You are Forgiven

Outline

3 characteristics of God’s forgiveness

I. Forgiveness Is Universally Needed

A. Through Adam – all have sinned

Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.

1 Corinthians 15:22 - For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

B. None are innocent

Romans 3:10-12 - …as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, there is not even one.”

“At its core, sin is a violation of the Creator – creation relationship. Man exists only because God made him, and man is in every sense obligated to serve his creator. Sin causes man to assume the role of God and to assert autonomy for himself apart from the creator. The most all-encompassing view of sins mainspring, therefore is the demand for autonomy.” (John MacArthur, Essential Christian Doctrine, p. 246)

Romans 3:23 - …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

C. Sin has consequences

i. Broken relationship with God

ii. Broken relationships with people

iii. Broken relationship with creation

Genesis 3:17-19 - Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

D. Sin has a cost

Romans 6:23a - For the wages of sin is death…

II. Forgiveness has Exclusively One Source

A. Only God the Father can forgive

Micah 7:18-19 - Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Psalm 130:4 - But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.

B. Only through Jesus Christ can the Father be satisfied

2 Corinthians 5:21 - He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Isaiah 1:8 – “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”

Acts 4:12 - And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

III. Forgiveness Is Freely Offered

Ephesians 1:7 - In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.

A. Grace – abundant and undeserved

Romans 5:20-21 - The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

B. The offer of grace requires a response

Romans 10:9-13 - …that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

C. The receipt of grace requires us to do the same

Matthew 18:35 - My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.t

Our annual theme this year is Building on Our Heritage. We chose that because this is Faith Church’s 60^th anniversary. It’s a perfect time in our history to 1) celebrate God’s amazing grace, kindness and faithfulness to our church. 2) It’s also a perfect time to look back and consider what it was that this church was founded on so that we can wisely build on that moving forward.

That’s why we are working through Ephesians slowly and focusing on the theme of Remembering our identity as One in Christ. We’ll be in Ephesians 1 so you can go ahead and turn there...

This church was founded on gospel of Jesus Christ and the church belongs to Jesus because he bought it with his blood on the cross. Therefore, to wisely build on our heritage, we need to make sure that we are building firmly on the gospel and who we are in Jesus Christ.

And the only way we know what the gospel is and who we are in Jesus Christ, is by looking to God’s inspired, perfect and sufficient Word.

Jude 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

By God’s grace our church is not in a position of contending for the faith. We have a church membership and deacons and pastors that believe the faith that was once for all handed down to the saints.

Paul said to the Galatians,

Galatians 1:6–9

⁶ I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; ⁷ which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ± But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! ⁹ As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

Here's the point, there is one gospel. It has been handed down and delivered. If we are going to continue to wisely build as a church it’s going to be on the gospel. If we stray from the gospel and stray from remembering our identity in Jesus Christ, then we will build foolishly.

The Pre-conference for the Biblical Counseling Training Conference this year was on childhood trauma. Because of how dominant the theme of trauma has been in our culture and the way the world is talking about it, we wanted to spend time thinking about it and seeking to understand it from Scripture.

• One of the reasons for seeking to understand trauma biblically is because the way people view trauma has become a lens for how people view life.

• And one of the lens of trauma that is quite evident today, distorts forgiveness in 3 ways.

First, trauma and abuse has been the context where “cheap grace” has been used.

• This is essentially the non-conditional forgiveness model, where those abused must forgive their perpetrators unconditionally. The focus and emphasis on this kind of “forgiveness” is all therapeutic...helping victims with their inner healing.

A second way that trauma and abuse has distorted forgiveness is with a model of “little grace.”

• This model is basically a transactional kind of forgiveness, where the victim gives up their anger only if the perpetrator does enough to merit forgiveness. The emphasis is basically on the perpetrator earning forgiveness.

A third way that forgiveness is distorted through the lens of trauma especially is the “no grace” model.

• This model advocates that there shouldn’t be forgiveness granted, PERIOD. This model is being advocated more and more today. Not just in theory, by it is being advocated in the public square when serious abuses and crimes are committed. Victims are actually being shamed and pressured to NOT forgive at all...

