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Sermon #175 Luke Sermons Title:
ÒFather, Forgive ThemÓ Text:
Luke
23:34 Subject:
Our
SaviorÕs First Word on the Cross Date:
Sunday
Evening — August 6, 2006 Tape
#
Z-05b Readings: Ron Wood and Merle
Hart Introduction: Man has now done his worst. — He who created the world
had come into the world, but the world knew him not. — He came unto his
own, and his own received him not! — The Lord of glory among us, but he
was not wanted. — The eyes of man, blinded by sin, saw no beauty in him
that he should be desired. — At his birth, there was no room in the inn,
and now there is no room for him in the world. — When he was a baby a man
sought to slay him, and now he is nailed to the cursed tree by the hands of wicked
men, who anxiously watch him as dies. — Again and again, men tried to kill
him. Now their vile desires are granted. — The Son of God has yielded himself
up into their hands. — At his mock trial, though his judges found no fault
in him, the Lord of Glory was delivered to the will of wicked men, who cried again
and again ÒCrucify him! Crucify him!Ó. No ordinary death would satisfy this blood thirsty mob. They
wanted the Son of God to die a death of intense suffering and shame. Rather than
stoning him, as their law required, the Jews plotted to have him crucified upon
a Roman cross. The Savior was nailed to it. There he hangs in holy silence! Then,
his pallid lips are seen moving. — Is he crying for pity? No. — Does
he call for ten legions of angels to deliver him? No. — Is he cursing his
tormentors? No. — What then? He is praying, praying for his enemies, praying
for their forgiveness! — ÒThen said Jesus, Father, forgive them: for
they know not what they doÓ (Luke 23:34). What great tenderness, what infinite mercy, what amazing grace,
what immeasurable love those words reveal! (Luke 23:34)
ÒThen said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.Ó This is the first of our SaviorÕs seven words from the cross.
His first word from the cross is a word of prayer, prayer for forgiveness, the
forgiveness of wicked sinners who fully deserve his everlasting wrath! How significant!
How instructive! What an example our Savior is to us, even in his agony! á
If the
Lord Jesus prays for his tormenters, surely we ought to pray for our enemies. á
None
who are out of hell are beyond the reach of GodÕs saving grace. — Pray on.
God may yet be merciful! á
The effectual,
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Our SaviorÕs intercession for his
enemies resulted in the salvation of many of his enemies. — The Thief —
Three Thousand at Pentecost. — You and Me (John 17:20). á
When
we can do nothing else, we can pray. — I do not doubt that the best, most
useful thing men and women can do is pray. (Luke 23:34)
ÒThen said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they
parted his raiment, and cast lots.Ó Prophecy Fulfilled Here we see the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets.
Long before this day came to pass, God revealed all that would transpire on this
day in the Old Testament. Among other things it was prophesied by Isaiah that
the Savior would Òmake intercession for the transgressorsÓ (Isaiah 53:12). (Isaiah 53:12)
ÒTherefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the
strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with
the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors.Ó Our SaviorÕs intercession for the transgressors is directly
linked with his substitutionary sacrifice. — ÒHe was numbered with the
transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.Ó This 53rd chapter of
IsaiahÕs prophecy tells us at least ten things about the humiliation and suffering
and death of our blessed Redeemer. It declaredÉ 1.
that he would be despised and rejected
of men; 2.
that he would be a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief; 3.
that he would be wounded for our transgressions,
bruised for our iniquities and chastised for our peace; 4.
that he would be led, without resistance,
as a lamb to the slaughter; 5.
that he would be dumb before his shearers; 6.
that he would not only suffer at the hands
of man but also be bruised by the Lord; 7.
that he would pour out his soul unto death; 8.
that he would be buried in a rich manÕs
tomb; 9.
and then it was added, that he would be
numbered with transgressors; 10.
and finally, that he would make intercession
for the transgressors. This was the prophecy. — Òand made intercession for
the transgressors.Ó
Here is the fulfillment of it. — ÒFather, forgive them, for they know
not what they do.Ó
He thought of his murderers. He pleaded for his crucifiers. The Lord Jesus prayed
for the forgiveness of his tormenters. Our Advocate Here we see the Lord Jesus Christ identifying himself with
us, as the sinnerÕs Advocate. — ÒFather, forgive them.Ó Never before had he made such a
request of the Father. Never before had he invoked the FatherÕs forgiveness of
others. All the days of his earthly ministry our Savior forgave sinners personally. á
To the
man sick of the palsy he had said, ÒSon, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven
theeÓ (Matthew 9:2).
