BEFORE proceeding to treat of the subject of forgiveness of sins, I should like to ask my reader a very plain, pointed, personal question, namely, Dost thou believe that thou canst have the clear and settled assurance that thy sins area forgiven?
I ask this question at the outset because there are many now-a-days who profess to preach the gospel of Christ, and yet deny that any one can be sure that his sins are forgiven. They maintain that it is presumption for any one to believe in the forgiveness of his sins; and, on the other hand, they look upon it as a proof of humility to be always in doubt as to this most momentous point. In other words, it is presumption to believe what God says, and humility to doubt its This seems strange in the face of such passages as the following: "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46, 4746And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46‑47).) “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7).)
Here we have remission or forgiveness of sins (the ward is the same in the three passages) preached in the name of Jesus, and possessed by those who believed that preaching. A proclamation was sent to the Ephesians and Colossians, as belonging to the "all nations," telling them of forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus. They believed this proclamation, and entered on the possession of the forgiveness of sins. Was this presumption on their part? Or would it have been piety and humility to doubt the forgiveness of sins?
True, they had been great sinners, “dead in trespasses and sins," " children of wrath,” “aliens and foreigners," " enemies by wicked works." Some of them had doubtless bowed the knee to the goddess Diana. They had lived in gross idolatry and all manner of wickedness.
But then "forgiveness of sins" had been preached to them in the name of Jesus. Was this preaching true, or was it not? Was it for them, or was it not? Was it all a dream, a shadow, a mist?
Did it mean nothing? Was there nothing sure, nothing certain, nothing solid about it?
These are plain questions, demanding a plain answer from those who assert that no one can know for certain that his sins are forgiven. If indeed no one can know it now, then how could any one have known it in apostolic times? If it could be known in the first century, then why not in the twentieth?
At all times forgiveness of sins was known with all the certainty which the word of God could give. “David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." (Rom. 4:6-86Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. (Romans 4:6‑8)). Hezekiah could say, “Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back." (Isa. 38:1717Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. (Isaiah 38:17).) The Lord Jesus said to one, in His day, " Son, be of good' cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." (Matt. 9:22And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. (Matthew 9:2).)
Thus, when I open my Bible, I find persons who had been guilty of all manner of sins brought to the knowledge of forgiveness; and I therefore argue: that it is possible for the very vilest sinner to know now, with divine certainty, that his sins are forgiven. Was it presumption in Abraham, in David, in Hezekiah, in the palsied man of Luke 5, and in numbers besides, to believe in the forgiveness of sins? Would it have been a sign of humility and true piety in them to doubt?
It will perhaps be argued that these were all special and extraordinary cases. Well, it matters not, so far as our present question is concerned, whether they were ordinary or extraordinary. One thing is plain, they completely disprove the assertion that no one can know that his sins are forgiven. The word of God teaches me that numbers of people subject to like passions, like infirmities, like failures, and like sins as the writer and reader, were brought to know and rejoice in the full forgiveness of sins. Consequently, those who maintain that no one can be sure on this momentous question have no scriptural foundation for their opinion.
But is it true that the cases recorded in the Holy Scriptures are so special and extraordinary as not to afford any precedent for us?
By no means. If any case could be so regarded it is surely that of Abraham; and yet we read of him that "it was not written for his sake alone, that righteousness was imputed to: him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offends, and was raised again for our justification." (Rom. 4:23-2523Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:23‑25).) "Abraham believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness." (Gen. 15:66And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6).) And the Holy Ghost declares that righteousness shall be imputed to us also, if we believe. "Be it known unto you, therefore; men and brethren, that through this Man [Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39).) "To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name 'whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43).)
Now the question is, What did the apostles Peter and Paul mean, when they so unreservedly preached the forgiveness of sins to those who listened to them? Did they really mean to convey to their hearers the idea that no one could be sure that he possessed this forgiveness of sins? When, in the synagogue of Antioch, Paul said to his audience, "We declare unto you glad tidings,” did he entertain the notion that no one could be sure that his sins were forgiven? How could the gospel ever be called "glad tidings" if its only effect was to leave the soul in doubt and anxiety?
If indeed it is true that no one can enjoy the assurance of pardon, then the whole style of apostolic preaching should be reversed. We might then expect to find Paul saying to his hearers, “Be it known unto von, therefore, men and brethren, that no one can ever know, in this life, whether his sins are forgiven or not.”
Is there aught like this in the entire range of apostolic preaching and teaching? Do not the apostles everywhere set forth, in the fullest and clearest manner, remission of sins as the necessary result of believing in a crucified and risen Saviour?.
