JONATHAN'S BRAVERY AND HIS SIN

PROCLAMATION

“And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, ‘Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that The Lord will work for us; for there is no restraint to The Lord to save by many or by few.’  And his armor-bearer said unto him, ‘Do all that is in thine heart … behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.’ ” 1 Samuel 14:6-7 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Samuel.  One day Jonathan, the son of King Saul, took his armor-bearer with him and went over to the Philistine outpost without his father knowing it. (1 Samuel 14:1-8)  Jonathan and his armor-bearer went to the Philistines and they killed about twenty men. (1 Samuel 14:13-14)  Then The Lord God caused a panic to break out among the Philistines.  The lookouts of Israelite army told Saul of the panic among the Philistines army.  Then Saul gathered together the men he had left, called for the ark of God, and went to battle the Philistines. (1 Samuel 14:15-20)  When the Israelites who had fled and hidden in the hills heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined in the pursuit of them. (1 Samuel 14:21-23)  Unbeknownst to Jonathan, Saul had the people take an oath cursing anyone who ate before evening.  When the entire army entered the woods, there was honey oozing out of the trees but no one ate any of it because of the oath.  Jonathan ate some of the honey and immediately his eyes were brightened.  One of the soldiers told him of the oath and said that was why the men were faint. (1 Samuel 14:24-28)  Later that day when the Israelites struck down the Philistines, they took their livestock and butchered them and ate the raw meat.  Someone told Saul that his men were sinning by eating meat with blood in it.  He built an altar unto The Lord.  He consulted with the priest before continuing his attack on the Philistines but God did not answer him. (1 Samuel 14:31-37)  After questioning the men Saul learned of Jonathan’s sin. 

 

APPLICATION

We can do wrong but have good intentions.  However, as the saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” (Henry G. Bohn)  It is not enough to simply mean to do well, one must take a good action to do well.  While it is true that God sees our heart and knows our intentions, a sin is still a sin.  Although “all unrighteousness is sin …” (1 John 5:17) all sin is not unpardonable.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

BELIEVERS ARE FORGIVEN OF EVERY SIN

PROCLAMATION

“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.  Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the Law of Moses.”  Acts 13:38-39 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words were written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Luke records that The Holy Spirit directed Barnabas and Saul, who is also called Paul, to leave Antioch and go to Pisidian Antioch by way of Cyprus. (Acts 13:1-13)  There, on the Sabbath, they went to the synagogue and sat.  After the reading of the law, the leaders of the synagogue asked them to speak. (Acts 13:14-15)  Paul stood up and preached the gospel, and he ended with the above two versus. (Acts 13:16-39)  Afterwards, he was asked to speak again on the next Sabbath and Jews got jealous when almost everyone in the city gathered to hear him. (Acts 13:42-47)

 

APPLICATION

Those of us who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ, are forgiven of all of our sins, past, present, and future.  We are no longer under the Law of Moses; we are under the grace of God.  This forgiveness of sin applies not only to the Jewish believers, but to the Gentile believers also. (Acts 13:46-48)  The Law of Moses cannot save anyone.  It only serves to reveal our shortcomings.  Only those of us who are covered by the blood of Jesus can be saved and have our sins forgiven. (1 John 1:7)

 

DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIM

PROCLAMATION

“Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is My body.’  Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you.  This is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  Matthew 26:26-28 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  When Jesus had finished telling His disciples the parables, and explaining them, (Matthew 24 and 25) He again told them that He would be crucified. (Matthew 26:1-2)  They left the Mount of Olives and went to Bethany.  On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, His disciples asked Him where they should prepare to eat the Passover?  He directed them to follow a certain man to his home and ask him to use his upper room. (Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:13-14, and Luke 22:10-13)  Once they were there, He told them that one of them would betray Him. (Matthew 26:21-25)  After Judas left, they partook of the Last Supper. (Matthew 26:26-30) 

APPLICATION

The Lord’s Supper, the Ordinance of Communion, was instituted for us.  We are to do it in remembrance of Him until He comes again. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)  There was no mandate given as to how often we should take it, but every time that we do, it should be done in remembrance of Him.   However, we should make sure that we pray and ask to be forgiven of our sins before we partake of it.  Because The Bible says that to take it unworthily would be bad for us. (1 Corinthians 11:27-30) 

RETURN TO THE LORD

PROCLAMATION

“Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares The Lord, ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I will not be angry forever.  Only acknowledge your guilt …’ ”  Jeremiah 3:12-13 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  In this chapter, the sins people of Israel and Judah are exposed, and their idolatry is compared to a prostitute. (Jeremiah 3:1-10)  The Lord God tells them to return to Him, but first He wants them to acknowledge that they have sinned.

APPLICATION

Our biggest problem today is the lack of confession of sin.  Some people won’t confess because they do not consider that what they have done is wrong.  Unless a man knows he has sinned, and has been convicted of it, he will not turn away from it or confess it.  There are also those people who enjoy their sins to the point that they refuse to let go of them.  Without a change of heart by The Lord God both of those groups are lost.  The rest of us believers need to humble ourselves, and confess our sins, and turn from our wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  For if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and He will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

AN INVITATION TO RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD

PROCLAMATION

“Seek The Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.  Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.  Let them turn to The Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.”  Isaiah 55:6-7 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Chapter fifty-five of The Bible Book of Isaiah is an invitation to the lost and unsaved to come to The Lord God to be forgiven and blessed. (Isaiah 55:1-3)  All people are welcomed to come, and to turn from their wicked and unrighteous ways. (Isaiah 55:5-7)  The Lord God does not think or act like man. (Isaiah 55:8-11)  In Him there is joy and peace which He is willing to share. (Isaiah 55:12)

APPLICATION

All people are offered the opportunity to be saved regardless of whatever sins they may have committed in the past.  We will remain lost until we choose to accept the invitation to accept Christ.  There is only one way to salvation and that is through Jesus, The Christ. (John 14:6)  The lost should seek Him now for there will come a day when it will be too late. (Luke 13:27)  One day the unrighteous and all of their ways will perish. (Psalm 1:6)  Those who come to The Lord will be blessed and will go out from Him in joy and peace. (Isaiah 55:12)  Those who do not accept Him will not have their name written in The Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 20:15)

A GUILTY CONSCIENCE WILL WHIP YOU

Proclamation:

“I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant.  I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.  Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.”  Genesis 32:10-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When Jacob and Laban parted company, Jacob returned to his homeland and prepared to face his brother Esau.  It had been more than twenty years since Jacob had left home after tricking his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing which was meant for Esau and caused his brother to despise him and plan to kill him. (Genesis 27:1-45)  Since that time he had acquired much wealth, flocks, and herds, in addition to having a large family.  Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to Esau with a peace offering and his reply was that he was coming to meet him with four hundred men. (Genesis 32:3-6)  When he heard this, Jacob became afraid and distressed, and prayed that The Lord God would save him from his brother. (Genesis 32:7-11) 

Application:

The Lord God may have forgiven us of our sins but the devil will not let us forget them and frequently reminds us of them.  Our sinful memories can rob us of our peace of mind and cause us much distress.  We need to pray that God will forgive us and restore unto us the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12) and grant us His peace. (Psalm 29:11)  Each of us is a sinner, but some of us have been saved by the grace of God and forgiven of our sins.  The Bible teaches us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

THE HOLY SPIRIT OF THE LORD GOD IS WITHIN US

Proclamation:

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you, unless, of course, you fail the test?”  2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  In this the last chapter of Second Corinthians, Paul tells them that he plans to visit them in order to personally address the incorrigible members among them who did not respond to his repeated warnings. (2 Corinthians 13:1-2)  He exhorts them to examine themselves.  Then he asked them a rhetorical question, “Do you not realize that Christ Jesus in you?”  He ends by telling them to strive for full restoration, to encourage one another, to be of one mind, and to live in peace. (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Application:

As believers we are saved, but unfortunately, even though we are believers in Christ, we still sin.  When we fall back into sin, we do not lose our salvation; we just interrupt the fellowship that we have with Christ.  That is why we should frequently ask to be forgiven because we sin daily.  Remember, in addition to our sinful behavior, we can sin with our words (Matthew 15:18) and with our thoughts. (Proverbs 23:7 and Matthew 5:28)  There are also sins of omission as well as sins of commission.  We all need to check ourselves regularly and confess our sins.  Pray that God will forgive us, cleanse our heart and mind, and renew a right spirit within us. (Psalm 51:1-4 and 10)  The Holy Spirit of God is within us (Ezekiel 36:27) and our behavior should exhibit the fruit of The Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)  Our life, our walk, and our talk should be different after we accepted Christ than it was beforehand.  And, no matter how long we have been in Christ, we should all be growing in knowledge and holiness. (2 Peter 2:18)  The only things that do not grow are things that are dead.  We should strive to be more Christ-like each day.

WE ARE TO FORGIVE AND COMFORT OTHERS

Proclamation:

“If anyone has caused grief … not to put it too severely … you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.”  2 Corinthians 2:5-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Here Paul addresses the forgiveness of an offender.  He said that if a brother offends them, they should forgive him and comfort him.  They should also reaffirm their love for him. (2 Corinthians 2:8)  Rejecting him could cause him to be overwhelmed and they should restore him to the fellowship.

Application:

Forgiveness is very important in the life of a believer.  Here Paul encourages us to forgive a brother who has caused us grief.  However, he also states that we should forgive a brother who has messed up in other ways. (Galatians 6:1)  Remember, we all have sinned in the past and were in need of forgiveness. (Romans 3:23)  Our Lord and Savior, Jesus The Christ, said that we are to forgive those who have done us wrong.  He said if we do not forgive others, then we will not be forgiven of our sins. (Mark 11:26)  Having an unforgiving spirit is not Christ-like. 

BELIEVERS ARE FORGIVEN OF EVERY SIN THROUGH JESUS THE CHRIST

Proclamation:

“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.  Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the Law of Moses.”  Acts 13:38-39 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Luke records that The Holy Spirit directed Barnabas and Saul, who is also called Paul, to leave Antioch and go to Pisidian Antioch by way of Cyprus. (Acts 13:1-13)  There on the Sabbath they went to the synagogue and sat.  After the reading of the law the leaders of the synagogue asked them to speak. (Acts 13:14-15)  Paul stood up and preached the gospel, and he ended with the above two versus. (Acts 13:16-39)  Afterwards, he was asked to speak again the next Sabbath and Jews got jealous when almost everyone in the city gathered to hear him. (Acts 13:42-47)

Application:

Those of us who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ, are forgiven of all of our sins.  We are no longer under the Law of Moses, we are under the God’s grace.  This applies not only the Jewish believers, but to the Gentile believers also. (Acts 13:46-48)  The Law of Moses cannot save anyone, only those of us who are covered by the blood of Jesus can be saved and have our sins forgiven. (1 John 1:7)

OUR CONFESSED SINS ARE FORGIVEN AND FORGOTTEN

Proclamation:

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”  Hebrews 8:12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the unknown human author of The Book of Hebrews under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter the author begins by talking about the new high priest, Jesus, and the new covenant. (Hebrews 8:1-9)  Then, according to the author, The Lord God said that He would write this new covenant on the minds and hearts of His people, and He will be their God. (Hebrews 8:10)  Then The Lord God said that He would not only forgive the sins of His people but that He would also no longer remember their sins.

Application:

This text indicates that as believers when we confess our sins and ask to be forgiven that there will be a full forgiveness and complete pardon for our sins. (1 John 1:9)  The Lord God will not bring our forgiven sins to His mind.  He will be merciful unto us.  This does not give us the right to go out and continually repeat our sins.  If our prayer request to be forgiven is not sincere, then they will not be answered.  Jesus said that some who calls upon the name of The Lord will be told to depart from Him because they were workers of iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23)  Only the fervent prayers of the righteous are effective and very productive. (James 5:16)

LORD SAVE ME FROM LYING LIPS AND DECEITFUL TONGUES

Proclamation:

“I call on The Lord in my distress, and He answers me.  Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.”  Psalm 120:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God and have been credited to King David.  In this psalm he complains about those who have brought false charges against him (Psalm 120:2-4) and about his wicked neighbors. (Psalm 120:5-7)  In his distress he calls upon The Lord God and He heard him and answered him.

Application:

We have all been lied on, lied to, and deceived by family, friends, colleagues, co-workers, associates, acquaintances, and people we trusted.   It does not feel good to be in that position.  However, we have all also told lies to others, on others, about things, and we have thought about lying even when we did not do it.  All men are liars. (Psalm 116:11)  We are quick to point out the sins and shortcomings of others but we ignore or don’t address our own.  “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.” (Author unknown)  As we sow, so shall we also reap. (Galatians 6:7)  We want God’s help to protect us from the effects of the lies that we told to us and on us, but we should also pray and ask to be forgiven for lying, and for His help to stop lying to and on others.  Lying is the result of the influence of the devil who is the father of lies. (John 8:44)  There is a price to pay for lying. (Psalm 120:3-4 and Revelation 21:8)

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOM THE LORD CHOOSES TO BRING NEAR

Proclamation:

“Praise awaits You, our God, in Zion; to You our vows will be fulfilled.  You who answer prayer, to You all people will come.  When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions.  Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts!  We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple.”  Psalm 65:1-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This psalm is a song of thanksgiving for spiritual blessings (Psalm 65:1-4) and natural earthly blessings (Psalm 65:5-13)  The house of God is a house of prayer and it is also a house of praise and worship.  All of the people of God will come to the place where He dwells, where His presence can be felt and appreciated. (Psalm 65:1-2)  There we will also give thanks to Him for forgiving us of our transgressions.  All of the elect of God are blessed, but some will enjoy a closer walk with Him than others.  However, all believers will eventually enjoy the goodness of His presence and the bounty of His blessing.

Application:

As we go through the trials and storms of this life, The Lord God hears and answers our prayers, and we should thank and praise Him daily.  We say that we love The Lord, and if so then we should show it by obeying His Holy Word.  Because we asked Him, He has forgiven us of our many sins and blessed far beyond measure.  He deserves our praise and worship.  The day will soon come when we will be blessed to enjoy the endless bounty of His presence, riches, and glory.  Our God is an awesome God. (Psalm 65:5-13) 

WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE OUR SINS FORGIVEN

Proclamation:

“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the one whose sin The Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is not deceit.”  Psalm 32:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm is a song which was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this psalm David acknowledges and confesses his sin, probably his sin with Bathsheba, and asks for forgiveness and deliverance. (Psalm 32:5)  Then he encouraged the people of God to also confess their sins. (Psalm 32:6)  David knew that the weight of his unconfessed sin was heavy upon him and had caused him to suffer. (Psalm 32:3-4)  He knew that the people whose sins are forgiven are blessed.

Application:

The only way to be truly happy is to be blessed by The Lord.  The best blessing that we can receive is having our sins forgiven and not counted against us by The Lord God.  When we pray and ask to be forgiven for a particular sin, we should also ask The Lord to cleanse us of all of our sins, known and unknown, as well as the sins of omission. (1 John 1:9)  We have probably committed sins which we were unaware of because all unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  If whatever we did, said, or thought, did not give God glory, it was probably a sin.  We want all of our sins to be covered and washed away by the blood of Jesus, The Christ.

WE MUST FORGIVE TO BE FORGIVEN

Proclamation:

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors ... For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:12-15 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke to His disciples and to the surrounding crowd during His Sermon on The Mount.  First, He taught them that when they pray they should ask to be forgiven as they forgive others.  Then He told them that if they forgive others, then God would forgive them.  But if they did not forgive others, then God would not forgive them.  Jesus explained to them that they must first forgive those who have sinned against them in order to be forgiven of their own sins.

