tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post4105569873826203976..comments2023-10-03T06:25:41.357-05:00Comments on Grace Roots Blog: One John One Nine - Part FourJoel Bruesekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-3796153876884521742013-12-07T10:08:41.123-06:002013-12-07T10:08:41.123-06:00Thanks for your comment, Lynne! It encourages me ...Thanks for your comment, Lynne! It encourages me when the truth shines through, and God's grace and truth are revealed and seen clearly. :) Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-40562207099873193692013-12-07T01:13:04.278-06:002013-12-07T01:13:04.278-06:00"Our behavior didn't make us clean in the..."Our behavior didn't make us clean in the first place, and cannot make us unclean. Only the blood of Jesus made us clean and has, in fact, cleansed us forever. God does not see any sin in us." So well said! This verse (1 john 1:9) has caused so much division and confusion...I'm glad to read your position and believe it to be true. Thanks for helping us see through to God's amazing truth and grace in this!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05517911323626335117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-45457885158510180972012-12-05T23:39:24.599-06:002012-12-05T23:39:24.599-06:00What you bring up is indeed a great concern, Annie...What you bring up is indeed a great concern, Annie, and by no means am I saying that we should be ok with that type of abuse or that God is ok with it.<br /><br />While the purpose of this series of blog posts is to show how 1 John 1:9 is not about Christians confessing their sins in order to be forgiven by God, that doesn't mean that the things that people do are unimportant or without consequences, and it doesn't mean that grievous and destructive actions/behavior shouldn't be addressed and dealt with.<br /><br />With all of that said, the truth remains that God doesn't forgive us over and over and over again, and His forgiveness isn't based upon us confessing our sins over and over and over again. Even under the Old Covenant, the people only confessed their sins onto a goat <i>once per year</i>, not every time they sinned. And now in Christ we have a far, far better sacrifice for our sins. The forgiveness of our sins, through the one sacrifice of Christ, was a one-time event, and it covered <b>all</b> our sins - past, present and future. Everything was secured by what Christ Himself did. Our only response is the one confession of Christ (see Romans 10:9-10), and through that we are assured of our salvation.<br /><br />Even after we're saved, <b>all of us</b> continue to do things that fall short of the glory of God. And here's the thing: Whether it's stealing a paperclip or telling a white lie, or committing adultery or murder or horrible abuse (and I'm not condoning any of it whatsoever), it's <b>all</b> wiped out by the Blood of Jesus. Even if we haven't committed the same heinous acts that others have committed, we're all equally as saved - and it's all because of the finished work of Jesus. It's never dependent upon us turning from sin. If it was based on us turning from sin, then we are adding our fleshly good deeds to the Blood of Jesus, which is an insult to the Blood of Jesus.<br /><br />Now I'll say again that this doesn't mean that we simply ignore various behavior issues. Things really do need to be addressed and dealt with at times. But the point of these posts is to say that God's forgiveness of us was a one time thing, and it's not something that we receive over and over again, when we "confess" our sins. The case I make in this series is that that's <i>not</i> what 1 John 1:9 is saying.<br /><br />I hope this addresses your concerns, Annie.Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-34607229408991211912012-12-05T17:00:24.337-06:002012-12-05T17:00:24.337-06:00I have a problem with this teaching. I came from ...I have a problem with this teaching. I came from a very abusive church where the elders were controlling, hostile, manipulative to the point that they were breaking up families, destroying people's faith etc. When anyone went to them with these sins, they ignored the pleas for them to stop, saying that they were right and the ones they were abusing were rebellious and wrong for going against them.<br /><br />Under these circumstances, are you saying that these men's sins were neither here nor there because God has already forgiven them therefore we just have to forgive them the rampant destruction they have caused and continue to cause in families of believers? They will not listen to reason, to repeated requests to stop, to scripture or to pleas to see the pain they are creating.<br /><br />Those who end up leaving are character assassinated, shunned and further abused, and their families are told to have nothing further to do with them.<br /><br />As a survivor of 15 years of this sort of abuse, how do I reconcile your interpretation of this passage with the fact that these men refuse to recognise their sin and deal with it. In the light of Matthew 18, where Jesus told us to take our offenses to our brother who has sinned against us so that he could repent, then take it to the church if he didn't do so, how do I make sense of the idea that all our sins are forgiven and we do not have to confess any of them.<br /><br />Please realise that I am not criticising you, simply trying to get my head around this.Annienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-60807627907904391702012-11-22T09:18:08.976-06:002012-11-22T09:18:08.976-06:00I'm very sad to hear that something like this ...I'm very sad to hear that something like this has caused such division in your family. I understand how things like this happen in the church but indeed it is sad. Very glad, though, that you've found new family and friends! And of course nothing beats knowing the truth and being set free by it! :)Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-15910313717661331502012-11-21T22:45:23.763-06:002012-11-21T22:45:23.763-06:00This is the very scripture Joel I am sad to say ha...This is the very scripture Joel I am sad to say has busted up the church family I had and my literal family. They are hanging onto the editorial 'we' in that verse as the sole reason for legitimizing continual asking of forgiveness. Very sad, but praise the Lord we have been set free.We have been blessed with new family and friends, and in the end eternal life spent together with our King. George and Lisa Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18276015602754730985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-26953190456225712012-11-20T06:46:19.666-06:002012-11-20T06:46:19.666-06:00Thank you Cindy! Yes indeed, it really is good ne...Thank you Cindy! Yes indeed, it really is good news! :)Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-91203764783677817952012-11-19T08:42:56.590-06:002012-11-19T08:42:56.590-06:00Amazing truth! Very exciting good news and it bear...Amazing truth! Very exciting good news and it bears witness as the truth! Cindy Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02718513477289167551noreply@blogger.com