• And the reason is, because they view forgiveness as allowing perpetrators to continue their abuse.

I wish we had time to really unpack each of those more fully, because those aren’t just distortions to forgiveness when trauma and abuse show up...those distorted views of forgiveness are present in everyday relationships. But our true view of forgiveness often gets revealed when serious sin is committed against us, or against those we love, as well as when WE sin seriously ourselves.

In each of those 3 models—cheap grace, little grace and no-grace...they all miss the biblical reality of COSTLY GRACE. That’s a term that Dietrich Bonhoeffer coined in his book The Cost of Discipleship.

• The phrase describes the COST of the grace and the forgiveness that we receive from the Lord.

Ephesians 1:7 is our text this morning...follow along with me in that one verse...

• This morning, we are focusing on how in Christ You are Forgiven.

And to do that we are thinking about 3 Characteristics of God’s Forgiveness...and his forgiveness to us was COSTLY. Not cheap, not little and definitely not no-grace.

The first characteristic is that...

I. Forgiveness is Universally Needed

If we believe this...this should be immediately humbling, and obviously undercut the no-grace, no forgiveness, vengeance approach.

One of the most significant answers given in Scripture for why everyone is in need of forgiveness is because everyone is a sinner because of Adam’s sin in Genesis 3.

Through Adam – All have Sinned

Scripture is very plain that when Adam sinned all of humanity entered into sin with him.

Rom 5:12 ...[that] through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned

This verse teaches the concept of original sin.

• Original sin is the doctrine that Adam, being the corporate representative of the human race, when he sinned, he sinned on behalf of all people, so therefore all of humanity entered into sin through Adam.

The point is, that something in the sin of Adam brought about the sinfulness of humanity as a whole.

Now if you’re thinking, “That’s not fair! Why does the action of one person who came thousands of years before I was born effect my standing and my identity?!”

• You’ll be happy to know that you’re standing in a long, long line of people that have chaffed against the doctrine of original sin as well.

• And while on the one hand there may be lots of company in that line, I also want to be clear that not every long with lots of company is a good line to be in...

The doctrine of sin—not even original sin—just the doctrine of sin is offensive to the majority of humanity.

• The doctrine of ORIGINAL SIN is even more offensive!

But make no mistake, just because something is offensive doesn’t make it untrue.

• My wife can tell me, “Greg, you stink.”

• Or she can say, “You smell like a smoked sausage, because I’ve been around the wood boiler.”...and what she means by smoked sausage isn’t the good smelling smoked sausage...

• My objections and offense do not change my smelly condition!

Blaise Pascal wrote in 1670 on this point of original saying:

Original sin is foolishness to men, but it is admitted to be such. You must not then reproach me for the want of reason in this doctrine, since I admit it to be without reason. But this foolishness is wiser than all the wisdom of men. For without this, what can we say that man is? His whole state depends on this imperceptible point. And how should it be perceived by his reason, since it is a thing against reason, and since reason, far from finding it out by her own ways, is averse to it when it is presented to her? (Pensées #445, Pascal)

The most important reason why we believe in original sin is first and foremost because God has made it plain in his word. But secondly, original sin is such an offense to mankind that the idea that mankind would invent it is ludicrous! That’s part of what Pascal was getting at in that quote. And then a third reason to believe original sin, is because it’s the only doctrine that explains why every single human being is bent on rebelling against God, foolishness, and self-destruction!

Hence, Pascal’s point, “this foolishness [of original sin] is wiser than all the wisdom of men.”

You see one of the cornerstone foundations that this church has been built on, is the belief in the inerrant, authoritative and sufficient word of God. We don’t believe doctrines in Scripture because that a tickle our modern sensibilities.

• We believe the Scriptures and the doctrines that Scripture teaches because they are the very words of God and all of them are true.

Therefore, we affirm that...

1 Cor 15:22 - ... as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

So everyone needs forgiveness because of original sin.

But original sin doesn’t mean that we are all perfect and wonderful angels, but because of what Adam did we are held accountable to his sin...no the doctrine of sin goes a step further...

