Be Aware of a False Teaching

God is good, all of the time! All of the time, God is good! When Jesus returned to heaven¹, He asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to us². The Holy Spirit does not speak about Himself³, but all that He says and performs is the will and words of the Father and the Son.

Online churches are a blessing. They enable me to listen to sermons from many pastors. What a blessing! However, I have noticed, over the last few months, a “half truth” being expressed. What is being taught is true, but only within a broader context. The way it is taught is heresy.

Jesus told the Holy Spirit, who told Paul⁴, who wrote the epistles from which we learn God’s intentions for us, the Church. Let me state this in a different way. We learn the will of God by the power of the Holy Spirit when we hear or read Scriptures.

Paul teaches us that the office of “elders” is required for a local church⁵. One of the responsibilities of elders is to protect believers from false teachings⁶. Recently, I have noticed that elders in many churches are overlooking a heresy that needs to be addressed. Here is the half-truth:

It does not matter what you have done or what sins you will do; the blood of Jesus covers them all⁷.

I have heard this taught in countless sermons, and the Bible affirms it. So, what is wrong with this statement? The problem is that it is being taught while lacking repentance, confession, and prayer.

God doesn’t overlook our sins. He forgives our sins when we repent; when we stop sinning.

Regarding our sins, God’s Word tells us:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

We must earnestly pray, asking God to forgive us⁸. Within this context, the half-truth becomes the full truth, giving us great joy and comfort.

What if we fail over and over? God forgives⁹. What isn’t okay is for us to have an attitude that Jesus paid the price for our sins, so it’s no big deal if we sin.

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ² Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

– Romans 6:1-2 NLT – Bible Gateway

So, we must live by faith in God. Be holy¹⁰. Live for Jesus. That’s what matters.

Footnotes

1. Acts 1:11 – The Ascension. (n.d.). Bible Hub. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://biblehub.com/acts/1-11.htm ↩︎
2. John 14:16 – Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit. (n.d.). Bible Hub. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://biblehub.com/john/14-16.htm ↩︎
3. John 16:13 – The Promise of the Holy Spirit. (n.d.). Bible Hub. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://biblehub.com/john/16-13.htm ↩︎
4. 2 Timothy 3:16 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%203%3A16&version=ESV ↩︎
5. Titus 1:5 – Appointing Elders on Crete. (n.d.). Bible Hub. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://biblehub.com/titus/1-5.htm ↩︎
6. Bible Gateway passage: Titus 1:6-9 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus%201%3A6-9&version=ESV ↩︎
7. Bible Gateway passage: 1 John 1:7 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%201%3A7&version=ESV ↩︎
8. Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 6:9-13 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206%3A9-13&version=ESV ↩︎
9. Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 18:21-22 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2018%3A21-22&version=ESV ↩︎
10. 1 Peter 1:16 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201%3A16&version=ESV ↩︎