63. Sins Put Away

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 5
“J. A.,” near Dublin. We quite agree with you, that your friend’s question is “awkwardly put.” It is only when we believe, that we are justified. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” So far from our being “always clothed in righteousness,” we were clothed in rags—far off from God, dead in trespasses and sins. “Wherefore remember ... that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood” (Eph. 2:11-1311Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11‑13)). What comprehensive words! “Far off.” How far? As far as sin could make us. “Made nigh?” How nigh? As nigh as the blood could bring us. The saved soul takes these marvelous steps; namely, from guilt to grace, and from grace to glory. As to your second question, we believe it is a complete mistake to talk of “our future sins being forgiven.” This question has been fully gone into before, in the pages of Things New and Old. It is true that all our sins were future when Christ bore them on the tree; but the idea of sins being forgiven before they are committed is, in our judgment, absurd. The atonement of Christ is the ground on which God can righteously forgive sins; but the forgiveness itself stands connected, in each case, with faith and confession.