Forgiveness
- Sermon By: William Subash
- Categories: Stand Alone
Bible Passage: Psalm 103:3-5
I. Initial considerations:
1. Psalms 103 contains 22 lines, the number of Hebrew alphabets
2. It has two sections: Verses 3-5 is personal and verses 6-22 is collective/corporate
3. All action words in Psalms 103 are in present tense—God is the doer of all actions
4. In verses 3-5, the psalmist highlights five blessings God extends to the believers
2. It has two sections: Verses 3-5 is personal and verses 6-22 is collective/corporate
3. All action words in Psalms 103 are in present tense—God is the doer of all actions
4. In verses 3-5, the psalmist highlights five blessings God extends to the believers
a. Forgiveness from transgressions
b. Healing from illness
c. Redemption from the Pit (šaḥaṯ refers to the pit from which no can ever return—grave or underworld)
d. Restoration of status
e. Life and vitality for a productive life
b. Healing from illness
c. Redemption from the Pit (šaḥaṯ refers to the pit from which no can ever return—grave or underworld)
d. Restoration of status
e. Life and vitality for a productive life
5. Of these five, “forgiveness” is the primary; the other ones start from it
6. In other words, “forgiveness” leads the others
7. Four participles in verses 3-5 without a conjunction called “hymnic participles”
II. Let’s look at verse 3a: The LORD forgives all your iniquity/sins
6. In other words, “forgiveness” leads the others
7. Four participles in verses 3-5 without a conjunction called “hymnic participles”
II. Let’s look at verse 3a: The LORD forgives all your iniquity/sins
1. What is forgiveness?
2. General definition:
3. Biblical definition
2. General definition:
3. Biblical definition
a. “Not to hold the iniquity/sin against the sinner”
b. “Release the sinner from punishment”
c. It is an act of grace whereby God pardons an offender, so that he or she no longer faces condemnation for their offenses and their offenses are not counted against them (cf. Romans 6:23 the wage of sin is death)
III. Why would God forgive?
b. “Release the sinner from punishment”
c. It is an act of grace whereby God pardons an offender, so that he or she no longer faces condemnation for their offenses and their offenses are not counted against them (cf. Romans 6:23 the wage of sin is death)
III. Why would God forgive?
1. All sins are against God
2. All sins deserve punishment
3. The sinner is the offender and God is the offended
4. When God forgives, He does not hold the sins against the sinner
5. This is God’s voluntary act, motivated by who He is
6. God’s forgiveness of the offenders appears to go against His own words:
7. God’s justice must be satisfied by the punishment of every violation of His law
8. Nothing that a person offers to God could possibly atone for his offense/sin
9. The Puzzling Questions
a. How does God grant such forgiveness without compromising His own standard of justice?
b. How can He justify sinners without rendering Himself unjust?
c. How can He forgive sinners without breaking His own Word, having already sworn that He will punish every transgression?
b. How can He justify sinners without rendering Himself unjust?
c. How can He forgive sinners without breaking His own Word, having already sworn that He will punish every transgression?
10. The Answer
a. Romans 3:25-26: God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,
b. God takes care of His justice without damning the sinner
c. God both fulfills His promise of vengeance against sin and forgives sinners
d. And God remains just while forgiving the ungodly
b. God takes care of His justice without damning the sinner
c. God both fulfills His promise of vengeance against sin and forgives sinners
d. And God remains just while forgiving the ungodly
11. God fulfilled the demands of justice by pouring out His wrath on a substitute
IV. According to Psalms 103:3-5 God’s forgiveness is a package
IV. According to Psalms 103:3-5 God’s forgiveness is a package
1. It’s not mechanical but contains more involvement
2. God’s act of forgiveness does not stop with the mere pronouncement of forgiveness
3. It includes bringing a transgressor to a complete personhood
2. God’s act of forgiveness does not stop with the mere pronouncement of forgiveness
3. It includes bringing a transgressor to a complete personhood
a. Healing (verse 3)
b. Redemption (verse 4)
c. Restoration (verse 4)
d. Life and vitality (verse 5)
b. Redemption (verse 4)
c. Restoration (verse 4)
d. Life and vitality (verse 5)
4. God illustrates what it means to forgive
5. In Matt 6:12, Jesus teaches us “… forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors”
V. Principles to think about from Psalms 103:3-5
5. In Matt 6:12, Jesus teaches us “… forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors”
V. Principles to think about from Psalms 103:3-5
1. Forgiveness is to “clear out” revengeful thoughts against the offender(s)
2. Forgiveness is to replace revengeful thoughts with love, compassion, and charity
3. Forgiveness is to imitate God-Jesus who forgave His offenders
4. Forgiveness is not forgetting—which is not possible, but it is an intentional effort not to hold the offense or debt against the sinner or debtor
5. By taking God’s model
6. By being obedient to Jesus’ teaching
7. By forfeiting your right to take revenge or to hold the other person contempt
8. Forgiveness is more for the forgiver than the forgiven
9. So long as the forgiveness is not extended by taking God’s model, the offender continues to hurt
10. That which hurts you the most needs to be forgiven on priority basis
11. Only a born-again Christian can forgive in a real sense because he/she has experienced it (in other words, born-again Christians forgive)
Takeaways:
2. Forgiveness is to replace revengeful thoughts with love, compassion, and charity
3. Forgiveness is to imitate God-Jesus who forgave His offenders
4. Forgiveness is not forgetting—which is not possible, but it is an intentional effort not to hold the offense or debt against the sinner or debtor
5. By taking God’s model
6. By being obedient to Jesus’ teaching
7. By forfeiting your right to take revenge or to hold the other person contempt
8. Forgiveness is more for the forgiver than the forgiven
9. So long as the forgiveness is not extended by taking God’s model, the offender continues to hurt
10. That which hurts you the most needs to be forgiven on priority basis
11. Only a born-again Christian can forgive in a real sense because he/she has experienced it (in other words, born-again Christians forgive)
Takeaways:
1. Forgive a person who offended you
2. Receive God’s forgiveness for all your offenses
3. If possible, work in the life of the offender and restore him/her to a complete relationship
4. Finally, bless the LORD and forget not His blessings (Psalm 103:1-2)
2. Receive God’s forgiveness for all your offenses
3. If possible, work in the life of the offender and restore him/her to a complete relationship
4. Finally, bless the LORD and forget not His blessings (Psalm 103:1-2)