Word of Salvation – Vol. 24 No. 36 – May 1978

 

The Effect Of Forgiveness

 

Sermon by Rev. P. J. Berghouse, Th. Grad. on 1Peter 1:3

Scripture reading: 1Peter 1

Psalter Hymnal: 195; 29:4, 5 (after summary of Law);
            29:1, 2, 3 (after Law); 206:1, 7, 8; 243:1;
            48:1, 3, 5; 203:4

(NOTE: This Sermon can be used as Prep. for Lord's Supper)

 

Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every WEEK we are reminded of the RESURRECTION.  We meet for worship on the FIRST day of the week.  For THAT is the day on which our Lord was raised.

Now, one of the EXCITING things of the Resurrection is that it proves to us that GOD has accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  And, we realise of course, that this sacrifice was brought so that our SINS might be FORGIVEN!  Thus, every week, God's people are reminded of the REALITY of forgiveness because JESUS was raised on the first day of the week.

(When we want to examine ourselves with a view to coming to the Lord's Table next week) we may well ask ourselves: "What DIFFERENCE does this reality make in our lives as Christians?"

You know, we are so eager to HEAR about forgiveness.
We are delighted to be ASSURED about forgiveness. 

BUT we can be so terribly vague when it comes to the 'EFFECTS OF FORGIVENESS'.  We believe that a forgiven person will go to heaven.  We EXPECT that forgiveness should quieten our conscience.  But our 'experience' often seems to be quite the opposite....!

Well, what DOES happen to you, when GOD comes with His FORGIVING POWER into your life???  Of course, there are MANY examples of this in the Bible.  The Bible is FULL of stories and biographies of forgiven sinners, like you and I.

One of the outstanding examples is that of the Apostle Peter, a man well established in the local fishing industry, who had been called by Jesus to become a 'fisher-of-people', rather than of fish!  But, when the crunch came, this Peter had DENIED, that he even KNEW Jesus!  The sin of SELF-preservation had a paralysing effect on him ...!  He had opted out of his public association with Christ in order to SAVE HIMSELF!  When he realised WHAT he had done, he repented, went outside, and cried his heart out!

But then it became EASTER: The resurrection of Christ.  And with it... the RESTORATION of Peter: his sins were forgiven, his guilt removed, and his relationship with the Lord RENEWED!  Please notice, however, that this renewal was NOT just a 'going- back-to-the-beginning' – a 'starting-all-over-again'.

No, but through forgiveness JESUS added a NEW DIMENSION to this relationship.  Peter learned the meaning of mercy!  He had fallen DEEP into the misery of sin.  But CHRIST descended into THAT misery, with His MERCY!

Thus, Peter learned to know the REALITY of forgiveness exactly when he had reached the deepest point of his life.  People who have gone through SUCH a low point, will be quick to tell you, that it is 'an experience of hopeLESSness'.  The deepest despair of human life is reached when all HOPE is dead!

We say: "Where there is HOPE, there is life."  So, "Where there is NO hope left, THERE is DEATH!"

THIS fact is appreciated when you have reached "Peter's Point";
            when you realise that sin = a denial of Jesus;
            when you come to grips with the seriousness of sin;
            when you are confronted with the invitation to the Lord's Supper and must conclude despairingly: "No, this is NOT for ME!"

YET, at THIS point of Peter's misery, the LORD came to him, with forgiving MERCY.  Now, we know that the DEPTH of misery is directly related to the extent in which God's mercy is EXPERIENCED.  This is why Peter writes in our text about THE GREAT MERCY OF GOD.  (That is 'great' in magnitude and in extent.) 

Brothers and Sisters, at times of deep despair and doubt we may wonder whether God's forgiving mercy is GREAT enough to cover ALL our sins.  But God Himself is INFINITE.  Is He not?  Would He then suddenly be limited in His MERCY???  No, of course not!  God being GOD His MERCY is as UNlimited as He Himself is!

THIS is Peter's experience of forgiveness.

Notice now the EFFECT of this forgiveness as he writes to the believers, who are scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia: - he breaks out in JUBILATION and PRAISE to God.  And he encourages his readers to "rejoice greatly with joy inexpressible" verse 8.

And all this IN SPITE OF the adverse circumstances.

Vs.6 speaks of 'being distressed by various trials'.

Vs.7 of 'their faith being tested BY FIRE'.

Vs.8 & 9 of 'not SEEING Jesus'.

You see, these people lived very much in a NON-Christian environment with all the PRESSURES connected with this.

