Forgiven!

The Need

1. Everyone hearing or reading this sermon is a sinner by three ways in two directions.
2. God is holy, and His holiness like brilliant sunlight exposes all yours sins (Is 6:1-7).
3. You, your thoughts, your intents, your secrets, and your desires are all naked to Him.
4. God, unlike cotton-candy caricatures, hates sin and sinners (Ps 5:5; 11:5; Pr 6:16-19).
5. God cannot acquit or clear sinners, because He is just and righteous (Ex 34:7; Na 1:3).
6. God holds your breath, your life, your wellbeing, and your eternal destiny in His hand.
7. God is sending Jesus Christ very soon to judge you and all others for ever secret thing.
8. God is not moved at all by you, like others are, at the pain of your damnation for sin.
9. Adam and all descendants die three ways for his sin … He still cursed both parents!
10. Though all men must die three ways … He yet drowned a whole generation fearfully!
11. Because Pharaoh was proud and denied Israel’s departure, God demolished all Egypt!
12. Because Moses’ got angry and smote the rock, he was absolutely denied into Canaan!
13. Because Achan took spoils, God killed 36 men and had his family stoned and burned!
14. Because the Philistines took His ark, He destroyed them with hemorrhoids and mice!
15. Because the Jews killed the Son and apostles, He sent the greatest tribulation and ruin!
16. Because two Jerusalem church members fudged about their giving, God killed them!
17. Because Herod Agrippa I had killed James, God killed him and had worms eat him!
18. Because of His plan for formal and final sentencing, a great day of judgment comes!
19. Do not let the pretty sky, beautiful day, and any good health deceive your foolish soul!
20. The God of dreadful wrath and terrible damnation is active this day and coming soon!
21. Every sin of yours, and there are many, are fresh in His mind and written in His book!
22. You are absolutely in greater trouble and facing more painful consequences than ever!

The Examples

1. David, guilty of aggravated adultery and calculated murder, was forgiven instantly!
   1. This in spite of the fact David had just condemned a man to death for a mere lamb!
   2. This in spite of the fact his sins, adultery and murder, had one sentence – death!
   3. This in spite of the fact he was guilty of several other sins recorded in the Bible.
   4. If you get foolish and fuss about Absalom, why did he get hung in a tree for Joab?
   5. If you get foolish and fuss about the dead child, why did he quickly get Solomon?
   6. Consider also David got the widow and had four living children, including Nathan.
   7. But never, never forget that David repented for that sin like you have not repented.
2. Manasseh, the worst king of Judah, humbled himself and was forgiven and restored!
3. Mary, or whatever name the sinner woman bore, was forgiven and honored before all!
4. Zacchaeus, known for his greed and corruption, was forgiven immediately that day!
5. Peter, failing twice in important situations, was forgiven and retained as a key apostle!
6. Saul of Tarsus, persecuting and killing Christians, was forgiven as an example to you!

The Basis

1. Know one thing for sure, forgiveness is not because you are a little good or a lot good.
2. Know another thing, forgiveness is not because you can at all explain why you sinned.
3. Know another thing, God does not care if parents, spouse, children, or others like you.
4. Know another thing, God does not care if parents, spouse, or others have abused you.
5. Know another thing, God does not care how deprived or poor you were born in life.
6. Know another thing, God does not care how much or little you have accomplished.
7. Know another thing, God does not care how many respect you or how much they do.
8. Know what God thinks of all your righteousnesses – they are filthy menstrual rags.
9. Know this! God will have mercy and compassion on whom He will (Rom 9:15-16)!
10. Know this! There is no part of His nature or obligation in the universe to forgive you!
11. Know this! You do not deserve forgiveness, but you do deserve much eternal torment!
12. Get this fact! God chose to forgive you before the foundation of the world by name!
13. Get this fact! God sent His only begotten Son to die for you so He could forgive you!
14. Get this fact! God will declare your forgiveness to the universe from the book of life!
15. Get this fact! The practical phase of forgiveness to restore fellowship only needs you!
16. You must respond right! You must confess your sins to God (Job 33:27-28; I Jn 1:9).
17. You must respond right! You must repent His way (II Cor 7:11; Psalm 34:18; 51:17).
18. Grasp the gospel! Your forgiveness is free – to you – for God Himself made payment.
19. Grasp the gospel! Your forgiveness is costly – to God – for He killed his own Son.
20. Grasp the gospel! Blood was required – blood of life – from Adam to Abel to eternity.

