Forgivenness of Sins

The Most Priceless Possession: Forgiveness of Sins

0:02 In some unusual arrangement of circumstances, every one of you here this morning, you youngsters, fellas, girls,

0:12 the teenagers, moms, dads, and the grannies and grandpas as well, if I say by some unusual arrangement of circumstances, every one of you should be approached tomorrow by one of these on-the-street interviewers, and he were to ask you the question, what most precious thing you can present?

0:41 What would your answer be?

0:44 What would your answer be? Not what do you think your answer would be if the pastor were there and you were answering to satisfy him, but what would your honest answer be? A man came up to you, youngsters, older people and everything in between, and said, my name is so-and-so, I'm conducting an on-the-street survey for psychiatry, such and such a newspaper, such and such a television station, I would like to know what do you feel is the most priceless possession a man, a woman, a fellow, a girl can have? What would your answer be?

1:22 What would your answer be?

1:26 He says, I'll give you 30 seconds to answer.

1:31 Well, in a very real sense, your answer would be one of the most accurate indicators of the state of your soul in the presence of God.

1:42 For if you were to come up to Paul upon any street of any road, any city where he labored, and say to him, Paul, my name is so-and-so, and I'm conducting an on-the-street survey, and I should like to know what you feel is the greatest thing a man can possess, and I'll give you 30 seconds to answer. Paul would say, save your time, Mac, I don't need 30 seconds.

2:04 The greatest thing a man can possess is the forgiveness of his sins.

2:14 The greatest thing a man can possess is the forgiveness, the forgiveness of his sins. And it is precisely that possession for which the apostle is found praising God in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 7. And as we work our way through verse by verse, phrase by phrase, in this great epistle of Paul, we come this morning to the latter part of verse 7, in which we find these words, in whom we have been in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace. Just a word about the larger context, the larger setting of these words. You'll remember that this first paragraph, verses 3 through 14, is one great hymn of praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the blessing of God. For the blessings of salvation.

Forgiveness as the Pivotal Blessing of Redemption

3:22 In verse 3, we have the general statement of blessing and praise to God. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Then in verses 4 and 5, we have those particular blessings of the Father. The blessing of election unto holiness.

3:46 Verse 5, the blessing of predestination unto sonship. And then the whole goal of this in verse 6, to the praise of the glory of his grace which he bestowed on us in the Beloved and having mentioned the Beloved. Then the spotlight turns from the Father, though the stage lights still have him in view. The spotlight is on the Son and his part in our salvation.

4:12 And he says, in whom, in the Beloved, we have our redemption through, through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. And so in our previous study of verse 7, we came to see that redemption means the securing of release by the payment of a ransom price. And the Apostle here indicates that mankind is viewed, himself included, as in a state of captivity and bondage. Captivity and bondage to the law.

4:48 Bondage to sin. Bondage to the devil. And nothing will secure his release but the payment of a ransom price. And he declares in this text that it's Jesus Christ who paid that ransom price and secured the release of all those on whose behalf the ransom price was paid.

5:12 And then having stated the need and the fact of redemption, he tells us what that ransom price was. Nothing less than the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Blood speaking of his life poured forth as a sacrifice unto God. So having considered then the fact of redemption, the need of redemption, the price of redemption, now the Apostle gives to us in the words that will be the focus of our study today, that pivotal blessing of redemption even more.

5:48 The forgiveness of sin. Now forgiveness does not exhaust the idea of redemption. We saw in our previous study that redemption has many, many things included in it. But in this particular text the Apostle states the fact that forgiveness of sins is the foundational or pivotal blessing in redemption.

6:13 Notice how he does it. In whom we have redemption, and it is those, someone said, well, what is that? And he says, the forgiveness of our sins. And so the doctrine of divine forgiveness is basic to the redemption of Jesus Christ, so basic that we dare not pass it over lightly, but seek to investigate it in some measure of death.

6:39 The very gospel which Christ commissioned his Apostles to preach is a gospel which sets the remission or forgiveness of sins, at its very center. For in Luke 24, 47, Jesus said, you are to preach among all the nations repentance unto remission of sins in my name. The good rule of thumb by which to test any so-called religious movement or its message, does it make the forgiveness of sins by divine operation central in its whole proclamation and in its whole procession. For the purpose for which the Son of God shed his blood, Matthew 26, 28, this is my blood which is shed unto or for the remission of sins. And so we want this morning to focus our attention upon this pivotal blessing of redemption, namely the forgiveness of sins. Now how did the Apostle Paul come to the place where he got thrilled about forgiveness? Well, remember the setting of this mention of forgiveness is this hymn of praise.