Application:

We all have sinned. (Romans 3:23)  None of us is righteous on our own. (Romans 3:10)  If we are righteous, whatever righteousness we have was credited to us by God just as it was credited to Abraham, the father of the faithful. (Romans 4:20-24)  We have done wrong to our fellow man but the sins which we committed were sins against God. (Psalm 51:4)  Only God can forgive us of our sins.  If we admit that we have sinned and ask Him to forgive us of our sins, He will. (1 John 1:9)  However, we have to ask God for His forgiveness.  In the model prayer which Jesus taught His disciples, He said that we should ask our heavenly Father to "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."  When we ask for forgiveness, we will only be forgiven as we are willing to forgive others.  Jesus made it clear that if we do not forgive others of their sins against us, then our heavenly Father will not forgive us of our sins. (Mark 11:25)  Simply put, we must forgive in order to be forgiven.

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST STILL WORKS

Proclamation:

"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.  Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.  Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.  But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.  Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him."  Hebrews 9:22-28 (NIV)

Explanation:

The unknown human author of The Bible Book of Hebrews wrote these words under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin. (Hebrews 9:22)  The author wanted the people of God to know that The Old Testament ritual of annual animal sacrifices by the High Priest for the atonement of human sin was no longer necessary. (Leviticus 14:19)  The blood shed by Jesus, The Christ, on that cross at Calvary as He sacrificed Himself, as The Lamb of God once and for all, was all that was needed to take away the sins of the world. (John 1:29)

Application:

The blood that Christ shed, as He sacrificed Himself in our place, cleansed us from all of our sins.  God, The Father, sees us only through the blood of Jesus.  His blood covers all of our sins.  Our salvation is only possible because Christ paid the price for us with His blood. (Ephesians 1:7)  Jesus, who was without sin, shed His blood for us and for the remission of our sins.  He did for us something that we could not do for ourselves and we should be eternally grateful.

IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS GOD WILL FORGIVE US

Proclamation:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  1 John 1:8-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by John, the youngest of the twelve disciples of Jesus.  He wrote this letter in his old age as the last of the twelve.  This general epistle is not addressed to any particular church or group and is therefore considered to be applicable to all believers.  Here believers are told that if they confess their sins to God in prayer, that He would forgive them of all of their sins and cleanse them from all of their unrighteousness.

Application:

The Bible teaches us that all of us have sinned, believers included. (Romans 3:23)  The issue is not "if we have sinned," the issue is "are we willing to confess all of our sins."  When we pray and confess our sins, it would be better for us if we identify each sin that we want to be forgiven for committing.  Stating each of our sinful acts, thoughts, and spoken words may result in some very long prayers.  However, if we want to be forgiven for each sin, then we ought to confess each sin.  It can be a humbling experience trying to list all of the sins that we have committed in a day.  Such an activity might help us to realize that we are not as good as we would like to think that we are, and it might help to become more Christ-like by causing us to commit fewer sins.  The Lord God is faithful to His word.  If we ask to be forgiven, He will forgive us. 

REPENT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND

Proclamation:

"From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."  Matthew 4:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words which were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, as He began His earthly ministry, after being baptized by John, the baptizer, but before He called His first disciple.  As recorded by the Apostle Matthew, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, Jesus preached and His message was "Repent".  Repent because judgement day in coming. 

Application:

Repentance from sin is very important.  It was the message of John, the baptizer. (Matthew 3:1-2)  It was also the message in the first sermons of Jesus, The Christ.  We need to repent from our sins.  This is the gospel, the good news about the coming kingdom. (Matthew 4:23)  We need to repent from our sins because judgement day in coming.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)  However, not only do we need to confess our sins, but we need to turn away from them.  The Apostle Paul said that The Lord God will hear the prayers of believers and forgive their sins if they humble themselves, and seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  According to the Apostle John, by repentance we give honor to God. (Revelation 14:6-7)  So, let us repent and turn to God so that our sins will be wiped out, and so that we may enjoy the blessings of The Lord God. (Acts 3:19)

ONCE WE'RE FORGIVEN THE LORD WON'T REMEMBER OUR SINS

Proclamation:

"But when This Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.  Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.  The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.  First He says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says The Lord.  I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.'  Then He adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.'"  Hebrews 10:12-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

The unknown author of the Book of Hebrews was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the scattered people of God after the crucifixion of Jesus, The Christ.  The author clearly stated that Jesus sacrificed Himself once for the sins of all.  Now He is in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, The Father.  His sacrifice paid the price for those who were being credited with righteousness.  Once they believed, He put His Word in their hearts and on their minds.  Then The Lord God said that He would no longer remember their sins.

