This document contains the text of a sermon given at the Jackson Street Church of Christ about forgiveness and living an abundant life through Christ. The sermon discusses how all sins can be forgiven through repentance, confession and baptism. It provides examples of how God forgave people like Paul and David of severe sins. While we may always remember our sins, God promises to forget them and restore our joy. We must accept God's forgiveness and also learn to forgive ourselves to live effectively as Christians and experience spiritual growth.

1. W E L C O M E T O T H E
J A C K S O N S T R E E T C H U R C H O F C H R I S T
P L E A S E T U R N O F F C E L L P H O N E S

2. 1 John 1:5-10 This is the message which we
have heard from Him and declare to you, that
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6
If we say that we have fellowship with Him,
and walk in darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light
as He is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say
that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not
sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is
not in us.

3. CAN I BE

4. FORGIVENESS
A.SOME PEOPLE HAVE A PROBLEM
FEELING THEY CAN BE FORGIVEN.
B.EVEN THOUGH GOD REMEMBERS
OUR SINS NO MORE, WE MAY NEVER
FORGET THEM.
C.WE MUST LEARN TO FORGIVE
OURSELVES.

5. I. YOUR SINS
CAN BE
FORGIVEN

6. I. YOUR SINS CAN BE FORGIVEN.
A. The apostle Paul was forgiven of persecuting the
church and having Christians put to death. Is your sin
that bad?
1. Acts 26:9-11 Indeed, I myself thought I must do
many things contrary to the name of Jesus of
Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many
of the saints I shut up in prison, having received
authority from the chief priests; and when they
were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11
And I punished them often in every synagogue and
compelled them to blaspheme; and being
exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted
them even to foreign cities.
2. 1 Timothy 1:13 although I was formerly a
blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man;
but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in
unbelief.

7. I. YOUR SINS CAN BE FORGIVEN.
B. DAVID WAS FORGIVEN OF ADULTERY WITH
BATHSHEBA AND HAVING HER HUSBAND
KILLED. 2 Samuel 12:9-14 Why have you
despised the commandment of the LORD, to
do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the
Hittite with the sword; you have taken his
wife to be your wife, and have killed him with
the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 Now
therefore, the sword shall never depart from
your house, because you have despised Me,
and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to
be your wife.' 11 Thus says the LORD:
'Behold, I will raise up adversity against you
from your own house; >>>

8. I. YOUR SINS CAN BE FORGIVEN.
and I will take your wives before your eyes and
give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie
with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For
you did it secretly, but I will do this thing
before all Israel, before the sun.' " 13 So David
said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the
LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD
also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
14 However, because by this deed you have
given great occasion to the enemies of the
LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born
to you shall surely die."

9. II. IF WE HAVE REPENTED
OF OUR SINS,
CONFESSED OUR SINS,
AND BEEN BAPTIZED FOR
THE REMISSION
(FORGIVENESS) OF OUR
SINS, ALL OUR SINS ARE
FORGIVEN.

10. II. OBEDIENCE BRINGS FORGIVENESS
A. Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be
converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord,
B. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
C. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them,
"Repent, and let every one of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

11. III. GOD TAKES
OUR SIN
AWAY,
TOTALLY

12. III. GOD TAKES OUR SIN AWAY, TOTALLY
A. GOD WILL FORGIVE “ALL” OUR SINS -
Psalm 103:2-3 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who
forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all
your diseases,
B. GOD DOES NOT REMEMBER (HOLD
AGAINST US) OUR SINS - Isaiah 43:25 "I,
even I, am He who blots out your
transgressions for My own sake; And I will
not remember your sins.

13. III. GOD TAKES OUR SIN AWAY, TOTALLY
C. EVEN WHEN OUR SINS ARE THE WORST
(SCARLET) GOD STILL FORGIVES US - Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the
LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They
shall be as white as snow; Though they are red
like crimson, They shall be as wool.
D. GOD HAS REMOVED OUR SINS TOTALLY - Psalm
103:10-12 He hath not dealt with us after our sins;
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For
as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is
his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as
the east is from the west, so far hath he removed
our transgressions from us.

14. IV. WE MAY ALWAYS
REMEMBER OUR SIN
EVEN THOUGH IT IS
FORGIVEN
(FORGOTTEN BY
GOD).

15. IV. WE MAY REMEMBER OUR SIN
A. DAVID - Psalm 51:1-5 To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went
to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy upon me, O God, According to
Your lovingkindness; According to the
multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my
transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from
my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For
I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin
is always before me.
B. PAUL - 1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of
the apostles, who am not worthy to be called
an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
God.

16. V. WHEN OUR SINS
HAVE BEEN BLOTTED
OUT (FORGIVEN) THE
JOY OF OUR
SALVATION IS
RESTORED

17. V. JOY OF SALVATION IS RESTORED
A. JOY OF SALVATION - Psalm 51:7-12 Purge
me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make
me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones
which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide
thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine
iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O
God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11
Cast me not away from thy presence; and
take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore
unto me the joy of thy salvation; and
uphold me with thy free spirit.

18. V. JOY OF SALVATION IS RESTORED
B. TIMES OF REFRESHING - Acts 3:19 Repent
therefore and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, so that times of
refreshing may come from the presence of
the Lord,
C. THE REMEMBRANCE OF OUR SIN
SHOULD NOT KEEP US FROM THE JOY
OF OUR SALVATION IN THE LORD.
D. WE MUST ACCEPT GOD’S FORGIVENESS
AND FORGIVE OURSELF.

19. VI. WE MUST
ALSO
FORGIVE
OURSELF

20. VI. WE MUST ALSO FORGIVE OURSELF
A.SOMETIMES WE HAVE TROUBLE
FORGIVING OURSELVES EVEN THOUGH
WE UNDERSTAND GOD HAS FORGIVEN
US.
B.A recent study from Brandeis University in
Massachusetts suggested that a capacity
for self-forgiveness would lead people not
to blame themselves for stress factors
beyond their control, ultimately translating
into a longer and happier life.

21. VI. WE MUST ALSO FORGIVE OURSELF
A.FAILURE TO FORGIVE SELF KEEPS US
FROM BEING EFFECTIVE CHRISTIANS
1. A CLEAN CONSCIENCE CAN SERVE
GOD - Hebrews 9:13-14 For if the blood
of bulls and goats and the ashes of a
heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies
for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much
more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
without spot to God, cleanse your
conscience from dead works to serve the
living God?

22. VI. WE MUST ALSO FORGIVE OURSELF
A. FAILURE TO FORGIVE SELF KEEPS US FROM
BEING EFFECTIVE CHRISTIANS
2. FAILURE TO ACCEPT OUR FORGIVENESS
KEEF US FROM GOWING AS CHRISTIANS - 2
Peter 1:5-9 But also for this very reason, giving
all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue
knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-
control perseverance, to perseverance
godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these
things are yours and abound, you will be
neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks
these things is shortsighted, even to blindness,
and has forgotten that he was cleansed from
his old sins.

23. YOUR FORGIVENESS
A.HAVE YOU BEEN FORGIVEN OF YOUR
SINS?
B.HAVE YOU ACCEPTED YOUR
FORGIVENESS?
C.HAVE YOU FORGIVEN YOURSELF?

25. TONIGHT’S SERMON
THE ABUNDANT LIFE - CHARACTER