FORGIVENESS WITH GOD
Acts 5:30-31
INTRO. Paul said, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." But the Bible is not content with only one verse to prove the sinful condition of the human race. [Rom. 5:12 - "as by one man ...";
James 1:15 - "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death."; Rom. 3:10 - "There is none righteous, no not one."] and on and on we could go.
Jonah was called to go to the Gentile city of Niniveh. He refused because he considered the Gentiles so sinful that they were unworthy of salvation.
In Psalm 130:3, David asks the question, "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" (explain) This is a good question. Could a Jew stand? A black man...a white man? A savage heathen ... an educated socialite? Who can stand against God’s charge that all have sinned? Not Jew nor Gentile.
Note Romans 3:9-12
God’s Word leaves no room for doubt that....
I. MAN STANDS IN NEED OF GOD’S FORGIVENESS.
A. That men need forgiveness is proven by their actions. We have wronged God because we have violated His holy laws. (I Jn. 3:4) "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law."
1. We have profaned His Holy Name in our vile conversations.
a. We have misused His Holy Sabbaths in pursuit of our own unholy delights;
b. We have disbelieved His kind warning concerning the dangers of sin (And in effect, called Him a liar!)
c. We have neglected His gracious offer of reconciliation and finally it was man who so violently abused His beloved Son and murdered Him.
2. But yet we like to say, "I am not a great sinner." (James 2:10) - "Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all."
3. Cain and Abel making their offerings to God.
a. Cain’s offering rejected. (Gen. 4:5-7)
b. Unforgiven sin will grow, or multiply into more and worse sins.
c. (I Jn. 3:12) -- "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother righteous."
B. Our lives, our thought our actions all plead against us that we are guilty of sin.
1. (I Jn. 1:18) -- "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (Vs. 10) If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us."
2. Is there anyone here who does not know the difference from right and wrong? We know when we are sinning. "Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
Since sin is the violation of God’s Law....
II. ONLY GOD CAN FORGIVE SIN.
A. Since God is the lawgiver and it is God who is offended then it is God who must give forgiveness.
1. David’s prayer for forgiveness.
2. We should be grateful there is forgiveness with God. And God’s forgiveness knows no boundaries. (Micah 7:18)
B. It is God who will sit at the Great White Throne to judge men’s sins; it is God who has the keys to death, hell and the grave. Only God can give life or take it away. And only God can forgive sin.
III. GOD HAS MADE PROVISION FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN.
A. (Jn. 3:16) -- In sending Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our sins, God has made provision for our souls salvation.
1. Lk. 22:24
2. Here is Jesus agonizing for the souls of those who will not accept the provision of God and will spend eternity in hell. (Exp.)
3. When this happened it was a new sight for the angels. They had seen Satan’s forces charge the ramparts of Heaven,...they had seen 180,000 of the Assyrian army of Sennacharib die in a night,... they were present at the trial of Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego. They were with Daniel in the lion’s den and Joshua at the battle of Jericho. But they had never seen anything like this before.
B. He didn’t sweat blood because of physical suffering. It was for the grief of man and all that must be endured to purchase man’s redemption.
1. Hell must be an awful place for God to pay so high a price.
2. (Isa. 53:6) -- "The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all."
3. He stood in our place in Judgment, he bore our sin, he paid our price, he was our provision.
IV. GOD HAS REVEALED THE WAY OF FORGIVENESS.
A. It is not in anything man might do. When we consider the cross of Calvary, when we visualize the humiliation, suffering and death of the Son of God, then we see God’s revealed plan of salvation.
B. (Acts 20:21) -- "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
V. GOD IS NOW READY AND WILLING TO FORGIVE.
A. Man was made to have fellowship with his Creator. Earth was given to man for his own domain and even now God is preparing the New Jerusalem. A new Heaven and a new Earth is to be created for those men who seek God’s forgiveness.
1. It should be plain then that the idea that God sends people to hell is a lie of the Devil!
2. (II Pet. 3:9) -- "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
3. Ezekiel 33:11
B. Forgiveness is here and now.
1. Any sin and any sinner, no matter how enormous or great the sin, God is ready to forgive those who ask.
2. (Col. 2:13) -- "And you, being dead in your sins...hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses."
C. It is wisdom to seek salvation now before sin becomes our ruin.
D. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (II Cor. 6:2)
CONCLU. I never see a man or woman, boy or girl that I do not think that God has a plan for them and I wonder what it is. He has a plan for you that will bring Him honor and glory and you satisfaction but you can defeat his plan if you wish.
What do angels think of all this, I wonder. What do they care about political plans, economic plans, tax rebates, or farm programs? Salvation of souls!! That’s what rings the bells of heaven. "There is joy in the presence of the holy angels over one sinner that repenteth."
