Living In Forgiveness - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ is like a magnet. He just can't help it. I remember hearing things like whatever you do don't get grass stains on those and in inevitably.

That's when we are as believers see with this tremendous propensity to sin. Thank you for joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word with pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now shows us how God's word meets our world. So the question is how do I want how do I have fellowship day in and day out how I abide in Christ. How do I take full benefit of what it means to be a believer in Jesus Christ and there you see this in verse seven and verse nine, first verse seven, the conditions of fellowship with God, he said, but if we walk in the light as he himself was in the light, we have fellowship with one another in the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin. If we live righteously not perfectly.

By the way is not talking about perfection here otherwise would be no reason for the blood of Jesus his son to cleanse us from all sin is not talking about that he's talking about not abiding in the darkness, living righteously every single epistle that Paul writes that's what Paul writes about hey you know the way used to be. Don't be that way anymore. That's what he said and basically what Paul says you know what you are in Christ.

Act that way you see your child of God, then act like a child of God you declared righteous by God, then live righteously give you one example that Ephesians will combat the first dry Ephesians chapter 5 pulses it differently but it's the same thing in these first eight verses he's is therefore be imitators of God RBCs not talking about perfection, as beloved children the way children imitate their parents and live or walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us in offering and a sacrifice to God is a fragrant aroma. The watch but immorality. He says, or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as he says, is proper among saints and there must be no filthiness and silly talk or coarse gestures which are not fitting but rather he says the giving of thanks, verse seven he says therefore do not be partakers with them. You were formally darkness, but now you are light in the Lord walk or live as children of the light that's one of the ways we do it using one of the great things that happen when you became a Christian, is that the spirit of God came to reside in. You see, you know that means it means you now can live righteously is a battle we all know that but I can actually live righteously and so we said will then live that way. Now back to the second condition, a very important one, because we'll never do it perfectly is verse nine. He then says in verse nine if we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now to some, this is become extremely confusing verse and you can understand on a certain level whenever we became a Christian, and we put our trust in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross. We were told that our sins were forgiven, correct all my past sins, omnipresent sins and our future sins and Esther. So then why is he saying here that we need to confess our sins, and give you some examples of how others have responded one radio personality said if you practice this verse you live in daily insecurity and always doubt whether your sins are ever going to be forgiven.

Another author wrote this to practice.

First John 19 reveals your unbelief for missing the point. It sincere, but misguided. There was a context here fact they try to interpret that to say this is for unbelievers. While that would make much sense in the context look at the words are used. First of all, John is writing in verse six we in verse seven we in verse eight we verse 10 we verse nine we know who are the we verse one of chapter 2 my little children, I am writing these things to you is a believers.

This is clearly not unbelievers that is talking about all and he says my little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. We are the only ones that have the capacity so John says that's what I'm writing for an John is confused by this because look at verse 12 of chapter 2 John understands the judicial forgiveness that we received these and I am writing to you little children because your sins are been forgiven you for his namesake have been forgiven past perfect tense action in the past that the results continue forever. John's not talking about judicial forgiveness here which is from the penalty of sin which a separation of God. John is talking about relational forgiveness here. Some of cultic parental forgiveness in my day-to-day relationship with God now what does this look like. Are you sure this is the case I want to look at another passage you want to go to John the gospel of John chapter 13 to show you the distinctions between the two night before Christ was crucified. You know the scene.

Jesus is going to wash the disciples feet. Now they didn't need washed.

I don't deny that there was no one there to wash with Jesus trying to teach his disciples something much more important than just washing feet in verse five it says. Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples feet and wipe them with the towel in which he was girded it came to Simon Peter, and he said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet Jesus answered and said to him, he says what I do, you do not realize now is that you understand her after that tells you there's some notes going on. I don't think there's any doubt that you knew was get his feet washed review know exactly what it meant and so Peter said to him, never show you wash my feet clearly didn't understand it, you're the Lord there no way you're gonna wash my feet.

Jesus said if I do not wash you, you have no part of me if I don't wash your feet, you have no part of me no relationship with me. None at all. No fellowship, no cooling anemia no abiding Peter got it Peter Simon Peter said to more than wash not only my feet, but how about my hands and my head. Jesus said to him, he who has be needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean with you mean by that. Peter you been forgiven you been day is once you only get paid once by God and God's forgiveness.

You are declared righteous. That's Romans, you are declared righteous by God you been bathed, your sins are forgiven. He said, but I need to wash your feet in order for you to have an abiding relationship with me. He said you are clean, but not all of you and of course he was inferring the Judas, who had never been bathed now this go back to first John. He says if we confess our sins, that's a hard word. Some of you come from a religious background that really make this difficult because you been to confession Cape will first of all this really Bobby had was nothing to do with what you did first thing there's no middleman here right there's no middleman. You don't go to a middleman to confess just go to God. The second thing is what this confession mean depending on your background for some of you, it means that I have to confess and then somebody will tell me what I need to do for patents how to why one of the things I have to do to get this all right, now that's fundamentally flawed.

That's no different than saying how I earn my salvation.

You see, you don't do anything.

In fact, that's the problem it's the word if we confess Homo like gecko Homo means the same. Let go means to speak Homo to go to say the same thing to speak the same thing to agree with.

In other words, when I confess my sins, I agree with God about my sins I see my sins the way God sees my sins not just admitting that I've done something wrong.

One writer said this I side with God as a witness against myself and I see my sin as he does. That's what it means to confess Homo I go to acknowledge, to agree with you. See you can't do this in a way of just you on the one hand, I can't do it as a sacrament by which I am going to do penance to get it right. There's none of that in your when the other hand, is not a credit card. You see it's not there a lot of evangelicals that use this verse is a credit card they can do whatever they want to just pull the credit card machine is a chocolate update. I did, I just told him I was in him.

I'm okay now. In fact, that ghosts to such an extreme that several years ago I had a man in my office on Monday or Tuesday. Tell me of a scene he was going to commit on Friday or Saturday and he said don't worry I'm going to first John 19 now is not seen. That's the first John 19 you can say I'm planning to send this weekend but I'll just tell God I agree with them that was a sin and I'm on my way. That's the heart of means at all. You see the can of example think of the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 7 the apostle Paul says you know what my life is a lot like I find myself not doing the very things I should be doing and he said, and yet I find myself doing the things I do not want to do. She that's agreeing with God.

I do not want to do these things.

Paul says, but I find myself doing them. I agree with God at sin.

You see, the problem is if we stay in the darkness too long. We begin to want to do some of called that scar tissue. The soul sin sick employee, we can slide in the darkness we can abide in their you run into Christians all the time to do that. It's a long way home for them. A lot like the prodigal.

Once they go off.

They stay in the darkness.

Let me show you sort of the confession and action of Psalm 51 Psalm 51. This is David's confessional song, along with 32 this is David confessing his sin of having adultery with Bathsheba. Now this confession took a while little bit like ours.

It took about a year before David would confess, and he had to have a little help. So God sent a prophet named Nathan to David and he told David a sheep story and remember he was a neck Shepherd so he was a sucker for sheep story and the sheep story was what you think of a kind guy who has a whole bunch of sheep.

And there's another guy only has one little lamb and that guy with all the sheep goes and steals the little lamb without guy David's hair up on his neck is a shepherd.

He said that guy, that guy should die, and Nathan said that guys you and David really so been found out. So David writes his tremendous confessional. He says be gracious to me. Oh God, according to your lovingkindness, your Hasid according to the greatness of your compassion blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly for my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin and then this for I know my transgressions.

He said my sin is ever before me. David wanted tell you that I was being eaten alive by this what you think.

By the way he's going to happen to you when you stand darkness as a believer or child of God conscious is going to get to you. He said against you and you only I have sinned, he doesn't mean he didn't sin against Araya. He didn't sin against families. He saying in the sense of my relationship with you against you and you only have sinned and done what is evil in your sight so you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge me with the David see his action as evil as confession that's agreeing with God. You see, that's exactly what happened. Now this go back to first John the process here is if we confess our sins, we come into agreement with God about our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and then he adds this, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There is a cleansing going on. You see, there is a cleansing going on. I am clean again. I have a tremendous capacity to get dirty. I think all Christians are like six-year-old little boys you put a six-year-old little boy you never go outside. I don't care what he's dressed in worries that is like a magnet. He just he can help it, and I do remember hearing things like whatever you do don't get grass stains on those pants and inevitably inevitably that's where we are as believers see with his tremendous propensity to sin.

In this cleansing idea. Again, hold replacer and just go with me to second Corinthians chapter 7 for a moment.

Second Corinthians chapter 7 verse one apostle Paul writing. He said therefore having all these promises that we have as a believer beloved. That's us, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God is not talking about judicial forgiveness. We are clean were declared righteous. He's talking about parental or relational forgiveness that we need every day of our lives.

In other words, this becomes an idea of keeping ourselves right before God and clean before God.

That's why back to first John now. He says my little children verse one of chapter 2, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin.

Hey look, I hope you live righteously, he said. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Christ will plead our case, remember God is light, he has nothing to do with sin but are advocate will plead our case will how he pleaded and he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only ours only but for those of the world present a paper those those all pay for. He intercedes on our behalf. You see, this idea of confessing our sins is paramount to the Christian life is like spiritual breathing is just part of who we are and by the way, it never changes here.

Something you have to learn the more spiritual you become, the more time you're likely to spend acknowledging your sins to God because the more aware you are of the sins in your life when you first become a Christian, you might just stop doing dope you might've just stop swearing like a sailor you see and not what you thought your big sin was you walk with the Lord for long time. You notice you have all kinds of sin issues in your life. Several years ago in this church. I was sitting right over there man up on the pulpit was named Alden Gannett. He was the president of Southeastern Bible college. He was in his 70s at the time he was preaching this passage and Alden said if we confess our sins, and how important it is. He said I want to let you all know that this morning I had to confess my sin for the Lord.

Now everybody got interested while men like that. He said while I was staying at this couple's home. Members of our church. I got up in my early time to read the Scriptures around 5 o'clock and he said, and as I was reading the Scriptures. My mind wandered and immediately I can knowledge my sin before God. Now I was sitting over there and our whole congregation but look at me like that sin that's said your mind wanders in your sitting was for Alden she might not be for you but is for him. It is become more more sensitive to it. See, I have noticed as I walked to the Lord longer and longer. I am much much more sensitive. There is never a time when I get up and speak ever that the moments before I get up I confess everything kind of sin I have in my mind anything that's their I realize I realize the kind of vessel of God using you see it's a very important part of our life.

If I acknowledge my sins he is faithful and just to notice there's a cleansing that takes place.

Proverbs chapter 28 says this he who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

You see, I don't know about you but I have to live in a perpetual state of forgiveness with my God.

And the reason is twofold. What I'm like and what he's like he's perfect. He's holy he's liked I'm none of those things you see a forgiven sinner is off.

I'm going to have that kind of relationship and I want to have fellowship with him. He sets the terms I don't.

Sometimes we think we can set the terms of the will we do, were lying were deceiving ourselves and even making got out to be a liar's conditions for fellowship is that I walk in the light as he is in the light, a live righteously and I acknowledge and confess my sin form on a daily basis. The tense of that is if we keep on confessing is a present tense. It never ends. And it never stops. You know our Christian life began when we see our need and we own our sin. We put our trust in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross. That's all we become Jesus said to Nicodemus, a born-again Christian, but that call of salvation is calling us to have a relationship with God, a God who is light and we are to live our life in that light, and yet simple as we are. We continually stray going into the darkness always said his look, don't stay there.

Keep short accounts. You see, keep short accounts just and by the way, when you do I forgive it.

I like the prodigal son's father.

I'll give you a hug. The kiss I put the robe on in let's have a party I'll clench it.

That's the kind of guy I am. Our job is the only our job is to confess it, and to receive the cleansing of God's forgiveness.

Step back into the light, but spring father this morning my prayer is simple. If there's anyone here who knows that they have unconfessed sin. Who knows that they are languishing in the darkness, who knows that they have redefined sin with a pretend that they have no guilt for their sin. They completely ignore it but this passage in your spirit will convict them that they have known it, they have to acknowledge it that they have to agree with you, and that they have to declare their sin before you father when they do that they receive this great cleansing forgiveness.

This living forgiveness this day in day out forgiveness by which if we didn't have it we would never have a close, intimate walk with you. Father I pray that this becomes our way of spiritually breathing every single day of our lives that we have such a close relationship with you.

We speak to you in prayer you speak to us in your word and we keep the slate clean listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well have Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help with radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting monthly fourth is the one time support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word.

4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church should visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and O LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds. Pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series you're looking for. You can search by title. Once you find the message you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your inquiry and remember all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Denhardt thanking you for listening to fellowship in order