Paul’s thirteen epistles reveal that the believer who has trusted in Christ for their salvation and justification before God the Father lives the grace position of already having been forgiven of ALL sins.

8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

In the various accounts of our Lord’s earthly ministry we find three occasions when He declined to answer those who appealed to Him or questioned Him.

Under the terms of the Apostle Paul's "gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) in this day of "the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph 3:2), it is only by the pure grace of God "in Christ" that believers may stand "holy & blameless" (Eph 1:4) before Him. Believers then "become rooted and grounded 'in Christ," growing in the knowledge and grace of God. We "grow up into him (Christ) in all things..." (Eph 4:15).

 "If any man be In Christ he is a New Creation (creature)…" (2 Cor. 5:17).         "For we are His Workmanship, created In Christ Jesus…" (Eph. 2:10).     "... ye are Complete In Him…" (Col. 2:10).

"When we were enemies" (Rom.5:10a), "... Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6).

These verses describe all people before they receive the good news of salvation in Christ, by faith in His death for them; we were God's enemies, at enmity against Him! Paul wrote, "When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." (Rom 5:10).

But how can anybody who is "good" be considered a "religious enemy" of God?

It is to the guilty and undeserving who recognize that they are lost souls needing reconciliation to God that God offers "the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

Have you ever noticed that God does not hold the great men of Scripture up to us because of their personal goodness? Almost invariably their records are marred by failure and sin, but God bids us look at their faith, to see what their faith did for them. Even those who lived consistently good lives are not held up to us for their personal worth, because God knows their imperfections. Thus Rom. 4:2,3 says: