Spiritual Dynamics 85-86 11/22/92

DOCTRINE OF THE TWO FORGIVENESSES

A. Salvation Forgiveness For Eternal Life.

1. Col 2:13, “And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,”

a. The first phrase is a reference to spiritual death prior to salvation for the Gentile unbeliever. The second phrase is for the Jewish unbeliever. Circumcision was supposed to be a religious advantage under the Mosaic Law, but that advantage is gone during the Church Age.

b. “Having forgiven us all our transgressions” is the Greek participle CHARIZOMAI, which is generally used for the forgiveness related to presalvation sins. It means to give graciously in the field of forgiveness. It means to pardon, to remit as a grace gift. The Greek word APHIEMI is generally used for the forgiveness of postsalvation sins. The blotting our of our presalvation sins is explained by Isa 43:25, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions and will not remember your sins.” Isa 44:22, “I have blotted out as a cloud your transgressions and as a cloud your sins.”

2. Col 2:14, “having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of the decrees against us, which were hostile to us and He has taken it out of the way and nailed it to His cross.”

a. The certificate of debt against us goes back to all our personal sins programed by God the Father into the computer of divine decrees in eternity past.

b. God has taken our sins out of the way from being a barrier to having a relationship with Him.

c. This is salvation forgiveness for the eternal state. It qualifies us for a resurrection body in the eternal state.

3. There are two words used for presalvation forgiveness, CHARIZOMAI and APHESIS.

a. Eph 4:32, “just as God also by means of Christ has forgiven [CHARIZOMAI] you.” In Col 3:13, we have this verb used again (see above). This verb is used for the forgiveness of our sins of spiritual death.

b. In Eph 1:7, we have redemption used for the presalvation side of the Cross and forgiveness used for the postsalvation side of the Cross. “By whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins [APHESIS—the cancellation of or release from punishment] on the basis of the riches of His grace.” See also Col 1:14, “By whom we have redemption, the cancellation of sins.”

B. Postsalvation Forgiveness For Your Spiritual Life in Time.

1. 1 Jn 1:9, “If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and righteous, with the result that He forgives us our sins [known sins] and purifies us from all wrongdoing [unknown sins].”

a. Here we have the Greek word APHIEMI, used for the forgiveness of postsalvation sins. This is experiential forgiveness for the perpetuation of your spiritual life. When you chose to sin, you destroy your spiritual life until you rebound. Rebound or naming our sins to God restores the filling of the Holy Spirit and recovery of our fellowship with God.

b. This forgiveness cancels the repercussions of sin and restores the status of your spiritual life. This forgiveness qualifies you to continue your spiritual life and to fulfill two power options—the filling of the Spirit and doctrinal orientation.

c. Sin causes the repercussions of divine discipline from the supreme court of heaven. But when we name our sins to God the Father, the repercussions of sin are cancelled and all cursing is turned to blessing.

2. Therefore, there are two forgivenesses.

a. One related to time, 1 Jn 1:9.

b. One related to eternity, Jn 3:36.

3. Both forgivenesses are based on the salvation work of Christ on the Cross.

C. Principles.

1. Jesus Christ was judged on the Cross for all sins of human history. There are two categories of sin in human history for which He was judged— presalvation sins and postsalvation sins.

2. All presalvation sins are forgiven at the moment we exercise a one time positive option—faith in Jesus Christ, Jn 3:18, 36.

3. All postsalvation sins are forgiven at the point of using the rebound technique, 1 Jn 1:9.

4. Because all sins were judged on the Cross, the solution to presalvation sins in the status of spiritual death is faith in Christ.

5. Because all sins were judged on the Cross, the solution to postsalvation sinning in the status of carnality is solved through the rebound technique. In both cases, there is no merit in the function of the subject. In the both cases, we use non-meritorious volition and all the work is done by God.

6. We have two forgivenesses based on the salvation ministry of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

7. The forgiveness related to faith in Christ means all presalvation sins are blotted out and this results in eternal life. The forgiveness related to rebound means all postsalvation sins are cancelled with regard to their repercussions and this results in restoration of fellowship with God.

D. The Issue of Forgiveness.

1. The issue of one forgiveness belongs to physical birth and spiritual death. The unbeliever can only accumulate presalvation sins. These presalvation sins were judged on the Cross and the issue is faith in Christ, which means forgiveness and cancellation of all presalvation sins, which are blotted out. If the unbeliever dies without believing in Christ, he will appear at the Last Judgment. But since his sins were judged on the Cross, he will be indicted on the basis of human good, Rev 20:11-15.

2. The issue of two forgivenesses belongs to the believer. His presalvation sins were blotted out at the moment of faith in Christ. His postsalvation sins are forgiven through the rebound technique. The believer possesses both eternal life and spiritual life under these two forgiveness concepts. Presalvation sins are blotted out to accompany his eternal life status. Postsalvation sins are blotted out so that he can continue his spiritual life function. This is why rebound is the first problem solving device on the FLOT or defensive line of the soul.

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