None are Innocent

The point here is, whether you fully believe and affirm the doctrine of original sin, that still doesn’t solve the PRESENT problem of your sinfulness.

• Is there anyone here that would like to object to the point that you have sinned?

Be careful, because if you’d like to object, we’ll just have to call your spouse, your children, your parents, your boss and co-workers and anyone else that knows you too come give their side of the story...

And I’m guessing it wouldn’t take too long to lay out a clear-cut case that you are presently a sinner.

As Romans 3 says...

Rom 3:10-12 ... “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”

• So regardless of original sin...your current sin puts you and every other human being on the planet in the position of needing forgiveness.

The following quote from John MacArthur is aimed at trying to help us understand that sin isn’t just the BIG BAD things that you shouldn’t do...which quite frankly, our culture doesn’t have too many big bad things that we’d call sinful anymore anyways...Regardless, this quote is trying to help us understand what is at the root of sin...

At its core, sin is a violation of the Creator – creature relationship. Man exists only because God made him, and man is in every sense obligated to serve his Creator. Sin causes man to assume the role of God and to assert autonomy for himself apart from the creator. The most all-encompassing view of sins mainspring, therefore is the demand for autonomy. (John MacArthur, Essential Christian Doctrine, p. 246)

Autonomy...or we could also say America’s staunch stance on individualism is essentially a dogmatic stance on wanting to be in the position of God!

• Our culture says, “Do what makes you happy”...don’t follow anyone else’s law or rules towards happiness...

• “Be true to yourself”...as opposed to look to the truth from God and his law...

• “Be your own person”...as opposed to be conformed to the image and likeness of Christ!

The American cultural mantra and heartbeat today is vehemently opposed to God!

• Practically any secular movie, or song or TV show, counseling approach, or book will be encouraging you to go against God and live for your own happiness.

It’s very important to understand that, because if we aren’t aware how opposed to God the culture is—not just in obvious things—but in everything and in very subtle ways—we are going to be caught in the culture stream that is opposed to God.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

We are all probably familiar with that verse...its a staple for communicating to people that everyone is guilty and in need of forgiveness...

• But a huge problem with how people hear that verse is they don’t think falling short of the glory of God is that big of a deal...

And why do people think lightly of falling short of the glory of God?

• It’s because they have no clue the value and worth that God’s glory is!

We don’t have time to go on a tour of Scripture where God’s glory shows up and people get a real glimpse of his glory...but suffice it to say that anywhere God’s glory really manifests itself people are terrified, and they usually fall flat on their face out of reverence and fear!

• Because of our paltry appraisal of God’s glory, many people do not consider falling short of God’s glory a very big deal...

As a culture we have really lost the sense that there is anything truly sacred and holy.

• That has been happening over decades.

• And where we are today, because of the decades of movement away from God’s glory and transcendence to just a focus on the immanent and the here and now, our culture really doesn’t county anything as sacred anymore.

For example, the amount of full-time comedians that make their living making fun of everything is astounding...and for many of them there are no boundaries or limits to what they make fun of...from marriage, to religion, to sex, to God and anything else you can think of...

• So much of that humor has a way of making what is truly sacred and holy into something common and base.

Then of course, we look back and balk at “Blue Laws” or the “Sunday Closing Laws.”

• The idea that stores would close on Sundays.

• That alcohol couldn’t be sold on Sundays...

• That sports or movies wouldn’t be shown on Sundays...

Again, we are not in favor of legalism and perhaps some of the laws had a legalistic bent to them...

But it seems that that we have run so far from legalism that to put any restraint or say anything is sacred and should be protected is taboo...

One of the things that we should be very thankful for from our church’s heritage, is the heritage of calling sin, sin. And that only happens when a church values and treasures God’s glory and sees him as holy!

• That is something that we should be extremely thankful for.

• God is holy. God is glorious. And to fall short of his glory is sin and we need to call it that.

• We should be thankful that we have a heritage of brothers and sisters before us that stood up to call things sin, rather than following the culture to change the name of sin into the name of health, or personality...

If every problem we have is a health issue, then the idea of needing forgiveness is going to be very offensive and foreign.

