The forgiveness of our sins, is a promise made by God and made possible through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Forgiveness is a cleansing. In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul provides a lengthy list of sins and then says, “Such were some of you; but you were washed…” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Paul is not referring to a physical washing, but a spiritual one. When our sins are forgiven they are spiritually washed away (Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21; 1 John 1:7).
Forgiveness is something we need. Paul wrote in Romans 3, “All have sinned…” (Romans 3:23). With Jesus as the sole exception, every man and woman will eventually become guilty of sin (Hebrews 4:15). Our sins separate us from God and ultimately lead to eternal spiritual death (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23).
Forgiveness requires our faithfulness. Because of His love for us, God has made the forgiveness of our sins possible, but our faithful obedience to Him is necessary. When a person is baptized into Christ, obeying God’s commands and trusting in His power, their sins are forgiven for the first time (Acts 2:38). After becoming a Christian, if a person strives to live a life faithful to God, sins committed are continually cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
Matt Langfield