The Power of Forgiveness
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What motivates you as a Christian?
Intro
Intro
What are you afraid of?
Christians can be motivated by fear
frozen by fear
Illus: Dr. Kistemaker and elders
“I forgive you” versus “will you forgive me?”
Fear of vulnerability
Fear of being uncomfortable
Drama
Drama
Disciples locked down by fear
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Fear is an emotion that can freeze us and cause us to go internal
Jesus comes and gives them peace
“Peace be with you.”
He knew they were afraid
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
He showed them what they needed to see to bring that peace
The Disciples were commanded to move
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
John 20:
Their main goal was to go - Great Commission
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Their message was forgivness
How does one forgive sins - It is not an act but a message
Christ accomplished the act, the disciples were messengers
Jesus gives them the power to move
Breaths on them the HS
The HS is the very Spirit of Christ
For the disciples this was a special gift given to them at the moment for the purpose of discernment - They knew the elect, those to whom forgiveness of sins is available
The Disciples are the agents of the message
The HS is the source of the forgiveness
Doctrine
Doctrine
Justification
The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition The Larger Catechism
Q. 70. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight;y not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone.b
Justification is applied by the HS
The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition The Larger Catechism
Q. 58. How do we come to be made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured?
A. We are made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured, by the application of them unto us, which is the work especially of God the Holy Ghost.k
Q. 59. Who are made partakers of redemption through Christ?
A. Redemption is certainly applied, and effectually communicated, to all those for whom Christ hath purchased it; who are in time by the Holy Ghost enabled to believe in Christ according to the gospel.m
Forgiveness of Sins shows us God’s grace
Doxology
Doxology
What motivates you as a Christian? Is it God’s grace?
The world motivates by fear!
However we should be motivated by Forgiveness
Jesus commands his disciples to move
To move from behind closed doors motivated by fear to out into the world motivated by forgiveness
Rather than be consumed and frozen by fear we need to trust in the HS and move as commanded with the message of forgiveness
We do this as one who has received this forgiveness
Jesus Empowers this movement
He provides His Spirit
The very Spirit of God is with you as you go into the world
The HS which formed the earth
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Jesus provides forgiveness
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Jesus provides forgiveness
Goal of going out into the world - message of forgiveness
What is more compelling?
You are condemned or you are forgiven
Problem:
We can take forgiveness and live a life taking advantage of that sin
or
We can refuse the forgiveness God offers us and live a life of fear
Illus:
A woman who grew up abused by her Father
When Father died she held her Mother accountable and harbored a ton of anger toward her
As she was dying she decided to confront her - she did so with forgiveness
They spent the past two years of her mother’s life having meals together and had a relationship they would never have had
Forgiveness - We accept it as the grace of God and we extend it and share it with those God puts in our path
Who has God placed in your path that needs to hear the message of forgiveness?
Maybe its you! Maybe it will be someone God places in your path. This is evangelism.
We do this as one who has received this forgiveness