When I was a little boy, I had a toy that I thought was the most amazing thing. It looked like a little TV screen with two knobs at the bottom. When you turned the knobs, it made a line on the screen. If you turned those knobs just right, you could make simple pictures of stick-figure people. You could even spell words or write your name. And when you were finished, all you had to do to erase the screen was turn it over and shake it. Then, you’d have a brand-new, clean screen to draw on again. It was like magic. Of course, it wasn’t magical at all. The whole thing worked by coating the inside of the screen with aluminum powder. Turning the knobs simply moved a little pointer under the surface of the screen that etched the powder away causing the markings that formed on the screen. The Ohio Art Company started distributing these toys back in 1960 and since then over 100 million of them have been sold. You may recall the name of the toy—it was marketed as an “Etch-A-Sketch.” It was named as one the top 100 toys of the 20th century. The reason I mention that toy this morning is that it provides a wonderful illustration of the power of God’s grace when He forgives us of our sins. Humans love to turn the knobs of their hearts in ways that please themselves, but are against God’s will for their lives. Similar to an Etch-A-Sketch, our hearts become marked by the lines of sins. But, for those who put their faith in Jesus, those dark lines of sin that streak the screens of their lives can be erased. They can be wiped as clean as if they were brand new! [1]
This is an illustration of what Jesus made available to us through His work on the Cross. The Bible refers to it as the FORGIVENESS OF SINS. Yes—the forgiveness of your sins is available to you through God’s grace. It is the most important thing for anyone to receive—because without forgiveness, there is no salvation. So, what is required for you to take advantage of Jesus’ forgiveness of your sins? Well, according to the Bible, there are several requirements. The problem is that many people look to only one or two of these requirements, but fail to satisfy the others. It’s a little like someone suffering from cancer and being told they can be cured if they’d go to a doctor. So, they go to the doctor’s office and then say, “Well, I went to the doctor like they said, so I guess I am cured!” But, going to the doctor is just the start of the process. Then, you have to do what the doctor says and accept his treatment. That, of course, is the hard part. So it is with the forgiveness of sin. You don’t receive God’s forgiveness simply by saying to Him, “Oh—by the way I sinned (in such and such of a way), I need your forgiveness.” If that is all you ever do in seeking forgiveness, then you are in big trouble. You can’t merely say, “Please forgive me, God,” as if it’s some magical incantation that gets you off the hook to Hell. Much more is required.
This morning, consider what God’s Word has to say about the six requirements that must be satisfied in order to have your sins forgiven. The Bible gives some very thorough instructions on this. If you want your sins erased like the markings on an old etch a stretch, you need to follow these instructions. So, what are the things God requires for the forgiveness of your sins?
REQUIREMENT NO. 1: YOU MUST BELIEVE IN HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST—HAVE FAITH IN HIM. In the Book of Acts, Peter proclaimed: “He [referring to Jesus] is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His name.” Acts 10:43 (NLT2) And, Paul said: 38 “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. 39 Everyone who believes in Him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do.” Acts 13:38-39 (NLT2) Now, you might say, “That’s wonderful—I believe Jesus is the Son of God. So, I must be forgiven.” But, merely thinking that is not enough. Even the devil and his demons know Jesus is the Son of God.[2] Merely acknowledging Jesus’ divine status in your head isn’t the same as committing to Him as your Lord and Savior in your heart. Until you do that, your sins will remain unforgiven, and you won’t be saved. When you die, you’ll be headed for some severe climate change. Global warming won’t even come close to describing the immediate warming you’ll experience then. If you want to avoid that eternal heat, then it is essential that you believe in Jesus as your Savior and surrender your life to Him. But, there’s another requirement you must satisfy as well if you want to have your sins forgiven.
REQUIREMENT NO. 2: YOU MUST LOVE CHRIST. Jesus taught this requirement during a dinner He attended in the house of a Pharisee named Simon. Though Simon was the host, he had not been the least bit hospitable toward Jesus. While there, a woman showed up out of the blue and knelt before Jesus. Then, she washed His feet with her tears and an expensive perfume. She dried Jesus’ feet with her hair. Luke’s Gospel describes it this way: 44 “Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your home, and you gave Me no water for my feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You did not welcome Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I came. 46 You provided no olive oil for My head, but she has covered My feet with perfume. 47 I TELL YOU, THEN, THE GREAT LOVE SHE HAS SHOWN PROVES THAT HER MANY SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. BUT WHOEVER HAS BEEN FORGIVEN LITTLE SHOWS ONLY A LITTLE LOVE.’ 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ 49 The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this, who even forgives sins?’ 50 But Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’” Luke 7:44-50 (TEV) When you read the entire biblical text, it is apparent that this woman was a former prostitute; thus, Jesus made His reference to her many sins. And yet, this woman’s love for Jesus, as demonstrated by her acts of devotion to Him, was evidence that all her many sins were forgiven. But, Simon showed no love for Jesus. Perhaps, even a pious Pharisee like Simon had many sins as well. His obvious lack of love for Christ indicates none of them were forgiven. Now, let’s move on to the third requirement for forgiveness—because it flows directly from the requirement to love Jesus.
