Preaching That God Forgives All Sin
Preaching That God Forgives All Sin
In the last post we began a consideration of preaching on the statement, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” I want to continue that theme as we consider how to go about preaching that God forgives all sin.
The Joyful Proclamation about Forgiveness of Sin
Some people, as we saw in the last post, need to become aware of their sin more acutely. Other people, though, need to be fully understand how thoroughly God forgives sin. Sometimes guilt over past sin makes some people fearful that they are beyond forgiveness. Add into that reality the fact that the Enemy is called the Accuser. He is the one who likes to remind us of past sin.
I think of my mother. When she knew she was dying of kidney failure, she had a dream. She was entering heaven, and Jesus was checking the sheep that came in. The Lord, in her dream, rejected her because of her scraggly coat. I was sitting with her in the hospital at the time, and she awoke crying as a result of this dream.
It wasn’t until later that I learned that my mother was pregnant with her first child when she and my father married. As her 7th child out of 8, I can testify that she was a model for me of living out the Christian life. Yet, as she anticipated meeting Jesus, that old sin cropped up in her mind and momentarily took away her peace. Once awake, we got to celebrate again the grace of God.
The Guilt Syndrome.
My mother was one person, but I’ve known others that have trouble experiencing the grace of God. I’ve known many of them. Some alcoholics look at the wreckage of their lives and can’t quite believe that God would love them. Others have lived pretty wildly and hurt many. When the Spirit softens their heart, it’s hard for them to believe that God would just forgive them. No punishment for what they have done eternally.
The most famous person who dealt with his guilt, of course, was the author of the famous hymn, Amazing Grace, John Newton. His mother died when he was just 7 years old, and so Newton lost all Christian influence in his life. At the age of 11, he went to sea with his father and was introduced to a sailors life–pretty wild by anyone’s standard. He himself became a captain of slave trading ships.
All of that changed in him in 1748 when his ship, the Greyhound, was in a violent storm. Fearing for his life, Newton cried to God for mercy. A change began in him. As he reflected on his life, he knew that he had to make changes. He left the slave trade and began to study Christian theology. He was ordained as a priest in 1764, and began to write hymns to accompany worship in his church.
When preaching that God forgives all sin, John Newton is a good example.
Scriptures that Teach that God Forgives All Sin
My favorite passage for teaching on God’s incredible forgiveness is:
1 John 1:9
Verse Concepts
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Another is this
Preaching that God forgives all sin will be fresh air to your church.
