Dear fellow believers,
Here is one of the greatest truths in the Scripture that hardly anyone knows: freedom from Sin (described by the apostle Paul in Romans chapters 6-8) has nothing to do with how much or how little one sins, but rather with a working realization that God has declared one to be justified from sin (i.e. "not guilty"; i.e. "righteous") and that one can no longer be condemned for one's sins
and that, therefore, guilt has no more place in the life of a believer. (This includes the life of a SINNING believer, for what believer is there who does not sin?)
The shocking result of this truth is that: one no longer needs to worry about one's sins. This sounds so wrong to the religious ear, until one remembers Paul saying in Philippians 4:6: "Let NOTHING be worrying you."
The apostle Paul is the only writer in the entire Scripture who announces this truth and describes it in excruciating detail. One will not find this truth in either Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Jesus never announced it while He was on earth. (How could He have? The truth of justification by faith is based on the cross, and the cross had not occurred yet.) This truth did not come to
Israel. That nation still must produce fruit worthy of repentance. The nation Israel is forgiven, but not justified. The difference? Forgiveness assumes guilt ("you did wrong but we will overlook the penalty") whereas justification denies guilt (how can one be forgiven for something that one did not do?)
No, but this truth came only to the nations, via Paul.
I recorded this message in November of 1996 in Newport News, Virginia. This is Part 2 of an 8-part series called "The Sin Series." Thanks to Rodney Paris of Texas who has digitized the audio cassette tapes, put them to engaging video, and added text frames that accompany the audio presentation, meeting the needs of every sort of learner.
I commend this message to you, the body of Christ; my friends. The great thing about truth is that it is timeless.
Yours from the peninsula,
—Martin