REQUIREMENT NO. 3: YOU MUST BE OBEDIENT TO GOD’S WORD: Jesus said, “If you love Me, obey My commandments.” John 14:15 (NLT2) The flip side of this statement is this: Disobedience to God’s commands is a solid indicator that a person lacks the necessary love to be forgiven. Those people who say they love Jesus, but live their lives in disobedience to His commands, make themselves out to be liars. But note this: Even after accepting Jesus into your heart, there will be times that you will be disobedient. It won’t be habitual disobedience, but you will occasionally sin because you are human. But, with Christ in your heart, there will be a big difference. Your disobedience—your sin—will bother you. It will bother you because you know it bothers Christ. And, because of your love for Christ, you won’t want to disappoint Him. So, for those who consider themselves “saved Christians”, and yet they habitually sin and disobey Jesus’ commandments, it’s a very good sign that they don’t truly love Jesus. And, because they don’t love Him, their sins will remain unforgiven.
REQUIREMENT NO. 4: YOU MUST CONFESS YOUR SINS TO GOD: The Apostle John wrote: “If we confess our sins to Him, He [Jesus] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1st John 1:9 (NLT2) Long before John stated this, David proclaimed: “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” Psalm 32:5 (NLT2) So, what is “confession” all about? Well, it’s more than simply saying to God, “I’m sorry.” Why?—because God can see into your heart and knows what you are sorry about. If all you are sorry about is that you will go to Hell unless you are forgiven, then God’s forgiveness will NOT be forthcoming. Such a selfish request for forgiveness is not a genuine confession.
So, when you confess your sins to the Lord, you must do so because you are truly sorry. What you are most sorry about is that you disappointed God. You let down the Creator of the universe. As a Christian, you will hate that feeling because you can see that your sins separate you from God. Erwin Lutzer described this when he said: “Confession is necessary for fellowship. Sin builds a barrier between us and God. Confession, which means to agree with God regarding our sin, restores our fellowship. It is a form of discipline which God requires.”[3] If you are truly remorseful for that reason, your sins will be forgiven. What does such a confession sound like? It sounds like David when he turned to God and confessed:3 “I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.” Psalm 51:3-4 (NLT2)
And note this: Confession is No. 4 on the list of requirements because it involves each of the previous three requirements. If you have faith in Jesus, love Him and obey Him, your sins (like David’s sins) will create a sadness in the pit of your soul. Like David, your sins will “haunt you day and night” until you will reach the point of giving a true confession to God. When you do that, God is quick to forgive. Your guilt is washed away with your sins.
Now, there is one more point to make about confession. It springs from a somewhat confusing statement that appears in the Book of James. James wrote: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16a (NLT2) On the surface, this may appear to say that we are supposed to confess our hidden sins to other people. But, that is not the case. As biblical scholar, William MacDonald, points out: “That is not at all the thought! Primarily James means that when we sin against someone else, we should be prompt to confess this sin to the person we have wronged.”[4] In other words, if you sin by doing something wrong to somebody and they are not aware of it, you should go to them personally and make things right. But, the confession of sins in general is a matter between you and God. For, as the pastor and Bible teacher, Vernon McGee, once put it: “I will not confess my sins to you, and I do not want you confessing your sins to me. You are to confess that to the Lord.”[5] I offer this simply as a point of clarification. In any event, confession alone is not enough to merit God’s forgiveness—which bring us to the fifth requirement.
REQUIREMENT NO. 5 IS REPENTANCE: Jesus taught that: “There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.” Luke 24:47 (NLT2) The Greek word used for “repent” means to have a “change of mind.”[6] It’s the kind of change that orients your actions more and more in accordance with God’s Word, and less and less in line with the ways of the world. For example, before becoming a Christian, you would not have thought twice about being angry at someone, or calling them an “idiot,” or cursing at them. You would have never contemplated the need to abstain from such conduct. But, when someone comes to Christ, he or she experiences that “change of mind” which allows them to readily admit such behavior is sinful. You come to accept and live by Jesus’ words when He said: 21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of Hell.” Matthew 5:21-22 (NLT2) This change of mind is an ongoing process for every Christian. Theologians call it sanctification.[7] But, unless that process is underway in your life, your sins will not be forgiven. It’s just that simple. And now, we come to the final requirement for forgiveness. It is perhaps the hardest of all with which humans contend.
REQUIREMENT NO. 6: YOU MUST BE WILLING TO FORGIVE OTHERS FOR THE WRONGS THEY HAVE DONE TO YOU. Jesus put it this way: 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT2) Similarly, when we pray, Jesus taught us to ask God the Father to “forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” Matthew 6:12 (NLT2) This requirement is perhaps the least complicated to state, but the hardest to practice. But, in the words of Saint Francis of Assisi, it comes down to this: “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” [8] When confronted with this requirement, some people will say that they will forgive, but not forget. An example of a better approach was provided by Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. She was once reminded of a terrible act of unkindness that someone had done to her years in the past. The friend who brought this up was astounded when she seemed not to recall the incident. The friend asked, “Don't you remember it?” Ms. Barton responded: “No, I distinctly remember forgetting it.” [9] If you want God’s grace, you need to offer grace in the form of forgiveness to those who have done you wrong—and then put it all behind you. As Dwight Moody once said: “Forgiveness is not that stripe which says, ‘I will forgive, but not forget.’ It is not to bury the hatchet with the handle sticking out of the ground, so you can grasp it the minute you want it.”[10]
So, there you have them—the six requirements every person must meet to be forgiven of their sins. When you survey this list, these requirements may seem daunting. They may appear to be beyond your spiritual reach. We are just too weak to meet these requirements on our own. But, fortunately for us, we aren’t left alone in dealing with these matters. Paul tells us: “You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.” Romans 8:9 (NLT2) And, “The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.” Romans 8:26 (NLT2) Yes, we are weak when it comes to meeting these requirements, but if you are committed to following Jesus, all six of these things will surely fall into place as the Holy Spirit transforms your heart and the blood of Christ washes away your sins. Like the screen of Etch-a-Sketch, the marks of sins upon your soul will be wiped clean and you will be restored to a clean state.
You see, God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, makes our forgiveness possible. His blood shed on the Cross takes away all trace of sin for those who (1) have faith in Him, (2) love Him, (3) obey Him, (4) confess their sins to God, (5) repent, and (6) forgive others. We don’t deserve forgiveness, but God in His wonderous grace, offers it just the same. What an amazing gift forgiveness is. In fact, it is like a gift card from God that Jesus paid for on the Cross. Some gift cards today have expiration dates on them. If you don’t use the card before it expires, you lose the benefit of the gift. The gift of God’s forgiveness is like that as well. It too has an expiration date. You have to take advantage of God’s gift in this lifetime. God’s gift card expires when you take that last breath. He is just waiting for all of those who have yet to cash in on His offer. Losing the value of a plastic gift card costs you money. Failing to redeem God’s gift card of forgiveness will cost you your soul.[11]
This morning, if you have any doubts regarding your satisfaction of the requirements for God’s forgiveness, now is the time to get out of your seat, walk the aisle and give your life to Him; or, if you need to kickstart your commitment to Jesus Christ through rededication come forward as we sing our closing hymn. He is extending to you His hand of grace and His offer of forgiveness. Don't wait until it’s too late to reach out and accept it!
Let us pray.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
April 21, 2024
©2024 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Prospero (The Economist) blog, "Andre Cassagnes and the Etch A Sketch" (2-8-13); Valerie Waltz, "Etch A Sketch Creator Dies at 86," FOX43 Central Pennsylvania (2-3-13), cited in PreachingToday.com.
[2] Matthew 8:28-29 28 “When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met Him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area. 29 They began screaming at Him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?’” (NLT2) Luke 4:33-34 33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 ‘Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’” (NASB)
[3] Erwin W. Lutzer (1941- ) Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "Confession".
[4] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: A Thorough, Yet Easy-to-Read Bible Commentary That Turns Complicated Theology Into Practical Understanding, ed. Arthur Farstad, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 2244.
[5] J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1983), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "Chapter 5".
[6] Greek Word: μετάνοια, metanoia, , New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, (Anaheim, CA: Foundation Publications, 1998), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "3341".
[7] Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki, Cherith Fee Nordling, “sanctification,” in Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, (Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "sanctification".
[8] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 220-219.
[9] Luis Palau, Experiencing God's Forgiveness. Christianity Today, Vol. 34, no. 1, cited in PreachingToday.com.
[10] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 220-219.
[11] Adapted from: Mike Silva, Would You Like Fries With That? (Word, 2005), p.14, cited in PreachingToday.com.
