The Forgiving Power of Jesus

 

How complete is the forgiving power of Jesus? What Can it do for me? Will it change me? After I am forgiven, is there an expected way of life I should be living?

Intro

This week we are offering you a FREE E-booklet with no strings attached. It is called Kneel At The Cross by Phil Sanders. You can get it by any of the three methods. Follow the link you find in the description. Once there, you have the choice of reading it online on any device. Or you could choose to download the pdf file to your favorite device and read it when you are offline. Or 3rd, you can click the contact link, supply us with your request and a complete mailing address, and we will mail it to you for free. This e-book deals with the same subject we are discussing.

Let’s read Heb 10:10. “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Now let’s add verse 14. “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

In the same context we find that his forgiving power is greater than the animal sacrifices of the Jewish priests. They did it daily. And according to Heb 10:4, (on screen) the sacrifices could not remove the sin. All they could do was temporarily remove the penalty of sin for up to 1 year. But Jesus sacrificed himself once.

Jesus was able to sacrifice himself, a human sacrifice, one time for all times. The bible says he went and sat down afterwards. He was finished, completely finished. He did not need to do it again and again. Why? Because his sacrifice completely removed sin. Not just the penalty, but the reason for the penalty was gone.

It says that when he did, he “perfected” something. What is this “perfection” he is speaking about? 

To understand the concept of perfection, we need to go back in time, way back in time, to the Garden of Eden. Back before they ate the forbidden fruit. Back when God would come walking in the Garden during the cool of the day (Gen 3:8). They could fellowship with God. He was able be with sinless humans. He enjoyed them being with him. There was no shame. No guilt. Nothing between them and God. It was a perfect world. Perfection.

But later they sinned, and we have too. What has this sin done to the human race? What has it done to you?

Sin has scarred us. It is like every time we sin, Satan gets to cut a little piece out of us. He cuts off an ear, a nose, a finger, a foot, an elbow, a knee. It leaves us deformed, scared, mutilated, mangled, hideous. This is how God sees us. So disgusting because we consciously do wrong and allow Satan to keep cutting. Even while he loves us, we become so disfigured.

But God gives us a gracious gift. Jesus himself, in his sacrifice, makes it to where that if we will accept his Grace on his terms, we can become “perfected” again. The word used in Heb 10:14, perfected, is the idea of being made whole again. That God is supplying to us what is needed to complete us. It is as though God sees us in our mutilated and deformed state, and then he supplies what is needed to put us back in our original condition. He supplies an ear, a foot, a knee, We can become spiritually as good as Adam was before. We are made whole again.

Now, by God’s grace, all the deficiencies are gone. The scars are removed. Guilt is removed. Hope is added. Unity with God is returning. It is possible for you to talk and walk with Him.

This is wonderful. The forgiving power of Jesus and his Father is re-creating anyone who will begin the process of sanctification. That is a big religious word. Let me say it this way instead. God is recreating anyone who will dedicate themselves to doing what God says – to being set apart from my former life with all its sin, to doing whatever God has said for me to do. (see 2 Cor 5:17) They are in the process of becoming whatever God wants for them.

This restoration does not come to just anyone. It does not come to them instantly, or arbitrarily from God. They are in the process of being set apart for God’s use. It’s a process, not a pronouncement. They are now denying themselves, picking up their cross, and following Jesus every day. (scripture). You will find the video link below. They are following the plan of God, not their own plan. They have examined Jesus and found him to be God’s son with all authority (see link below). He has the authority to tell us what is right and wrong, what we should be doing, and the best ways to do it. He tells the way to get life done RIGHT.

And how do I begin to do life right? I will start telling people about my hope and my faith in Jesus. (see the link below). It is called Acknowledgement/Confession.

I want to stay right with God. I don’t want to loose the wonderful relationship with God. That is going to mean I gotta change some things (see link below). I don’t get to decide what is right. God does, and he tell us what is right.

Jesus is LORD or Master. God proclaimed him Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). God tells us in Philippians 2:9-11  “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  (10)  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  (11)  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Everyone will acknowledge Jesus at some point. We can either do it now, voluntarily, or we will be forced to do it at the final judgment. It is so much better to do it now and enjoy this new-found wholeness with God.

But this change of life must be followed by Submission. I will allow myself to be immersed to have my sins forgiven permanently. (see the link below) It is called baptism. It is found and illustrated multiple times in the Book of Acts, beginning in Acts 2.

At this point, I get to re-start life. A fresh start. A life that is complete. I have been put back together again. I am being healed every day. He is working with me, and changing me, and strengthening me, helping me, and making me better. I am going to do his bidding. I am going to complete his purposes. I am being sanctified. This is the new life (see the link below).

If you try to do this some other way, your way, the way YOU think is best, it will probably turn out like Jesus said in Matt 7:21. A lot of people are going to be saying to God, “Lord, Lord, haven’t we done so many great things for you.” And God will tell them, “Get away from me. I NEVER knew you (see the link below). Anything other than what God has recorded will not work. \In God’s eyes, you will stay a jigsaw of parts like Frankenstein, all carved up and hideous. And when the last day comes, if you are still in that condition, he will add you to all those who are not set apart for God’s purposes. You will be tormented forever.

If you want to change this last scenario, contact us at the phone number you see immediately. You can call and leave a voice message, or you can text the number. You could also go over to TimelessTalks.net and use the contact page to let us know of your needs. We are anxious to help you toward God’s perfection.

Until we can visit again, well, goodbye for now.