THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND THE CLEANSING AWAY OF SINS
In His full salvation, God first forgives us of our sins and cleanses us of our sins. When we receive God’s full salvation, the first items we enjoy are God’s forgiveness of our sins and His cleansing away of our sins.
I. FORGIVENESS OF SINS
1) “Everyone who believes into Him receives forgiveness of sins”( Acts 10:43 ).
Forgiveness of sins is the first part of our redemption, and it is received by us at the moment we believe. Our first problem before God is that there is a record of sin because of our sinful deeds. Only when our record is cleared can the righteousness of God release us. Unless our sinful deeds before Him are eliminated, the righteous God cannot grant us the remaining items of His redemption. Therefore, we first need to have God’s forgiveness of our sins.
A. The Significance of Forgiveness of Sins
1) Being delivered from the penalty of God’s righteousness—“He who believes into Him is not judged”( John 3:18 ).
First, forgiveness of sins means the elimination of our record of sin before God that we may be delivered from the penalty of God’s righteousness. Because we had a record of sin before God and were condemned, we should have suffered God’s righteous punishment. But when God forgave us, He delivered us from His righteous penalty and condemned us no longer.
2) Causing the sins to leave the forgiven ones—“Give... forgiveness of sins”( Acts 5:31 ); “The Lord hath laid on him [Christ] the iniquity of us all”( Isa. 53:6 ); “Himself [Christ] carried up our sins in His body onto the tree [the cross]”( 1 Pet. 2:24 ).
In the New Testament the Greek word for forgiveness means “causing (it) to leave” and “sending away. ” When God forgives us of our sins, He not only eliminates our record of sin before Him but also causes the sins which we have committed to depart from us. This is because, when God made the Lord Jesus our offering for sin on the cross, He laid all our sins on Him that He might carry them for us. Furthermore, when God caused the Lord Jesus to carry our sins on the cross to suffer God’s judgment and punishment in our place, He also caused all our sins to be laid on Satan that he should bear them forever. This is revealed in type in the atonement recorded in Leviticus 16 . Sin came from Satan and was passed on to us, resulting in our having a record of sin before God. God put all our sins on the Lord Jesus that He might carry them all to suffer God’s punishment for us and cancel our record of sin before God. Having done this, God gave all our sins back to Satan that he might bear them himself. In this way, God is able to forgive the sins of the forgiven ones and cause their sins to leave them. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” ( Psa. 103:12 ).
3) Forgetting the sins of the forgiven ones—“I [God] will be propitious to their unrighteousnesses, and their sins I will by no means remember anymore”( Heb. 8:12 ).
When God forgives the forgiven ones of their sins, He also forgets their sins. When God forgives our sins, He not only cancels our record of sin and causes our sins to depart from us, but in Himself He also forgets our sins. Once He forgives us, He erases our sins from His memory and will by no means remember them anymore.
B. The Basis for Forgiveness of Sins
1) “Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”( Heb. 9:22 ).
God’s forgiveness of sins is based on the shedding of blood for redemption. Because He is righteous, God cannot forgive men’s sins without a cause. His righteousness requires that all who sin must die ( Ezek. 18:4 ). Unless His righteous requirement is satisfied, His righteousness cannot allow Him to forgive sinners of their sins. But since the Lord Jesus died and shed His blood on the cross according to the righteousness of God, thus satisfying God’s righteous requirement, God can legally forgive men of their sins according to His righteousness. The Lord Jesus said, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” ( Matt. 26:28 ). Since the blood of the Lord Jesus was shed for men according to God’s righteousness, thus fulfilling God’s righteous requirement, it has become the basis upon which the sins of those who believe in Him may be forgiven.
1) “Everyone who believes into Him receives forgiveness of sins”( Acts 10:43 ).
Forgiveness of sins is the first part of our redemption, and it is received by us at the moment we believe. Our first problem before God is that there is a record of sin because of our sinful deeds. Only when our record is cleared can the righteousness of God release us. Unless our sinful deeds before Him are eliminated, the righteous God cannot grant us the remaining items of His redemption. Therefore, we first need to have God’s forgiveness of our sins.
A. The Significance of Forgiveness of Sins
1) Being delivered from the penalty of God’s righteousness—“He who believes into Him is not judged”( John 3:18 ).
First, forgiveness of sins means the elimination of our record of sin before God that we may be delivered from the penalty of God’s righteousness. Because we had a record of sin before God and were condemned, we should have suffered God’s righteous punishment. But when God forgave us, He delivered us from His righteous penalty and condemned us no longer.