The Meaning

1. Forgiveness … is to remove all condemnation, debt, guilt, and restitution for a crime.
2. Forgiveness … is to acquit, clear, and pardon a person for their crimes against you.
3. Forgiveness … is to know the offended party no longer considers you guilty at all.
4. Forgiveness … is to know all bitterness, grudges, resentment, and vengeance are gone.
5. Forgiveness … is to start all over again with a clean slate and no past to condemn you.
6. God forgives … by not remembering your sins any more (Is 43:25; Heb 8:12; 10:17).
7. God forgives … by not making mention of your many heinous sins (Ezek 18:21-23).
8. God forgives … by purging them away, which is a verb to purify or cleanse (Ps 65:3).
9. God forgives … by blotting out, which is to annihilate, obliterate, wipe out (Is 44:22).
10. God forgives … by covering your sins so that they cannot be seen or found (Ps 85:2).
11. God forgives … by cleansing, which is to wash, purify, and/or purge away (Jer 33:8).
12. God forgives … by hiding his face from sins, so that He cannot see them (Ps 51:9).
13. God forgives … by hiding sins so that they cannot be found and are not (Jer 50:20).
14. God forgives … by pardon, which is to clear the record of a person’s sins (Mic 7:18).
15. God forgives … by casting into depths of the sea, which is deep and large (Mic 7:19).
16. God forgives … by removing sins as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:8-12).
17. God forgives … by casting sins behind his back – out of sight, out of mind (Is 38:17).
18. God forgives … by putting an end to sin as far as any consequence to you (Dan 9:24).
19. God forgives … by making scarlet and red sins as white as snow or wool (Is 1:18).
20. God’s forgiveness means … you have full access to His throne for help (Heb 4:16).
21. God’s forgiveness means … no double jeopardy in the future (Hebrews 10:10,12,14).
22. God’s forgiveness means … He will walk with you, talk with you, help you any way.
23. God’s forgiveness means … you may presume on Him for anything you really need.
24. God’s forgiveness means … any self-loathing for sin implies He failed or lied to you.
25. Your future holds … discovery of your sins from the books of works … Forgiven!
26. Your future holds … others being ordered away for sins just like yours … Forgiven!

The Application

1. Trust and practice I John 1:9, for it is totally true and has been fully paid by Jesus!
2. Rightly grasp Isaiah 55:8-9, for God forgives infinitely better than even His David!
3. Are you thankful? … for such a gift from God is the best thing to ever happen to you!
4. Are you fair? … you love to hear these words of men: I forgive you! Forget it! Smile!
5. Are you fearful? … for forgiveness should lead to perfect fear of this God (Ps 130:4)!
6. Are you zealous? … for what would you not to do for such a dear gift (II Cor 5:14)!
7. Are you confident? … you should attempt great things for God based on His pardon!
8. Are you certain? … for God considers this one of His glorious attributes (Ex 34:5-9)!
9. Are you doubtful? … why? so doing discredits God’s faithfulness or Christ’s death!
10. Are you consistent? … you must forgive those who sin against you a mere 100 pence!

Note:

The sin offering of Moses’ Law and its blood requirement for forgiveness provides learning.

1. Read Lev 4:22-35 and 5:1-10 for a brief description of offerings for sins of ignorance.
2. Note that these requirements of blood are for sins of ignorance, known or unknown.
3. There was sufficient guilt from such sins of ignorance to require the shedding of blood.
4. He had to lay his hands on the animal’s head, identifying it as his substitute for death.
5. He then had to kill it (without a gun), which would be a rather personal ending of life.
6. The blood would be distributed as a symbol, and the fat burned for a sweet savor to God.
7. By this process, sins of ignorance were forgiven under the Old Testament of God.

For Further Study:

1. Sermon Outline:  The Forgiveness of Sins (2).
2. Sermon Outline: Unsearchable Riches of Christ.
3. Sermon Outline:  The Forgiveness of Sins (1).
4. Sermon Outline:  Forgiveness of a Great Sinner.
5. Sermon Outline:  10,000 Talents.
6. Sermon Outline:  Facets of Salvation.
7. Sermon Outline:  I Have Found a Ransom.
8. Sermon Outline:  Starting Over.
9. Sermon Outline:  Abundant Pardon.
10. Sermon Outline:  If We Confess Our Sins.
11. Sermon Outline:  Repentance.
12. Sermon Outline:  Jesus Came for Sinners.
13. Sermon Outline:  Jesus Loves Losers.
14. Sermon Outline:  Self-Righteousness.
15. Proverb Commentary: Proverbs 28:13.