Forgiveness is a promise![1]
- When our God forgives us, He promises that He will not remember our sins against us anymore.[2]
- God can’t forget (like you and I can).
- God can choose not to remember.
- To “not remember” is simply a graphic way of saying, “I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future. I will bury them and not exhume the bones to beat you over the head with them. I will never use these sins against you.”

Luke 17 – 1 He said to His disciples, “Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Questions from series:

1)  If we are to forgive unlimited amount of times, are we supposed to just “take it”?
- Abuse
- Boundaries
   - Does God believe in “boundaries”?
   - What was the first boundary established?

   - Physical boundaries vs intangible boundaries.
 
Cloud & Townsend in their Boundaries book say, “Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom. If I know where my yard begins and ends, I am free to do with it what I like. Taking responsibility for my life opens up many different options. However, if I do not ‘own’ my life, my choices and options become very limited.”

- Who defines your boundaries?
- You do… initially… if you are incapable of establishing safe boundaries they will be established for you.
- Parents, employers, school administrators, police, judges, etc.

But stay focused… we are talking about boundaries inside the realm of forgiveness.

- Proverbs 4:23 - Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.[3]

- Only you can decided these intangible boundaries… be careful to establish healthy boundaries… not walls.
- Love is a risk… trust is a risk…
- The more you can love and trust… the more you will get back in life.
- The more boundaries/walls you build, you will be safe but lonely.

2)  What if I just can’t forgive this “one thing/person”?

Ephesians 4:32 - 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Colossians 3:12-13 - 12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.

What are the elements of forgiveness of others?
- The complexity of forgiveness
-     Offender
-     Offended
-     Non-Believer
-     Believer
-     Nature of the non-believer
-     Nature of the believer
-     Repentant
-     Non-repentant

Difference between sin (God) & offending (people).
- Matthew 18:21 – 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”[4]

- 1 Corinthians 8:12 - 12 Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ.[5]

2 Corinthians 5:16 – 16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him in this way.[6]

You have to deal with forgiveness based upon Maturity Levels:
Expectations – Compliance laws/rules
Maturity levels range from “High Expectations” to “Not focused on behavior” (OK w/ gooberishness)
Spiritual maturity – realizing that forgiveness comes from God.
- God is the one who gives us the ability to forgive.
- We are incapable of forgiving without the Spirit living inside of us.

2 ways to answer the question “What if I cannot forgive?”
1)  When someone sins/offends you, is it against your body or your soul/spirit?
- Against your body… emotions get worked up and you respond out of emotion.
– Emotions first… then action… then truth
- Truth first… then action… then emotions
2)  You have 2 choices: Walk in the flesh or walk in the Spirit.
   – It is not going to be you that forgives. It is going to be Christ in you that forgives.
-     If you choose not to forgive you are walking in your flesh. Your own strength. It isn’t gonna happen.
-     If you choose to walk in the Spirit, Christ does it for you.
-     Allowing you to be free… abundant life.

Ephesians 6:12 – 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.[7]

[1] Adams, J. E. (1989). From forgiven to forgiving (p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Adams, J. E. (1989). From forgiven to forgiving (p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Pr 4:23). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Mt 18:21). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Co 8:11–12). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (2 Co 5:16). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Eph 6:12). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

Forgiveness is a word that has many definitions (ideas) attached to it.

We have been solely talking about forgiveness from a Biblical perspective and specifically concerning the relationship between God and man.

Forgiveness –
Forgiveness is a promise![1]
- When our God forgives us, He promises that He will not remember our sins against us anymore.[2]
- God can’t forget (like you and I can).
- God can choose not to remember.
- To “not remember” is simply a graphic way of saying, “I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future. I will bury them and not exhume the bones to beat you over the head with them. I will never use these sins against you.”

All–sufficient. The work that Jesus did was definitive. The sacrifice of Jesus was the only one necessary. The phrase that is used is a powerful one: “once for all” (Heb. 10:10).

References of Forgiving others in the Gospels

Matthew 6:14-15 - 14 “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.
 - Sermon on the Mount – purest form of the Law
Matthew 18:21 - 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
 - Jesus tells story of the slave whose debt was paid:
Matthew 18:22-35 - 22 “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus said to him, “but 70 times seven. 23 For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began to settle accounts, one who owed 10,000 talents was brought before him. 25 Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.
26 “At this, the slave fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything!’ 27 Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.
28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii. rHe grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’
29 “At this, his fellow slave fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he wasn’t willing. On the contrary, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. 31 When the other slaves saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And his master got angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart.” [3]
Mark 11:25-26 - 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing. [26 But if you don’t forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your wrongdoing.]”
 - With his disciples as he was passing the fig tree that was “withered from the roots up”.
Luke 6:37 - 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
 - right before a parable. Audience being Pharisees.
Luke 11:4 – 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us.
 - Teaching his disciples to pray.

Forgiveness is a word that has many definitions (ideas) attached to it.

We have been solely talking about forgiveness from a Biblical perspective and specifically concerning the relationship between God and man.

If you take the Bible as a whole work that is intended for today… you get a mess.

It is when you can appropriate all 66 books in their proper context that you can begin to make sense of what God has intended for us as believers today.

Forgiveness –
Forgiveness is a promise![1]
- When our God forgives us, He promises that He will not remember our sins against us anymore.[2]
- God can’t forget (like you and I can).
- God can choose not to remember.
- To “not remember” is simply a graphic way of saying, “I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future. I will bury them and not exhume the bones to beat you over the head with them. I will never use these sins against you.”

All–sufficient. The work that Jesus did was definitive. We no longer need to offer blood sacrifices in acknowledgment of our sin. We need only have faith in Jesus Christ and accept what He has done on our behalf. The writer of Hebrews says that God took away the first means of blood sacrifice that He might establish the second means, the sacrifice of Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus was the only one necessary. The phrase that is used is a powerful one: “once for all” (Heb. 10:10).

Confession
         1) Give praise; give thanks (song, prayer, thought)
         2) Acknowledge; to agree; to speak the same, admit, or own up.
                 - Neither of these definitions are defined as verbal.
         3) – To announce, inform, propose, to explain or give evidence to.
                 - This definition is typically verbal.

Looking at verses after the cross:
         – 8 references to the word “confess” in HCSB
         - 6 of 8 verses refer to “confess” Jesus as Lord – (Romans 10:9 - 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.[3])

         – 4 references to the word “confesses” in HCSB
         - 4 of 4 verses refer to “confess” Jesus as Lord

         – 1 reference to the word “confessing” in HCSB
         - 1 of 1 verses refer to “confessing” Jesus as Lord (Acts 19:18 - 18 And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19 while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone.[4])

         – 1 references to the word “confessed” in HCSB
         - 1 of 1 verses refer to “confessed” Jesus as Lord (Hebrews 11:13 – verbally stated they were foreigners.)

- 2 of 8 verses refer to “confess” in relation to sins.
         - I John 1:9 - 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.[5]
         - James 5:16 - 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.[6]

- Do we have to confess today?

Repentance -
 - feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin.
 - regret or be conscience, stricken about a past action, attitude, etc.
 - to feel or show that you are sorry for something bad or wrong that you did and that you want to do what is right. (Merriam-Webster)

- Does repentance come from God or individuals?
- Individuals – Acts 8:22 - 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.[7]
- God – Acts 11:18 - 18 When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God, saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles!” [8]

- Acts 17:30-31 - 30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” [9]

- 2 passages on “repentance” I want to bring to your attention for clarification purposes.

- Romans 2:4 - 4 Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?[10]

Acts 26:19-23 - 19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple complex and were trying to kill me. 22 To this very day, I have obtained help that comes from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing else than what the prophets and Moses said would take place — 23 that the Messiah must suffer, and that as the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.” [11]

- Do we have to repent today?
- Revelation 3:19-20 - 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent. 20 Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. [12]

What does forgiveness, confession & repentance look like for me today?

[1] Adams, J. E. (1989). From forgiven to forgiving (p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Adams, J. E. (1989). From forgiven to forgiving (p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ro 10:9). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 19:18–19). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Jn 1:9). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jas 5:15–16). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 8:22). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 11:18). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 17:30–31). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[10] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ro 2:4). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 26:19–23). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[12] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Re 3:19–20). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

Forgiveness was defined last week. “Let it go”, “Debt Cleared” “Never to be remembered”

Psalm 51
1 Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion.
2 Wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against You—You alone—I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So You are right when You pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge.
5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
6 Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
9 Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt.
10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit. b
13 Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to You.
14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart. [1]

Sin, by contrast, is “the state of being in bondage—in need of being set free.”[2]

Romans 5:12-19
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned. 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift overflowed to the many by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. 17 Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.[3]

   -      Cory: Forgiveness is not mine to keep. It was given to me to be given away.
   -      Give $1 bill
   -      Give gift cards
   -      Give $100 bill
   -      “For God loved the world so much that he GAVE His one and only son so whoever would believe in Jesus, would not die but live forever.” - John 3:16

John 19:16-30
Therefore they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying His own cross, He went out to what is called Skull Place, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him and two others with Him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate also had a sign lettered and put on the cross. The inscription was:
JESUS THE NAZARENE
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’ ”
22 Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.”
23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.” They did this to fulfill the Scripture that says: They divided My clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for My clothing. And this is what the soldiers did.
25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I’m thirsty!” 29 A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop land held it up to His mouth.
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”  Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. [4]

   -      Because forgiveness is totally at God’s initiative and subject to God’s will alone, we must ask, “Has God established any rules or protocol for forgiveness?” He certainly has.
   -      We must recognize that God is a holy God, which means He is separate from humankind in nature. God has no capacity for sin, and He cannot have fellowship with sin. God is totally pure, righteous, and without fault. He cannot coexist where sin is present.
   -      Light and dark do not exist simultaneously. In a similar manner, your sin cannot exist in God’s presence. God consumes or destroys sin just as light consumes darkness. And in that, we find a picture of our vulnerability before God when we are filled with sin. We are subject to being consumed by Him, having the innermost being vaporized by His fire of righteousness. In a word, we are subject to death.
   -      God made a provision, however, for us to be cleansed of sin so that we might have fellowship with Him. That provision was in the form of a blood sacrifice.
   -      There is no forgiveness without blood sacrifice. This theme is in the Bible from cover to cover. When Cain and Abel made sacrificial offerings to God, the offering that was accepted by God was the blood sacrifice of a lamb. (See Gen. 4:2–5.)
   -      Substitutionary. Jesus took your place on the cross. He died in your place and in my place and in the place of everyone you know.
   -      All–sufficient. The work that Jesus did was definitive. We no longer need to offer blood sacrifices in acknowledgment of our sin. We need only have faith in Jesus Christ and accept what He has done on our behalf. The writer of Hebrews says that God took away the first means of blood sacrifice that He might establish the second means, the sacrifice of Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus was the only one necessary. The phrase that is used is a powerful one: “once for all” (Heb. 10:10).
   -      What Jesus did on the cross, He never needs to do again, and neither does anyone else ever have to suffer and die as He did. He is the sacrificial, substitutionary, all–sufficient atonement.[5]
   -      What once was broken has now been paid for a price… Jesus, the Son of God poured out his blood for your forgiveness.

John 20:1-18
20 On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”
3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. 6 Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then entered the tomb, saw, and believed. 9 For they still did not understand the Scripture that He must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went home again.
11 But Mary stood outside facing the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where Jesus’ body had been lying. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put Him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not know it was Jesus.
15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Supposing He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve removed Him, tell me where you’ve put Him, and I will take Him away.”
16Jesus said, “Mary.”
Turning around, she said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” —which means “Teacher.”
17 “Don’t cling to Me,” Jesus told her, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father—to My God and your God.”
18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what He had said to her. [6]

- I’m alive because He lives…

"Because He Lives (Amen)" - Matt Maher
I believe in the Son
I believe in the risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives

I was dead in the grave
I was covered in sin and shame
I heard mercy call my name
He rolled the stone away

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends

Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
Every fear is gone
I know He holds my life my future in His hands

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives
Because He lives

[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ps 51). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Stanley, C. F. (1996). Experiencing forgiveness. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ro 5:12–21). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jn 19:16–30). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Stanley, C. F. (1996). Experiencing forgiveness. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jn 20:1–18). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

Forgiveness was defined last week. “Let it go”, “Debt Cleared” “Never to be remembered”

Psalm 51
  1 Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion.
  2 Wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
  3 For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me.
  4 Against You—You alone—I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So You are right when You pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge.
  5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
  6 Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within.
  7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
  8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
  9 Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt.
  10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
  11 Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
  12 Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit. b
  13 Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to You.
  14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.
  15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
  16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering.
  17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart. [1]

Sin, by contrast, is “the state of being in bondage—in need of being set free.”[2]

Romans 5:12-19
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned. 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One.

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift overflowed to the many by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. 17 Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.[3]

-      Cory: Forgiveness is not mine to keep. It was given to me to be given away.
-      Give $1 bill
-      Give gift cards
-      Give $100 bill
-      “For God loved the world so much that he GAVE His one and only son so whoever would believe in Jesus, would not die but live forever.” - John 3:16

John 19:16-30
Therefore they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying His own cross, He went out to what is called Skull Place, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him and two others with Him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate also had a sign lettered and put on the cross. The inscription was:
JESUS THE NAZARENE
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’ ”
22 Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.”
23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.” They did this to fulfill the Scripture that says: They divided My clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for My clothing. And this is what the soldiers did.
25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I’m thirsty!” 29 A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop land held it up to His mouth.
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”  Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. [4]

    -      Because forgiveness is totally at God’s initiative and subject to God’s will alone, we must ask, “Has God established any rules or protocol for forgiveness?” He certainly has.
   -      We must recognize that God is a holy God, which means He is separate from humankind in nature. God has no capacity for sin, and He cannot have fellowship with sin. God is totally pure, righteous, and without fault. He cannot coexist where sin is present.
   -      Light and dark do not exist simultaneously. In a similar manner, your sin cannot exist in God’s presence. God consumes or destroys sin just as light consumes darkness. And in that, we find a picture of our vulnerability before God when we are filled with sin. We are subject to being consumed by Him, having the innermost being vaporized by His fire of righteousness. In a word, we are subject to death.
   -      God made a provision, however, for us to be cleansed of sin so that we might have fellowship with Him. That provision was in the form of a blood sacrifice.
   -      There is no forgiveness without blood sacrifice. This theme is in the Bible from cover to cover. When Cain and Abel made sacrificial offerings to God, the offering that was accepted by God was the blood sacrifice of a lamb. (See Gen. 4:2–5.)
   -      Substitutionary. Jesus took your place on the cross. He died in your place and in my place and in the place of everyone you know.
   -      All–sufficient. The work that Jesus did was definitive. We no longer need to offer blood sacrifices in acknowledgment of our sin. We need only have faith in Jesus Christ and accept what He has done on our behalf. The writer of Hebrews says that God took away the first means of blood sacrifice that He might establish the second means, the sacrifice of Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus was the only one necessary. The phrase that is used is a powerful one: “once for all” (Heb. 10:10).
   -      What Jesus did on the cross, He never needs to do again, and neither does anyone else ever have to suffer and die as He did. He is the sacrificial, substitutionary, all–sufficient atonement.[5]
   -      What once was broken has now been paid for a price… Jesus, the Son of God poured out his blood for your forgiveness.

John 20:1-18
20 On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”
3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. 6 Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then entered the tomb, saw, and believed. 9 For they still did not understand the Scripture that He must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went home again.
11 But Mary stood outside facing the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where Jesus’ body had been lying. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put Him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not know it was Jesus.
15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Supposing He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve removed Him, tell me where you’ve put Him, and I will take Him away.”
16Jesus said, “Mary.”
Turning around, she said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” —which means “Teacher.”
17 “Don’t cling to Me,” Jesus told her, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father—to My God and your God.”
18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what He had said to her. [6]
- I’m alive because He lives…

"Because He Lives (Amen)" - Matt Maher
I believe in the Son
I believe in the risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives

I was dead in the grave
I was covered in sin and shame
I heard mercy call my name
He rolled the stone away

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends

Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
Every fear is gone
I know He holds my life my future in His hands

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives
Because He lives

[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ps 51). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Stanley, C. F. (1996). Experiencing forgiveness. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ro 5:12–21). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jn 19:16–30). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Stanley, C. F. (1996). Experiencing forgiveness. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.


[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jn 20:1–18). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.