Four Aspects of Forgiveness Paul Understood

7:52 Blessed be God in whom we have forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. Why did he get excited about it? Why did the word forgiveness set all the joy bells ringing in his heart and some of you it put you to sleep? What's the difference?

8:09 Well, may I suggest that the Apostle Paul was thrilled about forgiveness first of all because he understood the need for forgiveness. Secondly, he understood the nature of forgiveness. Thirdly, he understood the basis of forgiveness. And fourthly, he understood the measure of forgiveness.

8:31 The need for forgiveness. The nature of forgiveness. The basis of forgiveness and the measure of forgiveness. And if God by the Holy Spirit will illuminate our minds and enable our hearts to submit to the truth which he gives us, to our minds, I believe we too will be thrilled with Paul if we see as he did the need for forgiveness.

The Need for Forgiveness: Understanding God and Self

8:55 The nature of forgiveness. If we see with him the basis and the measure of forgiveness. First of all then, the need for forgiveness. If I were to come up to a millionaire today and pat him on the back and say, Henry, I've got wonderful news for you.

9:14 All your debts are forgiven and all your bills are paid. And he looks at me and says, that's no good news for me. I have no debts. I have no unpaid bills.

9:22 That's not good news to him. But you come up to some poor chap who's always trying to keep the creditor who's barking the loudest off his doorstep. Who every time he passes a light post thinks that behind it might be some man from the finance company ready to track him down. And you come up to him and say, Henry, I've got wonderful news for you.

9:42 Every one of your debts is paid. And all the creditors have no more claim over you. And that's good news to him. Why?

9:48 Because he knows and feels his need for that forgiveness, for that cancelling of all his debts. You come up to the average person and say, in Christ there is forgiveness through his blood. And he says, yeah, yeah, so what? Ah, but my friend, when you begin to see the measure of your debt, when you begin to see how much is in the red under your name, you begin to take it seriously.

10:15 And then you find that there's a way that you can be put in a position to the black without any dishonesty, without any juggling of the books, that Almighty God will adjust the ledger by His own sovereign grace and the word forgiveness will be as precious to you as the stock market record is to the millionaire.

10:37 Paul thrilled at forgiveness because he was aware of his need of forgiveness. And you say, well, how does a person become aware of his need for forgiveness? Very simply, when he takes to the black, he takes two facts seriously. The fact of who God is and the fact of what He is.

10:56 When a man begins to take seriously who God is and what He is, he will begin to feel acutely his need of forgiveness. And Paul knew something of who God was. He knew that God was holy and that this holy God had created him in His image and that as a creature in Adam he had fallen. He knew that God, God was His judge.

11:21 God discerned every thought and intent of his heart. God took record of every word, every deed, every attitude that was displeasing to him and that this God would one day summon him, Paul, into judgment for all of his sins of thought, of word, and of deed. He not only understood something about who God was, but he understood something about who He was. He realized that he was a creature who was accountable to God.

11:50 And that as a creature accountable to God, he was a transgressor. This is the word that he uses in this text. In whom we have the forgiveness of our trespasses. And the word he uses here is not the word that is most often used for sin, but it's the word that means to fall to the side of, to deviate from the path of truth and of right.

12:16 And Paul knew that as a creature, though he was religious, and had the best religious training that anyone could have had in his day, he knew that he had fallen to the side of the path of God's revealed will. He realized that in his heart and in his life there was much that was contrary to God's holy law and as such made him a sinner exposed to the wrath and to the judgment of Almighty God. I say Paul appreciated forgiveness because he felt, felt his need of forgiveness which rose out of taking seriously two facts, who God is and what he was. May I say to all of you, children, teenagers, parents, visitors, whoever you be, the reality of who God is and the reality of what you are are not changed in terms of whether or not you recognize him. God is your Creator whether you've ever acknowledged it or not. God is holy whether you've ever acknowledged it or not. And you are a creature accountable to him whether you've ever acknowledged it or not.

