(6) Grace does not directly forgive man’s sins. This question has been misunderstood by many believers. They consider that God forgives sinners’ sins because He is generous. This concept is wrong. The Bible does not say that God forgives sinners because He is tolerant, plays deaf, or is careless. Romans 5:21 says, “In order that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Sin reigns by itself, but grace reigns through righteousness. Grace does not reign by itself. We must know that God has not only grace but also righteousness. God delights not only in saving man but also in safeguarding man’s salvation with righteousness. For God to give us grace does not mean that God is generous to forgive our sins in a loose way. Rather, God devised and worked out a solution to the problem of our sins, affording us the opportunity to be saved. If we misunderstand God’s grace and consider it merely as God’s generosity, the cross of Christ would be unnecessary and totally meaningless. Certainly without the love of God, there is no cross of Christ. But if there is only God’s love without God’s righteousness, there would still be no cross of Christ. God knows that we have sinned, and He cannot overlook our sin. Since we have no way to settle this sin, He caused His Son to bear our sins on the cross and solved the problem of sin once for all. This is God’s grace. God’s grace solves the problem of sin and then forgives our sin. This is why the Lord had to die before we could even possibly be saved.

A sinner is reckoned as a sinner because: (1) his conduct is bad; (2) his nature is corrupted; and (3) God’s righteous law has judged him. In saving a sinner God must: (1) forgive his sins, that is, his bad conduct; (2) regenerate him by giving him a new life; and (3) justify him. The Lord Jesus has received the punishment of sins and died for us. God will forgive us. Some think that we have to beg God until He changes His mind. This is wrong. We can obtain forgiveness because God has poured out His wrath and laid our sins upon the Lord Jesus. Therefore, we can say, “Thank and praise God that the Lord Jesus has been judged.” Righteousness requires a punishment only once; there will be no more punishment.

(7) Grace does not directly forgive a believer’s sins. This principle is the same as the one above. Suppose a Christian, after being saved, is incidentally overcome by transgressions and repents. He does not need to beg God in order for God to forgive him. He does not have to ask God to do something today, but believe in what Christ has already done. God is righteous. Since the Lord Jesus has died, God will forgive those who have received salvation. If a Christian, unfortunately, commits sins, he must be clear about four things: (1) by confessing his sins, he will obtain forgiveness (1 John 1:9); (2) any kind of sin can be forgiven (vv. 7, 9; “cleanses us from every sin” and “cleanse us from all unrighteousness” means all); (3) before he confesses his sins, God is willing to forgive him because the Lord Jesus is his Advocate before God (2:1-2); and (4) God forgives and cleanses him because, on the one hand, God is faithful and righteous and, on the other hand, the Lord Jesus is the Righteous One.
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