2000-12-12 - Pardon Me

Part 11 - What Actually Happened? The Moment I Trusted Christ

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

We come to the eleventh thing which occurs the moment we trust in Christ for salvation.

11. I Received Pardon (Ephesians 1:7)

    We use common phrases like, "pardon me," or "excuse me," all the time. We do this as a polite civility to one another in our day to day dealings. Usually we use these phrases in regard to perceived transgression where either party could be at fault. For example, the innocent bump at the mall is common and usually both parties will respond with, "sorry." There is very little in common in the pardon we seek in such innocent exchanges with the pardon we seek and receive from God.

    In seeking a pardon from God we come as the offending party because of our transgressions. There is nothing innocent. There is no doubt who has caused the transgression. The men of Beth-shemesh got it right when they said in 1 Samuel 6:20, "Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?" We come to God unable to stand on our own righteousness.

    But salvation in the atonement of Christ allows us to stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ. The great message of the New Testament is that Christ is our propitiation (Romans 3:25). This means that Christ has made an acceptable sacrifice for our sin. He acts as our advocate and in the free offer of the gospel offers us pardon and forgiveness for our sin.

    Pardon is another wonderful blessing that the Christian receives when he or she comes to faith in Christ. There are some who wonder if Christ can really pardon particular sins that haunt their conscience. But the Word of God makes it clear that there is no sin, besides the sin against the Holy Spirit, which Christ can not forgive. Colossians 2:13 tells us, "...He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions."

    It is easy to beat ourselves up because of past sins. However, the Bible does not encourage us to do this. Scripture speaks of pardon, forgiveness, and mercy. 1 Peter 3:18 reminds us that, "Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God..." Christ died for the unjust, and that is us. He offers pardon to those who are not perfect. This is the wonder of receiving pardon for sins: we come to God with imperfections, and notwithstanding, we are forgiven through the atonement of Christ.

"He invites sinners that are naturally under the dominion of Satan, that roaring lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour; and invites saints under the greatest darkness and distresses, and temptations, and buffetings of Satan, to look to Him." Jonathan Edwards

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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