á
To the
woman who washed his feet with her tears in the house of Simon, he said, ÒThy
sins are forgivenÓ
(Luke 7:48). Why does he now ask the Father to forgive, instead of directly
pronouncing forgiveness himself? The forgiveness of sin is a prerogative that belongs to God
alone. The scribes were right when they reasoned ÒWho can forgive sins but
God only?Ó (Mark 2:7).
But they failed to see that Christ is God. — Truly man, but also God, —
the God-man. The Son of God became the Son of Man for the express purpose of offering
himself as a sacrifice for sin. And when the Lord Jesus cried ÒFather, forgive
themÓ he was on the
cross, dying as our Substitute. Therefore, he prayed as the sinnerÕs Substitute
and Advocate, seeking the forgiveness of sin for guilty men upon the basis of
justice satisfied by his blood (Heb. 7:25; 1 John 1:9; 2:1-2). (Hebrews 7:25)
ÒWherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by
him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.Ó (1 John 1:9)
ÒIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.Ó (1 John 2:1-2)
ÒMy little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any
man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2)
And he is the propitiation
for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.Ó On the cross he was acting as our Substitute; the just was
about to die for the unjust. Hence it was that hanging there as our Representative,
he takes the position of a suppliant before the Father, a mighty, effectual Advocate. How blessed it is to hear the Son of God, our Substitute, say,
ÒI have prayed for thee!Ó How blessed it is to remember those words of grace in the
face of our countless sins! Atonement Required If any sins could be excused, it would be sins of ignorance.
But the law of God demands atonement for sin, even for sins of ignorance. And
specific reference is made to the ignorance of those for whom our Savior here
makes intercession, as if to show us that no sin can be forgiven without atonement
(Lev. 5:15, 16; Num. 15:22-25; Ps. 19:12). (Leviticus 5:15-16)
ÒIf a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of
the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish
out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel
of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: (16) And he shall make amends for the harm
that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and
give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the
ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.Ó (Numbers 15:22-25)
ÒAnd if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD
hath spoken unto Moses, (23) Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses,
from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;
(24) Then it shall
be, if ought be
committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the
congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour
unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the
manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. (25) And the priest shall make an atonement
for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them;
for it is ignorance:
and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and
their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:Ó David prayed, ÒWho can understand his errors? Cleanse thou
me from secret faultsÓ (Ps. 19:12) Sin is always sin in the sight of God whether we are conscious
of it or not. Sins of ignorance need atonement just as those of which we are conscious.
God is holy, just and true. He will not lower his standard of righteousness to
the level of our ignorance. Ignorance is not innocence. The fact is, we have no
excuse for our ignorance. God has clearly and fully revealed his will. The Bible
is in our hands; and we cannot plead ignorance of its contents, except to condemn
our contempt for GodÕs Revelation. God has spoken; and by his Word we shall be
judged. Up CalvÕryÕs mountain, one dreadful
morn, Walked Christ my Savior, weary and
worn; Facing for sinners death on the cross, That he might save them from endless
loss. ÒFather, forgive them!Ó thus did he
pray, EÕen while his life-blood flowed fast
away; Praying for sinners while in such woe— No one but Jesus ever loved so. Trusting my Savior, the sinnerÕs Friend, How can my praises ever find end! Through years unnumbered on heavenÕs
shore, My tongue shall praise him forevermore. Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer! Seems now I see him on CalvaryÕs tree Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading— Blind and unheeding—dying for
me! Our Ignorance Here we see the blindness and ignorance of our hearts by nature.
