What does it mean to be forgiven?
To be forgiven means God has wiped the slate clean, removing the sin problem that stood between us and Him. It is done. God's grace forgave past, present, and future sins, though this is not license to sin; believers still confess daily sins and walk pleasing to Him.
Les explains that forgiveness means God has wiped the slate clean. He no longer has a controversy with you and I as a sin problem between us and Him; it is done. In the Christian walk, believers will fail, sin, and fall, but that is not what God is dealing with in salvation—that is something else. After a person is a child of God, He deals with daily sins and failures by confession, and He recognizes, yes, you are forgiven. All sin is forgiven, even what is committed tomorrow, and many people cannot swallow that. Yet this does not give license to sin. Les notes that if you truly teach the gospel of grace as Paul did, you will be accused of teaching that saved people have license to sin, just as Paul was slanderously reported. God's grace was so great that He forgave past, present, and future based on His grace, but that is not license; believers still have to walk and work and live pleasing in His sight.