Covenant Contrasts Part 16
Under the old covenant, animal sacrifices provided temporary forgiveness and cleansing. I write “temporary” because the old covenant system required repeated sacrifice, confession, and forgiveness over and over again (Leviticus 5:10, 14:19, 14:25, 19:22, and elsewhere).
The promise of the new covenant is that when we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are immediately, completely, and forever forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The minute we believed, Christ’s complete forgiveness and cleansing – accomplished on the cross – was granted to us; was credited to us. Not because of anything we had done, but because of what Christ had done for us.
This is such an important promise to grasp. Many of us have been taught that some process of continual confession of sin and seeking forgiveness is necessary to be in right standing with God. But your right standing with God is totally based on Christ’s death in your place and your faith in what He accomplished for you. Friend, if you have believed the gospel message of Jesus Christ, the blood of Jesus Christ has eternally forgiven and internally cleansed you from your sin. Once and done.
The completeness of our forgiveness is given so beautifully and succinctly by the apostle Paul in Colossians chapter 2. “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us ALL our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).
According to these verses …
- What happened to the totality of your sin? “Having forgiven us ALL of our transgressions,” your sin – past, present, and future – has ALL been forgiven.
- What happened to the penalty of your sin? “Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us,” the penalty for your sin has been canceled.
- What happened to the placement of your sin? “He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Your sins are gone, having been nailed to the cross with Jesus.