13:31 And you have broken his law and you are exposed to his wrath whether you acknowledge it or not. I might come to a house in which twenty people are found living and I say to them, on the basis of well-established information, this house has a bomb planted in it. The bomb is a reality. Attached to that bomb is a timing mechanism.

13:54 And in two hours that bomb will go off and this house will be destroyed and anyone in it will be destroyed. I have given you these facts which are rooted in reality. There's a bomb in this house. The bomb will explode.

14:08 You will be destroyed. Ten of the people take the facts seriously and they vacate. The other ten say, ah, you know, the world's full of nuts like that. Guys going around getting upset about everything under the sun.

14:19 And they act as though the bomb and the timing mechanism and the power of that bomb were not realities. Listen. If they were realities at the end of the two hours, they will know that their indifference to reality didn't change the facts of reality. Their blase response to my warning has no power to defuse the bomb or to take away the destructive power of that bomb.

14:48 Those are realities to which they must bow at their own safety or which they ignore to their own destruction. And, my friend, you may sit here this morning and say, God, Creator, Holy, me, a sinner? Ah, religion's always talking about things. I'm not going to treat them like realities, my friend.

15:08 That's your privilege. But you'll live with the consequences of those realities. For Almighty God is and He has made you and you are accountable to Him. And the Scripture says He will bring every secret work into judgment.

15:25 Oh, that you may take seriously the reality of who God is. And the reality of what you are. And when you do, then you, with Paul, will feel painfully your need of forgiveness. But then, secondly, and this brings us to the center of our text this morning, Paul understood the nature of forgiveness.

The Nature of Forgiveness: Complete and Irreversible Removal

15:45 This is why he got carried out of himself when he wrote this hymn of praise. Blessed be this God in whom we have, through Jesus Christ, the forgiveness, the forgiveness of sins. What is the nature of forgiveness as Paul understood it? Well the very word he used is an eloquent testimony of the blessing it conveys.

16:12 The word used is the common word for sending something away or letting something go. So forgiveness then speaks of the complete removal of our sins. They are taken away from us. And rather than try to go into abstract verbal descriptions, I want to turn you to several passages which beautifully describe the nature of God's forgiveness.

16:41 Turn please to the book of Isaiah, chapter 38 and verse 17. Here's God's description of the nature of His forgiveness. Isaiah 38, 17. Isaiah 38, 17.

17:00 It was for my peace that I had great bitterness, but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption. Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. When something's behind your back, you don't see it. When you kids want to surprise your mom and dad and spook them a little bit, you sneak up behind them.

17:26 You never heard anyone say, I sneaked up in front of him. You say, I snuck up behind him. You say, and I surprised him. That which is behind you is out of sight.

17:36 And God uses this imagery. I will take, He says, all of your sins that are before me. Every one of those sins which I know and I see. Every one of those sins which cries out to me, damn that sinner.

17:49 Judge that rebel. Consign him to the pit. Every sin that pleads as a lawyer that destruction should come. God says, I'll take all those sins.

17:59 I'll cast them behind you. I'll cast them behind my back so that I see them no more. That's divine forgiveness. A casting of the sins behind the back.

18:11 Now join that to the imagery of Isaiah 43, 25. 43, 25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and I will not remember thy sins. We have a little saying.

18:34 Out of sight, out of what? Out of mind. Isn't this what God says? Once I put them out of sight, I put them out of my mind.

18:44 I'll remember them no more. Out of sight, out of mind. That's the nature of divine forgiveness. And because Paul understood that, he got excited.

18:54 He mentioned the word forgiveness and he's ready to jump out of his skin. Why? Because he thinks of all of his sins. His refined sins as a religious man.

19:04 His sins of unbelief. His sins of persecuting the church of Christ. His sins of covetousness. His sins of pride.

19:12 And he says, oh, the wonder of it. That Almighty God has cast them behind his back and when he puts them out of sight, he puts them out of mind. He remembers them no more. Listen to the imagery of the psalmist in Psalm 103.

19:32 And verse 12. Psalm 103 and verse 12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Where do east and west meet?

19:53 If you started out this morning in an SST, privately hired for your own service, and you said, I'm going east and I'm going to chase in that direction till I catch west. When will east and west meet? When will east and west meet? When will east and west meet?

