Forgiveness of Sin

I had the expericnce in high school of going over lake Pontchartrain heading in to New Orleans. The bridge is over 23 miles long and is the longest bridge in the world going over open water. When a bridge is built over a deep chasm, it connects two separate places. In the same way, Jesus built a bridge between us and God, allowing us to cross over from sin to forgiveness.

This is what we are looking at tonight - the forgiveness of sin. We’ll conduct our study tonight by asking a series of questions:

Why Forgiveness is Needed?

Because God is Holy, and we are not.

1 John 1:5 (KJV 1900)

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Because God is holy, He is the ONLY one who can acquit the righteous and condemn the wicked

Psalm 19:9 KJV 1900

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Psalm 119:75 KJV 1900

75 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, And that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

Proverbs 17:15 KJV 1900

15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, Even they both are abomination to the Lord.

Daniel 9:14 KJV 1900

14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

All men are sinners and are guilty before God!

Romans 3:10 KJV 1900

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23 KJV 1900

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV 1900

20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Becasue God is holy and righteous, it is His right to condemn all men as sinners and send judgment on the earth

Galatians 3:22 KJV 1900

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

We need forgiveness because of our sin…OK, so then...

How Can God Forgive Us?

Maybe you’d prefer “Why Would God Forgive us?” Both questions are of equal value. Here is the answer:

God, who is holy and just, is also loving, merciful, and full of grace! He made a way to be both holy and at the same time to justify the ungodly!

Romans 4:4–5 KJV 1900

4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

1 Peter 3:18 KJV 1900

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Jesus took our place, suffered, and died on our cross!

Isaiah 53:5–6 KJV 1900

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

For us to be called righteous, our sin had to be put on someone else’s account

2 Corinthians 5:19 (KJV 1900)

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

1 Peter 2:24 KJV 1900

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

For us to be declared “not guilty” (acquitted), someone had to take our place, and that someone had to be able to offer something that would satisfy God’s demands for payment of sin

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 1:29 KJV 1900

29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

1 John 2:1–2 KJV 1900

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Hebrews 10:14 KJV 1900

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:12 KJV 1900

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Therefor God can declare the ungodly “not guilty” and free from sin’s condemnation IN CHRIST. But it is only “in Christ” that God can be just and at the same time justify the wicked. Romans 3:24

Romans 3:24 KJV 1900

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

That is why we need forgiveness and how it is obtained, but here is another interesting question...

When Does Forgiveness of Sin Happen?

There are plenty of opinions out there on this question, but we’re not interested in opinion, we want to know what the Word of God says!

God declares sinners “not guilty” the MOMENT they believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior.

John 3:18 “18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Romans 3:26 “26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

Romans 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Sin’s forgiveness is based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and nothing else.

It is only in Christ that a person can be forgiven of sin Romans 3:24-26.

Anyone “outside of Christ” will be justly condemned Galatians 2:16 “16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Forgiveness of sin is fully and final the moment you trust Jesus. We’ve seen why we need forgiveness, how God can forgive us, when forgiveness happens, and lastly we’ll see...

What Does Forgiveness of Sin Involve?

Are you ready for the BEST PART? Those in Christ have been forgiven of ALL sins, both original and actual. (Original sin is our sin nature inherited from Adam’s first sin. Actual sins are those that we have committed are responsible for.)

Acts 10:43 KJV 1900

43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Ephesians 1:7 KJV 1900

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Colossians 2:13 KJV 1900

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Romans 5:17–19 KJV 1900

17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Romans 8:31–34 KJV 1900

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Those in Christ have been delivered form the dominion of the sin principle. Romans 6:1-13

Romans 6:1–13 KJV 1900

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Those in Christ have had their sins imputed or reckoned to Christ and His righteousness has been imputed or reckoned to them. 2 Cor. 5:19

2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV 1900

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV 1900

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.