When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden, He told them they could enjoy all the good things there. Imagine this: Adam, surrounded by pear and plum trees, crying out to God, “I’m so hungry! Please have mercy on me and provide some food!” If such a thing happened, we’d think Adam was insane and delusional. The pear tree is staring him in the face, and yet he’s begging God for a pear. If I saw someone acting like this, I’d think they had a few screws loose in their head.
Begging God for what’s slapping you in the face—be it pears, forgiveness, or healing—is the textbook definition of spiritual screw-loose syndrome
Picture Adam whining for a pear while a tree bonks him on the head with one—sounds nuts, right? Yet that’s how some Christians beg God for what’s already theirs. Some folks pray like God’s a short-order cook who forgot their fries, when the gospel buffet’s been served and paid for—grab a plate already!
However, we know from the story that Adam and Eve didn’t beg God for food because the food was already provided and given to them. They could beg all they wanted, but God wasn’t going to grab a pear and shove it down their throats. They had to take the food provided and eat it themselves.
This is the reality of the finished atonement and the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s a historical event accomplished for our good and given to us by unmerited favor. Forgiveness was secured once, for all time, for all our sins. Even our future sins were atoned for by Jesus Christ once and for all. It was a substitutionary act: the Father considered our sinful list as belonging to Jesus, punished Him for it, and in exchange, we are given forgiveness and righteousness.
Thus, when we ask for forgiveness, we aren’t begging God to forgive us as if He needs to do something new. If you’re asking God to “do something” to forgive you, you’re essentially asking the Father to re-crucify His Son, because that’s the way God would “do something” to forgive you. Asking God to forgive you again is like asking Him to re-run the Crucifixion—newsflash: Jesus already punched that ticket. Now, because our speak is not always perfect, there is nothing wrong in saying, “God, forgive me,” when you have sinned as a Christian,” as long as you understand the forgiveness has already happened. There is nothing more for God to do to forgive you.
Romans 10:9 says “if you CONFESS with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (NKJV).”
The substitutionary atonement has already happened and is already accomplished. Thus, when we ask God to forgive us, we’re confessing confidence in the truth that Jesus has already saved us. We confess that Jesus died for our sins, and through this, we are forgiven. Repentance isn’t begging God to do something to forgive us—it’s agreeing that Jesus has already forgiven us by His sacrifice. We agree with God that we have sinned, and we also agree with Him that Jesus’ finished atonement has removed all our sins, cleansed us, and made us whole. Then we thank Him for this.
In the Pentecost sermon Peter told the audience to “repent” to be saved, and not “ask” God to save them. This is because in the most technical sense we are not asking, but confessing our agreement with God. Repentance is not asking, but confessing. This is how you receive salvation.
Repentance is like a pear tree in the Garden. God has already provided it, but you must reach out, grab it, and partake of it to benefit from it. God won’t zap you with a divine beam, force your mouth open, and float a pear into it, moving your jaw for you. The gospel has already happened and been provided. But you won’t enjoy the benefit of forgiveness if you sit there waiting for some so-called “will of God” to force you to eat it. God has commanded you to believe in Jesus. He isn’t withholding your forgiveness—you are, by your lack of faith. You can’t have pear trees surrounding you, smacking you in the face, and then beg God to forgive you as if it hasn’t already happened and been provided for you, and expect God to treat you as anything but delusional.
The same applies to all the benefits provided by Jesus’ finished atonement. God provided the Garden, and now He has provided the gospel. He won’t fly a pear into your mouth and force you to eat it. You must grab it by faith and receive it.
The same is true for healing. By the stripes of Jesus, we are—and were—healed. Healing, therefore, is part of the substitutionary atonement of Jesus. Healing is like fig trees provided in Eden. Jesus accomplished our healing and provided it to us by unmerited favor. When we ask for healing, we don’t beg God to heal us as if He needs to do something. If you’re asking God to “do something” to heal you, you’re asking the Father to re-crucify His Son and give Him 39 times all over again, because that’s how God has chosen to “do something” to heal you.
The substitutionary atonement has already happened and is already accomplished. Thus, Peter says in Acts 3, “What I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus, walk.” Peter didn’t beg God for a miracle in Acts 3—he cashed in the healing coupon Jesus already signed with His stripes. Thus, he didn’t ask God to heal because healing had already been provided. He didn’t need to ask God to re-crucify Jesus. God had already provided the fig trees. So Peter grabbed a fig and commanded the sickness to leave. Jesus didn’t command us to ask God to move our mountains but to tell them to move ourselves. Jesus said, tell the mountain to move, not ask God to nudge it—same goes for sickness. Command it, don’t grovel.
Thus, when we command sickness to leave, we confess confidence in the truth that Jesus has already healed us through His substitutionary atonement. Commanding healing isn’t begging God to do something to heal us—since He already did something—but agreeing with God that Jesus has already healed us by His sacrifice. We agree with God that we can get sick, and we also agree with Him that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. Then we thank Him for this. We are not asking, but confessing.
God won’t force a fig down your throat when you’re surrounded by fig trees slapping you in the face. You must obey God, believe in Jesus Christ, and receive the gospel—which includes the healing provided. These are already accomplished and provided. Begging God is delusional and insane when they are already provided. God already did something. Now you must do something. Waiting on some “will of God” to heal you, is no less insane than Adam begging God for food in the Garden.
Begging for healing when Jesus took 39 stripes for it? That’s like Adam asking for takeout in Eden—check the fig tree, pal! Waiting on God’s ‘will’ to zap you with forgiveness or healing is as bonkers as Adam starving in an orchard—open your eyes, you already have it.
[Grok, xAI, 2025, witty summary contributions]