The Forgiveness God Gives!
Notes
Transcript
FORGIVENESS
The act of excusing or pardoning others in spite of their slights, shortcomings, and errors. As a theological term, forgiveness refers to God’s pardon of the sins of human beings.
“Imagine a man who served time in prison for a serious crime. Despite his past, he found a community that welcomed him with open arms after his release. This is a powerful example of the forgiveness and second chances that God offers to each of us, no matter our past mistakes. God's forgiveness is not dependent on our own actions or worthiness, but is freely given out of His endless love and grace.”
“In the Bible, we read about the renowned apostle Peter, who betrayed Jesus not just once, but three times. Yet, after Jesus' resurrection, Peter received forgiveness and restoration. This story is a reminder that God's forgiveness is not limited by our failures. It's a powerful example of the grace and mercy that God extends to each one of us, no matter how much we've fallen short.”
Christ has the authority to forgive sins (THE NEW COVENANT Heb. 9:11-10:18)
Matthew 1:21
“21 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.””
This forgiveness is an essential part of the gospel message (Acts 2:38; 5:31).
Forgiveness in the New Testament is directly linked to Christ
(THE APOSTLES JAILED AND FREED)
Acts 5:31
“31 “This One God exalted to His right hand as a Leader and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
His sacrificial death on the cross
A father tells the story of how his daughter needed a life-saving blood transfusion. He was the only match, and he willingly gave his blood, knowing it would save her life. He then connects this to the sacrificial love of Jesus, who willingly gave his life on the cross to save us from sin and death.
Romans 4:24
“24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be counted, as those who believe upon Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,”
and His resurrection
2 Corinthians 5:15
“15 And He died for all, so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”
He was the morally perfect sacrifice
Romans 8:3
“3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,”
the final and ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament sacrifices (Heb. 9:11-10:18).
Since He bore the law’s death penalty against sinners (Gal. 3:10-13), those who trust in His sacrifice are freed from that penalty.
10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to do them.”
11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for The righteous shall live by faith.”
12 However, the Law is not of faith; rather, “He who does them shall live by them.”
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—
Those who are forgiven sin’s penalty also die to its controlling power in their lives (Rom. 6:1-23).
CONFESSION AND COMPLETE FORGIVENESS:
No religious book except the Bible teaches that God completely forgives sin
Psalm 51:1 (LSB) CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART, O GOD! (NATHAN THE PROPHET 2SAM 12)
1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the abundance of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:9 (LSB)
9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.
The initiative comes from Him (GOD)!
John 3:16 (LSB)
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Colossians 2:13 (LSB)
13 And you being dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions.
because He is ready to forgive (Luke 15:11-32). THE PRODIGAL SON!
He is a God of grace and pardon: THE PEOPLE CONFESS THEIR SIN!
Nehemiah 9:17 (LSB)
17 “They refused to listen,
And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You did among them;
So they became stiff-necked and gave themselves a chief to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of lavish forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness; And You did not forsake them.
Sin deserves divine punishment because it is a violation of God’s holy character:
Genesis 2:17 “17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.””
Rom. 1:18-32 GOD’S WRATH ON UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
but His pardon is gracious
Romans 5:6–8 “6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
In order for God to forgive sin, two conditions are necessary. A life must be taken as a substitute for that of the sinner
Hebrews 9:22
“22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
and the sinner must come to God’s sacrifice in a spirit of repentance and faith
Acts 10:43
“43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.””
WE MUST FORGIVE OTHERS
God’s forgiveness of us demands that we forgive others, because grace brings responsibility and obligation (Matt. 18:23-35; Luke 6:37).
Jesus placed no limits on the extent to which Christians are to forgive others (Matt. 18:22, 35; Luke 17:4).
A forgiving spirit shows that one is a true follower of Christ (Matt. 5:43-48; Mark 11:25).
Imagine a man who had been wronged by his business partner, and yet chose to forgive the debt completely. This act of forgiveness reflects the extravagant love of God, who forgives us unconditionally. As adults, we are called to imitate this same mercy and liberating forgiveness in our own relationships.