Part 1: Forgiven – September 4, 2024

Pastor Jim Bryant

Matthew 18:21-22 NLV

“Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him, up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I tell you, not seven times but seventy times seven!

Romans 3:23 NCV

“Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard…”

1John 1:9 NKJV

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 7:18-19 NLT

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

Ineffective ways we deal with guilt:

• Denial

Jeremiah 6:14 TLB

“You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there!” 

• Trying to be a better person

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

“…by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”

• Comparing ourselves to others

2 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV

“…If we compare ourselves among ourselves, we are not wise…” 

• Becoming obsessed with our guilt

Psalm 32:3-4 ESV

“…my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.” 

Mark 2:1-5 NLT

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

1. Jesus knows what we need even better than we do.

Matthew 6:31-32 NLT

…Don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

2. Forgiveness of sins is top priority in our lives.

Mark 2:6-12 NLT

But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

3. Jesus has the authority to forgive sins.

If you said YES, click Here.