— ÒThey know not what they do.Ó They knew full well that they had cried out ÒCrucify
him! Crucify him!Ó
They knew full well that their vile desires had been granted by Pilate, when he
Òdelivered Jesus to their will.Ó They knew full well that they had crucified him. What then
did our Lord mean when he said, ÒThey know not what they doÓ? He meant they were ignorant of the
enormity of their crime. They Òknew notÓ that it was the Lord of glory they were crucifying.
The emphasis is not on ÒThey know notÓ but on Òthey know not what they do.Ó Yet, they should have known. Their blindness was inexcusable.
The Old Testament prophets, which they read every Saturday, had received their
fulfillment in him. Those prophecies clearly identified him as the Holy One of
God. Even his critics said, ÒNever man spake like this manÓ (John 7:46). The FatherÕs voice testified
audibly, ÒThis is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.Ó Their ignorance only demonstrated
the blindness of their hearts. Their rejection of the Son of God bore full witness,
once for all, that the carnal mind is Òenmity against God.Ó Their ignorance was the ignorance
of blind hatred. How sad it is to think that some of you are blinded and ignorant
of the Son of God by your hatred for him! Sinner, what hatred and ignorance you
show in neglecting GodÕs great salvation. You think nothing of despising the Son
of God and his sweet invitations of mercy. You think nothing of refusing to receive
him. You think it is a small thing to cry, ÒWe will not have this man to reign
over us.Ó You know
not what you do! You look upon vital matters with callous indifference. For
years you have despised him and rejected him. For years you have hardened your
heart against him, closed your ears to his calls, and shut your eyes to his beauty
and glory. I say, You are ignorant. You know not what you do. You are blinded
by your madness. You are blinded by your sin. You are blinded by your enmity against
God. But you are without excuse. It is written, ÒBelieve on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved.Ó But you will not believe! Why? Because you are ignorant.
O blind, ignorant sinner, come to the Savior and cry, ÒLord, that I might receive
my sight.Ó But you
will not come to him that you might have life! Why? Because you are ignorant!
But it is the glory of GodÕs grace to make Christ known to
such ignorant sinners as we are, and wilfully ignorant, by the wisdom and prudence
of his free grace. Oh, may he now cause the light of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ to shine in your heart and take away your ignorance! Our Example Here we see the Lord Jesus teaching by example what he taught
in his Sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5:43-44). (Matthew 5:43-44)
ÒYe have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate
thine enemy. (44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good
to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute
you;Ó Our Lord Jesus practiced what he preached. Grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ. He not only taught the truth but is himself the Truth incarnate.
He said, ÒI am the way, the truth and the lifeÓ (John 14:6). In all things he has
left us an example. May God give me grace to follow his example. If he will give
me grace to love my enemies, bless those who curse me, and pray for those who
despise me, I will find it difficultÉ
Of this I am certain. If I do not find my example for life
in the cross of Christ, I have not found expiation for my sin in it (Eph. 4:29-5:1; 1 Pet. 2:20-25). (Ephesians 4:29-32)
ÒLet no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good
to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (30) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and
anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
(32) And be ye kind
one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for ChristÕs
sake hath forgiven you.Ó (Ephesians
5:1-2) ÒBe ye therefore
followers of God, as dear children; (2) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and
hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling savour.Ó (1 Peter 2:20-25)
ÒFor what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?
but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. (21) For even hereunto were ye called: because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his
steps: (22) Who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: (23) Who, when he was reviled, reviled not
again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
(24) Who his own self
bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should
live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (25) For ye were as sheep going astray;
but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.Ó Our Great Need Here we see manÕs great need before God. We are sinners, unfit
for the presence of he Holy Lord God, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity,
and will by no means clear the guilty. We are sinners in need of forgiveness.