20:05 When will east and west meet? When will east and west meet? When will east and west meet? When will east and west catch west?

20:08 Never. Never. You can't. You can get the North Pole and the South Pole, but there is no East Pole and West Pole.

20:18 Forever removed from one another. And he says, as far as east is from west, so far hath he removed. You see, there is the concept of divine forgiveness. This sending away, the letting go, the complete removal of our sin.

20:36 God stoops to another imagery. And this will be the last one. one that we'll look at it. In Micah, the prophet Micah chapter 7 and verse 19. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Micah, Nahum. All right. Micah chapter 7 verse 19. Perhaps we should back up to verse 18.

21:03 Who is the God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity, passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever because he delighteth in lovingkindness. He will again have compassion upon us. He will tread our iniquities underfoot and thou will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

21:33 Isn't it a beautiful imagery? God is trying to say to us, when I say that I forgive you, I do not merely, as it were, pick up your sins and place them on a shelf close at hand so that if you don't walk straight, I'll bring them down and once again make you accountable for them. No, no. He's not like so many of us who, when we forgive, all we do is temporarily suspend our animosity.

22:00 But you let that person offend us a little bit and then we begin to remind. He says, when I forgive, I put my sins behind me, out of sight, I never remember them, out of mind, as far as east is from west, I will cast them into the depths of the sea. And so the nature of God's forgiveness for which Paul blesses God is a complete forgiveness and it is an irreversible forgiveness. It is.

22:34 Complete. God says in this text, Ephesians 1, 7, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions. Not of some transgressions, of little transgressions, of big transgressions, but the forgiveness of all our transgressions. Charles Spurgeon, in his own unique way, said that when the flood in Noah's time covered the mountains, it also covered all the molehills.

23:04 And God says, my grace, the redemption of my son covers the mountain of your sins and all the molehills as well. It is a complete forgiveness and it is an irreversible forgiveness. That sin is buried in the depths of the sea. It is removed from us, almighty God says, and I say it reverently, I'll have a lapse of memory with reference to your sin.

23:33 I'll remember it. No more. So that if you've received divine forgiveness and you come into the presence of God and say, but oh God, what about this or that? I say it reverently.

23:46 In the imagery of scripture, God says, I'm sorry, I've forgotten what you're talking about.

23:52 Their sins will I remember. No more.

23:58 No more. That's something to get excited about. If you take seriously what the Bible says about God and what it says about you. Now, if you're just kidding around.

24:08 The little God that you've made of your own conceiving. And you have very naive views about how bad off you are as a sinner. You won't get excited about that. But if you have a little idea of who God is and what you are.

24:20 And you know with Paul that the nature of his forgiveness is the complete removal of sin. Casting behind the back. Burying in the depths of the sea. Removing as far as east is from west.

24:32 You too with Paul will say, blessed be God. The God who in his beloved son. Has given a redemption which has as its pivotal blessing. The complete removal of my sin.

The Basis of Forgiveness: Christ's Sacrifice and Human Repentance/Faith

24:46 And then in the third place, Paul was excited because he not only knew something of the need of forgiveness. The nature of forgiveness. But he was assured of the basis of that forgiveness. He rejoices because he had an understanding upon what basis.

25:04 God could tender such forgiveness. To men. What is the basis of divine forgiveness? May I suggest it comes, the answer to that question comes in two lines.

25:16 First of all the basis of that forgiveness in God himself. And then the conditions of that forgiveness in man. The basis in God, objective. The basis in man, subjective.

25:29 Now the context of Ephesians 1.7 indicates. That the basis in God is the sacrifice. Of his dear son.

25:38 Notice the apostle has just mentioned the blood of Christ. And between redemption and forgiveness. Is this statement of the blood of Jesus Christ. In whom we have redemption through his blood.

25:54 The forgiveness of sin. It's the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ upon the cross. That fulfills all of the demands of God's holiness. The holy law against sin.

26:09 And in the cross this question is answered. A question which nothing else but the cross can answer. How can a just God be a forgiving God. Without dishonor to his character.

26:25 Let me give you that again. This is the question that nothing but the cross of Christ can answer. How can a just God be a forgiving God. Without any dishonor to his character.

26:43 You get the question. If God is just. He must punish sin. And if all of us are sinners.

