A Lesson From The Onion Series

Sin and joy are inherently related. If one is present the other must flee. Now we would rather have the joy of a rich, full experience with God than we would the guilt of sin -- King David expresses our sentiments in Psalm 51:

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Jesus’ healing love can remove sin and its guilt in the twinkle of an eye. When Jesus says to you “your sins are forgiven” it is a settled fact. It heals the human heart and removes the nagging guilt.

#1. “Be of Good Cheer” (v. 2)

#2. “Your Sins are Forgiven” (v. 2)

There is one more transforming word in this passage:

#3. “GET UP AND GO!” (V. 6)

Whenever you eat foods with onion in it, their presence is almost unmistakable. They definitely change the experience.

When God has so touched a person that they are given his abiding joy (abiding presence) and sin’s guilt is removed … well it becomes obvious and changes the life’s experience in wonderful ways.

CHRIST’S JOY & GOD’S FORGIVENESS CAN PUT A SPRING IN YOUR STEP – IT REMOVES THE PARALYSIS OF SIN.

IT CAN GIVE A SENSE OF PURPOSE TO YOUR “COMING AND GOING” THAT YOU NEVER KNEW WAS MISSING.

1. The joy from Christ’s love motivates you to go.

2. The forgiveness of Christ’s love equips you to go.

3. The results of Christ’s love encourage you to go.

Before it was impossible -- you were dead, alien, and foreign to God and His ways. But now you can serve the creator of the universe in a way which is pleasing and effective! What a privilege!