Is there the most remote hint of that which is so much insisted upon by some modern teachers, namely, that it is a dangerous presumption to believe in the full forgiveness of all our sins, and that it argues a pious and humble frame of soul to live in perpetual doubt? Is there no possibility of ever enjoying, in this world, the comfortable certainty of our eternal security in Christ? Can Nye not rely upon God's word, or commit our souls to the sacrifice of Christ? Can it be possible that the only effect of God's glad tidings is to leave the soul in hopeless perplexity? Christ has put away my sins; but I cannot know it! God has spoken; but I cannot be sure! The Holy Ghost has come down; but I cannot rely upon His testimony! It is piety and humility to doubt God's word, to dishonor the atonement of Christ, and to refuse the faith of the heart to the 'record of the Holy Ghost!
And let my reader bear in mind that the question before us is not whether a person may, not deceive himself and others. This would be at once ceded.
Thousands, alas! have deceived themselves, and thousands more have deceived others. But is that any reason why I cannot possess the absolute certainty that what God has said is true, and that the work of Christ has availed to put away all my sins? Men have deceived themselves, and therefore I am afraid to trust Christ! Men have deceived others, and therefore I am afraid that God's word will deceive me!
This is really what it all amounts to, when put into plain language. And is it not well to have things thus put? Is it not needful at times to strip certain propositions of the dress in which legality and fleshly pietism would clothe them, so that we may see what they really are? Does it not behoove us, when men stand forth as the professed and authorized exponents of a sound and enlightened. Christianity, to test what they say by the unerring standard of Holy Scripture?
Assuredly it does; and if they tell us we can never be sure of salvation; and that it is presumption to think of such a thing; and, further, that the very utmost we can attain to in this life is a faint hope that, through the mercy of God, we may get to heaven when we die; we must utterly reject such teaching as being in direct opposition to the word of God. False theology tells me I can never be sure; God's word tells me I can. Which am I to believe? The former fills me with gloomy doubts and fears; the latter imparts divine certainty. That casts me upon my own efforts; this upon a finished work. To which shall I attend? Is there, throughout the entire volume of God, a shadow of foundation for the notion that no one can be sure of his eternal salvation? I most fearlessly assert there is not.
So far from this, the word of God, in every section of it, sets before us, in the clearest way, the privilege of the believer to enjoy the most unclouded certainty as to his pardon and acceptance in Christ.
And, let me ask, is it not due to God's faithful word, and Christ's finished work, that the soul confiding therein should enjoy the fullest assurance? True, it is by faith that any one can so confide, and this faith is wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost But all this in no wise affects our present question. What I desire is that my reader should rise from the reading of this paper with a full and firm conviction that it is possible for him to possess the present assurance that he is as safe as Christ can make him. If any sinner ever enjoyed this assurance, then why may not my reader now enjoy it? Is Christ's work finished?
Is God's word true? Yes, verily. Then, if I simply trust therein, I am pardoned, justified, and accepted. All my sins were laid on Jesus when He was nailed to the cursed tree. Jehovah made them all meet on Him. He bore them and put them away; and now He is up in heaven without them. This is enough for me. If the One who stood charged with all my guilt is now at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, then clearly there is nothing against me. All that divine justice had against me was laid on the sin-Bearer, and He endured the wrath of a sin-hating God that I might be freely and forever pardoned and accepted in a risen and glorified Saviour.
These are glad tidings. Does my reader believe them? Say, beloved, dust thou heartily believe in a once dead and now risen Christ? Hast thou come to Him as a. lost sinner, and put thy heart's full confidence in Him? Dost thou believe that He died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the. Scriptures? If so, thou art saved, justified, accepted, complete in Christ. True thou art, in thyself, a poor feeble creature, having' an evil nature to contend with every moment; but Christ is thy life, and He is thy wisdom, and thy righteousness, thy sanctification, redemption, thy all (1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30).) He ever lives for thee up in heaven. He died to make thee clean. He lives to keep thee clean. Thou art made as clean as His death can make thee, and thou art kept as clean as His life can keep thee.
(Rev. 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5); Heb. 7:2525Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25).) He made Himself responsible for thee. God sees thee to be what Christ has made thee to he He sees thee in Christ and as Christ. Wherefore, I pray thee, tread no more those gloomy corridors of legalism, pietism, and false theology, which have resounded for ages with the sighs and groans of poor sin-burdened and misguided souls; but seeing the fullness of thy portion, and the completeness of thy standing in a risen and victorious Christ, rejoice in Him all thy days upon earth, and live in the hope of being with Him forever in His own mansions of heavenly glory. (Col. 2:9, 10; 3:49For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (Colossians 2:9‑10)
4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4))