321 - The Work of Jesus Brings Us Forgiveness#
321 - The Work of Jesus Brings Us Forgiveness
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Acts 10:38-44
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! You have given us this wonderful time to come before You. Your words are the strength of our lives. Today we are willing to come before You to receive Your provision. As a new week begins, we receive blessings from You and live with Your blessings. Please guide this time, so that everyone who seeks You may find You. Thank You and praise You, Lord! We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
Today's sharing: The Work of Jesus Brings Us Forgiveness
Why do we talk about forgiveness? Because many people are uncertain about our God. The college entrance examination has just ended, and many children have failed. Of course, there are many testimonies from those who did well. For those children who did not pass, parents begin to doubt God, saying, “I have worked hard and declared for my child, why did they still fail?”
How do I comfort these people? I say, “You have done what you should do.”
In this era, I believe parents are not any easier than their children. Parents put all their thoughts into their children, paying everything for them, even praying and declaring for them. But you must understand that this matter is not one-sided. If only the parents work hard, it is useless; the children also need to work hard.
God is especially willing to bless us. If we do not move at all, it is difficult for blessings to come upon us. Furthermore, even if some children have failed, I want to tell them not to worry. The path to success is not just this one; believe in God's destiny, and God will give you a better path. Amen!
We cannot say that if a child fails, I will not want to live anymore, thinking that believing in God is meaningless. Never think like that. Even if there is no path, God will open other paths. Amen!
The first point of sharing: Jesus shed His blood and sacrificed on the cross to bring us forgiveness.
In the past, when we did not know God, we lived in condemnation like the world and condemned others. Take the earlier situation as an example; many people think that if a child fails in this place, perhaps there will be no hope for the rest of their life. But brothers and sisters, have you ever thought that this is also a kind of condemnation, a self-condemnation? Many parents become furious when their children do not do well in exams and want to beat their children. Have you thought that you are now condemning others? When a child has a heart of condemnation, they will condemn others. At this moment, they feel that God is no longer important, and God's words are no longer worth relying on. When you ask them to listen to the sermon, they say they cannot take it in. When you ask them to pray, they say, “What’s the use of praying?” In fact, they are filled with condemnation.
If we understand the grace of forgiveness that Jesus accomplished on the cross, we know that after forgiveness, what it brings you is always faith, right? If you do not know that God has forgiven you, and do not know that you are in God's blessings, you will feel so lost and helpless. You must believe that no matter what your current result is, God will always find a way to open a new path for you. Even if the enemy comes after you from seven directions, God certainly has more paths prepared for you. We must believe in this God and believe that Jesus on the cross has brought you forgiveness. God bless you; He will definitely open a better path for you.
Let me give a simple example. The Bible has many successful people who initially fell into difficulties and hardships, even into seemingly hopeless situations. For example, Joseph, recorded in Genesis, was a teenager sold into Egypt by his brothers and became a slave to others. This child seemed to have no hope in this life. This is the greatest despair in life, much worse than your child failing the college entrance exam. That means never seeing their parents again and having no way out; they might die like that, and if they get seriously ill one day, they will be abandoned by their master.
But in that environment, he still believed that God was the God who blessed him. Did God open a way for him? Even when he was a slave, God was with him and made everything he did prosper. What I want to tell everyone today is that we always have hope. Never condemn yourself. If you do not know the grace of forgiveness that Jesus accomplished on the cross, it is easy to live in condemnation and not believe in God. Let’s look at a passage of scripture to see the state of mankind.
Romans 3:10-19
10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
After Adam sinned, as descendants of Adam, all people live under the law. Last time I talked about the characteristics of living under the law, which is relying on oneself. Speaking of which, according to the earlier situation, does getting into a key university guarantee a way out in the future? In today’s society, there are many high-IQ but low-ability people.
This morning I saw a story:
Nine years ago, I failed the college entrance exam. A person from my village scored the highest and went to a prestigious university. I started working. In these nine years, I founded a company and established a group company. One day when I returned home, the mother of the two sons was chatting with me.
The mother of the child who went to university said: “You don’t know, my child just got hired as a manager in a group company, earning nearly twenty thousand a month…”
He heard this and laughed, thinking: “Should I hire him?”
Is the college entrance exam a good path? Yes. Twenty thousand a month is great for us, but founding a company is also a correct path, a successful path, right? What is scary is that when we compare, we feel like we have failed completely, as if life is a total failure.
If you think like this, your life will truly have no hope. This is the state of the world. When encountering problems, they do not rely on God. Even many Christians, when they fail, do not think that Jesus is the beginning and the end, and in Jesus, there is never failure. Even if we fall today, God can lift us up again and lead us on the right path. Amen!
The twelfth verse of the earlier scripture mentions correctly that they have all turned aside and have become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.
Why do people feel particularly bad when they fail? Because they relied on themselves and failed, but we rely on the grace of Jesus. What does it mean to rely on the grace of Jesus? It means that even if we mess things up, we still rely on God's strength and grace. God will open the door of opportunity for us again. We always have hope in Christ. The difference from the world is that their throats are open graves.
Do you know what an open grave is? It is full of dead things. It’s over, your life is over; you didn’t pass this time, your life is over, you have no future… Is that an open grave? Especially when we fail, we think: “Oh! It’s over, I’m doomed.” This is an open throat.
We should not think like this. When the world says, “I’m so angry I could die,” you should say: “I’m alive.” When the world says it’s over, you should say: “It’s done.” Amen! They practice deceit with their tongues; their lips are full of poison, which can harm others, cursing themselves and others, full of cursing and bitterness. This is the state of the world. We know their intention; it is a natural reaction after encountering problems because they have never known the way of peace. Do you know who the Prince of Peace is? Jesus. Where is the way of peace? It is in Jesus Christ.
Your actions and words should be different from the world. The world does not fear God; we should believe in God and fear our God even more, believing that with God, there is no failure, and He can always lead us on the right path. When God judges people, is it because He is unjust? No, let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Exodus 34:5-7
5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
When God judges the world, is it because He is unjust? No. Many people ask me, “Teacher, we are under grace, but when I read the Old Testament prophets, I see that God also judged the Israelites, and disasters were sent by God. Is this correct?” Absolutely correct. Do not forget, He is God, a just God. He must punish evil and reward good to show His justice.
God gives us grace not because He lowers His standards, but precisely because someone has taken our punishment, so this grace can come upon us. Amen! Our God is particularly willing to give us His mercy and grace, to give us His abundant love.
It is said here that He keeps mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression. This is God's love, but God's love and God's justice always go hand in hand. You must remember this; even if we are under grace, we cannot violate God's justice. You cannot say, “Since I am under grace, it doesn’t matter how I live; God’s laws and statutes have no effect on me.” In fact, you are wrong. Even if you are under grace, God's laws still apply. I am talking about statutes and ordinances. If you violate them, it is not God punishing you; you may fall into a snare yourself.
Let me give you a simple example. We are under grace; has God forgiven all your sins? This is a fact. But if you turn on your gas stove and put your hand over the fire, will it burn your hand?
You say, “I have great faith; I can pray!”
Does it work?
You say, “After fasting and praying, I will do this; is that okay?”
Can you say God does not love you? Why would God punish you?
Some people say, “Why did God let me get sick?”
I say, “It is not God who made you sick.”
They say, “But why is this sickness still on me?”
It’s simple. If you walk around in winter wearing only shorts, you will catch a cold. You say, “Didn’t God protect you?” This is called a lack of wisdom. God's justice is always present, so we need to have wisdom and remain in God's love. He has indeed forgiven our iniquities and transgressions, but that does not mean you can do whatever you want. God's grace is always there.
Let me give you an example. Even when the Ten Commandments were given, God's grace was still present. If there were only two stone tablets, none of the Israelites would have survived. Do you remember when Moses first came down from the mountain with the two tablets? What were the people doing? They were worshiping the golden calf. They had already violated the first commandment. According to the commandments, these people should have died, but Moses did not take the tablets down; instead, he broke them. The second time, God gave Moses two tablets again, and this time Moses placed the tablets in the Ark of the Covenant.
