God does not end his work in our life after we are saved, it has just begun. God desires that my life be Christlike, but he leaves it up to me. Philippians 2:12-13. At the same time God desires to do a good work in my life, Satan desires to destroy it. John 10:10. all of us at some time in our life have committed a sin or done a deed that has hurt our Christian life. You can put it down that Satan knows what it is. Not only does he know what, but he also knows when and where to use it. He will do it because he wants to destroy your Christian life. 1 Peter 5:8. I want to share with you one of the greatest verses found in the Bible tonight, 1 John 1:9.
I. The Forgiveness of Sin is My Greatest Need
1. Of all my needs, forgiveness is the greatest.
2. The lost son, I have sinned. Luke 15:17-24
3. Peter wept. Luke 22:61-62
4. Judas wanted to be forgiven. Matthew 27:3-7
5. The greatest burden some people bear is the burden of unforgiveness.
a. At the passing of a loved one.
b. Maybe another brother you have wronged.
6. There's not a sin or a sinner God cannot forgive.
II. We Need to Forget Forgiven Sin
1. No believer can progress like God wants him to until he learns to forget forgiven sins. Your own, what others have done to you, and what you know about others.
a. Not to the point of blotting out, we do not have that power or ability. We can forgive but not forget.
b. Forget to the point that it no longer matters in your life. It is no longer a live issue. We no longer think about it, we no longer respond to it it's dead.
2. There is something built into man that tells him sin must be paid for.
a. Man thinks God's way of forgiveness is too easy. It feels that we must help God out.
b. We find this in many religions.
3. Many Christians are trying to take over the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
a. Always checking themselves to see how spiritual they are.
b. Have you ever said I know something is wrong, but I don't know what? You start confessing.
c. The Holy Spirit is like an umpire at a ball game, if you strike out, he will tell you.
d. He is like a father that disciplines his child, you know it.
4. Before we can ever have real peace and grow in our Christian life, we must learn to forget forgiven sins.
III. We Need to Confess Unforgiven Sin
1. Confess continually
a. The word confess means to agree with.
b. We need to confess the very moment we are convicted of our sin.
2. Confess completely
a. Not like, Lord forgive me for all of my sin if I have any.
b. Name them one by one like counting our blessings.
3. Confess with confidence
a. 1 John 1:9
b. God is faithful.
c. God is just.
1) To forgive
2) to cleanse
IV. In Closing
1. No reason for you to feel unclean.
2. There is no reason to fill unfit or unworthy.
3. There is no impurity with forgiven sin
