Today's blog comes in response to a conversation I had with one Christian brother following this past Sunday's sermon on sexual purity.(To see the manuscript, go to http://www.fbcweymouth.org/images/10000/1000/383/user/PleaForPurity2.pdf. It does not include a few of the anecdotes I included in the audio version of the sermon, but it gives the gist of the sermon.) This brother shared with me that some believers might be overcome with guilt in relation to sexual sin -- that even though they've repented of it, they fall back into it, or at least emotionally they can't seem to "forgive themselves."
I understand this dilemma and realize that many believers have struggled with it. At the Sunday night prayer meeting, I told those who were gathered that nowhere in Scripture do we find any command to forgive ourselves. God forgives sinners, and we forgive others, but there is no verse that talks about us forgiving ourselves. My guess is that the real issue for people who are truly repentant is that they have failed to grasp the awesome wonder of God's forgiveness. For such folks I offer three points of encouragement regarding forgiveness, each point being taken from the second half of 1 John 1:7: "The blood of Jesus Christ [God's] Son cleanses us from all sin."
1. The Cost of Our Forgiveness
"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Our sin cost the Son of God His very life, for "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). The sacrifice had to be without spot and without blemish; therefore Jesus is the only One who qualified (see Hebrews 10:1-4, 11-14). Like the old hymn says:
What can wash away my sin? – Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
What can make me whole again? – Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know – Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
2. The Continuance of Our Forgiveness
"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." The text does not say "did cleanse" or "shall cleanse," but "cleanses." The forgiveness we have in Christ isn’t a past experience or future hope; it is a present reality, a privilege that is ours today; a joy that is ours this very hour! The moment a sinner trusts in Jesus, he is fully forgiven. Daily sins need to be confessed for the sake of our fellowship with Christ, but not our abiding relationship with Him. Why is this? Because our forgiveness rests on His work, not ours ... His righteousness, not ours ... His grace, not our goodness. This leads us to a third and final point to consider:
3. The Completeness of Our Forgiveness
"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." The great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, said: "The blood of Jesus Christ is as blessed and divine a payment for the transgressions of blaspheming Peter as for the shortcomings of loving John; our iniquity is gone at once, and all gone forever. Blessed completeness! What a sweet theme to dwell upon. . . ." – While I was praying through this text (1 John 1:7), I heard on my CD the tune to the words:
My sin--O the bliss of this glorious thought--my sin not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bare it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
If you have truly repented of any known sin and are still experiencing guilt, give it to God. Remind yourself from Scripture that His grace is greater than your sin. (We must never minimize our sin or the depth of our depravity. Rather, we should acknowledge and rejoice over the wonder of God's love and grace.) Trust the unchanging facts of God's Word over your own ever-shifting feelings.
"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity." -- Psalm 32:2
I understand this dilemma and realize that many believers have struggled with it. At the Sunday night prayer meeting, I told those who were gathered that nowhere in Scripture do we find any command to forgive ourselves. God forgives sinners, and we forgive others, but there is no verse that talks about us forgiving ourselves. My guess is that the real issue for people who are truly repentant is that they have failed to grasp the awesome wonder of God's forgiveness. For such folks I offer three points of encouragement regarding forgiveness, each point being taken from the second half of 1 John 1:7: "The blood of Jesus Christ [God's] Son cleanses us from all sin."
1. The Cost of Our Forgiveness
"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Our sin cost the Son of God His very life, for "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). The sacrifice had to be without spot and without blemish; therefore Jesus is the only One who qualified (see Hebrews 10:1-4, 11-14). Like the old hymn says:
What can wash away my sin? – Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
What can make me whole again? – Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know – Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
2. The Continuance of Our Forgiveness
"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." The text does not say "did cleanse" or "shall cleanse," but "cleanses." The forgiveness we have in Christ isn’t a past experience or future hope; it is a present reality, a privilege that is ours today; a joy that is ours this very hour! The moment a sinner trusts in Jesus, he is fully forgiven. Daily sins need to be confessed for the sake of our fellowship with Christ, but not our abiding relationship with Him. Why is this? Because our forgiveness rests on His work, not ours ... His righteousness, not ours ... His grace, not our goodness. This leads us to a third and final point to consider:
3. The Completeness of Our Forgiveness
"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." The great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, said: "The blood of Jesus Christ is as blessed and divine a payment for the transgressions of blaspheming Peter as for the shortcomings of loving John; our iniquity is gone at once, and all gone forever. Blessed completeness! What a sweet theme to dwell upon. . . ." – While I was praying through this text (1 John 1:7), I heard on my CD the tune to the words:
My sin--O the bliss of this glorious thought--my sin not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bare it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
If you have truly repented of any known sin and are still experiencing guilt, give it to God. Remind yourself from Scripture that His grace is greater than your sin. (We must never minimize our sin or the depth of our depravity. Rather, we should acknowledge and rejoice over the wonder of God's love and grace.) Trust the unchanging facts of God's Word over your own ever-shifting feelings.
"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity." -- Psalm 32:2