True religion must have a proper place for the forgiveness of sins. Theologies that are centered upon the dignity and welfare of men, if they include the idea of sin at all, cannot rightly interpret forgiveness. We can see this in the popular understanding of conversion, often attributed to the Christian faith, but in fact has no resemblance to it. This is illustrated in the analogy of the drowning man. It is said that the sinner is in trouble and is about to submerge, as Jesus Christ extends a helping hand. The Lord saves, but the man has to take the hand, and accept the assistance.

But if we are to think about it this way, why not make the analogy more accurate? Salvation does not occur in a vacuum. There are thousands of religions in the world, many of which acknowledge some kind of problem in man’s condition and propose ways to save him. This may or may not be salvation from sin, from intellectual blindness, and from divine judgment, since some of them do not include these ideas. Nevertheless, each of them extends a helping hand. Thus what we really have is the ridiculous scenario of thousands of hands crowding around the head of the drowning man. The man-centered believer claims that, even in his desperate condition, he considers his options, weighs the arguments, and decides that the truth is in Jesus, and so he chooses the Christian faith. Even if there were only ten hands, that is one sharp drowning man. But is it possible that he is still in the sea, that he has submerged and passed out, and the rescue is nothing more than a dream, a wishful fantasy?

Consider the actual Christian teaching. The man is not drowning, but dead in the water. Thousands of hands reach up to seize him. We hear voices from the water. One of them says, “Come with us. Be with Buddha.” Another says, “Come with us. Bow before the Bishop of Rome.” Still another says, “You are not drowning. Just relax and come with us.” But there are too many of them, and at times it is difficult to distinguish one from all the others. Suddenly, the noises merge together and a deeper voice demands, “Come with me. There is no difference. We are legion, but we are as one.” As the hands reach up to drag the man down, a ship draws near. And a voice thunders from above, “THIS ONE IS MINE! LEAVE HIM!” Screams of terror rise from the water – “It is Jesus, the Son of God!” – and the shadowy figures turn back into the dark regions of the ocean. Jesus reaches out, and without any cooperation or awareness from the dead man, pulls him out of the water. And the Lord says to the corpse, “I command you, LIVE!” Immediately, life returns to the man – he opens his eyes, and wakes in the bosom of his savior.

You are a Christian because Jesus chose you, and not because you chose him. You were dead in sin, and in bondage to the powers and doctrines of demons. But Jesus took you away from them and raised you from the dead. He rescued you. He saved your life. A Christian consciousness that is unaware of this, or that fails to think of salvation as…salvation, is at best a defective faith, if it is genuine at all, since that awareness is itself a manifestation of salvation. It is faith in the gospel.

This awareness is what makes our sins all the more repugnant to us. If someone saves your life and takes you to his home, will you steal from him? Will you abuse his wife and his children? Whenever we sin, we betray our savior, and it pierces our soul with pain and regret. Peter cried bitterly. Judas, even though reprobate, killed himself. What does this say about those who complain that we take sin too seriously, or that we rebuke sinners too harshly? Oh, I stand in doubt of them.

But Jesus Christ continues to save us. The Bible says that he saves us to the uttermost – completely and all the way. We betray our savior in many ways and on many occasions. If we claim that we do not sin, we deceive ourselves, and we call him a liar, since he knows that we do sin. But if we will confess our sins, to declare our wrongs and ask for pardon, the Bible says that he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. What relief! What a necessary provision! What a God of mercy and patience!

Perhaps the most important feature of this teaching is that God makes forgiveness depend on his integrity, and not our goodness. We are not very good, and that is why we need forgiveness in the first place. Rather, “Jesus Christ the righteous” (2:1, KJV) represents us before the Father. The righteousness of Christ, and the faithfulness and justice of God, constitute an anchor for our souls. When we confess our sins, we are confident that we receive forgiveness, because it is easy to believe that Jesus Christ is righteous, and it is easy to believe that God is faithful and just to acknowledge that our sins have been paid by Christ’s suffering.

If you are a non-Christian, or if you do not rely on Jesus Christ for your forgiveness, then be very afraid, because the same God has declared everlasting punishment against all sinners who have not received pardon. Just as he is faithful to forgive a Christian, because he is faithful to his own nature, he is also faithful to condemn you. His justice guarantees pardon for those who belong to Christ, but the same justice guarantees hellfire for those who do not cling to his Son for salvation.

Think on the goodness and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, then confess your sins. God pardons you because Jesus Christ is righteous, and because Jesus Christ has paid for the sins of those who believe in him. Confess your sins to the Father, looking to Christ as your only mediator and priest. By this, you will gain and regain immunity from accusation, confidence in fellowship, and boldness in service.