THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER
"Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. " (John 5:39)

VOLUME 5, NUMBER 28, JULY 17, 2005

WHEN CHRISTIANS SIN

(It is my practice to write the articles that appear in The Northern Kentucky Searcher.  However, sometimes when you go to the apple barrel to get an apple, that old barrel is empty.  My apple barrel was empty this week, but I trust we will all benefit from the following article by David Padfield.)

            “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22).

            It is a sad, but true, fact that Christians sometimes sin (1 John 1:5-2:2).  From this passage we learn that only a liar would deny that he ever sins and that confessing our sins to Christ is required for Christians to obtain forgiveness.

            The book of Acts records the occasion when a Christian, Simon the sorcerer, sinned before God and man (Acts 8:9-24).  Simon sinned by attempting to purchase the power the Holy Spirit had given to the apostles and was destined to perish because of his sin, for his heart was not right with God (Acts 8:21).  He was told to “repent” in order to be forgiven by God (Acts  8:22).

            In order that we may appreciate the awfulness of sin and blessings of forgiveness, let us study what happens when Christians sin.

Righteous People Can Become Unrighteous

            The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel said, “when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked does, shall he live?  All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die”  (Ezek. 18:24).

            Christians can depart from God and be hardened by sin.  The Hebrew writer said, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12).

            Christians can also fall from grace (Gal. 5:4) and leave their first love (Rev. 2:4-5).  Paul also warned, “let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).

How Can A Christian Obtain Forgiveness?

            Christians are God’s children, and as such we can go to our Father and ask His forgiveness – we can address Him as “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:8).

            Christians are required to repent of their sins before God will grant forgiveness (Acts 8:22).  Repentance is not just saying, “I’m sorry.”  The word “repent” signifies ‘to change one’s mind or purpose,’ always, in the New Testament, involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always, except in Luke 17:3, 4, of ‘repentance’ from sin.” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).  Repentance is often described as “a change of heart that brings about a change in action.”  John the Baptist told the people to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8).  Repentance involves restitution (Lev. 6:1-7; Luke 19:8-9; Matt. 7:12).

            Confession of our sins is also required before Christians can be forgiven, for John said, “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).  This is not a confession of faith in Christ, but a confession of our sins.  The word “confess” means “to confess by way of admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction” (Vine).

            Prayer is a natural extension of repentance and confession (Acts 8:22).  As Christians we have “an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1; Heb.  4:14 -16).

            King David of Israel provides a wonderful example of one individual who sought God’s forgiveness by acknowledging his sins, turning away from them and asking God’s forgiveness (Psa. 51:1-13).

            There is not one example this side of Calvary where any non-Christian is told to “pray” as a part of his forgiveness.  When Ananias came to Saul of Tarsus he found him praying.  Every Baptist preacher I have ever met would have knelt down beside him and encouraged him to keep praying – maybe he would eventually “pray through.”  However, Ananias told him to stop praying and start obeying! Ananias said, “And now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

When God Forgives His Children

            Some of the most beautiful and poetic passages in the Bible deal with the manner in which God forgives His repentant children.  The great prophet Micah said God “will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.  You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Mich 7:19).  When God forgives us our sins will be removed  “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psa. 103:12).  God will blot out our sins and remember them against us no more (Psa. 51:9; cf. Acts 3:19 ).  Our sins are wiped out of His memory, never to be brought up again!