If you are a new convert to the Christian religion, you may not be familiar with how we, as children of God, have our sins remitted, how we are washed of sin. From the time of Adam's transgression until this very day: the sin problem has been with us. And it is a matter of life, and death : life eternal if we are sanctified, washed of sin:, and death, but not just death but eternal punishment to die in an unclean condition. From the time that Adam transgressed the commandment of God, until Moses the spiritual death reigned on all men. For all mankind was in Adam at the time he transgress the commandment of God, and because of our physical union with him, sin was imputed unto all mankind. 1 Corinthians l5:2l for since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. From the time that Adam transgressed the commandment of God, until Moses the spiritual death reigned upon all men, but when Moses was born God choose him a people Israel, and allow them to put off the spiritual death, until Christ the messiah came into the world, by using the scape goat. In the days of Aaron, the priest of Israel, God instituted a ritual in which he allowed Israel to put off the spiritual death, by bringing two goats before the tabernacle of congregation. There Aaron would cast lots, to see which goat would be an offering to God, and which would be the scapegoat. Listen carefully sin is transferable, Aaron would kill one of the goats, and then read the sins of Israel over the other goat, placing the sins of Israel, done in ignorance, upon the head of that goat. In these verses of scripture God is instituting the ceremony of the scapegoat, and he is telling Moses how the ritual should be done. In the previous verses he has told Moses that one of the goats should be killed as a sin offering. Leviticus l6:20 and when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 2l. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgression in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. 22. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. Saints God, it was never intended for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, for then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a rememberance again made of sin every year. Therefore the ritual of the scapegoat continued until Christ came into the world. Isaiah recorded these words as to how our sins are remitted that we committed before God calls us to repentance, and the sins that we commit as babes in Christ. Isaiah recorded these words about Jesus Christ, the messiah. Isaiah 53:4 surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray : we have turned every one to his own way: and the lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Listen carefully, the sin problem is real, even though we cannot see sin does not mean that it is not real. A person cannot see electricity, but it will cause you trouble under the right circumstances. To stand before God in sin, will be a terrible thing. When Adam transgress the commandment of God, sin came into the world: and polluted, contaminated, and made unclean all mankind. And when the spirit of God departed from Adam, the inward man, the soul of man died. Now when a child is born into the world, he is alive physically but dead spiritually. Therefore he must be born again. The inward man the soul must be brought to life. There was not a gift in all the world that could be offered up to God to made amends, to make an atonement, for sin. That God and man might be reconciled, therefore God, the father sent his only begotten son into the world to be offered upon Calvary's cross. To make an atonement for our soul. And after his death, burial and resurrection, Jesus came to his disciples, and breathed on them: and said "receive ye the holy ghost." This was the reconciliation of God, and man. St. John 20:l9 then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, peace be unto you. 20. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side, then were the disciples glad, when they saw the lord. 2l. Then said Jesus to them again, peace be unto you: as my father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, receive ye the holy ghost: 23. Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whose sins ye retain, they are retained. Notice this children of God, it was not until Jesus breathed on his disciples, and said receive ye the holy ghost: that he said whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted, and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained. Therefore I must conclude that it is receiving the holy ghost, that gives a person the power to remit sin, and retain sin. When Christ breathed on the disciples, and said unto them receive ye the holy ghost, power came to live the sin free life. I know that multitudes of false prophets say that it is impossible to live without sin. But the scriptures say that we have all sinned, but we do not continue in sin after our conversion. Romans 6:l what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2. God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein. 3. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. L john 3:6 whosoever abideth in him sinneth not : whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8. He that committeth sin is of the devil : for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin : for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. L0. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. Saints of God, you may wonder how that we get into the kingdom of God? We, the children of God, are born into the kingdom of God. We are born of water, and of the spirit. Except a man be born of water, baptized, and of the spirit, receiving the washing of regeneration, and there newing of the holy ghost, he cannot enter the kingdom of god. St. John 3:l there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God : for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4. Nicodemus saith unto him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5. Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water, and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Beloved of God, when a person is baptized in the name of the father, and of the son, Jesus Christ, and in the name of the Holy Ghost, the water of his baptism washes his sins away. Notice this saints of God, that the apostle peter uses the words "remission of sin." Annias uses the words "wash away your sins." Acts 2:37 now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? 38. Then peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the holy ghost. Acts 22:l6 and now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the lord. Brothers, and sisters in Christ, when a person is baptized into Christ, and receives the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the holy ghost, the inward man the soul comes to life. And the person is a new creature, a new creation in Christ. The apostle Paul refers to them as babes in Christ. L Corinthian 3;l and I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat : for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able. Saints of God if one of the babes in Christ commits a sin in ignorance, when he comes into the knowledge, that he has committed a sin against God, if he will confess that sin to God, then God is faithful to forgive him. L john l:9 if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There is recorded in the bible a confession of sin, so that you might know how to confess your sins unto God. David, king of Israel sinned against God, and there was a prophet by the name of Nathan, that came to David, and told David that God knew of his sin. And it was at this time that David made this confession. Psalms 5l:l have mercy upon me, o God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgression. 2. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightiest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness : that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. L0. Create in me a clean heart, o God: and renew a right spirit within me. Ll. Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy holy spirit from me. L2. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation : and uphold me with thy free spirit. L2. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinner shall be converted unto thee. Holy children, Jesus Christ gave unto the apostle St. Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven, that whatsoever he bound on earth would be bound in heaven, and whatsoever that he loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven. Christ also said these words, "thou art peter, and upon this rock I will build my church". The Catholics have built the largest church in the world, over the tomb of St. Peter: they further claim that they have the keys to the kingdom of heaven, because of their continuous lineage of popes from the days of the apostle peter. They further believe that the church has the authority to appoint priest to remit sins. Therefore they have sat up confession booths for this purpose. Peter made a confession that Jesus was the Christ, the son of God, St. Matthew l6:l7 and Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt loose of earth shall be loosed in heaven. There is in this present world, both the physical church, and the spiritual church, the body of Christ. Those in the body of Christ, that have received the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the holy ghost, have the power, and we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. We are a holy temple in which God dwells. We are the body of Christ.