“All” Means All
“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter.” (Mark 3:28)
Dynamite comes in small packages. As well as this truism speaks to the destructive force of TNT, the same can be said of the power of the gospel unto salvation. In Mark 3:28 lies one of those explosive words – “all.” “All” means all. Big sins, little sins; old sins, new sins; public sins, private sins; sins against mercy, sins against light; sins against God, sins against man – again, “all” means all. And yet, does not the human heart seek an exception against this small word? Sinners often ask in their heart, “Can God really forgive me for this?” We may reason that God has forgiven others, but the circumstances surrounding our particular sin aggravate them in our eyes. Surely, if we cannot forgive ourselves of all, can God really forgive us of all?
The force behind the word “all” lies not in the size of the sin, but in the power of the gospel. The sins of the children of men are passive, as passive as a sand castle before a nuclear explosion. The sand castle does not add to nor take away from the warhead’s explosive power; instead, it is acted upon by an unstoppable force. In the same way, our sin does not detract from the power of the gospel. The filthiness of sin does not subtract from the cleansing power of Christ’s blood. Being very God of very God, the blood of Jesus Christ comes with an almighty efficacy. Such power is the blood of Christ that it can cleanse the leopard’s spot, cure the leper’s ills, and cover the sinner’s stain. As John Stott once said: “…the love of Christ is 'broad' enough to encompass all mankind, 'long' enough to last for eternity, 'deep' enough to reach the most degraded sinner, and 'high' enough to exalt him to heaven.”
But let me ask us a question – if the blood of Christ can forgive “all” sins, what does it require of us? “All.” We often sing, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” “All” means all. “All” means that our words must be for the building up and expanding of Christ’s kingdom. “All” means that our schedules must be centered around a love for Christ. “All” means that each and every activity must fully engaged in exalting Christ’s glory. If Christ has forgiven us all, have we given Christ our all?