If Moses had held up the two tablets and told the Israelites to obey them, all the Israelites would have died, living under a curse without exception. Even under the law, God showed them mercy. This is justice and love going hand in hand. How did this mercy come upon them? That is the tabernacle. The tabernacle was the only place where they could receive God's grace, blessings, and mercy. Isn’t that right, brothers and sisters? They had sins, but how could those sins be resolved? If you come before the Ten Commandments, you will surely die. So when the world has no way out, they can only go back and forth under God's law… In the end, they struggle hard and die without success.
Unless you switch to another path, which is to enter the courtyard of the tabernacle, pass through the bronze altar, and then enter the holy place, and into the most holy place, you can receive God's blessings. You have a choice between these two paths. I am saying that Christians have the opportunity to choose.
If you have not believed in the Lord, you can only run back and forth on the first path. When you fail, you feel particularly sad, disheartened, and desperate. This is why so many people cannot think straight and jump off buildings when they encounter difficulties. Some really cannot think straight and end their own lives because they feel they have no way out.
Before the Ten Commandments, we are at a dead end. But God says, “Do not walk this path anymore; pass through the courtyard of the tabernacle.” In that courtyard, there is a bronze altar with sacrifices; the sacrifice died for you. You can enter another path, which is to enter the holy place and then into the most holy place, where there is the mercy seat. Now you understand why God required the Israelites to bring the blood of animals to sacrifice once a year. They had to come before God. If there were no sacrifices, all their sins would be exposed before God, and God would have to judge them. When the Israelites offered these sacrifices, God always blessed them. This is the extra path that the Israelites had compared to the world.
But later, in the prophetic books, the Israelites became “smart.” They lived like the world, no longer offering sacrifices, driving the priests out. They often lived under fierce anger and judgment. Now you must believe that God condemning them is not because God is unjust; it precisely proves human injustice.
We can also choose to live under the law while being under grace; you are still saved. You can also choose to walk the path of the most holy place. It depends on which path you choose. If you walk the path of the most holy place, your mind will be filled with what Jesus has done for you, believing that He has kept mercy and forgiven iniquities and transgressions. How can you escape these evils so that God no longer pursues your sins? Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Hebrews 9:22-26
22 And according to the law, almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Through this passage, we can see that although in the Old Testament, the blood of bulls and goats offered in the most holy place could bring some forgiveness to the people, it was temporary. Once the high priest was bad, and the people were unwilling to offer sacrifices, their sins would be exposed, and they would fall under judgment, which is no different from the world, referring to the aspect of life. Now God wants to completely solve this problem. How? By having your sins completely resolved and forgiven.
In this way, your consciousness will no longer be uncertain. In the past, their blessings were related to the high priest. If the high priest was good, with a little effort in sowing seeds, this year would be smooth and prosperous. If the high priest was bad, then there would be floods and droughts, and no matter how hard you tried, it would be useless.
If you encountered a priest like Eli, you would be out of luck. Eli indulged his two sons, who did all sorts of bad things. No matter how hard you tried, it would be useless. Brothers and sisters, now God has given a method to completely solve this problem, allowing you to no longer worry about God sending disasters and judgments upon you. I just mentioned that without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Why must there be blood on the altar in the Old Testament for God to forgive them? This is God's way, using life to replace life. God's justice is reflected here. So how are our sins removed?
Verse 23 says that the copies of the things in the heavens must be purified with these sacrifices.
Everything in the holy place is not of this world; you cannot casually offer other blood. Would the blood of a snake work? It would not work. God says, “You must do it according to My will.” Those are heavenly things, and you must do it according to My will to remove these sins.
Verse 24 says that Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands.
Now do you understand why the holy place, the Ark of the Covenant, and the two stone tablets have disappeared? You do not need to look for them; just know one thing: Christ has entered the heavenly holy place, which we call heaven, and He has offered Himself as a sacrifice in heaven. Amen! You can imagine that between heaven and earth is a huge cross. Originally, we had no way to heaven, but now Jesus has offered Himself as a sacrifice in heaven, and heaven has an entrance. We can enter the kingdom of heaven directly through Jesus, which is the most holy place.
Do you know that all the blessings are there in the most holy place? So through Jesus, you can now directly enter the kingdom of heaven, and all the blessings can be obtained. When you return, you bring blessings with you. The high priest in the Old Testament entered the most holy place to offer sacrifices, sprinkling the blood of bulls and goats on the mercy seat. God brought down blessings there. When he came out to meet the people, he was bringing blessings; no high priest came out with curses.