26:51 And God is just and must punish sinners. Then he can be just but he can't be forgiving.

26:58 If God is a forgiving God. Who delights to forgive. Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive. Psalm 86.5 He can be a forgiving God. But it must be at the expense of his justice. Because if he is to forgive. Then he cannot punish.

27:12 And if he is to punish. He cannot forgive. How can God be a just God. And a forgiving God.

27:18 Without dishonor to his character. The cross of Christ is the answer. Because in the cross of Christ. God is a just God.

27:27 Imputing the sins of men to his son. Brings down the rod of his anger upon his son. As the scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5. He made him who knew no sin.

27:38 To become sin for us. And the father's justice. Is fully satisfied. In the bruising of his son.

27:49 So that because the Lord Jesus. Paid the penalty of sin. God can be just. And the justifier.

27:57 Of sinners. And so the basis of that forgiveness. Paul understood. He did not have some sneaking suspicion.

28:06 Well if God forgives. Simply by an exercise. Of his tenderness. Of his tendency to forgive.

28:12 How do I know. That sometime in the future. God may not have second thoughts. And say wait a minute.

28:19 I forgave Saul of Tarsus. On the basis of my disposition. To be a forgiving God. But.

28:25 But. Angels have summoned me. To a remembrance of my holiness. Angels and seraphim.

28:33 Have called me to a reminder. Of my justice. And I see. That I cannot longer.

28:40 Forgive Paul. His sins deserve punishment. And though I have overlooked them. In the exercise of my kindness.

28:47 My created beings. Have reminded me of my justice. And there is one thing I can do. To vindicate before their eyes.

28:54 That I am a just God. Drag that man Saul. Into my presence. And I will put upon him.

29:01 All of his sins. And cast him into hell.

29:06 That is a possibility. If God simply forgives. On the basis of some vague. Spirit of forgiveness.

29:12 Ah but Paul understood. That his forgiveness was rooted. In something far more solid than that. He understood.

29:20 That the reason he was forgiven. Was because the father. Poured out his judgment upon the son. And having once punished him.

29:29 In his substitute. Paul knew. That through all eternity almighty. God could never resurrect.

29:36 His sins again. Because those sins were removed. On the basis. Of the work.

29:44 That Jesus Christ accomplished. On his behalf. If you are ignorant of Christ. Crucified this morning.

29:53 And yet you claim to have forgiveness. You are deceived. You don't know who God is. And what you are.

29:59 You don't have a clue. If you claim to be a forgiven sinner. And yet you are ignorant of Christ. You have never understood the basis of forgiveness.

30:10 If you know Christ crucified. And yet have no joy. Of forgiveness. You are guilty of terrible unbelief.

30:19 You don't really believe. What God is saying in the cross. You have fled to God. Through Christ for forgiveness.

30:27 And yet you don't believe. That the ground of that forgiveness. Is solid enough to hold you for all eternity.

30:35 The condition or the basis. Of that forgiveness in God. Is the work of his son. Now what are the conditions.

30:42 Of that forgiveness in the creature. If that sacrifice. Christ made is sufficient. For any and all who will come.

30:50 To enter into its benefits. Why are not all men forgiven. Our Lord answers that question. In Luke 24 47.

30:58 Listen carefully to his word.

31:02 He tells his. People that they are to go out. And preach the gospel. And the gospel is comprised.

31:09 Of these essential elements.

31:13 Verse 45 of Luke 24. Then opened he their minds. That they might understand. The scriptures.

31:19 And he said unto them. Thus it is written. That Christ should suffer. Rise from the dead the third day.

31:26 And that repentance. And remission of sin. Should be preached in his name. Among all the nations.

31:35 Repentance. And remission of sin. Should be preached in his name. The condition of entering into.

31:42 God's forgiveness. Based upon the sacrifice of Christ. Is that. That you repent of your sins.

31:51 And believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And this concept of remission. Same word in the original. Remission and forgiveness.

32:01 And repentance. Is inseparably joined together. In the scriptures. The apostle Peter on the first.

32:08 Day after the. When the spirit had been poured out. And Pentecost said. Repent every one of you.

32:13 And be baptized unto. The remission of your sins. Repent remission. Acts 5.31.

32:21 Christ has been exalted. A prince and a savior. To give repentance. And remission of sins.

32:28 He never grants remission of sins. Except in a way. Of repentance. On the part of the sinner.

32:38 And so these passages reveal. That if there is no repentance. There is no removal of sin. Repentance involves.

32:46 Not only the acceptance. Acknowledgement of your sin. But sorrow for. And the forsaking of that sin.

32:53 A desire to be done with it. And faith in Jesus Christ. Is a casting of yourself upon him. As your only hope of acceptance.

33:03 Before God. And it's right at this point. That people commit shipwreck. By the Carlos.

33:09 If I may mix my images. By the both of them.

Common Shipwrecks Regarding Forgiveness

33:13 There are some. Who claim to have forgiveness. But they've missed either. The basis of that forgiveness in God.

33:22 Or the basis of that forgiveness. In themselves. Let me illustrate. You have on the one hand.

33:28 Some who hope for forgiveness. Without the atoning blood of Christ. That's the sin of presumption. They've got some vague notions.

33:36 That God is good. And God is forgiving. They don't have any hard attachment. To the cross of Christ.

33:42 They have a quote. Christianity. The beginning middle and end of it is. God is love.

33:47 And God is forgiving. Nothing about the cross. Nothing about redemption. Through his blood.

33:53 That's not Christianity. That's a presumptive hope. That has no foundation. Then there are others.

34:01 Who hope for forgiveness. Through the cross of Christ. Who are strangers to true repentance. That's the sin of delusion.

34:08 They accept the fact of the cross. But there's no grief and sorrow. And turning from sin. No you see.

34:15 The very end for which God forgives us. Is to bring us back. Into fellowship with himself. And how can he hold fellowship with a creature.

34:22 That is still determined to defy him. How can he hold fellowship with a creature. That is still determined to trample his laws under feet. The end of forgiveness.

34:31 Is not just. The removal of the sin from the sinner. So he can go stop free. It's that God might have the creature.

34:39 Now in fellowship with himself. As the scripture says. Christ gave himself for us. The just for the unjust.

34:46 That he might bring us to God. We saw in our previous studies. We were chosen to be holy and without blemish. Before him in the presence of God.

34:56 We were adopted unto. We were predestined unto adoption of sons. Unto himself. The whole goal of redemption.

35:03 Is to bring the sinner. Into intimate loving communion. With God himself. And so on the one hand.

35:10 Some hope for forgiveness. Without the blood atonement. Presumption. Others hope for forgiveness.

35:16 Without repentance. Delusion. And now listen carefully. Because I believe some of you are in this third category.

35:23 You've applied to God through Christ. In repentance and faith. But there's no joy of forgiveness. No joy of forgiveness.

35:34 There's evidence that you don't want to court your sin. That you don't want to delude yourself. Into thinking you can have your cake and eat it too.

35:44 But there is not that joy of the consciousness. That God's forgiveness is complete. And irrefutable. Irrevocable.

35:51 You're guilty of the sin of unbelief.

35:56 You don't believe that God's forgiveness is what he says it is. God says I've cast your sins behind my back. And you say no Lord. You put them on the shelf.

36:05 God says I'll remember them no more. You say no Lord. You've just temporarily forgotten. Now my friend.

36:11 You keep arguing with God. And you'll go through life crippled. Just as it's a terrible sin for a man to venture upon the promises with an unbroken heart. It's a terrible sin.

36:23 To venture upon the promises with an unbelieving heart. Oh let me urge some of you. To stop doubting. When there are no grounds for that doubt.

36:34 When God has said in his son and in his word. He that believeth is forgiven. Let me quote from a touching story that I read last night. Taking a bath and reading through a sermon of Spurgeon's on this text.

36:53 To see if I'd get any further. Spurgeon says there's a young girl in heaven now. Once a member of this church. I went once with one of my beloved deacons to see her when she was very near her departure.

37:09 She was in the last stage of consumption. Fair and sweetly beautiful she looked. And I think I never heard such syllables as those which fell from that girl's lips. She had disappointments and trials and troubles.

37:24 But all these never became the. Occasion of complaint. She blessed God for them. For they had brought her nearer to the Savior.

37:34 And when we asked her whether she was not afraid of dying. No she said. The only thing I fear is this. I'm afraid of living.

