Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

680. 1 John 1:9 (Part 4) No Longer Asking for What Has Already Been Given (Forgiveness)

December 2, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

This week we reflect on a relatively small number of scriptural passages which confirm our forgiveness in Jesus Christ. It’s “forever forgiveness” that occurred through one righteous act at the cross of Jesus Christ. His blood not only brought a permanent forgiveness of all sins (past, present and future), but cleansed us from all unrighteousness. The work of Jesus has already brought us the gift of justification, righteousness and sanctification. In him we are new, alive, clean, holy, perfected and so much more. In addition to our previous programs in this series, part of our goal is to help believers understand that the context of 1 John 1:9 was not meant for us to keep trying to remember all of our sins, mistakes and shortcomings in order to try confessing all of them be forgiven again. The church has failed to realize this keeps people in a sin consciousness which Jesus came to free people from. It only brings a temporary emotional release from guilt, leaving people with a false identity by thinking they are just sinners who can’t seem to overcome. A better way to living in victory is placing faith in what Jesus did, and that it was more than enough.

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679. 1 John 1:9 (Part 3) One Confession of the Lord Jesus Christ

November 25, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

As we continue past the first chapter of the book of 1 John, we find several instances where John made references to things he mentioned from that opening chapter which was written to unbelieving people. He reminds the believers in chapters 2 and 4 about a confession of the son (Jesus) and to avoid those in error who do not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. In the first chapter of 1 John (including verse 9), John summarized what he was talking about with these statements: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:2-3; 15 NASB). Also see 1 John 2:23.

In the tenth chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul also spoke of this confession of the Lord Jesus Christ, resulting in salvation and righteousness… or as John said, cleansed from all unrighteousness. This is when we experience new life and receive the forgiveness that God has offered back at the cross of Christ. Clearly, the target audience in the first chapter of 1 John was aimed at unbelieving people who denied they have sinned… they needed to realize they had fallen short, confess it and be transferred into the light of Christ. The “verse” of 1 John 1:9 is not an admonition for believers in Christ to admit to God they have committed yet another sin while seeking a new forgiveness. After all, forgiveness is not offered without the shedding of blood, and Jesus offer Himself once, for all.

We have a better confession inside of a new and better covenant where Jesus is our guarantee: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23 NASB).

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678. 1 John 1:9 (Part 2) Contrasting Chapter 1 (Unbelievers) with Chapter 2 (Believers)

November 18, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Understanding the context leading up to 1 John 1:9 will help us from falling into doctrinal traps which contradict other Scriptures on the subject of God’s completed work of forgiveness. Many passages and verses explain how we’ve already been forgiven by God through the blood of the cross. But regardless of how many good news verses are submitted, misguided teaching has caused believers to trip over this one, single verse:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NASB).

Compare the language between Chapter One vs. Chapter Two. John’s conversation in the first chapter is attempting to convince unbelievers that Jesus was manifested and came in the flesh. He is speaking to people with whom he doesn’t have fellowship or a joy that is complete regarding them. These were people who denied they had a sin problem and walked in darkness. They were liars who made God out to be a liar. Using John’s own words, they did not have the truth nor God’s word in them. Remember, believers in Christ are declared to be in the light, and have God’s word and truth in them (these identify Christ in us).

Other NT epistles address believers at the beginning. John made an exception and didn’t do that with this letter in chapter 1, but he does in chapter 2. Here we begin to see where he identifies his audience for the rest of the letter (believers). Notice the differences in language from his opening chapter… these were people who have been forgiven, who know God and have overcome, they had the word of God abiding in them, they knew the truth and had an anointing from the holy one which abided in them. John warned them of the deceivers - those who denied God by not confessing the Son. This is referring back to what he wrote in 1 John 1:9 and reveals the true purpose of his statement… not a confession of every individual sin but a confession of Jesus Christ as Lord. When one confesses the sin problem, they confess need for the Savior. It results in receiving salvation and forgiveness.

