When the Bible talks about the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, there is one-time finality expressed in its verses. You are forgiven for all time once you accept forgiveness.
Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter... Mark 3:28
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Luke 5:20
“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Romans 4:7
"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12
And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Hebrews 10:18
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
There are four reasons why we are forgiven for all time:
- The verses about forgiveness in the New Testament do not say "You are forgiven of your sins up to this point."
- Forgiveness happens because of a relationship. A judge forgives once the penalty has been paid and justice served. A father forgives based on a relationship. God asks us to be his children. We even forgive our kids differently, with grace and mercy.
- We are not forgiven because of what we have done, but what Christ did. We aren't forgiven because we asked for it, but because we accept what Christ did for us.
- Jesus - as an eternal God - died as an eternal sacrifice. A non-eternal sacrifice - say a lamb - has limited forgiveness ability. It paid for a limited amount of sin - up to that moment. An eternal sacrifice dies for all sins for all time, as long as someone accepts it..