Forgiveness through faith in Jesus

. . . nous avons compris que l'on est déclaré juste devant Dieu, non parce que l'on accomplit les oeuvres que commande la Loi, mais uniquement par la foi en Jésus-Christ. C'est pourquoi nous avons, nous aussi, placé notre confiance en Jésus-Christ pour être déclarés justes par la foi et non parce que nous aurions accompli ce qu'ordonne la Loi. Car, comme le dite l'Ecriture : Personne ne sera déclaré juste devant Dieu parce qu'il aura accompli ce qu'ordonne la Loi. . . Ainsi, je ne rejette par la grâce de Dieu en revenant à la Loi. En effet, si c'est l'obéissance à la Loi qui permet d'être déclaré juste, alors le Christ est mort pour rien!

(Galates 2:16,21)

Or, nous le savons, ce que l'Ecriture dit dans la Loi, elle l'adresse à ceux qui vivent sous le régime de la Loi. Il en est ainsi pour que personne n'ait rien à répliquer et que le monde entier soit reconnu coupable devant Dieu. Car personne ne sera déclaré juste devant lui parce qu'il aura accompli les oeuvres demandées par la Loi. En effet, la Loi donne seulement la connaissance du péché. . . Dieu déclare les hommes juste par leur foi en Jésus-Christ . . .

(Romains 3:19-20,22)

Forgiveness through Jesus

I read this today, and it seemed pertinent to post it on this blog concerning what different confessions might suggest for forgiveness.

"Therefore my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses."

(Acts 13:38-39 NIV)

"Sachez-le donc, mes frères: c'est grâce à lui que nous pouvons vous annoncer le pardon de vos péchés. Par la Loi de Moïse, vous n'avez jamais pu être acquittés de toutes vos fautes. Par contre, tous ceux qui croient en Jésus sont acquittés et considérés comme des justes aux yeux de Dieu."

(Actes 13:38-39 Parole Vivante)

"Frères, vous devez le savoir: c'est par Jésus que le pardon des péchés vous est annoncé; c'est par lui que quiconque croit est libéré de tous les péchés dont la loi de Moïse ne pouvait vous délivrer."

(Actes 13:38-39 Bible Français Courant)

"Sachez-le donc, mes frères, c'est grâce à lui que le pardon des péchés vous est annoncé ; c'est par lui que tout homme qui croit est acquitté de toutes les fautes dont vous ne pouviez pas être acquittés par la Loi de Moïse."

(Actes 13:38-39 Bible du Semeur)

What's interesting here is that the text demonstrates that the Law of Moses was not able to justify believers of everything. Yes it was God's Law, but it had limits. We find echoes here of Romains and also Hebrews. (For example Hebrews 10:1-4 regarding the limits of the Law)

However, Jesus has no limits in terms of offering forgiveness and justifying those who believe. The text says that we can be forgiven and justified of everything, including that for which the Law was unable to justify us, through believing in Jesus.

Which leads to perhaps the most important point, for this blog anyway, that forgiveness and justification come through believing in Jesus-Christ. Not through accomplishing anything, not through sacrifice, not through anything apart from believing in Jesus.

Obviously, the term "believing in Jesus" implies more than just believing that Jesus exisited once upon a time. Paul was talking to people who could even have seen or heard Jesus speak. Proving the existence of a man named Jesus is never a concern of the Biblical writers, it was an evidence. So whenever they talk about believing in Jesus, it means more than acknowledging that he existed. It implies believing what he taught, what he said, what he did. It implies believing and trusting that he told the truth. It means placing ones faith in the person of Jesus.

This verse is actually quite specific, it says "Through him, everyone who believes is justified". If we want to be forvigen of all the wrong we have done, against God and others; if we want to be purged of the feelings of guilt and shame resulting from our past, and maybe even our present; we need to believe. We need to believe that God can and will give us these things, because of Jesus, his life, his death, his ressurection.

We don't have to go on a pilgrimage.
We don't have to take the bread and wine of communion.
We don't have to live a perfect life.
We don't have to go to church.
WE HAVE TO BELIEVE JESUS AND TRUST HIM, which does of course imply that we will act on what he says.

Not that any of these other things are necessarilly bad. Some of them are even asked of us by Jesus himself. But it is not in doing any of them that we can be forgiven and justified. Only by believing him, and putting our faith in him.