677. 1 John 1:9 (Part 1) Was John Addressing Believers or Unbelievers?

November 11, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Regardless of your Christian background, there is a good chance the Bible verse that you've heard quoted or used more than any other is 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NASB). Generally, “the Christian religion” has put a spotlight on this verse by jumping to the conclusion that believers in Christ should continue to apologize to God by confessing every sinful thought or action in order to remain in God’s perfect way of forgiveness. As they see it, failing to do so will result in having unforgiven sin in your life and put a strain on your fellowship with God. It’s as though God’s grace and the finished work of the cross are set aside on the shelf, as you are burdened with trying to confess what God declared He remembers no more and is not counting against us in this New Covenant.

Here’s the crux of the problem: Legalistic religion has made the false assumption John was writing to believers in his first chapter of this letter, thereby leaving Christians to try and come up with ways to make this passage relevant to the Christian life. This week, we’ll begin to address why this entire first chapter was a rare exception within the epistles of the New Testament - where the writer was addressing unbelievers instead of believers.*

*This will be a multi-part series that will unfold more clearly over several weeks.

676. Receiving the Forgiveness That Has Already Been Given

November 4, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

A once for all forgiveness for sins occurred through Jesus Christ when His blood was shed at the cross. The problem of sins ever bringing a separation or coming between God and us has been dealt with by God Himself through the body of Jesus Christ. God was in Him, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them. He no longer deals with us according to our sins, which have been cast as far away as the east is from the west. When the priests under the law made offerings for sin, it was a temporary covering (atonement) and a new forgiveness was needed shortly thereafter. They kept standing, offering the same sacrifices that could never take sins away. But our new High Priest (Jesus) made one offering… then He sat down, because when forgiveness is a completed and finished work, “there no longer remains an offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:18). Now in order to experience and enter the life of Christ, we simply believe in Him and what He did on our behalf. The gift of forgiveness that has already been “offered” is received by simply believing (see examples in Acts 10:43; 26:18).

675. The Lamb of God Who Takes Away the Sins of the World

October 28, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Continuing on our journey on the subject of forgiveness of sins from God, some questions we discuss this week… when does forgiveness occur? Is it something God extends to each individual on a one by one basis, or is it a gift that has been offered and made available to everyone in the world? We know Jesus was identified as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. As it relates to the finished work of Christ and the power of His blood that was shed once for all, were sins taken away at that time over 2,000 years ago? Or is a new act of forgiveness from God still required? In other words, is it possible God has closed the book on forgiveness after the cross of Christ, and all that is left now is for people to receive it by believing the work of Christ was and is sufficient? If sin is no longer an issue of separation between God and people, is unbelief the only thing that will keep people from experiencing the life of God through salvation and righteousness? These are some of the questions we are asking in our discussion as we consider the magnitude of the cross.

674. Forgiveness Complete, Offerings Stopped

October 21, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Good news: The blood of Jesus Christ did not cover your sins (don’t panic). Why is this good news? Because something better happened. Instead of covering them, His blood took them completely away. They were removed once and for all by one sacrifice. Contrast this with the many sacrifices of the blood of animals with ceremonies offered under the first covenant. Those sacrifices were offered daily and provided an atonement (covering), but they could never take sins away. Forgiveness was temporary for the Jewish people under the Law. In the kingdom where we grace radicals abide, we talk much about forgiveness of sins that have occurred whether they be past, present or future. As we challenge our traditional mindsets on this subject, the question we begin to ask is… when did this occur and is it synonymous with salvation where we find life in Christ? To be continued…

673. “Do I Still Need God to Forgive Me Each Day?”

October 14, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The subject of forgiveness has been a common guest on our program over the years. Even believers in Jesus Christ will often struggle with whether they are truly forgiven or wonder where they stand with God. In their minds they may ponder whether they are they forgiven only up until this moment - until another sinful thought or action occurs. Have they confessed everything? Of course they haven’t confessed all of their sins - and we should ask if that activity even brings a renewed forgiveness from God.

When contrasting the Old Covenant to the New, we find quite a contrast as the book of Hebrews explains the true power of the blood of Jesus that was shed just one time. The Jewish people were unable to rest in God’s forgiveness. Why? Because they had to keep seeking a renewed forgiveness on a daily basis. It’s likely we haven’t fully understood what occurred on that cross when Jesus died and uttered the words, “It is finished.” The good news is far better than we think, and it’s why we live in something called a better covenant, established upon better promises.

672. The Spirit of the Living God (Not the Spirit of the Law)

October 7, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Legalists from the Christian religion who promote and teach a combination of the Old and New Covenant will use ambiguous language which is often misleading and leaves the hearers in the state of confusion. The double talk tries to convince people they need to do something in order to become more like God, become more righteous, more holy, more sanctified and the list goes on. It begins to take the spotlight off of the finished work of Jesus Christ and put the focus on us as we try to maintain forgiveness and fellowship with God by following some sort of “Judeo Christian” mixture based upon a sandy foundation of law and grace. As believers begin hearing “Moses” out of context, they become blinded to a greater knowledge of the truth, while missing out on many blessings God has already provided. One example is where they use the fabricated phrase “the spirit of the law” when the Scripture clearly defines the passage as the Spirit of the living God.

671. Theological Gibberish: “The Spirit of the Law”

September 30, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

When mixed covenant teaching attempts to suggest Christians should follow the Mosaic Law from the Old Covenant, a concept or phrase has been known to be used to build their case as they refer to “the spirit of the law.” They will complicate the simple gospel by convincing people of the differences between what they call the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. As is typically the case, people will be begin to believe the phrase actually appears in Scripture (it doesn’t). Bible “verses” get used out of context from various passages and the message of the good news becomes confusing as the waters get muddied with misleading theories which lack clarity, while leading people into a type of spiritual bondage. If you find yourself traveling on the road of lifeless religion, watch for the warning signs: “Dead End Ahead.”

EXTRAS: On this week's podcast we mentioned Kap's 'preaching' at Heartland Vineyard Church. Here is his 40 minute message on YouTube.

We also mentioned Ralph Harris and his new book "Life According to Perfect," as well as Joel's past interviews of Ralph. Check out the book here, as well as Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview.

670. The Letter of the Law Vs. the Spirit of Life

September 23, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

When believers fall into the trap of getting focused on improving behavior, it often leads them back into a place of bondage rather than the freedom Jesus came to give us. Your behavior will never reach the perfect standard God required under the law of commandments given to Israel. Trying to follow those rules and statutes only caused sin to increase. The letter of the law killed, but we now live in a New Covenant of the Spirit, which gives life. The power of grace found within the Spirit of God who lives in us is a very different ministry than what Israel went through under a system of works which did not lead to righteousness within their hearts. On this week’s program, our encouragement is to abandon the attempt to mix Old Covenant commands with New Covenant grace … because in spite of what the religious world has been teaching, they are not compatible.

669. Paul’s Testimony: I Stopped Trying to Keep the Law of Commandments

September 16, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The title of this week’s program is an obvious paraphrase, but it isn’t far off from what Paul explained when it came to being freed and delivered from the Mosaic Law with its burdensome commandments. He found out that what he thought would give life had actually proven to bring death and despair, while causing sin to increase. Today many believers will get up in front of the church and talk about how they used to do bad things and now they work on doing good things. To be clear, pursuing sin will never be a profitable venture - less sin is a good thing. But this was not Paul’s testimony. He didn’t boast about how he used to murder and then stopped after he was saved. He emphasized that we’ve been made a new creation, and the value of getting to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection. God’s life in us, has caused us to pass from death into life in a New Covenant that isn’t based upon our ability to a meet certain standard of rules and regulations. Instead, we live by the righteousness of faith with the power of Jesus Christ abiding in us.