United Church of God

Defining the Activity of Forgiveness

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Defining the Activity of Forgiveness

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Defining the Activity of Forgiveness

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Today we are going to define the activity of forgiveness that God initiates and completes when we say “father forgive me, a sinner.” It is my hope that it will be instructional & encouraging as we approach the renewing of the New Covenant at Passover. And so, that like David--when someone needs to know, you “may teach transgressors God’s ways." So that both you and they can know that when God says we are forgiven of our sins we really are and if He does so, we need to forgive ourselves, as well as others.

Sermon Notes

The Activity of Forgiveness

 

  INTRO

 

In Psalms 51:10-12, King David earnestly implores God to restore to me the joy of your salvation.  He then emphatically adds: then I will teach transgressors (sinners) your ways.

 

In the aftermath of his interlude with Bathsheba, David proclaims something we all need to be reminded of daily. We are being saved, and saved by none other than God.

 

It’s been said, “that forgiveness is man’s greatest need, & Gods highest achievement”

 

David WAS forgiven, and life went on & he was used to leave ageless words & concepts for us to understand God’s forgiveness towards sinners.

 

Have you ever considered how you would teach others, transgressors, as David puts it; “your ways”/God’s ways when it comes to how He deals with our sins?

 

Where do we begin?  What would we say?  We could just say, “well, He forgives us,” but God actually spells out forgiveness in scripture by adding dimensions, color and movement to allow us to understand the depth of His great love for us. 

 

SPS

 

Today we are going to define the “Activity of Forgiveness” that God initiates and completes when we say “father forgive me, a sinner.” It is my hope that it will be instructional & encouraging as we approach the renewing of the New Covenant at Passover. And so, that like David;--when someone needs to know, you “may teach transgressors God’s ways”.  So that both you & they can know that when God says we are forgiven of our sins we really are & if He does so, we need to forgive ourselves, as well as others.

 

BODY

 

But first, let’s understand what needs to be forgiven. 

 

Sin is sin. It is not just simply a mistake, oversight, accident or misunderstanding

Sin and why we sin is clearly defined in 1 John 3:1-8  sin is “the breaking of God’s law” ( Authorized Version)—“Whoever commits sin transgresses the law”  To transgress means to “violate or go beyond the boundary”/ it violates the very work of Christ to destroy sin/ we sin because we do not abide in Christ/it comes from the devil/ it is conquered by the work of God through Christ

 

Sin brings penalty as stated in Ezekiel 18:4---soul that sins will die!  Very real outcome!

 

Many of us in this room are familiar with these verses. But familiarity, belief & action are all very different junctures on the road to salvation.

 

Sin is not something that can be kept in the cupboards of our lives and we move forward as if everything is alright.  That’s why Christ instituted the immediacy of forgive us our debts, right after He enunciated give us our daily bread.  We can’t live long without bread & we can’t go on long in our sins. Why?   Isa. 58:1-2-Because our sins separate us from God

 

But God goes to great lengths to describe what He does with our sins, once those who truly believe, says three of the most precious words that can be spoken---“Father forgive me”.

 

From this point forward allow me to add bridge scriptures and imagery right out of the Bible to show how God re-connects us from the separation wrought by sin.  As we do it should give us great joy to vividly see the process of redemption unfold before us

 

1) Took them Away-John 1:29—the sacrificial language of John’s words allows us to understand that this was Christ’s primary mission.  It was not a gradual awareness, but                       His mission out of the starting blocks.

In Old Testament a lamb was slain every morning & evening at temple for to remind Israel of the breath of sin among them and the need for sacrifice

 

Isaiah prophesied (Isa. 53:7) a lamb would be offered up and like Mt Moriah of old, God would “provide” the ultimate sacrifice

 

“Who takes”—take the word at face value, “to take” means it is no longer in place. It has been removed. Definitions---to get possession of; to receive, absorb, swallow willingly, to convey, move or conduct to a different place.

 

Bottom line---Christ swallowed our sins, that we might not drown in them.

 

Yes, our sins have been taken from us, if we have confessed them to God. Real Action!        

 

2) Remitted Them----Matthew 26:28 (KJV) the Greek root for remission conveys “sending away.”  I.E.= Dismissal or release---as full payment is rendered.  Definition of “remit” in English is to send money as payment for goods, thus they may be released. 

 

I.E. Christ gave His blood as the purchase price of sin. Something had “to be sent” of value equaling the commodity purchased so it might be “released” or dismissed. The preciousness of that one sacrifice paid out a price-----bought our sins.          Something you and I could never do.

 

A little boy came to the Washington Monument and noticed a guard standing by it. The little boy looked at the guard and said, “I want to buy it.” The guard stooped down and said, “how much do you have.”  The boy reached into his pocked and pulled out a quarter.   The guard said, “ that’s not enough.”  The boy said, “I thought you would say that.”  So the boy pulled out 9 cents more!  The guard looked down at the boy and said you need to understand 3 things.    First of all—“34 cents isn’t enough. 34 million dollars wouldn’t be enough!”  Second of all---“The monument is not for sale. Never has been, never will be.”  And third of all—“If you are an American citizen the monument already belongs to you.”