Similarly, you can imagine that when you pray, you come to the resource pool of heaven to seek His blessings and then return with blessings. When facing this world, your family, and your life, you should bless them like the high priest, and God's blessings will be brought down from heaven by you. Amen! Do you know why you can enter? Why can you come directly to heaven and bring down these blessings through prayer? Because our high priest Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice.
In verse 26, if it were necessary to offer sacrifices repeatedly like in the Old Testament, there should be countless Jesuses, one for each year, continuously being crucified for us. But the fact is that only one Jesus came, the only Jesus, who offered Himself as a sacrifice to take away sins.
Do you know what it means to take away? God does not see it anymore, just like erasing the words written on a blackboard; they are gone and can no longer be found. This is your current state before God. Brothers and sisters, God's method of forgiveness is very simple: you admit that you cannot do it, and you let God help you and forgive your sins. Jesus has already done this. You believe in what Jesus has done, believe that He shed His blood for your sins on the cross, and your sins have already been forgiven. This is the grace given freely by God, unrelated to our actions. We can only receive it and have nothing to boast about. When you understand the grace of forgiveness, what kind of renewal and change will you have? It will change when you share the gospel with others. Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Acts 10:42-43
And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.
Why is forgiveness so important? Because it relates to our lives and our living. First, you must understand that your relationship with God has been reconciled. When you ask God for things or communicate with Him, you will not have fear, and you will have certainty in your heart. If your father is very wealthy and has a high status, but he looks down on you, no matter what you ask for, he will not care. Then every time you ask him, you will have no certainty and even doubt whether he is your father.
If you have such doubts about God, it proves one thing: you do not understand the grace of forgiveness. Do you know why you are forgiven? Is it because of your actions? No.
Ephesians 1:7, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
How are you forgiven? By the blood of Jesus. Amen!
Believe that the blood of Jesus was shed for you, and then your sins are forgiven. Many people may say, “You always talk about these abstract things; what does the blood of Jesus have to do with my life?” I just mentioned something very important: God's justice is manifested by life replacing life. The blood of Jesus being shed represents that He died for you, and you have His life. If you know that you have the life of Jesus, your life will be different.
Let me give you a common example from life to help you understand. If someone has an accident and loses too much blood, they need a blood transfusion. If someone receives the blood of a strong person, you will find that from then on, this person's character and strength will change. Some people may have experienced this. I now tell you that at the moment you accept Jesus, believing that the blood of Jesus was shed for you, He now lives in your heart. Especially when you receive the Holy Communion, knowing that you have drunk the blood of Jesus, it proves that the life inside you is the same as Jesus. Amen!
If you do not understand the grace of forgiveness, you will always rely on yourself. If you understand, that strength is not earned by your efforts; it naturally exists within you after you have His blood. Some sisters, after receiving the blood of a strong person, used to take a long time to climb stairs, but now they can carry a bucket of water up five floors without any problem. It is not the result of their training; it is because something inside them has changed.
Do you know that your life has also changed because of the blood of Jesus? You have the authority and power of Jesus. Hallelujah! If you do not realize this, you will not know these things and will not use them. You think, “I am still weak and sick,” but your life is completely different. The moment you lift your foot, you will find you have strength.
Brothers and sisters, we are redeemed through the blood of the Son, and our transgressions are forgiven according to His rich grace. Since God says He has forgiven you, that is a permanent forgiveness. You only need to do one thing: believe in Him. So many preachers have testified that God has established this matter, and many prophets also bear witness that whoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins. In the New Testament, the message of condemnation is very rare; the message of forgiveness is everywhere. Why are these scriptures written this way? To tell everyone that you live under the grace of forgiveness, not under condemnation.
When a person does not know Jesus, they condemn themselves and others, and accept others' condemnation, living under curses and the law. But now you are not there anymore; you are under the grace of forgiveness. First, you must believe that our Heavenly Father has forgiven all your sins, and He no longer remembers them. Amen!
