FORGIVENESS OF SINS

1. One of the most basic skills we know is subtraction.

2. If we have 10 apples and subtract two, only eight are left.

SUBTRACTION IS A TAKING AWAY, A DEDUCTION, A REMOVAL.

a) People who wrote Greek had a word that meant subtraction.

b) This same word was sometimes applied to soldiers.

c) If you have been in or seen a military t.v. show, you know military guards are “relieved.”

d) A guard is eventually released or replaced from his or her post.

e) Similar things happen in the work world when a shift changes.

f) There is a relief shift such as second or third.

2) This word that described subtraction or soldiers being relieved is found in the New Testament.

3) In fact, it is in one of the verses just read: Rom. 11:27.

4) God promises that sins will be “taken away.”

5) These words come from a term that originally had the sense of “subtraction.”

6) I am not going to develop a particular line of thought, but I will mention it.

7) Sin might be explored from the standpoint of mathematics.

a) In Mt. 24:12 Jesus talked about sin being “multiplied” (ASV).

b) Sin is presented as both something that can be added or subtracted.

8) Today we want to look at sin from the standpoint of subtraction.

9) Much is said in the New Testament about the subtraction of sin.

10) Later in the lesson I am going to return to the specific word used in Rom. 11:27.

11) For this section of our study, I want to look at some general passages concerning forgiveness.

a) For instance, what is the basis for God subtracting sin from someone’s life?

b) Jesus said in Mt.26:28 that His blood would be the grounds for subtracting sin.

c) Blood from bulls and goats were not good enough; Jesus’ one time sacrifice is.

d) A second passage is Mk. 11:26, and this verse will be read.

12) Mark picks up on a saying that is fairly similar to the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 6:12).

13) He recorded how if we want God to subtract our sins, we first must do some subtracting.

14) Here is the text – Mk. 11:26 – READ.

15) It is very easy to look at others (what people say and do) and start adding.

16) A few years ago Beth and I took tickets at the fair.

17) We had a small counter to register the number of people going through our gate.

18) Sometimes we could hardly click fast enough.

19) Hundreds of clicks were made each time we sat at the ticket booth.

20) It is possible to do a similar thing in our lives—we keep adding up the sins of others.

21) We surely know people who seem to run a kind of spreadsheet regarding the sins of others.

22) God says to His people, “You are to be in the subtraction business.”

23) “Pretend that the plus buttons on your spiritual calculator are broken.”

24) Next on our list of references is Acts 2:38.

25) Peter said that sins—terrible sins—in this case killing God’s Son—can be subtracted.

26) How can sins be forgiven? Those who believed were told to repent and be baptized.

27) Couple with Acts 2:38 is Acts 10:43.

28) Peter is the spokesperson in Acts 10, and he said sins are only forgiven through Christ.

29) Without Jesus, not a single sin can be subtracted from our spiritual account.

a) Another useful verse from Acts is Acts 26:17-18.

b) In a moment verse 18 will be read.

c) To set the stage for this text we need to bear in mind the context.

d) Acts 26 is one of the records of Paul’s conversion.

e) Verse 16 says that Paul was to become a “witness” and a “minister.”

f) As an evangelist, he would be sent to many people (verse 17).

g) Here is verse 18 – READ.

30) Luke joins two points together:

31) Subtraction of sins is associated with “an inheritance” (all God’s blessings).

32) If these things go together, what happens if sins are not subtracted?

33) Deductive reasoning says that no blessings can come to those who have not been forgiven.

34) As we think about forgiveness, someone might want to ask this question:

35) How many sins does God subtract?

36) If we do not comply with the Scriptures, the answer is none.

37) If we do obey what is found in the Bible, we have an answer in Col. 2:13.

38) This verse is too critical to not read, so I am turning there now.

a) In the first part of Col. 2:13 we learn how deeply these people were associated with sin.

b) Paul said they had been “dead in sins” (plural).

c) Death is about as dramatic a description as the mind can comprehend.

d) Let’s see what happened to these people – READ. Col. 2:13.

39) How many sins did God subtract (forgive)? All sin was removed.

40) After people become Christians this same level of subtraction is possible, 1 Jn. 1:7.

I HAVE JUST PROVIDED A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF FORGIVENESS OF SINS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. LET’S NOW GO BACK TO THE SPECIFIC WORD USED IN ROMANS 11:27, THE WORD THAT HAS THE SENSE OF SUBTRACTION.

a) Our lesson will end with a passage that may amaze some of you.

b) We eventually want a verse from Matthew 26, but I am going to start with Rev. 22:19.

c) When you have a moment, I encourage you to have Mt. 26 ready.

2) Each passage from here until the end of the lesson has the word used in Rom. 11:27.

3) We are familiar with Rev. 22:19, so seeing this term there should not surprise us.

4) Here is what Rev. 22:19 says – READ.

a) Our term from Rom. 11:27 is used twice in this verse.

b) If you like marginal notes, you might consider writing in the word “subtract.”

c) If any man SUBTRACTS from God’s book is what John had in mind.

d) The primary reference, of course, is the book of Revelation.

e) What is said contains a principle that applies to all of God’s revelation to man.

f) If any part of the Bible is somehow “subtracted” there is a consequence.

5) People have actually cut out parts of their Bibles.

6) Others subtract in a less noticeable way (they avoid teaching things that are in God’s word).
Still others subtract by mixing truth with error.

7) Any subtraction has a consequence.

8) What is the consequence? As I said, the term from Rom. 11:27 is used a second time in Rev. 22:19.

9) God will “subtract” a person from His book of life.

10) We just had an election.

11) Some found that they had been “subtracted” from a registration list.

12) If this election were missed, maybe there will be another chance to vote in 4 more years.

13) If we are “subtracted” from God’s book when we stand before Him, there are no more chances.

14) Another place this term is used is Lk. 16:3 – a man had his stewardship “taken away.”

15) On the job it is possible to experience a subtraction.

16) We might be “subtracted” from a payroll.

17) There may be a “subtraction” in the sense of gaining access to a work place.

18) Lk. 1:25 also has this word (Elizabeth says her reproach was “taken away”)—subtracted.

19) Now we come to the key reference that I hope will make you sit up and take notice.

20) I will give you a little time to find Mt. 26:51.

21) Judas had taken money to betray the Lord and he did his job; he did it very well.

22) Hands were laid upon the Lord and those who did so were hostile to the Lord.

23) Here is verse 51 – READ.

a) Notice the expression “struck off his ear.”

b) In this expression we have the same word used in Rom. 11:27 for forgiveness of sins.

c) This man’s ear was subtracted from his body.

d) It was severed, completely removed, detached, disengaged, disconnected.

24) This is a powerful picture of how sins are removed by God.

25) It is as if sins are “cut away” from us.

26) The servant’s ear was not half on and half off or hanging by a thread.

27) It was completely gone.

28) We may hear the expression “forgiveness of sins” again and again and service after service.

29) “Remission of sins” is also something that is often said .

30) In our saying these expressions—Bible statements—maybe they do not always sink in.

31) I am persuaded that people understand what having it means to have a body part hacked—severed.

32) Because God treats sin in this manner, we have verses like these:

a) Forgiveness of sins means having a clear conscience (1 Pet. 3:20-21).

b) Hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22) after God has forgiven us.

c) A man who was baptized (Acts 8) “rejoiced.”

d) 2 Cor. 5:17 says we become “new creatures.”

e) We are “born anew” (Jn. 3:3).

f) We are God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10) after being forgiven.

33) Cutting off an ear is not a pretty image to see in person or consider mentally.

34) Cutting off sin is, and this is God’s promise to the world.

35) If we comply with the conditions in the New Testament, forgiveness is available.

36) Forgiveness means no spot, blemish, wrinkle, or any such thing (Eph. 5:27).

37) Have we been forgiven of our sins in the way the Bible describes?

38) Faith, repentance, confession & baptism?