Or if I don’t have sin issues, rather that’s just my personality...then again the idea of needing forgiveness is going to be very offensive and foreign.

• I hope you will join me in thanking the Lord for a church heritage that calls sin, sin.

Because of sin...there are consequences.

Sin has consequences

And can we just pause and praise God that there are consequences for sin?

• If we didn’t experience any consequences for sin, we would happily and blissfully sin all the way to way to hell.

• Praise God, that he is the perfect, loving, heavenly Father that puts up obstacles and consequences in our way to get our attention so that we would turn around seek the Lord’s forgiveness.

One of those consequences is a broken relationship with God.

Broken Relationship with God

There is no question about it...this is the most severe consequence due to sin.

• This often is not the most FELT consequence, but it is the most significant and severe.

I’ve mentioned this John Piper quote before, but I think it bears repeating... “Everybody hates suffering. But very few people hate sin.”

Broken Relationship with people

That’s why sins consequence of broken relationships is so important.

• Broken marriages, and broken parent-child relationships, and broken sibling relationships and broken work relationships and broken school relationships and on and on are a result of sin.

Those relational consequences are wrenching...they tear people apart. And that pain often is the context that God uses to open their eyes to the massive problem they have with God.

Broken Relationship with Creation

There is also the brokenness that is in creation...

Gen 3:17-19 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

Life is hard...things break, and it takes so much effort to maintain things, and to get things to work. And all of that effort to get things to work causes our bodies to get sore and hurt often times. There also is just the pain of growing older.

Again, the consequence of physical pain, and the brokenness in creation, that becomes a key doorway into which many people realize they are sinners and their relationship with God is broken and the only way to solve that brokenness is through forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the only option to solve our brokenness because of the cost that sin bears...

Sin has a cost

Romans 6:23 succinctly summarizes the cost of sin...

Rom 6:23a - For the wages of sin is death

That is far more than physical death...the death that is in view there is eternal death in hell. The wage we receive...which a wage is our due. So the due that we receive for our sin is eternity in hell...which the Bible describes as the second death.

• The cost of sin CANNOT ever be paid back by you...

Sometimes thinking about the debt of sin in financial terms helps...and sadly our country provides a vivid real-life example, rather than just a hypothetical situation.

• The current debt of the US is $34.2 trillion dollars...America spends close to $2 billion dollars in interest payments per day...that doesn’t actually knock the principle down at all. That only covers interest!

Trying to pay for your sin, is like you working as hard as you can on your own to pay off America’s debt...I don’t care how hard you work...you’re never, ever going to get out of debt...not even in eternity!

That’s why our only hope is forgiveness, and everyone is in need of forgiveness.

But forgiveness cannot be found just anywhere. Forgiveness has exclusively one source.

II. Forgiveness has exclusively One Source

The truth that forgiveness has only have one source has a side to it that many of us really like, but then it has a side to it that many of us struggle with...

• But I’m hoping to show you that this is really good news.

David who wrote Psalm 51, which is one of the most well know and famous Psalms in the whole psalter...is a psalm of repentance that David writes after he commits adultery with Bathsheba, and then covers it up by having Bathsheba’s husband killed in battle.

David says in...

Psalm 51:4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight...

• Now chew on that for a moment...he committed adultery...forcefully by the way. It’s not like Bathsheba could really turn down the king...and then he covers it up by having her husband killed...

And yet he says, “Against you (you being God), and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight...”

• How can that be? How can he clearly have sinned against Bathsheba and against her husband...and honestly many others in that whole scenario and say “Against God alone I have sinned!?”

I mean, isn’t that just a cop out?

• And the answer is, no...that’s not a cop out. In a very real sense, David really gets the serious of his sin in what he says here.

What David realizes here, is that God alone is the only source for forgiveness.

Only God the Father can Forgive

Let me illustrate what I mean...if you die and stand before God on judgment day, and someone stands up at the judgment and says, “Hey, you sinned against me, and I do not forgive you.” Is God going to look at you and say, “Well, I forgive you and I really wanted you in heaven, but because he hasn’t forgiven you I guess you’ll have to go to hell.”...Is that what’s going to happen?

