We Are Forgiven

INTRO.- Forgiveness if a beautiful thing, but not everyone expresses it or demonstrates it.

ILL.- A couple had been married for 15 years. They were having more than the usual marital disagreements. They wanted to make their marriage work, however, and agreed on an idea the wife had. For one month they planned to drop a slip of paper in what they called “the fault box.” Each would have their own “fault box.” They would simply write their “irritations” on a slip of paper and drop it in the respective box.

And the wife was very diligent in writing her “irritations.” Some read: “Left the lid off the jelly jar.” “Wet towels on the shower floor.” “Dirty socks left in the floor.” On and on until the end of the month came.

At the end of the month, after dinner one evening, they exchanged boxes and began reading one another’s “irritations.” The husband read and reflected on what he had done wrong in his wife’s eyes. Then his wife opened her box and began reading. TO HER AMAZEMENT, ALL THE SLIPS OF PAPER READ THE SAME THING: “I LOVE YOU!”

Brethren, that’s what I call “forgiveness” and not everybody expresses it or demonstrates it. But God does.

Rom. 3:10-12 “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Rom. 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Brethren, let’s admit it. WE’VE ALL BLOWN IT BEFORE GOD! But in Christ there is forgiveness, complete forgiveness. Perhaps we can think of it this way.

ILL.- I read a story about a priest, a beloved man of God, in the Philippines who always carried the burden of a secret sin he had committed many years before. He had repented of the sin but still had no peace, no sense of God’s forgiveness.

In his church was a woman who loved the Lord and claimed to have visions in which she spoke with Christ. The priest, however, was skeptical. To test her he said, “The next time you speak with Christ I want you to ask him what sin your priest committed while he was in seminary.” The woman agreed.

A few days later the priest asked, “Well, did Christ visit you in your dreams?” “Yes, he did,” she replied. “And did you ask him what sin I committed in seminary?” “Yes.” “Well, what did he say?” “He said, ‘I DON’T REMEMBER.’”

Brothers and sisters, when God forgives us our sins, He also forgets them!

Heb. 10:17 “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” Thank you, Lord! Bless you!

What forgiveness! What grace! What love! We are forgiven in Jesus Christ!

PROP.- I want to share three thoughts about our forgiveness in Christ.

1- Forgiveness is a fact

2- Forgiveness is a gift

3- Forgiveness is a treasure

I. FORGIVENESS IS A FACT - BELIEVE IT!

ILL.- While walking by a plastic factory in Hungary, a man named Mr. Rubik caught a unique little plastic cube that hurled into the air by a factory explosion.

After some investigation, it was found that the factory had not manufactured the “cube,” not was it on the drawing board. It just came into existence by itself in that factory explosion.

Mr. Rubik examined the “cube” and found that it was composed of 27 smaller cubes of six different colors totaling 54 squares. Mathematicians calculated that thousands, even millions of different patterns could be arranged on that one cube. And, of course, that cube came to be known as the “Rubik’s Cube.”

Do you believe this story? Do you believe that the Rubik’s Cube was formed by an explosion in a plastic factory? IF YOU DO, I WOULD LIKE TO SELL YOU SOMETHING!

Brethren, some things are hard to believe, whereas other things should be believed.

ILL.- On Sunday, July 20, 1969, hundreds of millions of people watched their TV sets as man set foot on the moon. When Neil Armstrong stepped down on the moon’s surface, he said, “That’s one small step for man - one giant leap for mankind.”

That moon landing is a fact, but do you realize that many people didn’t believe it? And there are probably some people today who still don’t believe it!

Some things are hard to believe, but some things should never be doubted! AND ONE OF THEM IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE FORGIVENESS FOR ALL OUR SINS IN JESUS CHRIST! It’s a fact and you should believe it!

Eph. 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”