The Freedom of Forgiveness

Introduction

The Kingdom of God was crucial to the teachings of Jesus - Luke 4:43 “But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.””

The Kingdom of God is crucial to NT theology - Acts 8:12 “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.”

Luke 19:10 ““For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.””

The Kingdom

The word (baselia) signifies the place and people where God/Christ has reign, that is the church.

It’s is also used in synonymously with the church

Salvation

This refers to act of saving from immenent danger

Salvation puts you in the kingdom! Col 1:13 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,”

The Kingdom is both now, and then

Rev 1:9 “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”

2 Pet 1:11 “for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”

One key trait of the King that afforded us a place in the kingdom is FORGIVENESS. [READ TEXT] - Why did God do this???

Col 1:12 “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” - If He qualified us, this means that something disqualified us. . .

THE FREEDOM OF FORGIVNESS

A Key component of this rescue was Forgiveness

Col 1:14 “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

DICHOTOMY

Both words (redemption and forgiveness) have the notion of “release” imbedded in them

Redemption emphasizes the ransomer and the ransom for the release

Forgiveness emphasizes the reason for the release, and the result of the release. The result is freedom from the effects of the debt.

What is forgiveness?

Greek word aphesis [a-feh-seece]

To let something go or to release someone from a debt or legal obligation or punishment

To leave something behind

Lexham Theological Wordbook ἄφεσις

Indicates the state of having a particular obligation removed or ignored in a given relationship

From a cultural perspective, someone declares ‘aphesis’ (forgiveness) then the debt is paid. You have been released

Spiritually, you were released when God forgave you.

You had some stuff but God released you

When God releases He releases. . . Ps 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

What brings great significance to appreciating FORGIVENESS, is KNOWING WHY I NEEDED IT.

Why is forgiveness needed?

Num 14:18 “‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’” - God is a forgiving God!!!

#1 - God made it plain that forgiveness was part of His global mission

Luke 24:47 “and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

Acts 2:38 “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 26:18 “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’” - There’s is no forgiveness in the dominion of Satan - In Jesus you have light, inheritance, you must place faith

#2 - This Dominion, is where satan rules (Col 1:13)

This is another reason we need forgiveness, HIS DOMINION IS A REAL ONE.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians about “their darkness” but he says you were walking after the “prince of the power of the air”.

John 1:5 “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” - the word means “to obtain” (make an effort to)

But Men like their siin Jn 3:19 ““This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” - That’s why we need to tell them about sin. . .

#3 - Sin has a very high price that you never see up front

APPLICATION - Sin always has a price!!!***

Sin consigns one to death and it also enslaves those in it. Gen 4:7 ““If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.””

Sin doesn’t just want a dabble it wants your devotion

Sin doesn’t want a taste it wants the full meal

Sin doesn’t want a weekend visit it wants a full custody

Sin doesn’t want a room it wants the entire house

Sin doesn’t want a contract it wants a permanent tenure

Sin doesn’t want a piece of you it wants all of you

Sin wants all of you

Sin Is A Slave master

It BINDS, SHACKLES, IMPRISONS, SHAMES, TRAPS, SNARES, HOLDS, ENSLAVES

BUT. . . Jesus FREES!!!

The Devil knows SIN is a hole you cannot dig yourself out of!!!

The Price of Sin

Sin has a debt that you must pay

You pay with your life

You can’t afford the currency to pay it off

FORGIVENESS FREES YOU FROM THIS DEBT

Sin damages your life

It goes away from the wisdom of God and this never works out

Achan destroyed his house

David destroyed his house

Isarel perished in the wilderness

FORGIVNESS FREES YOU FROM THE DAMGE

God may not remove the obstacle but He’ll give you what you need:

Storm-Peace

Giants-5 stones

Trial-Patience

Clean Slate [FREEDOM] - Someone needs to declare you clean (Justified)

It Frees you

Penalty of sin

Power of sin

Pressures of sin

Presence of Sin

This freedom is captured by the term JUSTIFICATION*

This is the declaration that I am no longer in debt. It’s been paid off! Col. 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”***

To the Saved

Elevate your praise/worship/service/love/obedience/faith

God has done too much for us to be reluctant to give our all

God released you/freed you. Use that freedom to serve Him with your all

To the Unsaved

Sin kills you! Don’t leave tonight with the thing that kills you.

No one sees a cancerous tumor and leaves the Dr. office without making a plan to remove it.

The Choice

Rom 6:16 “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”

It’s Time to Make a Choice