The Power of Forgiveness
Griffith Baptist Church – 4/12/09
P.M. Service
Text: Psalm 51:7-13
Key verse: Psalms 51:13 – Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Premise: When a person truly repents and seeks God’s favor again, more changes than meets the eye. There is underlying power in the forgiveness of God to do more than what we think.
The Introduction
Matthew sprained his ankle playing football. The doctor told him to get off his crutches as soon as possible, because the injury would develop scar tissue if he did not walk on it. If an injury develops scar tissue, later on it can be worse and more painful and you lose mobility. Some people live with "injuries" in the lives and never experience forgiveness. They are spiritually crippled because they either will not receive forgiveness from God or give it to others.
When a person truly repents and asks God for forgiveness, it happens. He is forgiven!
What we don’t often understand is the power of forgiveness.
What does forgiveness do besides forgive?
Body
1. The Cravings of Forgiveness
A. Purifying – 7
i. Robert Murray McCheyne wrote to Dan Edwards after the latter’s ordination as a missionary, ’In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God" (emphasis mine). Leading the Way by Paul Borthwick, Navpress, 1989, p. 65
ii. This hyssop was used for the purging of sin:
a. Hyssop was used in the Passover (Ex. 12:22)
b. In the pronouncement of a leper being declared clean (Lev. 14:4)
c. Moses sprinkled blood on the people in the ceremony of Ex. 24:6-8.
iii. Jesus said that pruning and purging is sometimes required - John 15:2 – Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
iv. This is why we are to be careful to keep ourselves pure by thinking on godly virtues - Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things
B. Healing – 8
i. David speaks of his bones:
a. They were not physically broken, but felt like it because his whole person was affected by this sin and the subsequent remorse and repentance.
b. When you break a bone, your temperature rises and you whole body reacts
c. When your bones ache or suffer from some ailment, you know it
d. David wants to hear joy and gladness and rejoice again - Psalms 35:9-10 - 9And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation. 10All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
ii. He, in essence is looking for healing for his soul and spirit
a. Healing of the heart
b. Healing of a relationship with God
c. Healing of the conscience
C. Removing – 9
i. David requests a judicial act of not just acquittal, but removal so as to be innocent
ii. Jesus did this for us on the cross:
a. Colossians 2:14 – Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
b. This does not mean we are sinlessly perfect
c. It does mean that when we sin, we can confess and repent and forgiven.
D. Changing – 10
i. It is so hard to admit change or the need for it. It is like Charlie Brown and Linus. Charlie brown asks Linus "What would you do if you felt that nobody liked you?" Linus responds "Well Charlie Brown I guess I would take a real hard look at myself, ask if I am doing anything that turns people off, How can I improve myself? Do I need to change in some way? Yep that’s my answer Charlie Brown." Charlie Brown says, "I hate that answer."
ii. David wanted a complete change in his life
a. This is where true and false repentance separate
• The truly repentant want to change
• The falsely repentant are just trying to assuage their guilt till the next time
b. This could only come through a work of God
iii. There are two aspects of change that come as a result of true repentance:
a. Clean heart
• can only come though a relationship with Christ and an ongoing commitment to reject the world
• Matthew 5:8 - Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
b. Renewed spirit
• “Renew” here means a place in a state or condition identical or nearly the same as a prior state
• David wanted to return to his relationship with God the way it used to be, and even closer
• Ephesians 4:22-24 - 22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
E. Preserving – 11
i. David wanted to preserve his salvation, something we don’t have to worry about today
ii. The Holy Spirit indwelling was different in the two testaments.
iii. In the OT, the Holy Spirit could be removed, as in the case of Saul (1st Sam. 16:14)
iv. In the NT, the Holy Spirit permanently indwells believers – John 14:16 - And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (Eph. 4:30)
F. Restoring – 12
i. David wanted to return to the state of spiritual joy he once had
a. This was a deep inner joy that comes when we are in right fellowship with God
b. Spurgeon said, “None but God can give back this joy; he can do it; we may ask it; he will do it for his own glory and our benefit. This joy comes not first, but follows pardon and purity: in such order it is safe, in any other it is vain presumption or idiotic delirium. The Treasury of David, Psalms 1-57 By C. H. Spurgeon
ii. David wanted to be sustained once again by the spirit of God and know His strength
a. Robert Murray M’Cheyne said - I am tempted to think that I am now an established Christian, that I have overcome this or that lust so long that I have got into the habit of the opposite grace, so that there is no fear; I may venture very near the temptation, nearer than other men. This is a lie of Satan. I might as well speak of gunpowder getting by habit a power of resisting fire, so as not to catch the spark. As long as powder is wet it resists the spark, but when it becomes dry it is ready to explode at the first touch. As long as the Spirit dwells in my heart, he deadens me to sin, so that if lawfully called through temptation I may reckon upon God carrying me through. But when the Spirit leaves me, I am like dry gunpowder. Oh, for a sense of this!
b. This is the only way we can be restored and sustained, is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. The Consequences of Forgiveness
A. A Complete Cleansing – 7
i. What God begins, He finishes and He does the job right
ii. The firs step is salvation or the second step cannot be claimed - 1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
iii. Our repentance and confession + His faithfulness and justification = complete forgiveness - 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
B. A Joyful Spirit – 8
i. Joy, even in the midst of pain and problems
ii. It is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)
iii. Andrew Murray said - May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love, and joy of God’s presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of my self as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and His love."
iv. It is to be the winning heart attitude of a Christian - Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
v. It is a product of knowing Jesus Christ - 1 Peter 1:8 - Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
C. A New Start – 10
i. Creation is a work of God, not of man
a. Man cannot create anything
b. He can only take pre-existing material that God has already created and supplied, and fashions something with it.
ii. We are made by salvation with a newness mentality - 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
iii. We are created to walk in a new way that will glorify God - Ephesians 2:10 - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
D. A Renewed Joy- 12
i. When joy is absent, serving and glorifying God is a drudgery.
ii. By the way, nobody robs you of your joy, you give it away!
iii. There are many aspects of this joy:
a. Salvation - Psalms 35:9 – And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
b. Service – Psalms 100:2 – Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
c. Suffering - 2 Corinthians 12:9 – And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
d. Singing - Ephesians 5:19 – Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
E. A Powerful Testimony – 13
i. A rather pompous-looking deacon was endeavoring to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life. ’Why do people call me a Christian?" the man asked. After a moment’s pause, one youngster said, ’Maybe it’s because they don’t know you."
ii. This is the first “then” in Psalm 51
a. This indicates the result of a transformed testimony after sin is repented of.
b. It also indicates what is necessary before our lives will truly have an impact for Christ.
iii. Sin in our lives detracts from our effectiveness in reaching the lost
iv. Sin in our lives keeps us from helping each other in spiritual difficulties
v. Only the righteous bare fruit - Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. (see also 2nd Pet. 1:8 for parallel)
vi. We will see the necessity and burden of sacrifice in order to see others come to Christ - 1 Corinthians 9:22 - 19For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Conclusion:
Have you ever experience the power of forgiveness fully?
Do you have joy or a sense of guilt and depression?
How is your testimony to others? Do you dare find out?
When God forgives, He forgives completely and restores completely.
