1111 - The Core of the Gospel: Forgiveness of Sins and Justification by Faith
(JP Text Group - Grace Grass)
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for your grace! We are here to share your words together. We are not talking about anything else, but about Lord Jesus, You Yourself, and the grace You have given us. We are willing to establish our correct faith in the Bible. We want to stand on Your words and know You more deeply. You guide us, open our hearts, and let us share Your words together here. May the Holy Spirit guide each of our hearts. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!
1 Timothy 4:1-5
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
Our topic of sharing is: The Core of the Gospel is Forgiveness of Sins and Justification by Faith.
"The Spirit clearly says" is a message revealed by the Holy Spirit.
"In later times" refers to the last days, which can also be understood as the present time.
"Some will abandon the faith" means that in the last days, many will abandon the true way of Jesus Christ and pursue deceiving spirits and teachings of demons. These are all contrary to the Bible.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
In the last days, many will stray from the truth of justification by faith and listen to strange and bizarre teachings. They will follow their own preferences, follow teachers they like, and will not be able to hear the truth.
The forgiveness of sins and justification by faith is the core of the Gospel. When one strays from this core truth, it is easy to fall into extremes.
What is the Gospel? The Gospel is good news. And justification by faith is the core of the Gospel.
Many people tell you that Jesus did not come to show how many sins people have committed; we should focus on Christ's salvation and His righteousness. The Gospel reveals what Jesus did on the cross.
When a person understands the truth of forgiveness of sins and justification by faith, good behavior can arise. When a person's inner life changes, their outward behavior changes. The truth you accept shapes your life to reflect what you believe.
What we hear the most should be about Jesus and what He accomplished for us on the cross. When people continually focus on what Jesus has done, they can live out the likeness of Jesus Christ.
The scripture we just read also mentions, in 1 Timothy 4:2, that this is due to the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They say you cannot do this, you cannot do that, forbidding this and that, such as forbidding marriage.
If a person continually focuses on false teachings, over time, they will be influenced by them. When people keep accepting these lies, they become like a conscience seared with a hot iron. They can no longer hear the truth.
The mark of sin constantly makes people aware of sin, makes them aware of their uncleanness; such teachings will continuously influence people with sin, and no matter what they do, their hearts will not have peace and joy. Therefore, when a person understands that God has removed the debt of conscience, they will have peace in their hearts. When a person is filled with peace and joy and does things, they will have greater strength.
Hebrews 10:19-22
Brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Because of the blood of Jesus, our sins have been cleansed. He has opened a new and living way for us. When a person understands this, the debt of conscience has been removed. They will have faith. When a person sees the redemptive work Jesus accomplished, it brings them peace and joy.
Hebrews 10:1
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
Under the law, the Israelites had to offer sacrifices of bulls, sheep, doves, etc., every year to God, offering the blood of the sacrifices to cleanse their sins, but those sacrifices were merely a shadow, not the reality. These repeated sacrifices every year could not make people perfect. When these sacrifices lost their efficacy, they still revealed people's sins. If these sacrifices were effective, the act of offering sacrifices should have stopped long ago.
Later, we specifically mention that because the worshipers' consciences have been cleansed, they no longer feel guilty. We do not know what your faith situation is like, but worship should bring you the effect of cleansing your conscience, making you feel that you are no longer guilty, because we do not offer imperfect sacrifices to God, but rely on the body of Jesus Christ. Because Christ was offered once, He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Jesus Christ has completed the work of redemption for us; your sins have been completely cleansed, and you should no longer focus on sin.
It is clear that the sacrifices of animals in the Old Testament did not remove sin; they only temporarily covered it with the blood of bulls and goats, which is why they had to offer sacrifices every year on the Day of Atonement. The high priest had to enter the Most Holy Place once a year to offer sacrifices for all the people of Israel, repeating this every year. When Jesus Christ came, what did He do? When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." The coming of Jesus Christ was not to condemn the sins of the world but to save the world through Him.