To use the words of Chapter 2:9: "They lived in the DARKNESS of a sinful world."  But they themselves had been "brought into God's marvellous LIGHT".  And this, with the stated purpose: "that they might PROCLAIM the excellencies of the God Who had called them!"

Thus, we realise that these Christians lived under a two-fold pressure: the "MAN-centred-thinking" of their neighbours involved them in many a conflict with the world; and their own upbringing in the atmosphere of Greek-Humanism, often tempted them to fall back into sin.

It was these conflicts outside, and the confusions within, which had such a discouraging effect on these Christians!

Oh, how important it was for THEM, to be reminded of the EFFECTS of God's FORGIVING MERCY!  SO: Peter writes to them about the "LIVING HOPE", which comes through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – the PROOF of the forgiving Mercy of God!  THIS makes the Christian HOPE so totally different from the hope of the world.  And THEREFORE it is so tremendously ENCOURAGING!  The WORLD hopes, because it does NOT believe.  Therefore, it cannot be absolutely certain about anything!  So.... It has to "Hope-for-the-best."

But the CHRISTIAN believes GOD; and IS therefore, absolutely CERTAIN of what God has is and shall be doing!

God HAS raised Jesus from the dead.  He HAS caused us to be born again.

God IS giving us a living HOPE AND HE SHALL raise us up again, as a full consummation of the GLORY of His Son!

The Christian KNOWS, that God never changes.  Whatever HE has done, can never be UNdone again.

Peter expresses this in a most beautiful way, when he reminds his readers, that it is the RESURRECTION of Christ, through which GOD caused us to be born again TO A LIVING HOPE.

Now, when we consider that the Resurrection means that LIFE – like the legendary Phoenix – rises from the ashes of death, THEN we see, why Peter speaks of the LIVING Hope!  This Hope has LIFE as its content!  And it brings the POWER of Eternal Life with it.

IS it any wonder that Peter PRAISES the God, Who caused THIS to happen to people like himself???

He writes: "BLESSED be this God and Father of our Lord.' 

In other words: Speak WELL of this God, for it is HE, Who restored YOU to a Life, which is LIFE indeed.  PRAISE Him, Who saves YOU, from ALL your sin.

We find here a significant effect of the forgiveness of sin upon the life of God's people ... the PRAISE, which Peter offers – at the SAME TIME – encourages others to join in.

He writes about the Father of OUR Lord, who has caused US to be born again!

You see, a forgiven sinner finds Fellowship in Praise!  Those Christians - scattered throughout a Humanistic Society, trying to cope with pressures from outside, AND with the convictions of sin in themselves, whose IGNORANCE of the things-of-God tempted them to fall back into their "FORMER LUSTS" – THOSE Christians are encouraged to join in Praise, as they share in forgiveness.

Vs.8 & 9:”...though you do not SEE Him now, but BELIEVE in Him, you GREATLY rejoice with joy inexpressible... obtaining the outcome of your faith the SALVATION OF YOUR SOUL."

(That is: The COMPLETE redemption of your WHOLE BEING!)

The pressures from your environment, and the hangovers of your sinful past, are completely counter-balanced by the JOY over Forgiveness.

Brothers and Sisters, young people, "Do YOU enjoy the effect of forgiveness in THIS way?"

If you have difficulties here... why not have another GOOD look at the Lord's Supper?  Does IT not declare that GOD forgives you your sin wholly and solely, because of Christ's death on the CROSS?  He CONFIRMED this fact, by raising Jesus on the first day of the week!  OR... Is it, that a lack of this joy is caused by a lack of repentance???  Please remember that you cannot experience the effect of forgiveness, AS LONG AS you are hanging on to your SIN!  The one excludes the other.

Let us now take note of some of the PRACTICAL implications of our text, as they are worked out in the rest of this letter.

We start at vs.13.  Here we find the HUMAN side of the proclamation of the Gospel.  GOD causes US to be born again to a LIVING HOPE.  WE are therefore COMMANDED to LIVE in accordance with this Hope.  In other words: GOD regulates all the effects which forgiveness has in our life on earth.

One can just imagine what would have happened if God had left the outworking of forgiveness in our INcapable hands: In spite of all our enthusiasm, we would NEVER show any thankfulness.  The history of Israel AND the lives of the Bible characters make this abundantly clear.  Does this mean that God's commands are grievous?  Do we experience them as a 'burden'?  OR... does this make our obedience of any MERIT?  Of course not!

