Are all my past, present, and future sins forgiven when I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior? Or do I need forgiveness every time I mess up?
Regarding our eternal destination, God forgives all our past, present, and future sins the moment we ask Jesus into our lives. We have a home in heaven, and no one can take that away from us. God will never condemn one of His children to an eternity separated from His glorious presence. A loving parent wouldn’t do that to their child. Neither will our loving Father do that to us.
However, sin’s destructive nature will leave us and our loved ones picking up the broken pieces and dealing with the psychological pain of it all. There are times we can’t believe our lack of ability to get it right. We beat ourselves up over our failures. The good news is there is a better way to deal with our current sin.
Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV 1984 version) says, “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
When was it that Jesus “forgave us all our sins.” It was some 2,000 years ago. All our sins were future sins when Jesus provided forgiveness for us. All our sins were future sins when Jesus triumphed over the evil forces by canceling the “written code, with its regulations.” This is huge. On the cross, Jesus canceled every code and regulation the enemy would use to condemn us. Therefore, as children of God, we can’t be condemned. If we don’t know this, the enemy will try to condemn and shame us after he tempts us with sin. The devil and his cohorts do everything they can to get us to sin, and then they rub our noses in it, like a dog punished for doing his business on the carpet.
To successfully combat the enemy’s dirty schemes, we proclaim Jesus’ victory as our own. We overcome sin not by focusing on it but by focusing on the righteousness of Jesus living in us. It may be helpful to remind ourselves and the enemy that we no longer live under a written code with all its regulations. Instead, we live in a relationship with Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (see Hebrews 12:2). Reminding the devil that Jesus disarmed him is a great way to combat feeling condemned. Let’s not rearm the enemy by trying to live under the Law of God rather than living in a relationship with God.
The finished work of Jesus on the cross is a one-and-done. It is finished. Our past, present, and future sins require one payment, and Jesus made it. He canceled the written code with all its rules and regulations that convict us guilty of sin. By dying on the cross, Jesus canceled everything the devil could have otherwise used to condemn us. Jesus disarmed our enemies.
An example may be helpful here. When I face temptation, rather than fighting it, I tell the tempter that God removed the written code, so I refuse to play by that old rule book. God nailed the written code rule book to the cross and washed away all my sins. My victory comes from Jesus’ victory over sin. I choose to embrace Jesus’ sinless life. I refuse to try in my strength to be a good person. Instead, I cling to the only One who is always good. Jesus was sinless when He walked this earth and always will be. He is our source for right living, and He is our righteousness.
God nailed the written code to the cross. In doing so, He took away the power of the accuser. With the written code canceled, the accuser has nothing to accuse us of. Let’s not rearm the devil by trying to conquer sin with our strength. We rearm the devil when we use the written code as our benchmark for what a good Christian looks like. Trying to live up to a code of conduct that no one can ever get right is miserable. Embracing the love, forgiveness, and righteousness provided by Jesus Christ is glorious.
To overcome sin without Jesus as our source would be like a drowning man in the middle of the ocean trying to pull himself out by tugging the hair on top of his head.
Let’s not listen to the devil’s condemning lies any longer, and let’s stop trying to live up to a code of conduct. We are children of God, empowered by His Spirit. We are not sorry sinners trying to live up to an elusive standard. As dearly loved children of God, we have the life of God coursing through our spiritual veins. God said so. Don’t argue with your Papa.
Romans 8:1 NIV says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” There is a new sheriff in town, and He operates under the law of the Spirit of life, which is the Spirit of God’s love, mercy, and grace. Embrace the new law of the Spirit of life and reject the old law of sin and death. The old law wants to keep us focused on sin in our lives. The Spirit of life wants us to embrace God’s love, forgiveness, and righteousness. Our focus needs to shift. The spirit of sin and death draws our attention to sin, bringing death. The Spirit of life draws attention to who Jesus is and what He did for us. And He brings life. Choose wisely, my friend!
When we become children of God, condemnation is history because the law of the Spirit of life trumps the law of sin and death. What is the law of sin and death? It is the written code that we read about in Colossians 2. God canceled the written code when He gave us His Spirit to dwell inside us! We live a successful faith-filled life not by following a code of ethics or a list of rights and wrongs. Instead, we live victories by living in the Spirit. Now that the Spirit of God lives in us, He is our guide, not a rule book, code of conduct, or even the Ten Commandments. The commandments are essential because we would not know right from wrong without them. However, the commandments are primarily there to lead us to Jesus. Once we know we are a sinner, we are primed to seek out The Savior.
On the cross, Jesus fulfilled the only condition for God’s forgiveness. Yes, there are times we need to go to our Father and ask to make a withdrawal from the forever forgiveness He provides. But we do so confidently and not with fear, guilt, shame, or condemnation.
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Suppose you have not yet received Jesus as your savior. In that case, you may ask God to forgive your sins, believe that Jesus is the Son of God who paid the penalty for all your sins, and confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Pray and trust God, and you will instantly become a child of God (see John 1:12).
You may want to pray like this: Dear God, I have sinned and need a savior. Please forgive all my sins. I believe in you, Jesus, and invite you into my life. I confess that you, Jesus, you are my Lord and Savior. Thank you for making me a child of God.