• Do you need the forgiveness of anyone else other than God?

• The answer is no!

Now you can flip the scenario to make the same point. Let’s say everyone on the planet loves you. I mean all 8 billion people think you are amazing and any sin against a person has be forgiven and so on judgment day the entire world says, “You are totally forgiven and you have no debts against us.” Will that matter if God has forgiven you?...

That’s why we read in Micah...

Mic 7:18-19 - Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity, And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.

There is no one who pardons or forgives like God! In fact, no one can pardon and forgive like God can!

And the reason that God must be the one to pardon and forgive sin is because he is the Creator!

• He owns everything and everyone.

• Any sin against another person is a sin against God because that creature is God’s!

So first and foremost all sin is against God. That’s why we read in Psalm 130:4

Ps 130:4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

God alone is worthy to be feared because it is him with whom we must ultimately deal...

But a really important question that must be answered is HOW forgiveness can be granted...HOW can our $34 trillion debt of sin against God, which continues to climb ever be forgiven?

• I know it’s hard for many people to grasp why the US can’t just wipe out the debt and start over...why can’t we treat it like a game of monopoly...this one got out of hand so let’s just start over...

• But a debt has to be paid...it cannot just be cancelled...someone has to absorb the debt...not only must someone be willing to absorb and pay the debt, but that someone must have the means and resources to actually cover the debt!

That’s why only through Jesus Christ can we have forgiveness from the Father...

Only through Jesus Christ can the Father be satisfied

Our text this morning says that “we have redemption through his blood=which is the forgiveness of sins.”

• Christ’s blood is the only satisfactory payment to cancel the debt of our sin.

1 Peter 1:18–19 describes the blood of Christ that redeemed us and brought forgiveness to us in this way...

1 Peter 1:18–19 ...you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

We’ve been talking about sin in terms of debt and money...Christ’s blood isn’t perishable like silver or gold...it can’t be bought or valued in terms of money...it’s precious beyond what our imaginations can comprehend!

And yet...even though Christ’s blood was that precious...

2 Cor 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”

How was that going to happen?

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

The only way to come to the Father to receive forgiveness is by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Only by believing in his name, and the substitutionary payment that he made on the cross for you can you be forgiven.

Now, I think it’s worth pausing and to be amazed that God would desire to forgive us, and that Christ would desire to save us so much that he’d shed his blood for us.

• I think we often run so quickly to how powerful and big God is that of course he can pay for our sins and cancel the debt.

• That’s really important that we do...but we still need to be amazed at WHY he would do that??

Bill Gates, or Elon Musk or Warren Buffet I’m sure could easily handle all the financial debt that you individually have. They could. They have the resources...but are they going to do that?

• No.

My point is, just because God can forgive and just because Christ can be the substitutionary atonement for you...that doesn’t answer the question of why he did.

And one of the most important answers Scripture gives is because he loves you.

Jesus told his disciples hours before going to the cross that...

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

• It’s stunning that Jesus would call sinful humans his friends...it’s his great love that causes him to BEFRIEND sinners...

Romans 5:6–8 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

And in v.10 of that same chapter we are told that while we were enemies Christ died for us to reconcile us to himself.

Christian friend...do not let your heart grow cold to the amazing love of God in Christ Jesus!

• The church of Ephesus was told in Revelation 2 that they had abandoned the love they had at first...they had strayed away from the love of Christ!

Our church has heritage of loving the Lord. It’s so important that we remember our identity as being forgiven, and that we daily stand amazed that God would choose to love us by sending his Son to lay down his life on our behalf!

If you haven’t ever trusted in Jesus Christ...we are thankful that you are here. And I want to implore you to ask God to help you see the amazing love of God for you...he has the resources to forgive you. Christ shed his blood on the cross...the tomb is empty, and Christ has ascended into heaven and is at the right hand of the Father, proving that the payment was accepted!

• There is no sin too great that could cause God not to love you.

• There is no amount of suffering or rejection from people that could cause God to stiff arm you from his grace.

