Hi WordPress world. I read this article on Guy Dunnicks Facebook page, and messaged him asking his permission to repost it. Enjoy!
Are All Future Sins Pre-forgiven ?
There are some ministers who teach that all the sins of all believers — past, present, and future sins — are already forgiven. They teach that for Christians, every past sin they have committed, every present sin they are committing, and every future sin they might commit is already forgiven. When we study Scripture, however, it is clear that although all the past sins of believers are forgiven, future sins are not pre-forgiven.
It is absolutely true, of course, that the full measure of Jesus’ blood has already been shed, once and for all, and that He will not “re-suffer” or “re-die” or “re-shed His blood.” The full retainer of the blood that Jesus shed on the cross is available and the completeness of His saving work is capable to meet whatever “forgiveness demands” become present in any believer’s life. That does not mean, however, that all the future sins believers might commit are “pre-forgiven.” Although everything necessary for the forgiveness and cleansing of every sin of every person in every generation and at all places — from Adam and Eve up to the last baby that will ever be born; for both sinners and saints — has been provided through the incredible and super-abundant one time and once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ in His suffering, in His shedding of blood, and in His death, that does not mean that all the sins of all believers are “pre-forgiven.”
It is true, of course, that believers will be forgiven and cleansed of any sin they commit in the future because the necessary provision for the forgiveness of their sins is already in place. Jesus is the propitiation, not only for the sins of sinners, but also for the sins of believers. The blood of Jesus Christ is effectual to cleanse any sins that any believer may commit [I John 1:7]. But believers’ sins are not forgiven BEFORE they are committed; they are forgiven AFTER they are committed.
We could compare the abundant provision of Jesus’ shed blood which the Father planned and Jesus provided for the forgiveness of all sins of all people — past, present, and future — to a good earthly father who, because of his love for his children and his foresight, made a financial deposit into a bank that was so substantial, it could cover every possible future need that might arise in the lives of any and all of the children he might ever have. All the necessary health insurances and life insurances, and medical aid, and lawyers, and legal aid, and anything else that was necessary or might become necessary could be met by the substantial provision that had been put in place by the father before he even had any children. Any time that any of his children had a crisis or a need, or any time a bill “came due,” a draw could be made from the substantial account at the bank and everything that needed to be covered would be covered in full. Although the provision to cover every bill and pay every debt and meet every need was already put in place long before it was needed, the bills and debts and needs would only be paid when they “came due.”
This is exactly what our heavenly Father did for all His children in the New Covenant. He put in place for all lost sinners who He loved and for all of His children who were already saved the full provision of the saving work of Jesus Christ. Everything that might ever need to be dealt with or payed for in the future, including the sins that believers would commit, could be dealt with and payed for. What God pre-planned and pre-provisioned in the New Covenant to deal with the forgiveness and cleansing of believers’ sins — the provision of the precious and powerful cleansing blood of Jesus — is an account so richly funded that there will never be a “debt” incurred by any sinner’s sin or by any saint’s sin that cannot be immediately “paid in full.” As the apostle John revealed in I John 1:7, in I John 2:1-2, and in several other places in his first epistle, true believers can continue to experience, in the present — in “real time” — the forgiveness and cleansing of any sins they commit. Although the provision for the forgiveness of those sins was put in place long before the Father God had any children, the sins that believers commit are forgiven after they are committed, not before.
Earlier in our study, we learned that when believers walk in the light as God is in the light, “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth [them] from all sin” [I John 1:7]. In this verse, the Greek word katharizei that the English word “cleansing” is translated from is in the third person, present tense, active voice, and indicative mood. We know, then, that the cleansing John was referring to in this verse was neither a past cleansing or a future cleansing, but was an ongoing cleansing; a cleansing that was happening “in the present.” This ongoing cleansing was being accomplished by a “third person” — the blood of Jesus Christ. According to John, the cleansing of believers’ sins by the blood of Jesus is a present, continuous, and ongoing cleansing. It is obvious, then, that believers’ future sins have not been “pre-forgiven.”
In I John 2:1-2, John informed his spiritual children that if they sinned, “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John also revealed that believers have had provided for them a propitiation for their sin; the same Jesus Christ. According to John, Jesus is presently believers’ advocate with the Father, pleading their cases before Him if they sin. According to John, Jesus is presently the propitiation for believers’ sins, dealing with whatever sins they have committed to ensure that there is no impediment in their relationship with the Father. If it was true that every future sin of every believer had already been pre-forgiven, there would be no need for an advocate with the Father. If it was true that all future sins of believers were pre-forgiven, believers would not need a propitiation for their sins.
It is interesting that in our primary text, I John 1:9, John wrote that God, “is [present tense] faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Notice that John did not write that God was [past tense] faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” It is clear from John’s words in I John 1:9 that the forgiveness and cleansing of believers’ sins occurs AFTER they are committed. That means, of course, that all future sins have not yet been forgiven.
If every past, present, and future sin was forgiven at the moment a person first believed and was saved, then no believer would need to be cleansed of his sins by the blood of Jesus as he walked in the light [I John 1:7]. No believer would need an advocate with the Father or a propitiation for their sins [I John 2:1-2]. And no believer would need to be forgiven of their sins and cleansed [I John 1:9]. If every future sin was already forgiven, then the blood of Jesus would not be continually cleansing believers of their sins, having an advocate to plead before the Father would be unnecessary, and a “propitiation for our sins” would be unnecessary. John’s teaching clearly reveals that the sins believers commit are forgiven AFTER they are committed, not BEFORE.
This is an excerpt from Guy Dunnicks upcoming book:
“Must We Confess Our Sins?”
Its a 200 plus page study on 1 Jn 1:9
Let’s Pray:
‘Father, where you have appeared distant, and I have sinned against you, show me my terror, that I might humbly ask Your forgiveness and find grace in Your sight today, restored fully to fellowship to You through Jesus precious blood, Amen’
Guy Dunnick heads up ‘Masters Touch’ Ministries here in Tulsa: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Guy-Duininck-Masters-Touch-Ministries