37:42 Lest my patience should wear out. I have not said an impatient word to the Lord yet sir. And I hope I shall not. It's sad to be so weak.

37:52 But I think if I had my choice. I'd rather be here than in hell. For it's very precious to me. I know that my Redeemer liveth.

38:00 And I'm waiting for the moment when he shall send his chariot of fire to take me up to him. I put the question to her. Spurgeon says. Have you not any doubts?

38:15 None sir. Why should I? I clasp my arms around the neck of Christ. And have you not any fear about your sins?

38:27 No sir. They are all forgiven. I trust the Saviour's precious blood. Do you think you will be as brave as this when you actually come to die?

38:41 Her answer was. Not if he leaves me sir. But he will never leave me. For he has said.

38:47 I will never leave thee. Nor forsake thee. There is faith dear brothers and sisters. May we all have it and receive the forgiveness of sins.

39:00 Of course. According to the riches of his grace. Have you any doubts? No sir.

39:07 How can I when I cling to the neck of Christ? Oh dear doubting saint. Are you clinging to Christ? Then bless God that in him you have remission of sins.

39:22 Full. Final. Complete. Irrevocable.

39:26 And you can face that world made bright with the undimmed holiness of God. And say with the hymn writer bold shall I stand in that great day for who ought to my charge shall lay fully absolved from these I am from sin and fear and death and shame. That's why Paul got shouting happy. He understood the nature of forgiveness.

The Measure of Forgiveness: According to the Riches of His Grace

39:57 The basis of forgiveness. And then I close with just a word about the little phrase. According to the riches of his grace. That's the measure of forgiveness.

40:11 And it's interesting. Paul uses a word here that means overflowing abundance. It's the word used for riches throughout the scripture. When the Bible writers want to describe a rich man who has more than he needs.

40:23 Who has a super abundance of earthly possessions. This is the word they use. So Paul says. The forgiveness of God is measured by.

40:34 The overflowing abundance of his unmerited love and favor. Notice it doesn't say forgiveness out of the riches of his grace. But forgiveness according to the riches of his grace. Let me illustrate.

40:51 Here's a man in great physical and temporal need. Two rich men come by. One man gets five one hundred dollar bills and gives them to him. He is given to him out of his riches.

41:01 The other man sits down. And makes him co-heir of all that he possesses. He has given according to the measure of his riches. He's saying to that man.

41:15 All that I have is yours. In the full measure of what I have is yours. The other man says. Out of my abundance I give you something.

41:24 The other man says. According to my abundance I give you. Now notice what the text says. In whom we have redemption through his blood.

41:32 The forgiveness of sins. Not out of but according to. The overflowing abundance of the grace of God. So what is the measure of divine forgiveness?

41:45 The measure of divine forgiveness is the infinite ocean of God's grace.

41:52 That's the measure. Now when you've measured that. In terms of breadth and length and depth and cubic yards. Then my friend.

42:01 You have reason to wonder whether or not you've exhausted yourself. By forgiving grace. He forgives in the measure stated here. The overflowing abundance of his grace.

42:17 God's forgiveness is according to the wealth of grace. Grace that provided a ransom. Grace that accepted the ransom. Grace that accepts guilty sinners.

42:28 Grace that bestows forgiveness upon him. But grace that is always and exclusively funneled. Through the work and person of Jesus Christ. Just like a countryside that will be barren and fruitless.

42:45 Without the supplies coming from a large lake. By means of irrigation ditches. The water that refreshes that countryside does not come directly out of the lake. Upon the parched earth.

42:57 But it comes through the conduits at the dam. And down through the channels and the gates by which that water is controlled. And so that infinite ocean. Of divine grace in God's heart.

43:10 Does not come directly upon men. But it is all funneled through the heart. And death and life and person. Of his own beloved son.

The Centrality of Forgiveness in the Gospel

43:22 As we close this morning. I trust that we've come to appreciate in a new way. The delicate interdependence of one truth of scripture upon another. How could I speak this morning of forgiveness.

43:36 Without saying who God is and what man is. You see. There is this interdependence of one truth upon another. And as one very perceptive commentator has stated.

43:47 And I want to read just a paragraph or two. Does the concept of forgiveness occupy the position in modern teaching that it did in days past? Do we realize the criminality of sin? The fearfulness of God's displeasure?

