Where In The Bible Will I Find:

The Remission, Or Forgiveness Of Sins?

The terms "remission of sins" and "forgiveness of sins" equal the same thing. The Lord is our Savior and redeemer (Isa. 60:16). He redeemed our soul from hell, the purchase price being His blood (Acts 20:28; Rev. 5:9) He shed His blood on the cross at Calvary, He went to the cross and died in our stead, He gave His life for us, He shed His blood for the remission of our sins, as He said, "…this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:28).

This does not mean that man comes into contact with the blood of Christ unconditionally, and without obedience to His Word. Christ has done His part in man's salvation, man must now do his part in order to receive this forgiveness of sins. First, Paul tells us "…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). This means that everyone, in order to receive the forgiveness of sins, MUST come into contact with the blood of Christ. But, you say, "How can we, because His blood was shed about two thousand years ago and there possibly could not be any available now to come in contact with.”

Symbolically, His blood is contacted through our obedience to His commandments. He gave His apostles (and us) the responsibility of carrying the Gospel to all the world, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…" (Matt. 28:19-20). The apostles started that teaching and baptism on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of our Lord in the year 33 A.D. on the birthday of the Church of Christ in Jerusalem. The Gospel was preached, people heard it, was convicted of their sins, and asked, "What must I do?" They were told to "…Repent, and be baptized…for the remission of sins…" (Acts 2:37-47). But, you say, "Baptism is not essential for salvation, because Christ gave His blood for the remission of our sins, therefore, we are saved and nothing else is required as baptism is FOR, or BECAUSE our sins are already forgiven." Are you saying, then, that Christ shed His blood For, or BECAUSE our sins were already remitted?

The word "FOR" is the same in both versus of Matthew 26:28 and Acts 2:38. If you say "FOR" in Acts 2:38 means "BECAUSE OF," then you will have to do the same in Matthew 26:28. Surely, no one would want to corrupt God's Word by saying that "Christ shed His blood BECAUSE our sins were already remitted." Remission of sin is conditional, and when we meet that condition, when we are buried with Christ in baptism (Rom. 6:3-5), we come in contact with His blood, and by our obedience to His Word we receive the forgiveness of our sins as promised in Acts 2:38.