What About Future Sins?

Wow! First of all, thanks to all those who posted comments yesterday. Also, I was glad to see some people commenting on comments. It was sort of like a debate, and it thrills my heart to know so many people feel so strongly about Salvation. I think I have studied more and prayed harder for today's devotion than for any other one I have ever written. I think we are all in agreement that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, that He rose on the third day, and now offers Eternal Life to anyone who will believe in Him. I think we all agree that the moment we accept Christ, every single one of our past sins are washed away and remembered no more by God. The question or debate today is whether that washing of sins also includes future ones that we are yet to commit. If we sin in the future, and the Bible says we will, I think we all agree that God will forgive us every single time we ask Him. But is the confessing of all those future sins required to keep us in Eternal life? My personal conviction is no, we are not required to ask for forgiveness every time we sin in the future.

In order to have forgiveness for sins, blood must be shed. In the Old Testament, that blood was shed by innocent animals. This animal-sacrifice ceremony was repeated year after year, apparently because over the next 365 days, the people's sin started piling back up again. So those "new" sins had to be washed away during the next year's ceremony. But Christ changed all that. His blood was shed once, for all times. The fact that He didn't die year after year leads me to conclude that His one act of mercy was sufficient. Consider a few verses: If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, He has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by His own death as a sacrifice [ Hebrews 9:26-27]. For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time [ Hebrews 10:10]. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy [ Hebrews 10:14].

It is my belief that if I was required to confess every single sin every single time, I would not make it to heaven, and most likely nobody else would either. The Bible says we all sin. If my confession each time is required, then it would be like playing Russian roulette in that if I happened to die suddenly before I asked for forgiveness, or if I forgot about a sin that I previously committed, or that I sinned and didn't even realize it, then I am going to hell. If that is the case, then it is not God who is in control, it is me. That can't be right because the Bible teaches us that there is absolutely nothing we can do to save ourselves. On the Cross, Jesus proclaimed, "It is finished". The power of sin no longer has its grips on those whom have accepted Christ. Consider: And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love [Romans 8: 38-39].

So, I totally believe that all my sins are erased by the Power of Christ's blood, past, present, and future. But if I sin in the future and do not ask for forgiveness, then my relationship with God is strained, and He may choose to with-hold some blessings I might otherwise have received. But I honestly believe that if God completely saves a person, then the Holy Spirit will not allow us to continue to sin again and again without filling our heart's with so much guilt that we finally fall down at the Cross and beg His forgiveness. My child Bailey can do as many bad things as she chooses to do. Our relationship may be strained, and as a good father, I will have to punish her. Even if she never "apologizes", she is still my daughter and I am still her father, and my love for her does not change a single ounce. Likewise, once we become a child of the Most High God, No sin will ever change that. This is my honest opinion. What do you think?