Forgiveness Of Sins

I. EXORDIUM:

Are your sins forgiven?

Yes. Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23

For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that the LORD JESUS knows our sins even before we come to Him from eternity and yet He has forgiven all of it. We are justified, sanctified and forgiven, made clean.

Psalms 103:12

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Isaiah 1:18

Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.

IV. TEXT:

Luke 5:20

And when He saw [their confidence in Him, springing from] their faith, He said, Man, your sins are forgiven you!

V. THESIS:

Praise, worship and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You have cleansed and forgiven me from all my sins: past, present and future.

1 John 1:9

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

VI. TITLE:

Forgiveness of sins

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Dr. Luke, The Beloved Physician (close friend and traveling companion of Paul)

B. Audience: Theophilus (Greek means friend of GOD, a Christian)

C. Purpose: To give a connected and orderly narrative of the life of CHRIST as seen by eyewitnesses

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. GOD, the SON can see our faith

"And when He saw [their confidence in Him, springing from] their faith,"

James 2:18

But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith.

EXAMPLES:

1. Paul can see the faith of the crippled in birth: faith to be healed

Acts 14:9

He was listening to Paul as he talked, and [Paul] gazing intently at him and observing that he had faith to be healed,

2. Barnabbas saw GOD's grace in Antioch

Acts 11:23

When he arrived and saw what grace (favor) God was bestowing upon them, he was full of joy; and he continuously exhorted (warned, urged, and encouraged) them all to cleave unto and remain faithful to and devoted to the Lord with [resolute and steady] purpose of heart.

3. The LORD JESUS know what is human nature

John 2:25

And He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men’s hearts.]

4. GOD, the FATHER can see the reverential fear and obedience in Abraham

Genesis 22:12

And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your son, your only son.

B. Our sins are forgiven

"He said, Man, your sins are forgiven you!"

Even while here on earth without the crucifixion the LORD JESUS forgave men their sins for that is His very purpose - to forgive sins.

Mark 2:5

And when Jesus saw their faith [their confidence in God through Him], He said to the paralyzed man, Son, your sins are forgiven [you] and put away [that is, the penalty is remitted, the sense of guilt removed, and you are made upright and in right standing with God].

Luke 19:10

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Luke 7:48

And He said to her, Your sins are forgiven!

Illustration: I was sharing the Gospel during college days and one said to me, sorry I can't come I am a dirty person, I still need to clean up my act and when I have done that I can attend your services and bible studies. I just said to him, so you're saying you clean yourself first before taking a bath? He laughed at me, the purpose of taking a bath is to be clean. So I returned the laugh at him, The very purpose of coming to JESUS is to be clean. I never saw him anymore. He thought that self-righteousness can please GOD but in reality faith pleases GOD.

Isaiah 64:6

For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away [far from God’s favor, hurrying us toward destruction].