Forgiveness – Part One

City Harbor Church – Hampden, Baltimore, MD

Why is learning Biblical forgiveness important?

• Helps us learn more about the character of God.
• Broadens our understanding of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
• How we believe God forgives us shapes how we forgive others.

Sin: Foolishness, Prov. 24:9, transgression (to go across the boundary), 1 John 2:4, unrighteousness (breaking of relationship) 1 John 5:17, Not doing good James 4:17, doing good (! bad heart/motives),

Exodus 34 – I forgive iniquity, rebellion, sin

• Iniquity: perverse, make crooked
• Rebellion: to break away from authority, trespass, quarrel, revolt
• Sin: offense, habitual sin and its penalty, to miss the mark
• Disobedience, not listening to God, error or sin of ignorance,

Effects of sin:

1. Forfeited purity (shame),
2. Knowledge of good and evil (we know good and evil but we only do evil, Romans 7:18-21
3. Our conscience started working, Romans 2:14
4. Try to make ourselves presentable
5. Fear of God
6. Blame
7. Our Nature was corrupted
8. Judgment followed (toil, death)

God wanted to right these effects,

• Righteousness, repairing our relationship with God and others
• Love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8 while we were still sinners Jesus died)
• Eternal life through Jesus

We have all sinned
Romans 3:23-24

God’s forgiveness is:

• Gracious but not free. It cost him.
• God’s forgiveness is conditional. Only those who repent and believe are saved.
• A commitment. When God forgives he promises/commits to not hold that sin against us.

God’s Forgiveness:

• Lays the groundwork for and begins the process of reconciliation.
• Does not mean the elimination of all consequences.

What do we learn?:

• Sin separates us from our relationship with God
• Our repentance followed by God’s forgiveness restores that relationship
• Forgiveness is costly
• God’s forgiveness shows us His character

What should we do?

• Consider the cost of God’s forgiveness to you
• Spend time thanking God for His forgiveness

Isaiah 44:22