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Chapter: 10.05
(Section 10: Understanding Salvation)
Copyright © Michael Bronson 1997, 1999, and 2000
BibleHelp.org
Summary
You cannot eliminate past sins by not sinning in the future. Future perfections do not make up for past imperfections. Only the amnesty offered by Jesus can compensate for past wrongs.
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Buck, a member of a violent motorcycle gang, was very vocal on the importance of racial purity and the supremacy of the Aryan race. He gave my friend a passionate speech on the inferiority of certain races and the evils of interracial marriage. During the conversation, my friend asked Buck about his racial heritage. To the surprise of my friend, this biker was half American Indian.
Baffled, my friend said, "Doesn’t that contradict everything you have been telling me?" The biker said, "Well, not really. Since I married a pure Aryan, my children are only one fourth Indian. My children’s children and their children will all marry pure Aryans. Eventually, the racial purity will be restored."
In the unlikely event that all of his future descendants will breed with only pure Aryans, Buck still has two problems. First, he is still only half Aryan. Second, even if his descendants marry only pure Aryans for 100 generations, his descendants will still have non-Aryan blood in them. You cannot eliminate the supposed "inferior" blood by refusing to introduce more "inferior" blood. Future perfections do not make up for past imperfections.
Likewise, you cannot eliminate your past sins by not sinning in the future. If you have sinned at least once, you will always be a sinner. Even if you were able to live an additional million years and did not sin during this time, you are still a sinner. Perfect living in your future will not correct the imperfections of your past.
I have used this grape juice illustration in another chapter, but it is worth repeating. Let’s say you were drinking some grape juice and spilled it all over your white shirt. In your anger over your carelessness, you vow never to spill anything again. Even if you are successful and never spill anything again, you still have the grape juice stain on your shirt. An absence of future spills does not eliminate past spills.
The only way you can eliminate the stain on your shirt is by putting the shirt in the washer and washing it with a special cleaners that gets out grape juice stains. Likewise, the only way you can eliminate your past sins is to accept the amnesty that Jesus is offering. Only Jesus can eliminate the imperfections in your life. Vowing to live a sinless life will not take away your sins. Only Jesus can make you spotless before God Almighty.
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