Yesterday as I sat in a hospital waiting room I saw a man walk in that looked a lot like a person I knew in my past. As I thought about that man, I remembered on time when we were working night shift in a power plant coal yard. We had all night to talk to one another since it was just him and I. It didn't take long before we were discussing God's plan for redeeming man. I remembered the statement he said to me that night. He said, "I have done some bad things. I'm not sure I can be forgiven." After that night, I do not know if that man ever obeyed the Gospel, but I know he did understand he could be forgiven. Yesterday, I thought how scary it is that we live in a world that many people do not understand God's power to forgive. It's even scarier to think that many Christians who have fallen away do not understand God's power to forgive. When they say, "I have done some bad things. I'm not sure I can be forgiven" that is said from a broken heart, not a hardened one. Many people outside of the Lord's Church speak from hardened hearts, but those that have been added to the Lord's Church speak from a broken heart.
Their hearts are broken because they knew and experienced God's love. They see great guilt in their sinful lives and feel alienated from God. They feel beyond help and unworthy of God's love. They have strong doubts of God's power to forgive since they should have known better than to commit such a sin. A Christian that falls away and says they can not be forgiven says a lot more.
A. They say Jesus failed to accomplish His mission of saving sinners. 1Ti 1:15
B. They say that God is unfaithful to keep His promises to us. 1Jn 1:9
C. They say God is unable to do what His Word says He is able to do. Heb 7:25
D. They say Jesus is a liar because He claimed to have the power to forgive sins. Mt 9:1-6
E. They say that Jesus' blood is no different than the blood of bulls and goats. Heb 10:4; 19-22
F. They say God is unable to keep us in the presence of His glory. Jude 24
G. They say Satan was victorious and won that eternal battle for man's soul. That God was unable to complete His plan for redeeming man
H. They say anyone who has committed the sin they did cannot be saved by the blood of Christ.
I want you to know that God has the power to forgive. Moses was a murderer. David was an adulterer. Noah was drunk. Saul of Tarsus persecuted the Church. These men all did great things for the Lord. God no doubt forgave their sins. God will forgive the sin of any repentant heart. He is not willing that any should perish. 2Pe 3:9 He desires all mankind to be saved and to know the truth. 1Ti 2:3,4 The only thing that is stopping God from forgiving your sins, whether you are a Christian or not, is you!!!
Today, please do not let Satan tell you that you can not be forgiven. You can be forgiven and God is willing to do so. He made the first move and sent His Son. Jn 3:16 Now it is up to you. I always say there are two sides to salvation, providing and partaking. One is God's job and the other is mankind's job. The providing is done by God. He has provided Jesus. The partaking is up to mankind. He must partake of God has provided him to be saved, Jesus! A man stuck in the bottom of a well isn't saved when he is provided a ladder. He is saved when he partakes of the ladder provided for him to climb out. God provides us the way to his power of forgiveness of our sins. For the sinner it is baptism to wash away our sins. Acts 22:16 For the saint it is a confession prayer to God, not man. 1Jn 1:19 God loves you and is waiting for you to partake of His power of forgiveness!!
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
Hear The Word- Rom 10:17; Acts 4:4
We Must Believe or Have Faith- Heb 11:6; Acts 16:31
We Must Repent- Lk 13:3; Acts 17:30
We Must Confess Christ Before Others- Mt 10:32; Acts 8:37
We Must Be Immersed Into Christ (Baptized)- 1Pe 3:21; Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38
We Must Remain Faithful- Rev 2:10; Acts 14:22
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