We look forward to the second coming of Jesus. The Bible says very clearly that His second coming has nothing to do with sin but is to save us. It is to save our bodies. Now, the reason we sin is that the spirit is already complete, but the body is still the same body. Only this body has not been renewed and changed. When Jesus comes again, He will renew and change this body, transforming it to be like the resurrected body of Jesus. At that time, everything will be renewed. Amen! Now you carry this flesh, with a complete spirit, living out the victorious life of Jesus in the world. First, you must understand that you are under forgiveness. Hallelujah! Let me emphasize again: you understand the grace of forgiveness, which has nothing to do with actions, but the more you understand that God has forgiven you, the more power you will have to change your actions. Hallelujah!
The second point of sharing: A life of forgiveness brings a life of forgiveness.
We have been talking about the grace of forgiveness. What benefits does it bring us? Why must we emphasize the grace of forgiveness? Let’s look at a story.
Matthew 9:2-8
2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” 3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
There is a very important point here. Some people brought a paralytic lying on a bed to Jesus. If you read the other three gospels, you will know that this paralytic did not come by himself. His friends uncovered the roof to lower him down before Jesus. What did this paralytic do at that time? He did nothing; he only thought of coming before Jesus, saying, “You need to help me.”
Brothers and sisters, if you have such faith and want to meet Jesus, we can definitely help you. What is scary is when you say, “I don’t want to go. I am like this; what’s the use of going to Jesus?” Then you will never see that you can stand up unless you say, “I want to meet Jesus. I want to see Him. You help me let me meet Jesus,” and we will definitely help you see Jesus. When they came before Jesus, He saw their faith. What does this faith refer to? It is their willingness to seek Jesus, and this faith was seen by Jesus. Amen!
This kind of faith came before Jesus. In fact, their purpose in coming before Jesus was very simple. You must not say, “I am not here to be healed; I just want to get a rich life in heaven.” Do not say it so grandly. This paralytic came before Jesus just to be healed; it was very simple, with no other purpose, and Jesus saw it. Jesus said to him, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven.”
If Jesus said this to you, what would your reaction be? Don’t tell me that; give me another sentence. We might particularly expect the latter sentence: “Arise! Take up your bed and go home.” But Jesus first said, “Your sins are forgiven.”
If you know that your sins are forgiven, what does that mean? It means that all your prayers will surely be given to you by our Heavenly Father because your relationship with the Father has been reconciled. Because of Jesus, your relationship with Him has been reconciled. You are the one He loves, and He is particularly willing to give you all blessings. He will pour out His love and blessings upon you for thousands of generations. As long as you open your mouth, He is willing to give to you.
In this case, is it particularly easy for us to receive healing? Some people say, “I prayed for others, and they got healed. Why can’t I?” Where is the problem? Many times, we have too much rationality inside that blocks us from receiving God’s healing, love, and power.
Actually, it is very simple. The simpler it is to believe in the Lord, the easier it is to receive. This is why those who are new believers, without so much knowledge of the law or fixed theological knowledge, believe exactly as you say, and they easily receive it. This is the reason.
Look here, it says that some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” At this moment, they were not studying why Jesus forgave this person’s sins; instead, they said, “Your words are incorrect.”
Brothers and sisters, have you noticed that if the scribes came before Jesus, they would not receive? It is not that Jesus does not love them; it is because they have other things in their hearts. The same words come to the paralytic; Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven.” The paralytic received it: “My sins are forgiven; God will hear my prayers; I will be healed.” This was the prayer of the paralytic.
But when it came to the scribes, they thought, “No! This statement does not conform to our doctrine; it does not conform to our theological views.” Naturally, they would not receive it. If you think Jesus is wrong, how can you see the results later? Jesus knew their thoughts and asked them a question: “Which is easier for you to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?”
Brothers and sisters, which do you think is easier? If relying on oneself, neither is easy. If you tell someone their sins are forgiven, do you know how many legalists and theologians will attack you, saying you are a heretic? Because they think this is not easy; how can it be so easy to say your sins are forgiven, and you are forgiven? That is impossible; you are blaspheming. So it is not easy, right?
Similarly, for them, for those whose hearts are filled with legalistic thinking or theological knowledge, if you ask them to pray for a sick person to get up, they will say, “This cannot be done.” For them, it is difficult. So if relying on oneself, both are difficult. But if relying on Jesus, both are easy. Now, when He says, “Your sins are forgiven,” is it easy? It is too easy.
It is not that you let this person’s sins be forgiven, and they are forgiven; it is based on Jesus’ words, God’s words. We have also read that we are redeemed through the blood of the Son. Has this matter been accomplished? Jesus has already shed His precious blood on the cross for them. Now we are just telling them this fact: your sins are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus. If they can receive it, they will see the miracles happen later.
This is why when we talk about the way of forgiveness, those miracles keep appearing. We tell them the assurance; we must believe what the Bible says: because of the blood of Jesus, your sins are forgiven, eternally forgiven. God no longer remembers your sins; God blesses you. If they receive it, they will see the subsequent things happen, right? Similarly, if they receive the grace of forgiveness, it will become easy for them to take up their bed and go home. If they cannot accept it at the beginning, it will be very difficult to discover later.
Brothers and sisters, always keep the grace of forgiveness in your heart, especially in life. If we are not careful, we will return to this place. When we are weak, disheartened, or fail, you will ask, “Where is God? What use is it for me to believe in You?” Or say, “Is it because I did not do well enough?” In fact, it is really not your problem. Amen! Many people have family problems.
They say, “Is it because I did not do well enough?”
I say, “It is not your problem; you need to pray for your family.”
If your child fails, I tell you it is not your problem; you need to pray for your child and let them rely on God. Hallelujah!
When this person understands that their sins are forgiven, Jesus says, “Arise! Take up your bed and go home.” In verse 7, we see the miracle: the man arose and went home. You say we just read it like a textbook; did miracles happen? Yes, they did. First, you must tell him that his sins are forgiven, and then say, “Arise! Take up your bed and go home,” saying, “In the name of the Lord Jesus!” The sickness will leave him. It is that simple. So it is very simple with Jesus because all these things, you just need to say. It is not you who does it; it is not you who accomplishes it; it is not you who heals; it is not you who forgives. What are you worried about?
Why do you find it difficult? It is because you do not believe, so you find it difficult. If you find it easy, it is because all of this is done by Jesus. We look up to what Jesus has done on the cross. Hallelujah! So all of this becomes easy.
Verse 8 says that when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. Today I tell you that God has also given you such power to use. First, you must know that God has forgiven your sins, forgiven all your sins. Hallelujah! Let me emphasize again: God has forgiven all your sins. This does not mean you can do whatever you want and indulge in your life. If you do this, you will easily fall back into the law. Knowing that God has forgiven your sins, what should you do? Receive the blessings from God by faith, and at that time, your prayers will surely be certain. Knowing that because of the blood of Jesus, your relationship with the Father has been reconciled, He loves you very much. Under this premise, when you pray to Him, why would He not give to you? Give me a reason.
So we should not ask, “Lord! What should I do for You to give me?” You should ask, “Why wouldn’t He give to you?” He must give to you. This is a rhetorical question, right? If God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? This is what we should meditate on. Hallelujah!
When you know you are forgiven by God, you will have faith, and this faith will be certain. When doing things, you will have strength, and it will be more effective. Hallelujah! You see, when the world does things, they always think of the worst-case scenario. What if it is the worst case?
We should not think like this. We think that all things work together for good to those who love God. Now, although I do not see the final result, I already know that God will surely make me better than before. This is our faith, and this faith is definitely not just a motivational speech; it is a real existing matter. Amen!
It depends on whether you can receive it. If you can receive it, these blessings are yours. Pay attention to see what God's grace is in your life. For example, now that this person has been healed by God, if they can do some simple tasks, they should not complain about why they can only do this. They should think about what they could not do in the past; they were a paralytic. You should see the renewal and change of God in them, not say, “Why can’t you be like someone else?” Never compare like this. I hope everyone changes their perspective. When you understand that God has forgiven you, you should look at all the people around you with a heart of grace.
