Forgive Me December 20, 2015 Matthew 6:9-13 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. THE INCARNATION MAKES THE CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS POSSIBLE Matthew 1:18-23 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found WITH CHILD OF THE HOLY GHOST. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for THAT WHICH IS CONCEIVED IN HER IS OF THE HOLY GHOST. 21 AND SHE SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME JESUS: FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMMANUEL, WHICH BEING INTERPRETED IS, GOD WITH US. The One who was to bear our sin and judgment on the cross as our Substitute had to have no sin of His own. He had to be sinless and without spot, or else he would have been dying under the penalty of his own sin, disqualified from saving others and unacceptable as a sin-offering unto God. Romans 5:12 Wherefore, AS BY ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans 5:19 For as BY ONE MAN'S DISOBEDIENCE MANY WERE MADE SINNERS, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 1
Psalms 51:5 NAS Behold, I WAS BROUGHT FORTH IN INIQUITY, And IN SIN MY MOTHER CONCEIVED ME. Hebrews 7:26 FOR SUCH AN HIGH PRIEST BECAME US, WHO IS HOLY, HARMLESS, UNDEFILED, SEPARATE FROM SINNERS, AND MADE HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS. Hebrews 9:13-14 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 HOW MUCH MORE SHALL THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, WHO THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT OFFERED HIMSELF WITHOUT SPOT TO GOD, PURGE YOUR CONSCIENCE FROM DEAD WORKS TO SERVE THE LIVING GOD? THE CONFESSION OF OUR SINS IS REQUIRED BY GOD 1 John 1:8-10 8 IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US. 9 IF WE CONFESS (homologeo - to say the same as another, to agree) OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 10 IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT SINNED, WE MAKE HIM A LIAR, AND HIS WORD IS NOT IN US. If we say that we have no sin 1. Silent Pride, Entitlement 2. Embarrassment, Shame, Humiliation 3. Excuses, Self-justification 4. Blame-shifting Psalms 32:1-7 NAS 1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3 WHEN I KEPT SILENT ABOUT MY SIN, MY BODY WASTED AWAY THROUGH MY GROANING ALL DAY LONG. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. 5 I ACKNOWLEDGED (yada - to know) MY SIN TO YOU, AND MY INIQUITY I DID NOT HIDE; I SAID, "I WILL CONFESS MY TRANSGRESSIONS TO THE LORD"; AND YOU FORGAVE THE GUILT OF MY SIN. Selah. 6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. 2
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. Hosea 14:1-2 NAS 1 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity. 2 TAKE WORDS WITH YOU AND RETURN TO THE LORD. SAY TO HIM, "TAKE AWAY ALL INIQUITY AND RECEIVE US GRACIOUSLY, THAT WE MAY PRESENT THE FRUIT OF OUR LIPS. Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: BUT WHOSO CONFESSETH AND FORSAKETH THEM SHALL HAVE MERCY. THERE MUST BE TRUE GODLY SORROW BEHIND THE CONFESSION FOR GOD TO FORGIVE Isaiah 29:13-16 13 WHEREFORE THE LORD SAID, FORASMUCH AS THIS PEOPLE DRAW NEAR ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND WITH THEIR LIPS DO HONOUR ME, BUT HAVE REMOVED THEIR HEART FAR FROM ME, AND THEIR FEAR TOWARD ME IS TAUGHT BY THE PRECEPT OF MEN: 14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. 15 WOE UNTO THEM THAT SEEK DEEP TO HIDE THEIR COUNSEL FROM THE LORD, AND THEIR WORKS ARE IN THE DARK, AND THEY SAY, WHO SEETH US? AND WHO KNOWETH US? 16 SURELY YOUR TURNING OF THINGS UPSIDE DOWN SHALL BE ESTEEMED AS THE POTTER'S CLAY: FOR SHALL THE WORK SAY OF HIM THAT MADE IT, HE MADE ME NOT? OR SHALL THE THING FRAMED SAY OF HIM THAT FRAMED IT, HE HAD NO UNDERSTANDING? Jeremiah 6:15 WERE THEY ASHAMED WHEN THEY HAD COMMITTED ABOMINATION? NAY, THEY WERE NOT AT ALL ASHAMED, NEITHER COULD THEY BLUSH: THEREFORE THEY SHALL FALL AMONG THEM THAT FALL: AT THE TIME THAT I VISIT THEM THEY SHALL BE CAST DOWN, SAITH THE LORD. The fact that Jesus bore our sin on the cross doesn t make our sin any less sinful. Our sin still offends His holiness, breaks His heart and incurs His wrath. The grace and forgiveness of God doesn t make the penalty and judgement for my sin go away; it only excuses me from having to pay the price; but someone else did pay. Just how cavalier can you be about the blood of Jesus? Someone has paid for me with blood. How that knowledge lifts my sights beyond the moment s hot desire. Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity 3
2 Corinthians 7:9-11 9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10 FOR GODLY SORROW WORKETH (ergazomai - work out, perform) REPENTANCE TO SALVATION NOT TO BE REPENTED OF: BUT THE SORROW OF THE WORLD WORKETH DEATH. 11 For behold this selfsame thing, THAT YE SORROWED AFTER A GODLY SORT, WHAT CAREFULNESS IT WROUGHT IN YOU, YEA, WHAT CLEARING OF YOURSELVES, YEA, WHAT INDIGNATION, YEA, WHAT FEAR, YEA, WHAT VEHEMENT DESIRE, YEA, WHAT ZEAL, YEA, WHAT REVENGE! IN ALL THINGS YE HAVE APPROVED YOURSELVES TO BE CLEAR IN THIS MATTER. GENUINE REPENTANCE AND TRUE GODLY SORROW ARE GIVEN BY GOD, IT S NOT IN US 2 Timothy 2:24-26 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; IF GOD PERADVENTURE WILL GIVE THEM REPENTANCE TO THE ACKNOWLEDGING OF THE TRUTH; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. Jeremiah 31:18-19 18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, AS A BULLOCK UNACCUSTOMED TO THE YOKE: TURN THOU ME, AND I SHALL BE TURNED; for thou art the LORD my God. 19 SURELY AFTER THAT I WAS TURNED, I REPENTED; AND AFTER THAT I WAS INSTRUCTED, I SMOTE UPON MY THIGH: I WAS ASHAMED, YEA, EVEN CONFOUNDED, BECAUSE I DID BEAR THE REPROACH OF MY YOUTH. Isaiah 6:1-7 1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, WOE IS ME! FOR I AM UNDONE; BECAUSE I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS, AND I DWELL IN THE MIDST OF A PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS: FOR MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, LO, THIS HATH TOUCHED THY LIPS; AND THINE INIQUITY IS TAKEN AWAY, AND THY SIN PURGED. 4
Job 42:5-6 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but NOW MINE EYE SEETH THEE. 6 WHEREFORE I ABHOR MYSELF, AND REPENT IN DUST AND ASHES. 5