The Greatest Miracle: Forgiveness
Your greatest need meets God’s greatest gift.
The greatest miracle is the forgiveness of sins, because it changes the quality of life in this world and it lasts into the life to come. As stunning as is the healing miracle of making a crippled man walk, the miracle of forgiveness is even greater for it changes forever our relationship with God. Jesus alone has the authority to forgive sins. The religious leaders boxed the man up as a sinner because he was sick. The faith of the men who brought the man to Jesus is important in the forgiveness he experienced because Jesus saw their faith for their friend.
In one of the most radical scenes in the life of Jesus, we see people responding with awe and amazement. Our passage today is from Luke’s gospel chapter 5, verses 17-26
Jesus introduces us to the GREATEST MIRACLE. And invites you and me to receive this GREATEST MIRACLE.
17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” —Luke 5:17-26
At Alpha night 3 here are the 3 questions that we discuss:
1. What does the word ‘forgiveness’ mean to you?
2. Have you ever had to forgive anyone? How did you do it?
3. What does the word ‘sin’ mean to you?
=> Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive
=> Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
=> Unforgiveness is like a cancer - because cancer never stays where you find it. It spreads and left unattended will spread throughout the body. And I think that it is a systemic, pandemic problem in our personal lives, in our public lives, our professional lives.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” —Luke 5:20
Sin
hamartia
Sin is any lack of conformity to the moral character of God or the law of God. We sin by thinking evil, speaking evil, acting evil or omitting good.
Sin isnʼt only doing bad things; it’s more fundamentally making good things into ultimate things. Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing, more than on God. Whatever we build our life on will drive us and enslave us. Sin is primarily idolatry.
“Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, takes off your relish for spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of the body over the mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may seem in itself.”
Forgiveness
aphiēmi
Forgiveness is not:
1. Forgiveness is not excusing
2. Forgiveness is not reconciliation
Forgiveness is not excusing
=> There is all the difference in the world between forgiving and excusing. Forgiving says, “Yes, you have done this thing, but I accept your apology and will not hold it against you … But excusing says, “I see you couldn’t help it, or didn’t mean it. You weren’t really to blame.”
Forgiveness is an act of one.
Reconciliation requires two.
The greatest miracle is the forgiveness of sins
because it changes the quality of life in this world and it lasts into the life to come.
The greatest problem of humanity is SIN.
The greatest gift to humanity is FORGIVENESS.
Jesus sees your greatest need
Jesus gives you the greatest gift
Jesus alone has the authority to forgive sins.
You cannot forgive yourself
“Forgive yourself” is a lie.
1. Because only Jesus can forgive sins. So you cannot do that to yourself.
2. Our sin is an offense ‘against God not ourselves’. So if we try to forgive ourselves we are putting ourselves at a higher position than God.
3. Jesus paid for your sin, we can’t pay that price.
Our good qualities do not simply do away with what is wrong in us:
We have a tendency to minimize our sins by focusing on our better qualities.
=> When you go to the doctor you show him the bit of you that is wrong—say, a broken arm. It would be a mere waste of time to keep on explaining that your legs, and eyes, and throat are all right.
Ready to Forgive
“O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.” —Psalms 86:5 NLT
You don’t have to go into a:
Penalty Box
Silent Treatment
Timeout zone
Jesus already went to the cross for our sins.
Jesus’s voluntary sacrifice on the cross is the turning point of all history.
GIVING
Whether you’d like to give a single gift, schedule ongoing contributions, or view your giving history, you can do it all here. It’s quick, easy, and secure.
DO YOU NEED PRAYER?
At Evergreen Church, we know that prayer changes things.
Every prayer request submitted here is sent to our Prayer Team and is prayed for multiple times throughout the week.
Matthew 18:19: “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”
ALPHA
Everyone should have the chance to explore the Christian faith, ask questions and share their point of view.
Click HERE to learn more about Alpha
SERVE OTHERS BY VOLUNTEERING
There’s no better way to get connected to the mission of Evergreen Church than to serve and be a source! There are many plces that can be a fit for you.
SOURCE MAGAZINE
Be inspired by the purpose of Evergreen Church, discover your God-given potential, and how to change lives for Jesus.
Click HERE to read the Source Magazine