To remove is completely different from covering. To remove means that like words on a blackboard being erased, they no longer exist. The coming of Jesus is to remove all your sins.
If someone does not believe that their sins have been removed by Jesus Christ, then what do they believe in?
Paul clearly knew what he believed throughout his life, and at the end of his life, he said, "I know whom I have believed."
2 Timothy 1:11-14
And of this gospel, I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Paul clearly knew whom he believed in; he knew the mission God entrusted to him. Although he spent most of his life in prison, he had no regrets, knowing that what he did was the most meaningful thing. He tells us to hold fast to God's words and not to deviate from them.
Brothers and sisters, when you understand God's abundant grace and believe that you have been justified by faith, you will have hope in all things. The more a person understands Jesus' grace, the more joy they will have; the more they understand grace, the more gratitude they will have.
In Jesus' last prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, "Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." What kind of cup did Jesus drink? It was a bitter cup; He was to bear the sins of the entire world, to carry the sins of mankind, which would cause the Father to turn away from Him and not look at Him. He was willing to bear our sins, but Jesus did not want to be separated from the Father for even a moment.
Before Jesus went to the cross, at that time, the Father saw the sins of mankind throughout their lives. When Jesus was on the cross, He bore all our sins and drank the cup to the dregs. When Jesus Christ offered His body on the cross for us, you and I had not yet been born. Yet Jesus saw all our sins two thousand years ago and bore all our sins. God's love for you transcends the limitations of time and space; therefore, the redemption of the cross also transcends the limitations of time and space.
God did not lower the standard. If it were in the Old Testament, not attending the assembly on the Sabbath or working on the Sabbath would result in being stoned to death. But when Jesus went to the cross, our sins were all borne by Jesus. God no longer remembers our sins. Whenever we discover our problems, we know how much God has forgiven us. This is God's grace.
Many people say, "But I still sinned! What should I do?" Brothers and sisters, this is a fact; we have this flesh and will still sin. For example, sometimes we hate others or curse them, etc. These things will still happen. What should we do? I want to tell you that Jesus has already paid the price for your sins on the cross. How will you face Him? Look at the problem from a different perspective. When you discover you have sinned again, you should say to yourself: "Lord! Today I finally understand that this sin has already been forgiven by You; You have borne it on the cross. I receive the grace that comes from You; please give me the strength to overcome this bad habit and problem."
Many people like to make a hypothesis: if that is the case, can we Christians sin at will? As long as I believe in Jesus, I can enter the kingdom of heaven and then sin at will? I was once confused by this question for a while. Later, while praying, I finally understood that this is just a human hypothesis. If you feel that you have been forgiven and justified, the Holy Spirit will guide your thoughts and behaviors, and you will not want to sin again; you will love Jesus even more. When a person knows a better way of living, why would they want to live in the past's suffering and pain?
In Luke 7:37-47, it is recorded that once a Pharisee invited Jesus to his house for a meal. A woman who was a sinner came to Jesus, kissed His feet, washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and poured her most precious perfume on Him. Later, Jesus said to that woman, "Therefore I tell you." What did He say to those around Him? "Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little."
You can think about this statement in reverse; what does it contain? Why could this woman have such great love? Why is her love so abundant? The Pharisee did not give Him water to wash His feet, did not kiss Him, did not prepare all these things for Him; why could this woman do it? Because her love was great. Why did she have such love? Everyone around said she was a sinner, that she had many sins, but Jesus said her love was great. It is because she knew all her sins were forgiven; she clearly understood how much she had been forgiven.
For example, if you find you have sinned ten times, you should understand that God has forgiven you ten times. When you realize how many times you have been forgiven, you will know how many times Jesus has accepted you. The one who has been forgiven little does not mean that God's forgiveness is little; it is because they do not understand how much they have been forgiven, thinking that the forgiveness is very little, so the love they receive from God is also very little.
If you still feel guilty, it will affect the flow of faith in you. I want to tell you that Jesus has paid the price for your sins; He has offered Himself once for all, making those who believe forever perfect.
I will turn this text into a question: every time you sin, say: "Lord, I thank You, for I realize that this flesh is so unreliable and I have sinned again, but I believe that my sins have already been borne by You. Because I believe, You have called me righteous." You will understand how much Jesus has paid for you, and your faith will be continually elevated in the words and meditation. You will love Jesus more and more, love gatherings more and more, and draw closer to our Lord.
Jesus Christ was offered once on the cross, and this matter has already been accomplished. Do not let a guilty conscience condemn you. Why do we keep emphasizing justification by faith? Why do we keep emphasizing that you are no longer guilty? Because there is great power in this. In Matthew 9, there was a man who was carried by four people and laid at Jesus' feet. Because there were too many people, his friends tore off the roof and lowered him down to Jesus' feet. Jesus said to him, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
Why did Jesus not directly say, "Son, get up," and then tell him, "Your sins are forgiven"? Why did He not reverse the order? He first said, "Your sins are forgiven," and then said, "Get up and go home." Why is this order so important? Jesus said, "I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."
In other words, if you know you have been forgiven and justified, the energy and effect of justification will appear in your life. When you know that God no longer remembers your sins, that God delights in you, that you are God's beloved princess or prince, your life will be filled with such joy. Do you rejoice every day for being justified?
You say, "Just now I got angry again, but I thank the Lord! Because I know Jesus Christ has forgiven me; He has the authority to forgive sins." When you realize how much God has forgiven you, your faith will grow, and your love will increase. If you live every day in oppression, condemnation, and guilt, how can you have faith? God has not lowered His standard of righteousness; it is because Jesus has already paid the price for our sins on the cross. The Bible specifically tells us that the wages of sin is death.
This is why Jesus had to die on the cross; because He died for you. God has already punished the price of your sins. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, has borne every one of your sins. Every sin you have committed, Jesus has borne it—past, present, and future, including the sins you are committing right now, the sins of hating others and not forgiving others. Jesus has borne them for you, including all future sins. Therefore, every day when you sin in life, God has forgiven you; you have been justified, and you know how much God's blessings are within you. This is the core content of forgiveness of sins and justification by faith.
We do not suggest that everyone deeply thinks about how many sins they have; I just want to tell you to think about God's grace upon you. When you sin, turn to God's grace. Let Him give you the strength to overcome your problems and weaknesses. You will know that God's grace has come upon you again, and you have once again been forgiven by God. Therefore, God's power continues to fill you; this is what you need to believe. When you know you no longer owe God, you can live a different life by His grace.
Hebrews 10:19: Brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body. And we have a great priest over the house of God.
The great priest is none other than our shepherd of souls, Jesus Christ. He governs the house of God, and we can confidently enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Christ. We are completely accepted by God. Because when Jesus went to the cross, He opened a new and living way for us to directly reach God.
Hebrews 10:22: Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Why can you approach God in prayer without fear? Because someone has paid the price for your sins. Your debt has been cleared. When a person knows that their sin price has been cleared, they have the confidence to come before God. We come before God to call on Him, believing He will bless us, not based on our piety or good deeds. This is God's grace, earned by Jesus with His life for us. Jesus is the guarantee of our forgiveness of sins; we are justified by faith in God. Through Jesus, we can come boldly to God in prayer, and He will hear our prayers and answer us because of Jesus.
Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
We must hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. Acknowledge that our sins have been forgiven, acknowledge that we have been justified by God, and hold on to this faith and hope without wavering. Because He who promised is faithful. Faithful means He does not lie; it is real. When God says He has forgiven you, He has indeed forgiven you. When God calls you righteous, you are righteous; when God says that through Jesus Christ, our sins have been cleansed, we must believe what God says, and God has accomplished it. You must acknowledge this hope and hold on to it, not be influenced by any false teachings. Hallelujah!
I used to often hear some brothers and sisters say, "I really owe God!" It sounds very spiritual, but it does not align with God's will. Jesus has already cleared our debts on the cross; you no longer owe God. We now wear the robe of Christ's righteousness, representing Christ on earth. Everything we have is given to us by God through Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We receive salvation not because of what we have done. I used to believe that I was a grace-filled sinner; no matter how much grace you have, you are still a sinner. This is a terrifying thing. God not only justifies you by faith through Jesus but also gives you all the blessings of the kingdom of heaven. If you feel you still have sin, what qualification do you have to pray to God?
Recently, a sister came to our church and said, "It is so easy and wonderful to listen to the sermons in your church. I can pray directly to God. In the past, someone said, 'You cannot ask like this; your request is presumptuous; this is not pleasing to God. You are not an earthly person; you are a heavenly person. Where has your spiritual life gone? How can you regress after believing for over ten years? Why are you still asking for earthly things?'" She said, "I feel really uncomfortable; I don't know whether I should ask or not."
God has given you His only beloved Son, Jesus; all things have been freely given to you. Why can't you ask? You can ask, brothers and sisters. The most precious has been given to you; what else can He not give you?
What we need to tell others is the Gospel of forgiveness of sins and justification by faith. Tell others not to be afraid; come boldly before God to pray and ask Him, for all your sins have been washed away. Do not come before God with a sense of debt; come boldly and say: "Heavenly Father, You are my Father; please help me."
When your son asks you for something, he always does so confidently: "Mom, can I have a bun to eat? Can I have a lollipop?" He does not kneel down and say, "Mom, please have mercy on me! I haven't had a lollipop for a long time; please let me have one!"
If you know what Jesus did on the cross to forgive your sins, you can pray to God boldly and without fear. You will pray with increasing joy, sharing everything in your heart with God! Hallelujah! What we preach to others is certainly the Gospel of justification by faith. We are proclaiming Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross. The Gospel is to lead people to Jesus Christ, telling others what Christ has done for them, bringing them back to the Father.
As you increasingly understand that you have been forgiven and justified, you will respect God, desire to draw near to Him, and love our Lord more and more. What a great Savior! This is our loving Savior. Hebrews 4:16 says: "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hallelujah!
You are the treasure of the Heavenly Father, loved by Him. He is very willing to bless you; as long as you are willing to pray to Him and come before the throne of grace, He will be your help at all times.
Understanding forgiveness means understanding God's grace.
Romans 4:4-8
Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works: "Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them."
Receiving wages for work is a characteristic of everyone under the law. You get back what you have paid; that is what you deserve. It is not counted as grace. But the one who does not work refers to someone else doing the work, yet it is counted to you; you receive what others have labored for. This is grace. Jesus Christ came into the world and paid the price for our sins, fulfilling the law for us. He completed all the requirements that God needed. This blessing was originally meant for Jesus. But He gave this blessing to us. And we receive this blessing not by our efforts or achievements, but simply by believing. This is God's grace coming upon us.
David calls the one who is counted as righteous apart from works blessed. These people refer to those like us who are justified not by works but by believing in Jesus. Before God called us righteous, He had already resolved the issue of sin, forgiving our transgressions and blotting out our sins. Such people are blessed. Therefore, we are blessed under the New Covenant. Wherever we go, we carry the blessings of Christ. We will also become a blessing to others!
Let us pray together:
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for Your grace! The reason we can come boldly before Your throne of grace to receive Your mercy and find Your grace to help us at all times is because I believe that all my sins have been forgiven by Jesus.
Through the precious blood of Jesus, when He laid down His life on the cross, He has cleared my lifetime of sin debt. I have been justified by faith. Every time I see my failures again, You let me know that You have forgiven me once more, allowing me to see the testimony of my justification.
You love me so much, and You give us abundant blessings, and all of this is not based on our actions but received by our faith.
In the new week, I believe Your grace is upon me, Your blessings are upon me. Wherever I go, I will bring Your blessings there. I am a messenger of the Gospel. Because I have been forgiven, I can also forgive others and live in forgiveness. I believe this will be a different week, and I will witness Your wonderful grace! In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!