Your Sins Are Forgiven

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This is a message that was given for the worship service on 9/27/15 in which the sacrament of communion was administered.

Written Excerpts:

Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Introduction:

As you already know, we are going to be sharing the emblems of communion this morning in obedience to our Lord’s command. When I was thinking of an appropriate passage of Scripture and theme to use for the message on this occasion, my mind was drawn to the words of Jesus when He initiated the Eucharist at the last supper with His disciples.

Those words are, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matt. 26:28 (KJV)

As I pondered those words, I recalled some other words of Jesus that were directed to specific individuals. To the paralytic man brought to Jesus He said, “Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven.” Matt. 9:2 (NKJV) And, to the woman who anointed his feet, “Your sins are forgiven.” Lk. 7:48 (NKJV) Therefore, I have chosen these words of Christ as the title for the message today, “Your sins are forgiven.”

With the Lord’s help I want to talk about the subject of forgiveness and, more specifically, the remission of sins. I will attempt to do so by describing the meaning of some important words; by sharing some examples of forgiveness, and by stimulating our faith in Christ’s sacrifice.

I.    The Meaning of Some Important Words

There are many words used in the Scriptures that are related to the idea of forgiveness and remission, and therefore important to understand. Let’s consider a few of them now.

“Remission” – Two different words translated as “remission” in the KJV. One of them is only used once.

Romans 3:25 (KJV) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

In this verse the word carries more the idea of “passing over” or “putting aside.” This does not imply that God would bring them up again later for punishment, but that He treated them as forgiven based on the sacrifice of His Son that would come later.

(ISBE) Remission is exemption from the consequences of an offense, forgiveness; pretermission is the suspension of the penalty (Philippi, Ellicott, Trench (Synonyms, XXXIII), Weiss; compare Acts 17:30). Cremer (Lexicon of N T Gr) regards the meaning of the two words as identical, except that the one refers to the Old Testament and the other to the New Testament. Sins are remitted when the offender is treated as though the offense had never been committed.

“Forgiveness” – lit. to put or send away.

“Atonement” – in the English Bible (KJV) the word “atonement” only appears once (Rom. 5:11) and it carries the idea of reconciliation.

(The Intn’l Std Bible Encyclopedia.) The root meanings of the Hebrew words… are, to "cover," hence … cancel, placate; to "offer," or "receive a sin offering," hence, make atonement, appease, propitiate; "effect reconciliation," i.e. by some conduct, or course of action.

I’ve included the word “atonement” here because, as we will notice later, in the Bible, remission is not available without the shedding of blood for the atonement of sins.

II.  Some Examples of Forgiveness and Remission

A. The woman who washed Jesus’ feet

One of the prime examples of forgiveness is found in the passage from Luke that we read earlier. This story is one that I have used in a sermon a few months ago – the woman who came and washed the feet of Jesus with her tears, and she dried them with her hair, and she anointed them with costly oil.

She was described earlier in the story as a “sinner.” I mentioned before, that the very fact she is described as a “sinner” probably means that she was notorious sinner. Many Bible scholars believe that she was a prostitute. After she gave such a dramatic display of worship and affection to the Lord, Jesus says to the Pharisee, “…her sins which are many are forgiven.” And, He also says to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

I’m reminded from our earlier study that the verb tense used here by the author, Luke, indicate that she had already been forgiven and the results or condition of being forgiven continued into the present. Previously a notorious sinner – now a forgiven disciple!

B. The executioners at Calvary

Another prime example of forgiveness is displayed in the record of the crucifixion. “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Lk. 23:34) Here the Lord prays (intercedes) to the Father that their sin be forgiven (remitted, dismissed, sent away).

Most scholars seem to think that He is thinking not only of the executioners, but also the Jewish leaders who were also responsible for His crucifixion.

Jesus is truly expressing the heart of the Father as He prays for their forgiveness in the face of the most horrific treatment and suffering. What Jesus prays for these is the epitome of what God offers to every sinner, who deserves nothing but judgment, but is offered pardon and mercy.

III.  Our hope in Christ’s sacrifice

Many of you may have heard this quote before, but it is certainly worth repeating. The author is Unknown.

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior. (www.sermonillustrations.com.)

A. Remission is inseparably linked to the shedding of the blood; specifically the blood of Christ.

1 John 2:2 (KJV) And he (i.e., Jesus Christ) is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Hebrews 9:22 (KJV) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

I’m so glad that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son! I’m so glad that Jesus died not only to forgive the sins of those individuals introduced to us in the pages of Scripture, but He died for my sins and for yours.

Listen to the words from a couple of verses in a hymn written by Charles Wesley:

He ever lives above for me to intercede;

His all-redeeming love, His precious blood to plead.

His blood atoned for all our race,

His blood atoned for all our race,

And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary

They pour effectual prayers, They strongly plead for me

Forgive him, oh, forgive, they cry,

Forgive him, oh, forgive, they cry,

Nor let that ransomed sinner die.

The author, K. Koch, writes the following account of Martin Luther (Occult Bondage and Deliverance, p. 10.) – In a dream, Martin Luther found himself being attacked by Satan. The devil unrolled a long scroll containing a list of Luther's sins, and held it before him. On reaching the end of the scroll Luther asked the devil, "Is that all?" "No," came the reply, and a second scroll was thrust in front of him. Then, after a second came a third. But now the devil had no more. "You've forgotten something," Luther exclaimed triumphantly. "Quickly write on each of them, 'The blood of Jesus Christ God's son cleanses us from all sins.'" (www.sermonillustrations.com.)

B. Remission is also directly connected to repentance.

Mark 1:4 (NKJV) John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV) Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Acts 2:38 (NKJV) Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I know you have heard this many, many times in the past, but let me remind you again this morning that remission through the blood of Christ is only effective for those who have repented from their sins.

Conclusion:

In closing let me share one more quote with you that appears in a book by John R. W. Stott (The Contemporary Christian). – Not long before she died in 1988, in a moment of surprising candor in television, Marghanita Laski, one of our best-known secular humanists and novelists, said, "What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me.” (www.sermonillustrations.com)

In direct contrast to this secularist who recognized that her lack of faith left her with no assurance of forgiveness, every one of us who have come to the cross and humbly confessed our sin, and trusted fully in the sacrifice of Christ, can say with confidence that His blood has remitted every sin and we are forgiven by grace.

What a wonderful reminder as we now prepare to share the emblems of our Lord’s suffering again!