Application:

Today, we need to know that Christ died on the cross for our sins.  The moment that we believed, we were forgiven and declared righteous.  The Holy Spirit of God entered each of us to bring to our remembrance The Word of God and all that Jesus taught us. (John 14:26)  When we choose to follow Him, our past sins are forgiven.  We still remember our past sins because the devil reminds us of them as part of his scheme to separate us from the love of God by having us think that we are not worthy.  The Lord has forgiven us, (Hebrews 8:12) and we need to learn to forgive ourselves.  We no longer have to beat ourselves up for our past sinful mistakes and indiscretions.  We are now new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  We are not perfect but thank God, we are not who we used to be.  As we daily strive to be more Christ-like, we continue to confess our sins and ask to be forgiven knowing that we are not as good today as we are going to be. For we know that He who began a good work in us will complete it. (Philippians 1:6)

DON'T LET PAST SINS HOLD YOU BACK

Proclamation:

“At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is The Son of God.  All those who heard him were astonished and asked, ‘Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?  And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?’  Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is The Messiah.” Acts 9:20-22 (NIV)

Explanation:

During his past life, before being converted on the road to Damascus, Saul had persecuted Christian men and women.  He even entered their homes, hauled them out, and committed them to prison. (Acts s 8:3)  He was so bad to the believers that it was hard for the people to accept him as a preacher of the gospel.  But as bad as he was, God was able to change him and use him. (Acts 9:20-22)  Saul was his name as a Hebrew; Paul was his name as a citizen of Rome. (Acts 13:9)  Paul not only preached the gospel, he organized several churches while on his various missionary journeys.  Additionally, thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the new testament of The Bible were written by the apostle Paul. 

Application:
Has your pre-Christian past ever been an embarrassment to you?  When you meet your old friends are they shocked at the new Christian you?  Do you feel that you were so bad in the past that God would not use you to spread His Word or build His kingdom on earth?  If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then remember the apostle Paul.  He went from persecuting Christians to preaching the gospel.  Don't let your past sins, for which you have been forgiven by God, get in the way of your present work for The Lord.  Let go of your past and let God use you now and in the future.  God has forgiven you.  All of us have sinned. (Roman 3:23)  We have all done things which were not Christ-like.  After we ask God to forgive us, we need to forgive ourselves and move on.  God has a plan for each of us. (Jeremiah 29:11)

"FATHER FORGIVE THEM"

Proclamation:

“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’..."  Luke 23:33-34 (NIV)

Explanation:

According to the record of Luke, the physician and traveling companion of the Apostle Paul, these words were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, as He hung on the cross at Calvary.  These words are considered to be the first words of the last seven saying of Christ on the cross.  After being ridiculed, beaten, surged and nailed to the cross, Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father for the forgiveness of the people who were responsible for His suffering and crucifixion.

Application:

There are those who believe that Jesus prayed that prayer for the forgiveness of those Roman solders who were involved in His physical crucifixion.  However, most of us know that Jesus was actually also praying for forgiveness for His family and friends who deserted Him, and for the Jews, Sadducees and Pharisees in the crowd watching His suffering.  Additionally, most Bible scholars believe that He was also praying for all of us, all of humanity, because it was for the remission of our sins that the shedding of His blood, His crucifixion, His death on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection was necessary. (Galatians 1:4 & 1 John 2:2)  The price He paid, He paid for all of us. (Romans 5:8 & 14:9)  We should remember that as we celebrate the period of Passover, the Passion Week, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday.