Spiritual Advantage

Your sins are forgiven…Luke 7:48

This Jesus said to the woman who was only known as “a sinner.” The response of the Pharisees was predictable, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 

“Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you.” Mark 9:5. This Jesus said to the young paralytic lowered through the roof by his friends. Again, the Pharisees react, “This man blasphemes!” Verse 3. 

Only God can forgive sin. Not only that, God had prescribed a certain ritual whereby sins can be forgiven—So the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any one of these trespasses…Leviticus 6:7. Jesus is bypassing the law of Moses. Worse, Jesus is claiming to be God!

Or, is Jesus fulfilling the law? For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned, be he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:17-18

Jesus changed everything. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4.

Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save. By believing in Jesus your sins are forgiven; your condemnation of unbelief has been removed; you are now in Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1. This is your spiritual advantage. What the law could not do, Jesus has done. What you could not do by your human effort, Jesus has done that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in you.