gospel promise to Abraham through covenant in Genesis 12:1-3. God gave him this promise:"In you all the nations shall be blessed." That blessing comes through Abraham's Seed who is Christ. "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, and to seeds as of many, but of one, and to your Seed, who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16).

Old Testament believers had the gospel in Genesis of the Messiah who was coming. As believers today, we know that He has come "that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:14).

All believers receive the blessing as Abraham did in Genesis. He was justified before God by faith. "And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it unto him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). The gospel has always been received by faith (Hebrews 11:39-40). 

The gospel came to Abraham in Genesis through the covenant promise. The  gospel comes today to all believers through the covenant fulfillment."Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever"(Hebrews 13:8). Jesus said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56).

The Sovereignty of God

The sovereignty of God is illustrated in the potter with the clay. "Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?" (Romans 9:21). The potter is an image of God. We are like clay in his hands. The analogy of the potter illustrates the sovereignty of God. As the potter has power over the clay, so God has power over all.

The sovereignty of God is displayed in creation. The Bible declares, "It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves" (Psalm 100:3). The potter knew nothing of an assembly line production. Each vessel was individually hand crafted. Actually, no two vessels were exactly the same. Each one was the special work of the potter. While there were categories of vessels, there was a uniqueness about each one. So, each of us are made uniquely by God.

The sovereignty of God was given to the risen Christ. After the resurrection, Christ declared all power given unto him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). That reveals the deity of Christ. Only God has power over all. God's power is revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus "the same Lord over all is rich unto all who call upon him" (Romans 10:12).

The sovereignty of God assures our salvation. The apostle Paul is our example. He testified, "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me" (Galatians 1:15-16). Paul became a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). He was transformed by the power of God in Christ (Romans 12:1-2). See the sovereignty of God in your salvation. Give all the glory to God!

What Is Propitiation?

"And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:2). Propitiation means the sacrifice of Christ satisfying God's righteous judgment of our sins. It is "for the whole world." That refers to the scope of all nations, Jews and Gentiles. It is not limited to the Jewish nation only, but includes the world of all nations (Rev. 5:9).

The propitiation of our Lord Jesus Christ satisfied the judgment of God's wrath against sinners who repent and come by faith to Christ. He is the substitute for every believer, taking our judgment and the curse of our sins at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The propitiation of Christ is unlimited in value and worth, but it is limited to save to the uttermost only those who believe. The gospel preacher must proclaim the death of Jesus Christ unlimited in its offer to all, and command all to believe in Him for the forgiveness of all their sins. Anything less is not preaching the gospel of Christ.

Jesus Christ died to save those who believe and receive (John 1:11-13). It is the testimony of saving grace in the heart of all those who truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9). The testimony of every believer is "Christ died for me."

The Full Atonement

Full atonement is Christ crucified for our sins. Every believer's salvation was paid in full at the cross of Jesus. He made the one and only full atonement for all who through grace believe. That's the full punishment for all our sins at the cross of Jesus.

Wayne Grudem wrote, "Christ necessarily and willingly bore the full punishment for our sin on the cross. And so through his death, God's justice was met. Christ put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

"But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"(Hebrews 9:26). Grudem described the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the believer's "full punishment for our sin on the cross." In Christ crucified, unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, was the full atonement forever.

A hymn describes the full atonement or punishment for our sins. It includes these words: "Guilty, vile, and helpless, we. Spotless Lamb of God was He. Full atonement—can it be? Hallelujah! what a Savior!"

Dr. Grudem further stated that Jesus "paid the penalty we deserved to pay for our sin. He bore the wrath that we deserved to bear." Christ was crucified to pay the full punishment for every believer's sin. "Hallelujah! what a Savior!"

Give God the Glory

You were created to give God glory in all things. You were created to the praise of God's glory through Christ. "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created" (Revelation 4:11). You were created to bring glory to God. The Bible defines sin as falling short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). Life's purpose is to God's glory alone in all things.

Give God the glory for your salvation. "We who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12). As a believer, God is working in you and through you to the praise of his glory through Christ, "working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, forever and ever. Amen" (Hebrews 13:21).

Give God the glory in all things. "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36). It is God's will for us to bring glory to him in all things. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). 

Give God the glory through your prayers. Pray to God your Father, "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:13). Prayer should always be centered upon God's glory in all things. God's kingdom and power work to the praise of his glory. You were created to bring glory to God.

The Multitude In Heaven

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John saw a vision of a great multitude in heaven (Rev. 19:1-5). John's vision in heaven takes place at the end of the great tribulation, when God's wrath is poured out on the earth. This vision likewise takes place immediately before the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Who did John see in this vision? He saw the great multitude in heaven. That multitude included the redeemed of God, as well as the angels. The redeemed are represented by the 24 elders, representing all the redeemed of God. Twenty-four is a number that represents all of God's people. It includes the twelve patriarch's of the Old Testament, a symbol for the twelve tribes of Israel. The twenty-four also includes the twelve apostles of the Lamb, representing the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The great multitude in heaven was praising God in worship. They praised God for His salvation and righteous judgment upon the ungodly. The key word of praise was Hallelujah. That word literally means "praise Jehovah." Those in heaven were praising God for who He is, what He has done, and what He shall do.

John's vision is a great testimony to the sovereignty of our God. He who knows the end from the beginning has power over all. Those in heaven are saved to God's glory! His judgments are righteous and just. The redeemed of God in heaven submit to His control, power and dominion. God Almighty rules and reigns over all. Hallelujah!

Christ of the Covenants

Covenant is a contract or agreement that God reveals to and for his people. The framework of the Bible is covenant. To understand clearly the scope of the Bible, it is necessary to understand covenant.

The Bible reveals two major covenants (Galatians 4:21-31). The Old Covenant is also known as the Old Testament, and the New Covenant as the New Testament. The point is that God works through covenant with people. The covenants point us to Christ. 

The Old Covenant came to the nation of Israel through Moses as the mediator. It was the covenant of law, commanding holy days, sacrifices, and priestly rituals, that pointed toward our great High Priest Jesus Christ. It was Christ alone who fulfilled the Old Covenant and made the one final and only complete sacrifice for sin.

The New Covenant came through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is forever the one and only Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Jesus is the Prophet, Priest, and King of the New Covenant, which is an everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20-21). All who trust in our Lord Jesus Christ are God's chosen people in Christ, through the promises of the everlasting covenant. Our New Covenant with God is in Christ.

Those Spiritually Dead

Those spiritually dead live "according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). We were spiritually dead not believing the gospel of Christ. We were spiritually dead living by the spirit of disobedience. Our lifestyle was according to this present evil world. That's when we had no relationship with God.

Those spiritually dead are without a personal relationship with God in Christ. We were physically alive, but spiritually dead. The word dead means separated. Those spiritually dead are separated from God through sin. "And He made you alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1).

Those spiritually dead come to new life through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5). Our new life comes by God's love and mercy in Christ. Because he lives, we are spiritually alive to God. Christ is our new life.

What did we do to deserve new life with God? The answer is nothing. It's because God was rich in mercy toward us. It was God's mercy and grace in Christ alone. You were spiritually dead, but now "by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:5). By grace through faith in Christ, believers are spiritually alive to God with new life.

Confidence In God

Faith is trust and confidence in God. Confidence in God is a sure foundation in life. The word confidence means with faith. It's not self-confidence, but faith in God. "For the LORD will be your confidence"(Proverbs 3:26). 

Faith is always confidence in God. Faith in God helps in every situation of life. Faith as confidence in God brings practical results. "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet"(Proverbs 3:24). Be confident with faith in God to conquer all your fears and worries. Self-confidence may easily be defeated in the face of fear. Have faith in God as your confidence.

When you are afraid in any situation, turn your thoughts toward God. Remember that God is with you everywhere and all the time. Have faith in God's presence as your confidence. You may become afraid when your confidence is in yourself or anyone else, other than God Himself. He cannot fail. He must prevail. Have faith in God's ability and power.

Faith is sure confidence in God. It's not how much faith you have, but it's the focus of your faith. Faith focused upon God's word of promise in the Bible cannot fail, simply because God cannot fail. Faith is confident that God will do what he has promised.

When God Awakens You

Therefore He says, 'Awake you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light (Ephesians 5:14). When God awakens you from spiritual death, it's unto new life in Christ. It is new life, which is abundant and eternal (John 10:10; Romans 6:23). God awakens you to faith in Christ from the darkness of spiritual death, unto the light of new life.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). God awakens you from spiritual death unto new life through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The same Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, raises you from spiritual death to be spiritually alive to God.

We were spiritually dead without the grace of Christ. God awakens you by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:1, 8-10). We are God's workmanship created anew in our Lord Jesus Christ.

God's grace awakens us through repentance and faith in Christ. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is the gift of God, giving you faith to trust Christ. God's grace awakens the spiritually dead to new life in Christ.

The Ministry of Spurgeon

Charles H. Spurgeon said, "In many places dedicated to the Lord, the name of Jesus is too often kept in the background. The Holy Spirit is almost entirely neglected, and very little is said concerning His sacred influence. . . . May God send us a Christ-exalting, Spirit-loving ministry." 

Spurgeon understood full well that our ministry is to exalt Jesus Christ. Yet, Spurgeon warned that the Holy Spirit is almost entirely neglected. He realized that preaching the gospel without the power of the Holy Spirit is vain and empty. Therefore, his ministry both exalted Jesus and depended upon the Holy Spirit to give the results. 

Christ was exalted on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of people. The promise of the Father was fulfilled just as Jesus had spoken (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit came with great power to exalt Jesus as Lord. The Holy Spirit was sent to draw people to Jesus. Three thousand repented and received Jesus Christ that very day. They were filled with the Holy Spirit to exalt Jesus Christ as Lord.

Spurgeon understood that the effectiveness of our ministry is totally dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, his primary focus was upon preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. The reason for that is simple. Spurgeon knew that the Holy Spirit's ministry is effective through us, when we focus on the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:3).