2) Causing the sins to leave the forgiven ones—“Give... forgiveness of sins”( Acts 5:31 ); “The Lord hath laid on him [Christ] the iniquity of us all”( Isa. 53:6 ); “Himself [Christ] carried up our sins in His body onto the tree [the cross]”( 1 Pet. 2:24 ).
In the New Testament the Greek word for forgiveness means “causing (it) to leave” and “sending away. ” When God forgives us of our sins, He not only eliminates our record of sin before Him but also causes the sins which we have committed to depart from us. This is because, when God made the Lord Jesus our offering for sin on the cross, He laid all our sins on Him that He might carry them for us. Furthermore, when God caused the Lord Jesus to carry our sins on the cross to suffer God’s judgment and punishment in our place, He also caused all our sins to be laid on Satan that he should bear them forever. This is revealed in type in the atonement recorded in Leviticus 16 . Sin came from Satan and was passed on to us, resulting in our having a record of sin before God. God put all our sins on the Lord Jesus that He might carry them all to suffer God’s punishment for us and cancel our record of sin before God. Having done this, God gave all our sins back to Satan that he might bear them himself. In this way, God is able to forgive the sins of the forgiven ones and cause their sins to leave them. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” ( Psa. 103:12 ).
3) Forgetting the sins of the forgiven ones—“I [God] will be propitious to their unrighteousnesses, and their sins I will by no means remember anymore”( Heb. 8:12 ).
When God forgives the forgiven ones of their sins, He also forgets their sins. When God forgives our sins, He not only cancels our record of sin and causes our sins to depart from us, but in Himself He also forgets our sins. Once He forgives us, He erases our sins from His memory and will by no means remember them anymore.
B. The Basis for Forgiveness of Sins
1) “Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”( Heb. 9:22 ).
God’s forgiveness of sins is based on the shedding of blood for redemption. Because He is righteous, God cannot forgive men’s sins without a cause. His righteousness requires that all who sin must die ( Ezek. 18:4 ). Unless His righteous requirement is satisfied, His righteousness cannot allow Him to forgive sinners of their sins. But since the Lord Jesus died and shed His blood on the cross according to the righteousness of God, thus satisfying God’s righteous requirement, God can legally forgive men of their sins according to His righteousness. The Lord Jesus said, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” ( Matt. 26:28 ). Since the blood of the Lord Jesus was shed for men according to God’s righteousness, thus fulfilling God’s righteous requirement, it has become the basis upon which the sins of those who believe in Him may be forgiven.
The words to this hymn were first written by Elisha A. Hoffman (1838-1929). This song gives glory to God for saving us through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ who died and cleansed us from sin by His blood being applied. In his lifetime he wrote over 2000 gospel songs and about 13 publications.
Susan M. Orwig Hoffman was his wife (1844-1876). She graduated from Union Seminary, New Berlin, Ohio, in 1862, the youngest member of her class. They were the parents of Ira Hoffman.
At age 9, Ira is said to have written the music for his father’s song “A Little Pilgrim. ” And as an adult he was a composer, arranger and music editor.
Aaron Orwig, Susan’s brother, was also a hymn writer and publisher. The town of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, is named after their family.
The music was composed by John Hart Stockton. He was born April 19, 1813, New Hope, Pennsylvania and died March 25, 1877, Camden, New Jersey. He was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. John was the husband of Ann Stockton. He converted at a Methodist camp meeting in Paulsboro, New Jersey and was ordained in 1832. He served in the New Jersey Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was known to be an active evangelist.
His wife Ann (1821-1897), wtote the hymn, “Child Your Father Calls, ” in 1875. The hymn is an invitation for a dear child to come home to his Father’s house; the coming home of a sinner by the cross to the Savior who waits for him. Mrs. Stockton dedicated the hymn to Chaplain Charles Caldwell McCabe (1836-1906).
As the American Civil War broke out, McCabe helped raise a regiment of infantry for the Union Army. By October 8, 1862, he was chaplain of the 122nd Ohio Infantry. He was captured by the Confederate Army and sent to the infamous Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia where he served as a chaplain to his fellow prisoners. During his time as a prisoner of war, McCabe taught “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” to other prisoners in order to maintain high spirits, and was later invited to the Lincoln White House because of his actions. Ill health forced him to resign his chaplaincy, January, 1864.
He is known as Methodism‘s “singing chaplain. ” From coast to coast he sang “We’re Building Two a Day, ” a song written in response to the charge that the church was dying out, made by Robert G. Ingersoll, a widely known agnostic of the day. McCabe fell ill in New York City after a fundraising trip to the Methodist Episcopal Church of Torrington, Connecticut and died in a New York hospital. He wrote around 20 publications.