Think about the women at the open grave, on that first of all Sundays - THEY were commanded to GO and tell the other disciples.  They were commanded to DO what they so dearly loved to do!

You see, when a Christian is faced with God's commands it is more like the boy who has had his eyes on the family car for YEARS!  And then, just after he gets his driver's licence, he is told to TAKE the car and take his mother to a meeting.  MAN, what a privilege.  What an opportunity.  The command fulfils his desire!

Now, the rest of Peter's letter is FILLED with such commands.  All things we dearly WANT to do.  Furthermore, we must remember that these commands come against the background of Chapter 1:2 "OBEY Jesus Christ, be sprinkled (that is, sanctified) with His Blood, for GOD works in you WITH HIS SANCTIFYING SPIRIT."

It is the SPIRIT of God living within you Who makes forgiveness EFFECTIVE in you – who makes you HOLY!

Our difficulties with the commands, arise from the stubbornness of our own heart!  GOD never hinders anyone who wants to praise Him.  With THIS in mind we look at the rest of this letter.

Vs.13 says: "Gird your mind for action... keep sober!"

So: Forgiveness first affects the MIND – your thinking.  The UNforgiven mind is all muddled up confused, ill at ease, NOT'fit-for-action'.  The FORgiven mind has its own house in order.  It can STOP worrying about the past.  It can GET ON with the job.

In the Verses 14, 15 and 17 we read: "AS OBEDIENT children BE HOLY in all your behaviour... ...conduct yourselves in fear while you live on this earth."

SO: Forgiveness also affects your sense of right and wrong!

The UNforgiven person wallows in unrighteousness.  His, or her behaviour shows DISobedience to God – Right is called wrong, and what is WRONG is called right.

This is because UNbelief robs a person of the ONLY Eternal point- of-reference: GOD!  The FORgiven person HAS this point-of- reference, and therefore WANTS to live a God-centred life: ALL aspects of behaviour fall in line with THAT Centre!

Thus, Peter continues in Chapter 2:1 & 2: Putting aside all things, which necessitate forgiveness “...LONG for the 'pure milk” that is let your relationship with GOD be kept undefiled.  Feed NOT on things that POISON you; but rather on the best antidote to poison: the pure MILK of the Word!

SO: Forgiveness affects your 'INTAKE ...the things YOU allow to ENTER into your life.  And, Boys and Girls, Young People, REMEMBER that Jesus says, that the things which enter through your eyes and ears can have more devastating effects on your life than the things you EAT!

Surely, we do not have to single out rock music and pornography as the worst offenders.  There are other forms of SINFUL art, which are at least as devastating, be it in a more subtle form!

You see, the UNforgiven person tends to associate with other things which God HATES... he FEEDS on sin!

The fact is, that if you are bothered by ONE particular sin and you surround that ONE sin with a number of others, you make the ONE sin SEEM to lose its significance!  But, the result is that you drift further and further AWAY from God... deeper into misery!  The FOR-given person is commanded to steer clear of further sins – to repent of his particular one and then... - to concentrate on the things that cause GROWTH in respect to Salvation.

It is extremely instructive to go through the rest of this letter noticing how the Christian is commanded to regulate every-day BEHAVIOUR in accordance with the fact of the NEW Birth-to-a-LIVING- HOPE.  In other words, HOW we are to SHOW the effect of forgiveness in the PRACTICAL aspects of our life... because... GOD, ac- cording to His GREAT MERCY, has caused us to experience what it IS 'to be forgiven'.

(The following paragraph to be read if sermon is used in preparation for Lord's Supper.)

When you study this letter as a personal exercise in self-examination during this week of preparation for the Lord's Supper, you COULD find all these commands somewhat disturbing.  For, you know how it is: we TEND to look for comforting promises rather than for COMMANDS!

Do you know, why this disturbs us so much???  This happens when we make our SELF-examination into a MAN-centred affair!  We certainly must look at the state WE are in.  But the examination of OURSELVES must in the FIRST place be a searching for what GOD has done for US in Christ.

Then, in the second place, it must be a searching for what GOD is doing IN us with His Holy Spirit of Sanctification!

Such an examination will THEN show us where and how we have hindered the work of the Holy Spirit; how we can be 'Sanctified' in ALL our behaviour, and such a self-examination will cause us to REJOICE greatly.

And THUS we will finish up  joining Peter in "PRAISING the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to His GREAT Mercy has caused us to born again to a LIVING HOPE through the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from the dead." 

THIS indeed is the EFFECT OF FORGIVENESS.

Amen.