Prior to the cross, God's forgiveness is almost always described as a verb. After the cross it is almost always a noun.
Do you see the significance of this? Prior to the cross God related to the Israelites on the basis of the law-keeping covenant. "If you do A, B, and C, then I will forgive your sins and heal your land, etc." This is called conditional forgiveness and it's what Jesus preached prior to the cross: "If you forgive others, God will forgive you." It's an eye for an eye and a verb for a verb.
But after the cross, everything changed. The law was fulfilled, grace was revealed and verbs became nouns. Forgiveness was no longer conditional on you doing A, B, and C. Forgiveness became a free gift paid for by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus Himself was the first to announce this:
He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness (aphesis – a noun) of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luk 24:46-47)
Now just take a moment to go and check that passage in your own Bible. What does it say? Does it read "repentance for forgiveness" or "repentance and forgiveness"? The difference is huge. Repentance for forgiveness is what John the Baptist preached prior to the cross. It's forgiveness conditional on you turning from sin. It's a verb for a verb.
But this is not what Jesus preached after the cross. In Luke 24 Jesus says, "From now on, forgiveness is a noun. Forgiveness is not something God does, it's something He's done."
This becomes clear when we read the verse in the King James: "Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations." Forgiveness that has taken place is called remission. When were all our sins remitted? On the cross (see Mt. 26:28 and Heb. 9:22). This is what Jesus said we should preach – nouns, not verbs; gifts, not works.
Forgiveness is not something to sell but something to give. Jesus said the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name and that's exactly what Peter (see Acts 5:31), Paul (see Acts 13:38), and the other apostles did. They proclaimed the good news of forgiveness – forgiveness as a noun, forgives as a done-deal – and invited people to believe in it. They encouraged people to receive the gift paid for by Jesus.
But John didn't. He said, If you confess, God will forgive. He went with the old style verb instead of a new covenant noun. Why? Was He not in the room when Jesus made His Luke 24 announcement? Did he not get the memo that a new and better covenant was in town and that God's forgiveness has been lavished upon us according to the riches of His grace? No, John uses the old verb for the same reason Paul does in Romans 4:7-8 – they were both quoting Old Testament scripture. Indeed, they were both quoting the same Old Testament scripture – Psalm 32. And that's as good a place as any for us to finish:
"Happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned." (Ps 32:1, GNB)
Do you see the significance of this? Prior to the cross God related to the Israelites on the basis of the law-keeping covenant. "If you do A, B, and C, then I will forgive your sins and heal your land, etc." This is called conditional forgiveness and it's what Jesus preached prior to the cross: "If you forgive others, God will forgive you." It's an eye for an eye and a verb for a verb.
But after the cross, everything changed. The law was fulfilled, grace was revealed and verbs became nouns. Forgiveness was no longer conditional on you doing A, B, and C. Forgiveness became a free gift paid for by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus Himself was the first to announce this:
He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness (aphesis – a noun) of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luk 24:46-47)
Now just take a moment to go and check that passage in your own Bible. What does it say? Does it read "repentance for forgiveness" or "repentance and forgiveness"? The difference is huge. Repentance for forgiveness is what John the Baptist preached prior to the cross. It's forgiveness conditional on you turning from sin. It's a verb for a verb.
But this is not what Jesus preached after the cross. In Luke 24 Jesus says, "From now on, forgiveness is a noun. Forgiveness is not something God does, it's something He's done."
This becomes clear when we read the verse in the King James: "Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations." Forgiveness that has taken place is called remission. When were all our sins remitted? On the cross (see Mt. 26:28 and Heb. 9:22). This is what Jesus said we should preach – nouns, not verbs; gifts, not works.
Forgiveness is not something to sell but something to give. Jesus said the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name and that's exactly what Peter (see Acts 5:31), Paul (see Acts 13:38), and the other apostles did. They proclaimed the good news of forgiveness – forgiveness as a noun, forgives as a done-deal – and invited people to believe in it. They encouraged people to receive the gift paid for by Jesus.
But John didn't. He said, If you confess, God will forgive. He went with the old style verb instead of a new covenant noun. Why? Was He not in the room when Jesus made His Luke 24 announcement? Did he not get the memo that a new and better covenant was in town and that God's forgiveness has been lavished upon us according to the riches of His grace? No, John uses the old verb for the same reason Paul does in Romans 4:7-8 – they were both quoting Old Testament scripture. Indeed, they were both quoting the same Old Testament scripture – Psalm 32. And that's as good a place as any for us to finish:
"Happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned." (Ps 32:1, GNB)
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