Jesus says in John 6:37, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

I pray that you would see God’s great love for you in Jesus coming for you...he came to this world because he loved us. I hope that you’ll respond and go to him for forgiveness.

Finally, this forgiveness is freely offered....no little grace...or cheap grace...this is lavish grace!

III. Forgiveness is freely offered

Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸which he lavished on us...

Don’t you love that the forgiveness for our sins is ACCORDING TO the RICHES of HIS GRACE?? We’d be in real trouble if it said, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the effort or diligence of our penance, or according to the degree of our passion and zeal.

The forgiveness of our sins...according to the riches—not the scraps or left overs—according to the riches of His grace.

And his grace is abundant...it’s lavish...and it is 100% underserved!

Grace – abundant and underserved

Rom 5:20-21 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin came in through Adam and it REIGNED...but grace came in to REIGN through Jesus Christ.

Rom 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The offer of grace requires a response

One of the things I am particularly struck by in this present season is that God reveals to us his will and reveals to us what pleases him and what responses to have. God hasn’t made it complicated, confusing or left us to guess.

If you know and see your sin and that you are in need of forgiveness from God and that Christ is the only answer, then what should you do?

Rom 10:9-13 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

John confirms what Paul wrote in Romans...

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

Now maybe you’re here and you’re thinking I’ve failed and failed and failed and failed and failed...in fact, I sinned like 70 times yesterday in the same way...so you conclude that at some point God would say, “You’ve confessed too many times so there no longer is any forgiveness...”

Friends...you won’t find a single verse in the Bible to support a limit to the amount of times you can run to God and confess and receive his forgiveness. He is faithful and just to forgive every single time.

Now, you remember how I said that us needing God’s forgiveness exclusively has a side that we really like and a side that really challenges us...the final point is the challenging point...and yet it is still really, really good news.

But the receipt of grace requires us to do the same. Towards others...

The receipt of grace requires us to do the same

Because God has freely forgiven, if someone seeks forgiveness from me, then I MUST forgive them.

Matt 18:35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.

And the forgiveness we are required to show is the COSTLY GRACE and FORGIVENESS God has shown to us.

Here’s one simple story to illustrate that point:

Hashim was a fifteen-year-old, living with his mother and hanging out on the streets of Brooklyn with a gang, when he was shot six times and was left paralyzed from the waist down. For most of the next year he lay in a New York City hospital, fantasizing about revenge. He later wrote: “Revenge consumed me. All I could think about was, ‘Just wait till I get better; just wait till I see this kid.’ ”

But when he was lying on the sidewalk immediately after his shooting, he had instinctively called out to God for help and, to his surprise, he had felt a strange tranquility. Now during his rehabilitation, a new thought struck him, namely that if he took revenge on this kid, why should God not pay him back for all his sins? “You see six months before this happened,” he wrote, “I shot a kid, for no reason except that a friend told me to do it and I wanted to prove how tough I was. Six months later, I am shot by somebody because his friend told him to do it.” That thought was electrifying—he could not feel superior to the perpetrator. They were both fellow sinners who deserved punishment—and needed forgiveness.

In the end . . . I decided to forgive. I felt God had saved my life for a reason, and that I had better fulfill that purpose. . . . And I knew I could never go back out there and harm someone. I was done with that mindset and the life that goes with it. . . . I came to see that I had to let go and stop hating.( Keller, Timothy. Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I? (p. 16). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)

You see...when we understand the forgiveness of God towards us, we can no longer feel superior to anyone else...we can no longer hold sin over someone else’s head as the judge, because we understand that to do that would be do the very same thing that God was forgiving us for.

Often people bristle that for God to demand we forgive others is a works-based righteousness...but when we really begin to understand what forgiveness and grace is, we come to learn that forgiveness and grace transforms our heart to want to forgive as our heavenly Father has forgiven us.

• So this isn’t works-based righteousness...this is grace-based righteousness.

• This is the power of the transformational-costly grace and forgiveness of God in the lives of his forgiven children!

I pray that as our church builds on our heritage, that we would be a church that grows in showing this kind of costly grace towards our community so that many more would turn to Jesus Christ and be saved.