Just like every time I see you, I see your renewal and change. I find that you are better than before; your praise, faith, and thirst for God are all better than before. This is the renewal and change I see. If I look at your shortcomings, I will see that your problems have not changed for years. You have problems inside you that trouble you. So brothers and sisters, since we live under the grace of forgiveness, we should also look at our lives with this perspective. Hallelujah! Knowing that in the past we had many sins, all have been forgiven by God. To receive this forgiveness gives you the strength to forgive others and to forgive others' faults. Otherwise, you will fall into it, always looking at everyone with a condemning eye. Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Acts 13:38-39
Therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
This statement is very simple. In the past, relying on the law and on oneself, you could not achieve what you wanted. Today, through God's grace, it is easily given to you. Hallelujah! So let it be known to you that through this Man is preached to you the way of forgiveness. Today we are speaking about the way of Jesus, which is the way of forgiveness, telling others that God's grace is upon you; come and rely on Him. God's blessings are upon you; come and rely on Him. Because all of this is accomplished by Him on the cross for you. Understanding Christ's forgiveness for us, we will preach the way of forgiveness and bear good witness today. If you receive the message of condemnation, you will condemn others. This point must be clear. If you understand that God has completely forgiven you, you can inherit the inheritance that comes from Christ.
Acts 26:16-18
16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’”
Do you know whose testimony this is? It is Paul’s. He received this revelation from God. God saved him this way. He knew that all his sins had been forgiven. Paul’s preaching was all about the message of no condemnation, the message of Jesus’ forgiveness. Then God said to him, “Rise! I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness of the things you have seen and the things I will reveal to you.” What kind of person was Paul in the past? He condemned others and killed Christians, doing many things that we consider evil. But God did not hold it against him; God only told him, “I have forgiven your sins. I died for you on the cross.”
After Paul understood the grace of forgiveness, he rose up to bear witness for Jesus. If God pursued Paul’s sins, then Paul’s testimony would be, “I was rebellious in the past, and God struck me blind for three days, so you all be careful; you might be blind for seven days too.” If he received the message of condemnation, what he preached would also be the message of condemnation.
But the problem is that in this process, he understood the grace of Jesus, the forgiveness of Jesus, so the message he preached was also the forgiveness of Jesus, the no condemnation of Jesus. Amen! You see, “I send you to them.” What for? “To open their eyes.” In the past, we did not know Jesus and thought that Jesus was no different from other gods. Isn’t it just rewarding good and punishing evil? Is it like this?
No, Jesus means that you come to Me, give Me your life, and I will give you My life, allowing you to live with the power of My life. This is what Jesus gives us. We must see that He is not just Jesus of Nazareth; He is also the Savior of the world. From darkness to light, this is what Paul understood.
In the past, I was in darkness, but now God has brought me into His light. This is not my merit. Today, when I tell you about Jesus, I am actually telling you about the Jesus I know, giving hope to those in darkness, knowing that darkness is not your final destination; light is.
So when you seek Jesus, there is always a way out. If you feel that your business, family, or employment has reached a dead end, turn back and seek Jesus; there is always a way out with Him. Amen! Just like I told you earlier, no matter how hard you try under the Ten Commandments, it is a dead end. Now switch to another way; come into the courtyard of the tabernacle; walk the path of the most holy place. This is your way out, and it is the best path. Amen!
From the power of Satan to God. Brothers and sisters, those who do not know God actually live under the power of Satan. When you see their behavior, you should believe that it is not what they want; they have no choice but to live deceived by the devil. So what should you do? Give them Jesus. If they are willing to turn to God, they will come out from under the power of Satan. Amen!
Just like this paralytic, Jesus said, “Take up your bed and go home.” He had already come out from under the power of the devil. Amen! And through faith in Me, they receive forgiveness of sins. Brothers and sisters, at the moment you believe in Jesus, believing that His blood was shed for your sins on the cross, you are forgiven. This is the first point. What happens after forgiveness? You will receive an inheritance among those who are sanctified.
You all know what an inheritance is, right? Your current business, the savings in your bank, are they not your inheritance? Are your children not your inheritance? These are all inheritances. But do you know that these inheritances, which seem to be yours, are like something you can grasp but also seem out of reach? Just like yesterday, my wife said, “I saw in the news that eight children drowned in the past two days.” Those eight living children were their parents' inheritance. In one day, they lost them all. So we feel that these things seem to be ours, but if they are not in God's hands, they may seem to be yours, but you cannot hold onto them tightly.
