Quote
sistersoap
As I was reading in Romans this morning I came across
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
I know this verse is used by some to claim partial forgiveness. I know there is an answer, but right now I ca n't come up with it Can you help?
Sistersoap
Good question, Sistersoap. In Romans 3, Paul is explaining law and grace. He tells us that the purpose of the law was to expose the sinfulness of mankind, so that “all the world may become guilty before God.”
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:19 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are [b:2e8dcbdb62]under the law[/b:2e8dcbdb62]: that every mouth may be stopped, and [b:2e8dcbdb62]all the world may become guilty before God[/b:2e8dcbdb62].
The same principles are also laid out for us in Galatians 3:22-25.
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Gal 3:22 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]But the scripture hath [b:2e8dcbdb62]concluded all under sin[/b:2e8dcbdb62], that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Gal 3:23 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]But [b:2e8dcbdb62][u:2e8dcbdb62]before faith came[/u:2e8dcbdb62], we were [u:2e8dcbdb62]kept under the law[/u:2e8dcbdb62][/b:2e8dcbdb62], shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Gal 3:24 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]Wherefore the [b:2e8dcbdb62]law was our [u:2e8dcbdb62]schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ[/u:2e8dcbdb62][/b:2e8dcbdb62], that we might be justified by faith.
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Gal 3:25 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]But after that faith is come, we are [b:2e8dcbdb62]no longer under a schoolmaster[/b:2e8dcbdb62].
The law, as we know, was never intended to provide salvation; it was designed to expose our need for God’s grace and lead us to Christ. Therefore, Paul continues:
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:20 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for [b:2e8dcbdb62]by the law is the [u:2e8dcbdb62]knowledge of sin[/u:2e8dcbdb62][/b:2e8dcbdb62].
Now that the law has fulfilled its purpose as our “schoolmaster,” to reveal our sin and bring us to Christ, the righteousness of God [u:2e8dcbdb62]without the Law[/u:2e8dcbdb62] is manifested, and we are justified by faith in Christ:
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:21 [/b:2e8dcbdb62][b:2e8dcbdb62]But [u:2e8dcbdb62]now[/u:2e8dcbdb62] the righteousness of God [u:2e8dcbdb62]without the law[/u:2e8dcbdb62] is manifested[/b:2e8dcbdb62], being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:22 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:23 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:24 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Christ has now come to fulfill the Law, and the righteousness of God without the Law is now manifested. But what about those who lived previously under the Law? What about all those sins committed before the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross?
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:25 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness [b:2e8dcbdb62]for the remission of [u:2e8dcbdb62]sins that are past[/u:2e8dcbdb62], through the [u:2e8dcbdb62]forbearance of God[/u:2e8dcbdb62][/b:2e8dcbdb62];
The “sins that are past” are the sins previously committed under the O.T. Law—the transgressions that were under the first testament. And the “forbearance of God” covered these sins in view of the future work of Christ at the Cross:
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Heb 9:15 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]And for this cause he is the mediator of the [u:2e8dcbdb62][b:2e8dcbdb62]new testament[/b:2e8dcbdb62][/u:2e8dcbdb62], that by means of death, [b:2e8dcbdb62]for the redemption of [u:2e8dcbdb62]the transgressions that were under the first testament[/u:2e8dcbdb62][/b:2e8dcbdb62], they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Paul’s main point in Romans 3 is that the law has been fulfilled at the Cross, and we are justified by faith rather than the Law. He goes on in verses 26-28:
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:26 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:27 [/b:2e8dcbdb62]Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
[b:2e8dcbdb62]Rom 3:28 [/b:2e8dcbdb62][b:2e8dcbdb62]Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith [u:2e8dcbdb62]without the deeds of the law[/u:2e8dcbdb62][/b:2e8dcbdb62].
The sins that are past are the sins previously committed under the Law. The remission of these sins was made possible by the forbearance of God until the Cross of Christ. Paul is explaining “the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament.” There is not the slightest indication in this passage that Paul is referring to a believer’s pre-salvation sins.
As always, we find our answers by reading through the general context of the passage (rather than “atomizing” the scripture), and searching other relevant passages (rather than playing the Greek Game just to make the passage say what we want).
I hope this helps, and I’ve been enjoying our discussions on these subjects. Also, that was an interesting point on Thieme’s condition. How ironic that the man who hyper-emphasized “rebound” for decades (and made so many others live in fear of what would happen if they didn’t “rebound”) will no longer able to “rebound” for the final years of his life.
Forgiven in Christ,
Liberty