GOD IS NOT IMPUTING OUR SINS TO US
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NKJV)
One of the radical statements or truths in the Bible regarding sin is that God is no longer imputing our sins to us. Why?
Because Jesus Christ by His sacrificial death on the cross has paid in full for our sins – past, present and future!
The Scripture amply affirms this truth.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 – NKJV
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Romans 3:21-26 – NKJV
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Hebrews 10:14-18 – NKJV
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
One of the most terrible lies of the devil regarding sin is that God is dealing with us today according to our sins.
The devil wants you to accept and embrace curse, sickness, poverty, failure, or frustration as God’s punishments for your sins or for the sins of your parents or ancestors.
Sadly, many believers and ministers of God today have accepted, adopted or subscribed to this terrible lie of the devil.
What a terrible ignorance of the benefits or blessings of the finished work of Jesus Christ!
Under the Old Covenant, God dealt with people according to their works, adherence, or obedience to the Mosaic Law. But now under the New Covenant, God is no longer dealing with men according to their works, but according to their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Paul aptly presents this truth in his epistles.
Romans 3:19-22 – NKJV
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference.
Galatians 2:16 – NKJV
16 “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Titus 3:3-7 – NKJV
3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Unfortunately, many believers today are yet to understand, acknowledge, believe, accept or embrace this major shift in God’s dealings with men under the New Covenant, which is sealed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ is a landmark in the history of mankind. It is the turning point in God’s dealings with men. Things never remained the same between God and men after the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.
The relationship between God and men was forever changed for good!
God’s anger against man was completely appeased by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of the whole world. At the cross, God’s righteousness or justice to judge and punish sinners was completely satisfied.
Also, God’s love to forgive and justify sinners was also fully expressed, manifested or demonstrated at the cross of Christ.
We despise or belittle the worth of Christ’s death for the propitiation of the sins of the whole world if we still think, believe or preach that God is angry with sinners, or that God is still dealing with men according to their sins.
God’s wrath against sinners has been completely appeased or satisfied by Christ’s painful, agonizing, and terrible death on the cross.
Christ’s death was a substitutionary death (Heb. 2:9). Christ took our place on the cross to receive the punishment that was meant for us because of our sins. Conversely, we took His place to receive the blessing that was meant for Him because of His complete obedience to God. That is grace!
The Scripture clearly states this truth.
2 Corinthians 5:21 – NKJV
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1 John 2:1-2 – NKJV
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
The sacrificial death of Christ paid in full for all the sins that man has ever committed or will ever commit. It atones for sins in the past, present, and future. It is a full payment for the sins of every generation.
Until the close of the ages, the Scripture states that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7 NKJV).
What are the implications of the great truth that God is no longer imputing our sins to us?
Let us consider some of them.
First, it implies that all those who put their faith in Jesus and His sacrifice for their sins are now reconciled to God:
It was sin that brought separation between God and man. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross completely removed sin and thus the barrier between God and man.
John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NKJV).
John the Beloved also reveals that “He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.” (1 John 3:5 NKJV).
Jesus Christ, through His sacrificial death for our sins, has ended the hostility or enmity between God and sinners.
God is no longer angry with sinners, but He has demonstrated His love to sinners by taking the initiative to reconcile sinners to Himself through the sacrifice of His Son for our sins.
Paul writes, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8 NKJV).
Although God has demonstrated His love towards all sinners by sending His Son to die for our sins so that we may be reconciled to Him, yet it is only those who humbly respond in faith to God’s love and grace that are truly forgiven and reconciled to God.
The Scripture said of those who have put their faith in Christ Jesus for salvation, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Eph. 2:13 NKJV).
Sin is no longer and can no longer be a barrier between God and the believers in Christ. The believers in Christ are eternally loved and acceptable to God. The believers in Christ are holy, blameless and above reproach in God’s sight.
Apostle Paul aptly presents this truth.
Colossians 1:21-23 – NKJV
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight–
23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Praise God!
Second, Christ having paid in full for the sins of the world, God is no longer imputing the sins of the world (the ungodly multitude) to them:
The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ is for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2 – NKJV
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Therefore, God is not treating or dealing with the world (the ungodly) according to their sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 – NKJV
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Lastly, anyone who despises or rejects the great price Christ paid for his sins will eventually face and receive the fierce wrath of God:
While it is true that God is not imputing any man’s sins to his charge or account now, or dealing with any man according to his sins, yet God abhors sins and will eventually judge and punish sinners, not for their sins because Christ has paid for all sins, but because they despised and rejected Jesus Christ and the huge price He paid for their sins (John 12:47-48, 2 Pet. 3:9).
God has set aside a day when He will judge all those who rejected Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for their sins and thus rejected God’s gift of salvation to them.
The Scripture affirms this truth.
Acts 17:30-31 – NKJV
30 “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 “because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
Beloved, God is not imputing your sins to you, charging, or condemning you for your sins if you have put your faith in Christ as a propitiation for your sins.
Romans 8:33-34 – NKJV
33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Is this then a licence to sin? Certainly not!
Romans 6:1-2 – NKJV
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Those who have been truly born of God cannot continue in sin because they are already dead to sin – their old, sinful and corrupt self has been crucified with Christ and because they now possess the holy life and nature of God.
John the Beloved affirms, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9 NKJV).
But what if you sin?
God will still not condemn you but expect you to forsake your sins and appropriate by faith the forgiveness that is yours in Christ.
Ephesians 1:7-8 – NKJV
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.
What of if you choose to continue in your sins, refusing to repent and receive God’s forgiveness in Christ?
Satan will bring a charge against you, condemn you, and gain an inroad or access into your life to oppress, afflict or destroy you! Why?
Because practicing sins gives the devil an inroad, a free access or licence to steal, kill and destroy!
Yielding to sin is yielding to Satan, the author of sin!
Therefore, wherever and whenever sin is allowed to reign, Satan also has the legal right to freely reign and operate.
Romans 6:16 – NKJV
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
1 John 3:8 – DBY
8 He that practises sin is of the devil; for from the beginning the devil sins. To this end the Son of God has been manifested, that he might undo the works of the devil.
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing to me today the truth that You are not imputing my sins to me. I refuse to allow sin to continue to reign in my life. I receive Your mercy and forgiveness today for all my sins, in Jesus’ name. Amen.