44:04 The infinite worth of his forgiveness? And the obligation under which it places us. As Saint Paul and his converts did. Or even as our fathers did a few generations ago.

44:16 It is my impression writes one man. That both religious people and those who do not profess to be religious. Must be conscious that God's forgiveness. If ever they think of it at all.

44:28 Does not create any deep and strong emotion. And let's be honest. The word forgiveness doesn't set the joy bells ringing in many of our hearts. Why doesn't it?

44:37 It did with Paul. It did with the early church. It has in great periods of the church's history. The difference between the way in which we think of divine forgiveness.

44:48 And the way in which it was thought of by David and Isaiah. By Christ himself. By Peter, Paul and John. And by the saints in the past.

44:56 The difference is very startling. And then the author goes on to say. In our attempts to make God more accommodating to the world. This God of love.

45:08 With whom everybody can get along. We have robbed the foundation of the sense of the sweetness of forgiveness. It's only when we see him as the high and the lofty one. Who is of pure eyes and to behold iniquity.

45:24 Before whom sinless seraphim veil face and feet. And cry holy, holy, holy. When I see that that God. Who charges his angels with folly.

45:35 In whose sight. That the heavens are not clean. That God. Takes the sins of the likes of me.

45:42 And casts them behind his back. That's something to shout about. To sing about. Something that will constrain the heart.

45:51 Unto a life of obedience. Oh my brethren. You relinquish the God of the Bible. And man as a sinner.

46:00 As the Bible describes him. And you cut away all foundation for an appreciation. Of divine forgiveness. So our evangelism must start.

46:12 Not with making men feel comfortable in the presence of somebody called love. But making them feel cringingly uncomfortable. In the presence of the Holy One of Israel.

46:25 Then when we tell them how they can become comfortable in his presence. The gap is bridged by divine forgiveness. Their hearts will be fused to the forgiver. They will be his willingness.

46:41 The love of God. The love of God. The love of God. Notice in the second place.

46:45 The centrality of Christ in all of this. And it's a good test to evaluate religion. What place does Christ have. In the whole issue of sin and forgiveness.

46:55 Where is Christ in all of this. For Paul he is central. In whom we have redemption. The forgiveness of sins.

47:03 Through his blood. Grace and forgiveness. Tied together. And in the middle of the night I woke up with that thought.

47:10 Ring. Through my head. Grace and forgiveness. And if you separate one from the other.

47:16 You have something less than biblical Christianity. If you can think of grace without forgiveness. You don't know the God of grace. If you can think of forgiveness without grace.

47:26 You don't know the God of forgiveness. It's forgiveness according to grace. And it's grace that provides forgiveness. What place do those two words have in your religion.

47:36 Forgiveness and grace.

47:40 And is Christ central to both.

47:43 As I close this morning. I would put the question to every mind. Every heart in this place. Do you have the greatest thing.

47:53 A man or woman. A fellow or girl. Can possess in this life. Do you have the forgiveness of sins this morning.

48:00 Do you. Do you young people. Children. Do you have the forgiveness of sins.

48:07 Because your sins cry out to God. For judgment as much as the sins of your mom and dad. What about you. Teenagers.

48:13 Do you have the forgiveness of sins. Have you seen your need of forgiveness. The nature of forgiveness. The basis of forgiveness.

48:21 The measure of forgiveness.

48:25 Oh may God be pleased to enable some this morning. Who perhaps have never never seen. That this is life's greatest possession. To cast themselves upon the Savior.

48:38 And then be able to say with Paul. Blessed be God. In whom I. Have the forgiveness of sins.

48:48 According to the riches. Of his grace. And with a thousand voices. Bullying the church into saying.

48:57 That she must get away from her message. That deals with individual salvation. Get her hands dirty in social issues. Get her face sweaty with contemporary issues.

49:08 May God help us to stand against the pressure. And say. The central. Pivotal.

49:14 Issue. Issue of our gospel is. Proclamation. Of forgiveness of sins.

49:20 Through the blood. Of Jesus Christ. The Lamb of God. And if we ever move from that.

49:27 Let's close up shop. Tear down our shingles. And call it the Essex fell social club. But in God's name.

49:36 Let's not deceive poor people. Into thinking it's Christianity. This is the central message. Of the gospel.

49:44 Of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray.