Are we forgiven because of our own works or because of what Christ accomplished?
Forgiveness is not earned by our own works or anything we have done. It rests entirely on what Christ accomplished on our behalf. Scripture teaches that all trespasses—past, present, and future—have been paid for, so believers will never come into God’s presence with sin on their account.
Les explains from Galatians 2:20 that Paul’s classic statement is being crucified with Christ, which reflects the Gospel: Christ died for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose from the dead. Les emphasizes that when we come under that forgiveness, we are forgiven everything—past, present, and future. We will never come into God’s presence with sin on our back, so to speak, because it has all been paid for. This is beyond human comprehension; he cannot understand it but believes it because the Book teaches we have been forgiven all our trespasses, not because of anything we have done, but all because of what Christ accomplished on our behalf. That makes the Gospel simple yet complex, and we will never fully understand it this side of glory. Paul goes on to say that even though he is crucified by identification with Christ’s death, yet he lives, and the life he now lives in the flesh is lived by faith—or, as Les prefers, the faithfulness of the Son of God.