Chaplain's Corner

“Will I ever have to give an account for my sins?” “Which of my sins will I have to give an account for when I stand before God on the Judgment Day?” These good questions were posed to me one morning at Bethesda Place when I ran into one of you folks who read my column.

Before I begin to try to answer these questions several issues need to be acknowledged. First, this is a theological question. As such, before anyone can attempt an answer they have to be upfront with the theological position from which the answer will come. Every world religion will have a different way of answering these questions. I can only answer the question from the locus of my own theological conviction: The Christian Faith.

Secondly, even this must be tenured as Christendom is a big category. So to further define the position I answer this question from, I am a conservative, evangelical, Bible believing Christian who believes that God’s Word, the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

Thirdly, although I believe my answer is a biblical one, the space allotted for my column does not permit referencing my thoughts. If this is something you desire, email me at lhirst@southernhealth.ca and I will do my best to provide the scriptural support for the answer that I am about to provide.

Questions about forgiveness are common in my line of work. It seems sickness and end of life cause us to want to make sure that we have tidied up the messes we have made in life. We make those messes by sinning against ourselves, against others, against the world in which we live but ultimately against God. “Will I ever have to give an account for my sins?” “Which of my sins will I have to give an account for when I stand before God on the Judgment Day?” These are important questions.

According to my understanding of the Bible: when a person comes face to face with his/her sinfulness and has come face to face with the fact that there is absolutely nothing s/he can do to earn forgiveness; then believes that Jesus’ primary purpose in coming to live among us was to pay for our sins through his own death and resurrection – then they are forgiven – forgiven not just past sins; but ALL sins, past, present and future. As I understand the teaching of the Bible when this has transpired a person will never stand before God and have to give an account for a single sin. Jesus has already born the punishment for every sin and there is nothing for which to give an account.

But this raises other questions. Why then do Christians feel distance in their relationship with God when they do something that is wrong? Let me use an example that might be useful. Many of us have children. When a couple has children, they become parents, not just for a few years, but until the day they die or the day their child dies. However, every parent knows that from day do day, within that relationship, one or the other will do something that hurts or offends or neglects or uses the other – along the way we sin against each other. Do those sins call into question the parent/child relationship? Do we have to worry that one day an offence will take place that will break the parent/child bond forever (this is where the analogy breaks down for some times in human relationships things do break – I might as well admit that)?

For the most part, sinning against our parents or against our children does not end the family relationship, but what it does do is put distance between a members of the family involved. When I confess (own up to) the fact that I have sinned against my son or daughter or parent (whatever relationship it may be) and am forgiven, the distance disappears. The relationship did not come to an end and begin again, but relational distance created by the sin was dispelled by confession and forgiveness and the distance dissipated. When a child of God sins against the Father in heaven there is no “account” in terms of judgment to be given; there is no fear of being disowned and kicked out of the family. When a child of God sins against the Father and confesses, the distance that sin creates in a relationship is dispelled and fellowship is restored but the relationship was never broken.

This sounds too good to be true, and we all know what we have been taught about that: “If it sounds too good to be true – it probably isn’t.” This is the GRAND EXCEPTION to that rule. Forgiveness, absolute, complete forgiveness for every sin a believer ever has and ever will commit has been covered by the death of Jesus.

This truth also can tend to create the impression that sin doesn’t much matter then for the Christian. Paul addressed that faulty impression at the end of Romans 5 and the beginning of Romans 6. We should never use God’s grace as an excuse or a cover to sin – that is an affront to God who willingly and lovingly made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be forgiven.

But the opposite impression: that a Christian needs to confess every last sin or he/she will have to give an account for the unconfessed sins is equally wrong. For the wages of even one sin is death and if I ever have to give an account for even one sins, it would requires eternal separation from God. Just reflect for a moment on the consequences of just one sin in the case of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.

Of course, if you have read what I have said carefully, all this, according to the Bible, is only true of a person who has confessed and placed faith in Jesus as the only means by which sin can be forgiven – this is only true of a child of God, a Christian, a Believer. For individuals who have not come to the point in life where they are willing to admit to God that they are sinners, incapable of doing anything to change and then turn to Jesus and His saving work on the cross for forgiveness and eternal life – then there is no forgiveness and an account will be given for every last sin they have ever committed. What a dreadful reality that is.

Honestly, it is absolutely impossible to live without sinning; whether you are on the unforgiven side of the cross or the forgiven side. However, on the forgiven side we are told that “the Blood of Jesus Christ God Son cleanses us from ALL SIN” (1 John 1:7). On the unforgiven side – every person will have to give a full account and pay the full penalty for their sins. On the forgiven side no individual will have to give an account or pay the penalty for their sins, for Jesus has already done that perfectly and completely.

You know, Christmas is coming up and maybe you have never really thought about what it is all about. Maybe your celebrations have become overwhelmed by shopping and partying and going into debt and giving gifts to friends and family. But in the purest understanding of what Christmas is about we find God offering the gift of forgiveness to you and me so that we will never have to give an account for our sins. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) or to remember the words of the angel to Joseph, the night he considered breaking off the engagement because Mary was pregnant: “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'”