Just like your current business, it may be doing well now, but you cannot hold onto it tightly unless God is willing to bless you; then it will be different. Just like health, you can exercise, which is good, and eat a reasonable diet, which is also good, but it does not mean you own health. Unless God gives it to you, if God gives it to you, do you know what that means? No matter where you are, this thing will follow you; wherever you go, it will accompany you. If it is something you earned through your efforts, one day when you stop trying, you will lose it. Amen!
You enter into Christ, knowing that your sins are forgiven, and you can share in the inheritance with those who are sanctified. How did Abraham's inheritance come? How did Isaac's inheritance come? How did Jacob's inheritance come? It was all given to them by God. Hallelujah! Today God can also give to you. So when you wake up every day, bless your family and children in the name of the Lord Jesus, and this blessing will come upon them. Bless your business every day in prayer, and this blessing will come upon your business. The premise is that you must believe that God has forgiven all your sins and is willing to bless you. Anyone who says something that does not align with this message should be rejected. Root this message in your heart, and your eyes will see the inheritance manifest in your life. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
1 John 2:9-12
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 12 I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
This passage tells us how to apply or practice the forgiveness of sins in our lives. Pay attention: if a person says he is in the light but hates his brother, brothers and sisters, knowing that God has forgiven you all your sins, you should live in God's love and be filled with God's love. But if you hate your brother, it proves that your heart is filled with hate. When your heart is filled with hate, God says you are walking in darkness. This does not mean he is not saved; it means that now, in life, he has chosen to walk in darkness. Just like it is daytime, can you live in darkness? Yes, you can. You can find a small room, pull the curtains, and live in darkness. You have chosen to be there.
But it is clearly bright outside, and you can choose to live in the light. They chose to hate, so they cannot see God's grace. Today I tell you, understanding that God has forgiven you, you should forgive others. It is not for others to benefit; it is for you to benefit. Forgiving others and releasing others is releasing ourselves, not releasing your enemies. Some people say, “It seems like I am losing; he treated me like this, and I still forgive him.” It seems like we are losing, but in fact, you are gaining; you are gaining freedom inside. Amen! God wants you to live in the light, not in darkness.
So it says here that he who hates his brother walks in darkness because he does not know where he is going; darkness has blinded his eyes. Many times we know that hate is bad. Often hating someone can make you sick. But we say, “No, we cannot not hate him.” Today I tell you that understanding that Jesus has forgiven you, He hopes you live in the grace of forgiveness. When you understand the grace of forgiveness, diseases will disappear, and everything will turn around. Only when you turn around can you truly make your enemies feel ashamed. If your enemy says something to you, and you hate him fiercely, in the end, you die, then your enemy will be even happier.
You should practice what is said in Psalm 23, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Amen! He is not saying you, “Don’t you believe in your grace?” He is not mocking you. Then you should live out the grace to show him. In front of your enemies, God prepares a table for you, letting him see that this is real. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord! Why is this so? John actually wants to tell us the content of verse 12: “I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.”
So John hopes that you do not live in darkness; you should live in the light.
Today you can choose to walk the path of the most holy place, centered on Jesus, or you can choose to walk through the Ten Commandments, which will definitely be a dead end, a dark path. As the new week begins, I hope every brother and sister understands that we live under God's forgiveness, living under the grace of forgiveness. We carry this power; our bodies will change, our families will change, and our relationships will also change. Thank and praise the Lord!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for Your words, which once again let us know that the work of Jesus has brought us to the grace of forgiveness. We do not live under condemnation but under the forgiveness brought to us by Jesus on the cross. I am filled with the love of Christ, knowing that my Heavenly Father loves me and is willing to bless me. I am willing to receive His blessings and live. I am a channel of blessings. I do not want darkness in me; I am in Your light, a child of light, and I am willing for my heart to be filled with the grace of Christ at all times.
I believe that the Heavenly Father has completely forgiven my sins and no longer remembers my sins. My focus is on His righteousness, His blessings, and His justice. I also preach this beautiful blessing of Jesus. Thank You and praise You, Lord! Thank You for supplying me and supporting me through such words. In the new week, I believe I am a channel of blessings. Wherever I go, it will be filled with God's grace and will also become a blessing to others. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen!