How to Obtain Forgiveness of Sins.

THIS is a subject none can afford to neglect. For as has been well said: "To be buried alive is a dreadful prospect, to be buried unforgiven is infinitely worse," for there is no forgiveness beyond the grave.
How important, then, to seek this blessing in the right way! Many are the devices of man for obtaining it. Good works, penances, prayers, and even money payment, but all avails nothing. There is but one true way, "through the blood of Christ" (Eph. i. 7). By faith in that blood, all may obtain forgiveness, without money and without merit. Before considering this Divine plan, let us be on our guard against two false ideas, which are widespread to-day—
(1) that "we must confess our sins to a 'priest,' " and
(2) that "all we have to do is to ask God's forgiveness."
1. —NO MAN CAN FORGIVE SINS.
Of course we can, and ought, to forgive one another’s injuries. The Lord said to His disciples: "If ye do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father which is in heaven, forgive you" (Mark xi. 26). Hence, we are exhorted "to confess our faults one to the other" (James v. 16), and "to forgive if we have aught against any" (Mark xi. 25). Failure to do this has hindered many a blessing, but it remains none the less true that God alone can forgive sins. And yet never since the Reformation have there been so many men in our towns and villages claiming this power. They say that they are the successors of the apostles, but surely, they ought to give some proof of it. When St. Paul claimed to be received as an apostle, he could point to the miracles and wonders he had wrought as the signs of his apostleship (2 Cor. xii. 12). Even our blessed Lord gave miraculous proof that He had power on earth to forgive sins when He healed the palsied man (Mark ii. 10); but these good men neither heal the sick, nor raise the dead, nor give any tangible proof of their apostleship, and expect us nevertheless to believe on their bare word that they can forgive our sins. They claim the invisible powers, but the visible proofs are sadly lacking.
But could even the apostles forgive sins? Matt. xvii 18 is sometimes quoted to prove this: "Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." But the context shows that this passage does not refer at all to what is meant to-day by "confession to a priest," but to the excommunication or putting away by the whole Church of an obstinate offender who had refused to admit his wrong before all, and to his subsequent restoration when repentant. John xx. 23 is also brought forward to show that the apostles had this power: "Whatsoever sins ye remit, they are remitted;" but if we read the parallel passage in Luke xxiv. 33, we see that though the apostles were present when these words were spoken, the disciples from Emmaus were also there, and an unknown number of others included in the words, "and them that were with them." Here, again, there is nothing about "confession to a priest." The Lord is simply authorising His people to deal with offenders in their midst. In any case, they could only ratify on earth what God had already done in heaven. The apostles and others did preach forgiveness through faith in Christ. For instance, Paul at Antioch, in Acts xiii. 38, says: "Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins;" and Peter at Cæsarea, in Acts x. 43: "To Him give all the prophets witness that through His name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive forgiveness of sins." But there is not a single instance on record of their inviting others to confess to them, nor did they pretend to be a kind of sacred order of persons dispensing God's forgiveness to man, for they would remember the truth that there is one Mediator between God and man—the MAN Christ Jesus—and would shrink from taking His place.
2. —ON WHAT GROUNDS DOES GOD FORGIVE SINS?
Is it true that "all we have to do is to confess to Him?" This looks more scriptural than the error just dealt with, and, of course, it is better to have to do with God than with man; but it is not true that God forgives the sinner merely because he confesses his sin and asks for pardon.
But does not God say: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John i. 9). Yes, but to whom does He say it; not to the world, but to His Own children (1 John ii. 12). We must distinguish between the ways of a father in his home and the dealings of a judge in a law court. The former might forgive his naughty child if he confessed his wrong, but the latter could not acquit a prisoner merely because he pleaded guilty and asked to be forgiven, unless, indeed, another could be found, say, to pay the prisoner's fine. And though God, as a Father forgives His children when they confess their sin􀑫, He cannot forgive an unconverted man on these conditions, unless, indeed, someone can be found to pay the penalty of his sin. Thank God! He has Himself found such a one, even Jesus, "Who gave Himself a ransom for all." It remains for the sinner to accept Him as His ransom.
3. —THEN, CAN FORGIVENESS BE OBTAINED?
Let us learn from Leviticus iv. 27-31, what an Israelite had to do to obtain forgiveness, for this is a picture of what we have to do; but let us remember, while reading the passage, that there are no "priests" on earth now, no "altars," no "sacrifices for sin." These were shadows of good things to come. All is fulfilled in Christ, and the shadows flee away. If people calling themselves "priests" pretend to offer up ''sacrifices for sin" on their so-called "altars,'' we know they are dwelling among the shadows. Let us, then, consider the need of forgiveness.
Read verse 27: "If any of the common people sin through ignorance . . . and be guilty." Ignorance, then, does not spell innocence. A man may be guilty and not know it. Everyone would consider a man guilty who broke into a jeweller's shop and stole the watches in the window, but what of a man who only stood and coveted the watches? The police would arrest the former; they could have nothing to say to the latter, and yet God holds them both guilty, for He who said, "Thou shalt not steal," said also, "Thou shalt not covet." Where, then, is the man who, while guiltless perhaps of the grosser violations of the law, does not stand convicted before one of the lesser commandments? (James ii. 10).
4. —THE DESIRE FOR FORGIVENESS.
Read verse 28: "If his sin come to his knowledge." That is the first step. A man must be convicted of his sin. That is what the law is for: "By the law is the knowledge of sin;" but there is a greater sin even than breaking God's law, and that is rejecting God's Son, and everyone who has had Christ offered to him and has not accepted Him is really a Christ rejector (John iii. 18).
5. —THE MEANS OF FORGIVENESS.
Verse 28: "He shall bring his offering, a kid or a lamb, without blemish, . . . and he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering and slay the sin offering."
Notice here three things—                       
(1) The Israelite had "to bring an offering without blemish." This was a figure of Christ, the Lamb of God, "without blemish and without spot."
(2) Then he had to put his hand on the head of his offering, in a sign that he took it for himself and identified himself with it.
(3) Then the offering was slain, and its blood springled before God. "Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness;" therefore, the blood of Christ was shed to make an atonement for sin, so that "whosoever believeth in Him should receive forgiveness of sins." That word "believeth", corresponds to the hand laid on the head of the sin offering. We must take Christ for ourselves; we must believe on Him as the One who has borne the penalty due to our sins.
We see, then, that it was neither by "confession to a priest" nor by "asking God for forgiveness" that the Israelite obtained forgiveness, but by offering the sacrifice which God had appointed for his sin. ln our case, Christ has once for all been offered up on Calvary; His sacrifice can never be repeated; we have but to receive Hirn as our Saviour by a simple act of faith.
6. —THE KNOWLEDGE OF FORGIVENESS.
One question remains. How could an Israelite know for a certainty that his sin was forgiven? Not by his feeling nor inner experience, but by the Word of God. The same Word which told him what to do, told him what would be the result if he did it. Read the last words of verse 31: "It shall be forgiven him." In fact, it was impossible for him to offer the lamb according to the directions laid down without being forgiven. He might not feel it, but he was forgiven, and the Word of God assured him of it. In the same way it is impossible for a sinner to trust in the "Christ Who died for his sins," and rose again, without it being true to him. "His sins. which are many, are all forgiven."
"The British Messenger" 1906