divine forgiveness

1 John 1:8-10

Introduction:

1. Forgiveness - the only basis and hope of our being right with God.

a. Other choices would be:

1. God would 'ignore' and 'overlook' sin - but then He not righteous

2. We could do 'works of merit' - above and beyond the demand of law whereby we could 'pay off our debt' - but perfect obedience is what is 'required' - and we have already blown that.

a. Luke 17:7-10 - are 'unprofitable' because of our shortcomings!

b. When do right - that is what is required, not 'above and beyond'!

2. Problem of religious forgiveness: often through wrong approach.

a. Roman Catholic - penance.(the 2nd plan of justification)

1. Initially cleansed in baptism -

2. When sin, need to be 'justified' again - this time through penance.

3. Several parts to this:

a. confession (to a priest) -

b. contrition.

c. priestly absolution - (pronouncement of terms of forgiveness)

d. works of satisfaction - works that 'satisfy' the demands of God and make it fitting or 'congruous' for God to restore justification to the penitent.

1. Hail Marys, Our Fathers, other 'works'

4. Almsgiving - when done from a genuine spirit of repentance - but

a. Tetzel and other corrupted - became available to those people who had sinned and YET had not 'repented' -

b. Brought large amounts of money into the Roman church -

c. Brought the ire of Martin Luther - 'faith only'.

b. Advantage - people FELT forgiven and hence NOT FEEL guilty!

1. Both feelings are SUBJECTIVE!

2. Only when God forgives are we forgiven, and only when God forgives are we not guilty! Regardless of how we FEEL.

3. We might feel guilty and unforgiven when God has forgiven.

4. We might also feel forgiven and guiltless when in fact we are under the wrath of God!

3. Problem for those outside of Christ - many feel forgiven and aren't!

4. Problem for those IN Christ - many feel guilty, unforgiven, & unforgiveable.

5. WHY? WHY? WHY?

1. Not Trust God's promise - 1 John 1:8-9.

a. Study the other promises of God -

2. Not Trust God's Character

a. Learn the character of God -

1. Trustworthy

2. kind -

3. Gracious

4. Forgiving.

b. God gives forgiveness freely to the repentant. But he NEVER grants license for sin. He is not the author of peace to the impenitent!

3. Walk by feelings vs. walk by faith.

a. Who can trust the heart - it is deceitful, Jer.

b. We have for years understood and preached this concerning feeling forgiven when haven't obey God -

c. Must learn the same principle concerning BEING unforgiven vs. feeling unforgiven.

4. Misunderstand penance vs. repentance.

a. Repent - godly sorrow concerning sins that seeks God's forgiveness and promotes a change in our actions.

b. Penance - works that somehow 'undo'

5. Can refuse to accept forgiveness - as can reject any other promise or threat of God.

6. Many refuse to forgive self.

7. Not understand the nature of God's 'forgetting'.

a. NOT that God has a 'memory block' -

b. NOT that is never happened, It DID, and God doesn't 'pretend' it didn't.

c. Not that there are NO CONSEQUENCES - for there IS.

1. Governments = the power to punish evil doers, if we do evil, even though GOD forgives, the state can / does / should require penalty!

2. Our repentance should also demand of ourselves to right whatever wrong there is (as much as is possible).

d. IS - relational, God will NOT remember it AGAINST me - doesn't bring it up for judgment. - hence, Psalm 103:10-12, Jer. 31:34;

8. Not understand the 'two laws of pardon'

a. Initial - faith, repentance, confession, baptism for the remission...

b. Of Children - 1 John 1:9-10 -