Faith, Forgiveness, and living for Christ

ME: ORIENTATION: FIND COMMON GROUND WITH THE AUDIENCE

WE: IDENTIFICATION (MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU STRUGGLE)

GOD: ILLUMINATION (THE GOAL IS TO RESOLVE THE TENSION

I. Call to Forgiveness

English Standard Version Chapter 1

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

! John 1:9

Instead of denying sin, John commends owning up to it (1:9). Old Testament passages clearly prescribe this practice: “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy” ( NIV1

But it also lies in the precedent of the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus. The proper response to their preaching was confession of sins or repentance (which presupposes confession of sin) and then baptism (, ; cf. ).

Acknowledgment of sin, then, was required for status as a follower of Jesus or his kingdom movement from the beginning. It is in fact part of the Lord’s Prayer (“forgive us our debts” uses the same verb, ἀφίημι [aphiēmi, to forgive], that John uses in )

Moreover, God is πιστός (pistos, faithful). God’s reputation for being faithful to his word or promise is a commonplace in the OT. He is termed πιστός in numerous passages

There is this act of restoring fellowship.

  It is John’s insistence that, when people have sinned, excuses and self-justifications are irrelevant. The only thing which will meet the situation is humble and penitent confession to God

CONFESS, CONFESSION

A. Verbs.

1. homologeo (ὁμολογέω, 3670), lit., “to speak the same thing” (homos, “same,” lego, “to speak”), “to assent, accord, agree with,” denotes1

1 Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 120). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.

3670. ὁμολογέω homologéō; contracted homologṓ, fut. homologḗsō, from homólogos (n.f.), assenting, which is from homoú (3674), together with, and légō (3004), to say. To assent, consent, admit, as used commonly in Class. Gr.; to promise, i.e., to agree with or consent to the desire of another.

(I) To concede, admit, confess (); of sins ().1

1 Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

③ to concede that something is factual or true, grant, admit, confess (J

Forgive

ἀφίημι (aphiēmi). vb. leave, give leave, forgive. Refers to giving permission for an act or not taking a misdeed into account.

The concept of forgiveness emerges in connection with aphiēmi where the verb has as its object some transgressor, misdeed, or debt (possibly as a metaphoric representation of wrongdoing; , ; ; ; ). In such cases, aphiēmi indicates release from the consequences that might otherwise reasonably have accrued to the debt or misdeed (; ). Release from consequences, however, is a point of criticism where it gives place to continued sin ().1

II. Call to Salvation

English Standard Version Chapter 1

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Paul is speaking to the Romans the Truth about the Gospel

not ashamed

ἐπαισχύνομαι 1 aor. ἐπαισχύνθην ; fut. ἐπαισχυνθήσομαι (s. αἰσχύνη; Aeschyl., Hdt. et al.; LXX; TestJos 2:5) to experience a painful feeling or sense of loss of status because of some particular event or activity, be ashamed.

Gospel

εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion). n. neut. good news, message of God’s salvation

God’s power. Whenever the gospel is proclaimed, God’s power becomes operative and succeeds in saving. His power thus catches up human beings and through the gospel brings them to salvation. This is the essential, all-important theme that Paul announces: salvation comes to all through faith1

1 Fitzmyer, J. A., S. J. (2008). Romans: a new translation with introduction and commentary (Vol. 33, p. 256). New Haven; London: Yale University Press.

As used here, the phrase formulates the dynamic character of God’s gospel; the word may announce the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the emphasis is on that word as a force or power unleashed in human history.1

1 Fitzmyer, J. A., S. J. (2008). Romans: a new translation with introduction and commentary (Vol. 33, p. 256). New Haven; London: Yale University Press.

Moreover, because that gospel announces the Christ-event, its power is related to that of the risen Christ himself, “established as the Son of God with power”1

of everyone who believes. Lit., “for everyone believing” or “for every believer.” To “believe” is the response of a human being accosted by the gospel: faith in its message, faith in Christ Jesus whom it announces, and faith in God from whom it comes. To believe is to accept the gospel and through it to find life in Christ. It is the necessary, indispensable condition for salvation, pace Nygren (Romans, 68–69). No one, of course, achieves salvation without faith, which arises only because of the proclaimed gospel of God.

Martin Luther argued that Christians must understand their salvation as sola fide—“by faith alone.”1

Solaa Feed A

Romans: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary Notes

In either case Paul would be suggesting that salvation is a matter of faith from start to finish, whole and entire. It is not that through Christ and through faith in him human beings are enabled to fulfill the law, but rather that through God’s gift of Christ Jesus human beings come to believe in him, belong to him, and share in the uprightness that has been revealed through him and the gospel about him

In either case Paul would be suggesting that salvation is a matter of faith from start to finish, whole and entire.

that through God’s gift of Christ Jesus human beings come to believe in him, belong to him, and share in the uprightness that has been revealed through him and the gospel about him1

that through God’s gift of Christ Jesus human beings come to believe in him, belong to him, and share in the uprightness that has been revealed through him and the gospel about him1

III. Call to a faith journey

No sooner had Jesus come down from the heavenly glory than he was confronted with an earthly problem and a practical demand. A man had brought his epileptic boy to the disciples in the absence of Jesus.

.So serious was his condition that he was a danger to himself and to everyone else.

We can almost hear the sigh of relief as Jesus appeared, and at once he took a grip of a situation which had got completely out of hand. With one strong, stern word, he bade the demon be gone, and the boy was cured.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon,[a] and it[b]came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.[c] 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (ESV

.So serious was his condition that he was a danger to himself and to everyone else.

We can almost hear the sigh of relief as Jesus appeared, and at once he took a grip of a situation which had got completely out of hand. With one strong, stern word, he bade the demon be gone, and the boy was cured.

Footnotes:

Greek itMatthew 17:18 Greek the demonMatthew 17:18 Greek from that hourMatthew 17:20 Some manuscripts insert verse 21: But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting

Little Faith

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ὀλιγοπιστία

littleness/poverty of faith Mt 17:20.

mustered seed tree

another tree

single seed

seeds

Faith grows in our journey and walk with Christ.

IV. Call to Help others find Christ

14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon,[a] and it[b]came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.[c] 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”[d]

Footnotes:

Greek itMatthew 17:18 Greek the demonMatthew 17:18 Greek from that hourMatthew 17:20 Some manuscripts insert verse 21: But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting

YOU: APPLICATION (TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO DO AND WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD)

Conclusion:

Call to forgiveness

Call to salvation

Call to a faith journey

Call to help others find Christ