Illus: A beautiful young lady stood in an airport terminal -- watching the planes as they arrived, -- & as they lifted off.
After watching several jets climb up into the distant sky -- the young woman was heard saying: -- “I wish I could vanish into space just like that plane & start life all over again!” --
Why would she say such a thing?
She was the wife of a well known doctor.
She was young & attractive -- obviously a woman of wealth & position.
So why did she want to vanish?
Why did she want to escape life & start all over again?
It was because her life was filled with regret!
She was burdened with the weight of sin.
She had never experienced the joy of forgiveness.
Her guilt was more than she could bear!
The thought of the future was more than she could take.
Many people today echo these same words of despair.
This same haunting despair is a force that drives millions of people.
Some only wish to escape -- to vanish & start all over.
Others find something to help them escape --
-- They drink away their gloom;
-- They get involved with drugs -- or even sex addiction;
-- Anything to help them forget!
Why are so many people like this today?
It is because they do not know - the Joy of Sins Forgiven!
I John 1:9 tells us good news about FORGIVENESS! --
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful & just to forgive us our sins -- & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
It tells us about the condition of forgiveness;
About the source of forgiveness;
& about the abundance of forgiveness.
Let’s look at the forgiveness that can be ours if we will only obey God’s Word -- & put our faith & trust in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
1. THE CONDITION OF FORGIVENESS --
“If we confess our sins ...”
Every one of us is guilty of sin -- of one kind or another!
The Bible declares that we have ALL have sinned -- & come short of the glory of Almighty God!
Some have sinned & don’t know it.
Others have sinned & don’t much care.
Some sin & become remorseful.
Others sin & become gleeful.
But all of us have sinned & stand in need of God’s forgiveness.
The Bible declares that “all have sinned & come short of the glory of God” -- We are guilty of doing that which is wrong in God’s sight!
Sin is not a very common word anymore!
It is slipping from the vocabulary of so many churches even!
But Sin is a word still found in the dictionary! -- It means -- “to violate the divine law” -- “transgression of the law of God” -- “to do or commit wrongly” -- The writer of my dictionary knew theology pretty well!
Certainly in this ‘permissive’ day in which we live -- we need to hear about sin & its terrible mastery over people’s lives.
Sin -- the doctrine is still in the Bible!
Sin -- the act is still going on in the world!
First & foremost -- we must admit our personal sins -- & pray to God for pardon & forgiveness! -- We must face up to it & confess it!
Sin -- we cannot ignore it; -- we cannot excuse it; -- we cannot justify it; -- we cannot hid it; -- we cannot blame it on others; -- we must confess it! -- Confession is the condition for forgiveness!
Confession of sin is a sign of strength rather than an admission of weakness!
When we have done the confessing -- God will do the forgiving!
Illus: -- A story that comes out of the past is told about a young man who had been seeking to be saved for many years -- without success.
Finally it happened -- & he personally experienced the joy of sins forgiven.
Someone who had known him during his time of spiritual floundering -- asked him: “How did it happen?”
The young man replied: -- “It was really very simple. -- I just used the right ticket!”
“The right ticket?” -- responded his friend. -- “What do you mean?”
“Well” -- he said -- “it’s like this; -- the first ticket I tried to use read -- ‘Admit the bearer -- a sinner, but not as great as most.’ -- I was turned away.”
“Then I tried another ticket -- ‘Admit the bearer -- a sinner, but one who has been led astray by bad company.’ -- Still I did not get in.”
“I tried still another ticket -- ‘Admit the bearer -- a sinner who has reformed & quit most of his sins.’
“When this did not give me relief I decided that I had committed the unpardonable sin. -- I wrote down, ‘Too great a sinner to ever be saved. -- There is no hope for me.’ ”
“But that only made matters worse. -- Finally I got so under conviction -- & so desperate that I threw myself on the mercy of Jesus. -- I went back to the original ticket -- but I erased everything else from it. -- I read, ‘Admit the bearer -- a sinner.’ -- & instantly the door of forgiveness opened to me.”
My friends -- there is a condition to the forgiveness of sins! -- We must admit our sinfulness & confess our sins to God.
An unconfessed sin is the only sin God cannot forgive!
Often -- it is easy for us to confess the sins of others; -- or the sins of the church; -- or even of our nation.
But we find it very difficult to come before God & say: “I have sinned; -- I am guilty!” -- & yet that is the condition of our forgiveness!
God’s grace can only go as deep as the confession goes!
2. THE SOURCE OF FORGIVENESS --
“He is faithful & just to forgive us our sins ...”
Sin -- regardless of its nature -- is ultimately against God!
It reaches to the very throne of Heaven!
Only God can grant forgiveness; --
Nothing we can do will bring us pardon.
Our friends cannot forgive sin -- they may tell you when you are wrong!
Our psychologist/psychiatrist cannot forgive sin -- they may help uncover the hidden elements of sin!
Our pastor/priest cannot forgive sin -- he may lead you to seek the grace of God!
Forgiveness is divine! -- God alone can forgive sin!
Illus: When I was pastoring in WI -- a man by the name of Stanley Witchazewoski attended our church occasionally.
I would visit him at his home -- & tried to encourage him to give his heart to Jesus -- & to know the joy of sins forgiven.
On one of those visits -- I asked him a very important question.
I said: -- “Stan, suppose that you were to die tonight & stand before God -- & He were to say to you, ‘Why should I let you into heaven?’ -- what would you say to Him?”
Stan looked at me serious faced & said: “I’d tell Him to call you; -- & you could tell Him it was alright.”
My friends -- I wish it were that easy! -- But only God can forgive sin -- & His power is limited to sins which are confessed.
He has promised in His word however -- that all who come to Him -- He will in no wise cast out! -- He is the Source of our forgiveness!
3. THE ABUNDANCE OF FORGIVENESS
“... And cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
The only answer to our moral problem today is a complete spiritual cleansing.
The abundance of God’s forgiveness is -- not just a tune up; -- not just a dusting; -- not just a whitewash; -- but a full pardon of all our sins! -- AND a complete cleansing from all unrighteousness.
Our need is for a total overhaul -- a complete spiritual bath!
Too often -- we would settle for a whitewash -- but God wants to wash us whiter than the snow!
Illus: Little boys often have an aversion to soap & water.
One mother tells of the difficulty she had in getting her little boy to wash -- not only his hands -- but behind his ears as well.”
She did her best to reason with the little boy.
“Yes” -- he lamented -- “but why don’t you just dust me!”
Don’t we sometimes make the same plea when it comes to the dirt of our sinfulness? -- Yet God desires to not only forgive our sins -- but to also provide the power of His Holy Spirit to cleanse us completely from all unrighteousness!
A dusting will not do; -- the abundance God provides is a complete cleansing!
The picture here of cleansing -- is not of a rinsing -- but a thorough & repeated scrubbing; -- a complete cleaning from the pollution of sin!
The answer to man’s problem today -- is complete spiritual cleansing!
Oh -- what wonderful abundance there is in God’s forgiveness of sin!
There is something wrong with the seemingly humble & popular assertion -- that Christians are just sinners saved by grace.
It is fundamentally & biblically wrong!
You & I -- as Christians -- are a lot more than that!
You are a new creation in Christ!
The New Testament calls you a saint -- a holy one -- a child of God!
The abundance of forgiveness is meant to cleanse us -- & to made us clean! -- God wants a holy people!
CONCLUSION: -- In I John 1:9, we have the whole plan of salvation summarized in a nutshell; -- God promising us pardon & purity -- on the condition of a full & honest confession of our sins
What about you -- my friend?
Do you wish you could vanish into space just like an airplane & start life all over again!
Are you bogged down by the load & the guilt of sin in your life?
Are you living a defeated life? -- With no real spiritual victory?
Have you no real joy in life?
Unconfessed sin is a major roadblock to the flow of love & joy in your life!
God’s forgiveness is available for you!
You can personally experience the joy of forgiveness!
It will literally revolutionize your life!
You may say -- “I’ve never committed murder or even adultery” -- “I’m not really a bad person”
The Bible says no matter who you are -- or what you’ve done -- YOU STAND EQUALLY GUILTY BEFORE GOD!
God’s standard is HOLINESS -- & nothing less will do.
Jesus said that ALL men every where must come to repentance!
Won’t you come to Jesus today?
Acknowledge your guilt;
Confess your sins;
Seek His pardon & His cleansing.
And you will experience happiness unlike anything you’ve ever known!
The joy of forgiveness can be yours -- right now!
For the blood of Jesus Christ -- God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin!