SIMPLE PAPERS FOR YOUNG CHRISTIANS BY H. A. IRONSIDE

FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

No unforgiven soul sails with Paul:which is to say that Scripture recognizes no such person as a believer in Christ Jesus who has not already received forgiveness of all his sins. "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. i:7). And the beloved apostle John joins with his brother-messenger Paul, and says, when addressing the entire family of God, "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake" (i John 2:12). Now faith lays hold of this, and cries, "I believe God! "

Some time ago a young man called upon me. I asked him if he were a Christian. "Yes," was the reply. "At some special meetings held lately by Dr. C–, I trusted Christ, and am now seeking to serve Him."

" Indeed," I said, " this is very good news. Then you know what it is to have all your sins forgiven!

"Oh no, sir!" he cried, "I would not dare say that. I have been converted but a few weeks, and do not feel that I have forgiveness yet. But I am hoping to reach it soon."

" And how do you expect to know when you have attained it ?"

" Well, sir, I am not quite clear as to that, but the Bible says something about the Spirit's witness to let us know, and I have not got the witness yet, though I am seeking it every day."

"If you have really trusted Christ as your Saviour, as the One who died for you, you already have the witness," I answered.

He looked at me in perplexity, and then said, " I do not understand you. I do not want to doubt God, but I cannot feel the witness at all."

I pointed out that the word feel is only once found in the New Testament, and that is in Acts 17:27, where Paul says of the Gentiles that "they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him." The -word feeling-is also found but once-in Eph. 4:19, where the ungodly Gentiles are said to be "past feeling." The word does not belong to the Christian, you see, but to the heathen who have no written revelation. Our word is "faith," or, "believe." We do not know because we feel. We believe God's word, and thus we know.

The young man became deeply interested, and it was my privilege then to put before him a line of truth I would now endeavor simply to unfold to my reader. Through it he was soon rejoicing in the knowledge of forgiveness, and I would the same result might follow if these lines are read by any doubting one.

We read in Scripture of the witness of the Spirit to us, and the witness in us. Until we receive the witness to us, we cannot have the witness in us. This is of supreme importance, and, I hope, will be carefully noted.

Open your Bible at the roth of Hebrews. In the first fourteen verses there is a vivid contrast presented between the temporary and oft-repeated sacrifices under the law, and the one all-sufficient offering of our Lord Jesus Christ, which needs never to be repeated, because full atonement for the sins of every believer has been perfectly accomplished. On the basis of this, "the worshipers, once purged, have no more conscience of sins." Christ has now sat down on the right hand of God, because His work is finished. Nothing remains to be done. "By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified;" that is, He saves forever and completely all who are set apart to God through His blood, by personal faith in Him who shed it.

Now see what glorious results flow from this:"Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness to us"-the work of Christ being all complete, the Holy Spirit witnesses to what :and where is the witness found?

First, He witnesses to new birth:" I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them." There is now a new nature, with new desires and yearnings, planted in every believer. Nor is this all. He further witnesses:"Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." Thus there is the Spirit's testimony to full forgiveness.

Secondly:This witness-record, or testimony, is found in the Holy Scriptures, written by the Spirit's dictation. The witness of the Spirit is the testimony of the Holy Ghost in the word of God.

Have you believed it ? If so, you know, because God says it, that your sins are forgiven, if you have trusted Christ.

But what about the witness in us. We have the witness in us when we believe the witness to us. We have then received the word into our hearts- and, remember, the Word is the witness.

Now read i John 5:1-13. Weigh every word, but note especially verse 10:"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself." Compare with this verse n :"And this is the witness (or record), that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." This is the unvarying testimony of Scripture. The Spirit's witness is not a happy feeling in my heart; but it is the record of the word of God as to the work of Christ and its results.

When I believe this, the witness is received into my very being, and henceforth "the Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God" (Rom. 8:16). In other words, God's testimony, ministered to my soul in the Spirit's power, and my personal faith in that Word, are in agreement. I know I am God's child, and all God's children are forgiven. So I know that my sins are forgiven also.

In a later paper I hope to say something on another aspect of forgiveness-that which the child of God needs when he fails; but the forgiveness we have had before us is the eternal portion of all who have rested their souls on Christ.