Forgiveness on SermonAudio

"Forgiveness in Christ" Psalm 32 II Corinthians 2:5-11

Text: Psalm 130

Who gets eternal life -- the self-righteous? Someone who is "good enough"? In Jesus' parables in Luke 18 and 19, it is those who count God as most important and understand themselves to be sinners in need of forgiveness, and who humble themselves before God and trust Jesus for salvation, who are saved, not those who are "good enough" in their own eyes.

The key elements of the worthy walk complement the goal to unify the witness of the church. 1. Its Characteristics 2. Its Compassion 3. Its Concern

THE SOURCE OF FORGIVENESS.Psalm 103:1–13 KJVWhere can guilty people find real forgiveness? Psalm 103 gives us the answer: forgiveness begins with God because forgiveness flows from the heart of God. David calls upon his own soul to remember the benefits of the Lord, including this wonderful truth: "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities." Our forgiveness is not based upon our goodness, our ability to make up for the past, or our worthiness. Its source is the mercy, grace, and compassion of God. In this Bible study, "The Source of Forgiveness," we discover a God who "is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." Though He knows our failures and remembers that we are dust, He has provided a way for sinful people to be forgiven and restored. David gives us one of Scripture's most beautiful pictures of forgiveness: "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." When God forgives, He does not merely cover yesterday's guilt—He removes our transgressions and deals with us according to His mercy. And ultimately, the forgiveness celebrated in Psalm 103 points us to Jesus Christ, where God's mercy and grace meet us at the Cross. If you are carrying guilt from yesterday, you do not have to remain beneath its burden. There is mercy with God. There is grace with God. There is forgiveness with God. The beauty of forgiveness begins with its Source—and the Source is our gracious, merciful, and compassionate God.

Psalm 32 begins "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven." "Blessed" means happy, fulfilled, satisfied, enjoying divine favor,... So the most fulfilled life is the forgiven life. The happiest human is the pardoned person. Conversely, those who know little forgiveness know little blessing. How do we experience forgiveness? Pastor Joel teaches us about constant confession!