 

Likewise there are 3 things about forgiveness we need to understand.  1) We can’t earn it 2) It’s not for sale, 3) If we truly believe in God and repent---it is already ours.   

 

3) Purged Them---Heb. 1:3(KV) The word purge means to thoroughly cleanse or rid of anything undesirable.  We often speak of “purges” of having to rid undesirables. The very term denotes a scrubbing thru & thru of the deepest order with nothing overlooked, but completely eliminated.    New Living Translation –“cleansed us from stain of sin”

 

God goes deep, and can go deep. The author of Hebrews purposefully connects God’s creative powers with His saving powers--nothing escapes the expression of His purpose!

 

4) Cleansed Us from Them—1 John 1:5-9  The use of the word-cleanses-in verses 5&7 is from a Gk. root word that denotes making clean from stain or dirt as in the case of utensils----i.e.---again it is thorough w/o stain.  

 

But the key here is what the confession and cleansing does draw us back into the fellowship as proclaimed in v. 3 & 5

 

Why is such confession needed and required?

1) We align & come into agreement with God that our sin is sin, & desire to turn from it.

2) Such confession gives us transparency b/4 God, not hiding from Him, or frankly, ourselves

3) Brings us into realism that our human tendency is to sin, & that we need H.S. to overcome

 

Such confession should not be based on fear, that we’ve gone down a list and forgotten something, or some detail again and again---lest we are cursed, but based on faith that God’s great motivating force is to forgive (Psa. 86:5—ready to forgive), so much so that this is why He sent His Son into world, not to condemn but save! (Jn. 3:16-17)

 

Yes, we turn to God, because it says, He will abundantly pardon—Isa. 55:7

 

from every sin!!!!  This is more than an understanding, but an article of faith—that Christ’s sacrifice is bigger than our biggest sin----no stain to deep----not to be expunged.

Not only to give us spiritual healing, but mental & emotional rest—cleanses our conscience (Heb 9:14)---not what men know or note about us---but what we internally carry & burden ourselves with as to what we’ve done—rather than what God wants yet to do with us. 

 

Such cleansing goes deep----in Isa. 1:18---as clean as freshly fallen snow

  5) Forgiven and Covered Them-Psalms 32:1—covered, buried---no longer in view

I.E----out of sight out of mind---no longer vivid,  and the hands that cover it have nail holes in it---the great covering of “Yom Kippur”   

 

6) Not Imputed to Us—Psalms 32:2  The term inpute in English conveys “to attribute something as a mistake, thus making a charge.  The Hebrew root conveys---“devising or reckoning.  We often bring these thoughts together by the expression—“imputing motives”

 

What this is stating is once God covers our sin ---there is no more thinking, or devising towards penalty----as there is no connection between what has been done and the future

                   whose record the Lord has cleared of sin ( New Living Trans.)

 

7) Cast Them Behind His Back—Isaiah 38:17—simply behind Him, not his focus. He sees a future for us with Him ahead, not what is behind.  God is not looking at the baggage of where we’ve come from, or been----but where we are headed out in front.  

 

8) Removed Them—Psalms 103:12—God uses this figuration of speech to further solidify that when He forgives, He forgets to attach the past or the penalty.  East and west travel in different directions----east and west do not meet---going in different directions.

 

God is omnisciet, all knowing!  This is not about spiritual or mental amnesia, but a choice solidified by sustained forbearance to take off judgment from the action.

 

Isaiah 43:25 explains it this way (God alone) “blots out”—to rub or wipe off—no longer thinks about it.

 

If we are to ever be with God forever, we must practice such forgiveness today.

 

9) Cast Them into the Sea—Micah 7:18-20—and puts up “no fishing allowed sign.”

 

CONCLUSION

 

When David states restore to me the joy of your salvation in great part He is proclaiming the ability of knowing that when we repent, God forgives. And how all encompassing that activity of forgiveness -----that God takes our sincere repentance of sin---and takes that act against Him-----and forgives it, meaning He covers it, removes it, blots it out, remits its, cleanses us thru and thru, puts it behind his back, cast it into the sea and throws the action in the opposite direction of where the penalty would take us.

 

Why? Because God loves you. That’s more than an emotion, it’s a fact & scripture shows

the intensity & dynamism of His active work to move in barriers between He & us.

 

We too, have a work to perform, and that’s the rest of the statement in the Lord’s Prayer—forgive us, as we forgive our debtors.  Believing in God’s saving work towards us, is manifested in our obedience to Him to forgive others as we have been, and so we will be forgiven-----doing so, is sharing in the joy of salvation, and teaching transgressors His way-----------not by what you know, or say----but what you do.

 

*Before we bear the crown of salvation, we too must bear a cross---Matt. 16:24

 

Two of Jesus last sayings on the cross are utterly profound

 

Luke 23:34—“father forgive them for they know not what they do”

Luke 23:46---Father , “into your hands, I commit my spirit ( a forgiving spirit

    

Christ-Son of God--full of the Spirit/  Stephen--Child of God full of the Spirit Acts 7:59-60

 

The parallel is “telling” to remind us that the activity of forgiveness starts with God & flows through us that we might experience the joy of salvation, as we “teach transgressors His ways.”