á
I know
that no man can earn forgiveness. We cannot make atonement for our sins. á
I know
that forgiveness is GodÕs sovereign prerogative. á
I know
that the only way God can forgive sin is by putting it away. á
And I
know that the only way the Holy Lord God can put sin away is by the sin-atoning
sacrifice of his own dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:23-26). (Romans 3:23-26)
ÒFor all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (24) Being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his
blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through
the forbearance of God; (26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just,
and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.Ó Yet, it is my joy to declare to you this night, and to declare
to my own needy soul, that there is forgiveness with my God (Ps. 130:1-4). (Psalms 130:1-4)
ÒOut of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. (2) Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears
be attentive to the voice of my supplications. (3) If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities,
O Lord, who shall stand? (4) But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.Ó What a blessed word of grace! — ÒThere is forgiveness
with thee!Ó Jehovah,
the great, almighty, holy Lord God will forgive sin. — ÒHe delighteth
in mercy!Ó (Isaiah
43:25; 44:22; 55:7; Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12; 10:17) (Isaiah 43:25)
ÒI, even I, am
he that blotteth out
thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.Ó (Isaiah 44:22)
ÒI have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy
sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.Ó (Isaiah 55:7)
ÒLet the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let
him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for
he will abundantly pardon.Ó (Jeremiah 31:34)
ÒAnd they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother,
saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto
the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I
will remember their sin no more.Ó (Hebrews 8:12)
ÒFor I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities
will I remember no more.Ó (Hebrews 10:17)
ÒAnd their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.Ó I have read these passages and lay great stress upon the fact
of GodÕs forgiveness, because there is nothing in the world more difficult
for an awakened sinner to do than to believe that God can, or will, forgive his
sin. Those who are
not really convinced of their own sin say, flippantly, ÒI believe in the forgiveness
of sin.Ó But when your heart is under the painful, bitter conviction of sin, things
are different. I fully agree with Mr. Spurgeon, who said, ÒNo revealed truth is more
generally doubted and disbelieved than this, the plainest of all revelations,
that the Lord is gracious and full of compassion, and ready to pass by the iniquities
of his people.Ó When your sin is set before you in the light of GodÕs holiness,
your first instinct is to fear that it cannot be forgiven.
Bunyan describes Satan, as he attacks the city of Mansoul,
sending Captain Past Hope and Mr. Despair with hurling accusations, with the roaring
of the tyrantÕs drum beating loudly, especially in the dark hours of night, so
that he men of Mansoul can hear nothing but ÒHell-fire! Hell-fire!Ó Thus the prince
of darkness holds men in darkness, bondage and fear. No prison ever held a man so strongly, no whip ever tortured
a man so cruelly, as the guilty fears of a conscience under the conviction of
sin. I want especially to address you who are so aware of your guilt and sin that you think, ÒI have no
hope. I am lost, undone, and must be forever damned. I cannot be forgiven!Ó GodÕs forgiveness of sin is a fact so plainly, repeatedly and
fully revealed in Holy Scripture that it simply cannot be denied, even by you
whose sins seem to rise like a mountainous boil of corruption to the very heavens.
Spirit of God, sound these words of yours in the heart of every sinner here —
ÒThere is forgiveness with thee!Ó — I know that there is forgiveness with God becauseÉ á
His
dealings with the first sinners in this world gave them hope of forgiveness (Genesis 3:9, 15, 21). — He
sought the fallen pair. — He preached the gospel to them. — He made
a sacrifice for them. — He clothed them with the skins of innocent animals.
— ÒI have gotten a man from the Lord!Ó á
His
very name is forgiveness (Exodus 34:5). (Exodus 34:5-9)
ÒAnd the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed
the name of the LORD. (6) And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD,
The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and
truth, (7) Keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will
by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and
upon the childrenÕs children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
(8) And Moses made
haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. (9) And he said, If now I have found grace
in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our
iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.Ó á
The
whole purpose of the ceremonial law was to proclaim the forgiveness of sin (Leviticus 16). á
This
was the message of all the Old Testament prophets (Acts 10:43). (Acts 10:43)
ÒTo him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sins.Ó á
This
is the reason why Christ came (Matthew 1:21). (Matthew 1:21)
ÒAnd she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall
save his people from their sins.Ó á
The
Holy Spirit was given to communicate to guilty sinners the forgiveness of sin
through faith in Christ (Zechariah 12:10; 13:1; John 16:7-11). (Zechariah 12:10)
ÒAnd I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they
have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him,
as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.Ó (Zechariah 13:1)
ÒIn that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.Ó (John 16:7-11)
ÒNevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for
if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will
send him unto you. (8) And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and
of righteousness, and of judgment: (9) Of sin, because they believe not on me; (10) Of righteousness, because I go to my
Father, and ye see me no more; (11) Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.Ó á
The
Son of God taught us to pray for the forgiveness of sin (Matthew 6:12). á
Every
ordinance of Divine Worship proclaims the forgiveness of sin. — Prayer — Praise —
Baptism — The LordÕs Supper á
The
Lord Jesus Christ sent his Apostles out to tell the whole world that God will
indeed forgive sin
(Luke 24:44). (Luke 24:44-47)
ÒAnd he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and
in the prophets,
and in the psalms,
concerning me. (45) Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
(46) And said unto
them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from
the dead the third day: (47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached
in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.Ó The preaching of the cross is the proclamation of forgiveness.
ÒThrough this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him
all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified
by the law of MosesÓ
(Acts 13:38‑39). á
There
is a great multitude of sinners who have been forgiven of all sin by the grace
of God through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Revelation 5:9-10). á
I
have experienced it
(Ps. 116:1-8, 12-13; 32:1-5). (Psalms 116:1-8)
ÒI love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. (2) Because he hath inclined his ear unto
me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. (3) The sorrows of death compassed me,
and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. (4) Then called I upon the name of the
LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. (5) Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God
is merciful.
(6) The LORD preserveth
the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. (7) Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for
the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. (8) For thou hast delivered my soul from
death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.Ó (Psalms 116:12-13)
ÒWhat shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? (13) I will take the cup of salvation, and
call upon the name of the LORD.Ó (Psalms 32:1-5)
ÒBlessed is
he whose transgression
is forgiven, whose
sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth
not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. (3) When I kept silence, my bones waxed
old through my roaring all the day long. (4) For day and night thy hand was heavy
upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. (5) I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and
mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the
LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.Ó I am one of those spoken of in Christ in Colossians 1:14 —
ÒIn whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.Ó Love Triumphant Here we see the triumph of our SaviorÕs redeeming love. Notice
the word with which our text opens: — ÒThen.Ó The verse that immediately precedes
our text reads, — ÒAnd when they were come to the place, which is called
Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand,
and the other on the left.Ó — ÒThen, said Jesus, Father, forgive them.«— ÒThenÓ — when man had done his worst.
ÒThenÓ —
when the vileness of the human heart was most fully displayed. ÒThenÓ — when man with his wicked
hands by his wicked will had dared to crucify the Lord of Glory. — ÒThen,
said Jesus, Father, forgive them.Ó That was the triumph of redeeming love. It is written,
ÒLove suffereth long, and is kind... beareth all things... endureth all things.Ó Could we with ink the oceans fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, — To write the love of God above Would drain the oceans dry, Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky! When Samson came to his dying hour he used his great strength
of body to destroy his foes; but a greater than Samson is here! Our mighty Samson
exhibited the strength of his love by praying for the forgiveness of his enemies.
Matchless, wondrous, amazing grace! Oh, may God graciously grant to you the forgiveness
of sins for ChristÕs sake! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and go home forgiven
of al sin forever. (Isaiah
55:6-7) ÒSeek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is
near: (7) Let
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon.Ó (1 John
1:9) ÒIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.Ó (Colossians
2:13) ÒAnd you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.Ó (Romans
4:8) ÒBlessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.Ó (Romans
8:1) ÒThere is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit.Ó (Romans
8:33) ÒWho shall lay any thing to the charge of GodÕs elect? It is God that justifieth.Ó Illustration: The Wordless Book Amen. |
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