Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 22
December 24, 1970
NUMBER 33, PAGE 1-2a

Realized Forgiveness

By Robert H. Farish

"Realized forgiveness" is essential to an assured heart. God's will is that we (his children) "assure our hearts before him" (I John 3:19). The lack of "boldness (confidence, cheerful courage) toward God" (v. 21), which is observable among those claiming to be Christian, proves that many hearts are not assured before him. The current term applied to this is "guilt complex." A heart assured before God is the opposite to a heart burdened with guilt complexes. Realized forgiveness is as necessary as realized guilt. The need of realizing guilt in order to be cleansed from sin is generally recognized. Everywhere that confession of sins, repentance of sin, turning from sin, baptism for remission of sins or any other action with reference to sin, is required, the realization of guilt of sin is implied. In the summary of the mission of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ in John 16:8 is included "conviction of sin." "And he when he is come will convict the world in respect of sin." But the imperative realization of forgiveness has not been so well impressed upon us. There are many "insecure Christians."

The possibility and need of realized forgiveness is taught in the New Testament. The first letter of John deals with "realized forgiveness." He wrote, "Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth; and shall assure our heart before him: because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he gave us." (I John 3:19-24)

We can "assure our hearts before him," we can realize forgiveness (v. 19). If our heart condemn us not — if we realize that we are righteous in God's sight — we have confidence or cheerful courage toward God. The value and desirable character of "confidence" and "cheerful courage" requires no proof; few, if any, could be found who did not want it. The thing we need to learn is how to "assure (persuade) our heart" in order to experience this boldness before God.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8). This is the popular error of our day. Personal guilt of sin is denied. Sin is rationalized into "disease;" the one who sins is not a sinner, he is sick. The pressures of daily living, the traumatic experiences of growing up, disappointments, problems, etc., which are the common experiences of people in a materialistic society, are cited and blamed in the attempt to say, "We have no sin." The truth is not in such rationalizing. But how can one with the conviction of personal guilt of sin gain freedom of sin? John hastens to add, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). When the child of God confesses his sins, he has God's promise of forgiveness and cleansing. What God promises, he is able and willing to do. "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us."

"But," say, legions, "I have prayed earnestly but I just don't feel clean. I don't feel like my sins are forgiven." The Holy Spirit's answer by John is, "if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things" (I John 3:20). Our hearts (feelings) condemning us, in spite of God's promise of forgiveness, means that we are simply granting to feeling a greater authority than to divine revelation.

In the past, much gospel preaching was directed against Satan's device of getting people to rely on their feelings or emotions as evidence of pardon or of condemnation. The blasphemous assertion that, "I would not give what I feel for a stack of Bibles," was attacked with vigor. This error was mainly dealt with in preaching on evidence of conversion. But the same error needs to be driven from the soul of the child of God.

"If our heart condemns us not, we have boldness toward God" (I John 3:21). We can have our feelings agreeing with the promise of God, ie., "realized forgiveness" when we accept the truth that "God is greater than our hearts (feelings) and knoweth all things." The need is constant for the Christian to know and do what God has told him to do to have forgiveness, ie., in godly sorrow acknowledge his sins to God and rest assured that God has blotted them out, and then to continue to trust in Jehovah with all his heart and lean not on his own understanding.

The feeling of security of the child of God is to rest on "it is written," not in "I feel."

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