What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you?

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • Those who truly find it will express the same relief that David did. (Psa 51:8-12)

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • (Psalms 51:8-12 NKJV) “Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. {9} Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. {10} Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. {11} Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • {12} Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • All sin is first against God. Our desperate need of this relationship should drive us to Him. (Isa 59:1-2; Psa 51:4)

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • (Isaiah 59:1-2 NKJV) “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. {2} But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • (Psalms 51:4 NKJV) “Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.”

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • Have you become so hardened that these things do not move you?

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • Have you become so hardened that these things do not move you? • As Christians we must continue to see how precious forgiveness is.

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • Have you lost your motivation in the service of the Lord? If so, do you remember the joy of your forgiveness? (2 Pt 1:9)

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • (2 Peter 1:9 NKJV) “For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you? • It is the humbling but joyful experience of forgiveness that keeps us strong.

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • (Exodus 34:6-7 NKJV) “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.””

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • What makes God attractive to us? (Psa 36:7, 40:10-11)

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • (Psalms 36:7 NKJV) “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.”

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • (Psalms 40:10-11 NKJV) “I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly. {11} Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.”

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • God's love will provide forgiveness! I am draw to one who cares for me.

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • God's love will provide forgiveness! I am draw to one who cares for me. • David knew this and poured out his heart to God. (Psa 51:1)

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • (Psalms 51:1 NKJV) “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.”

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • God's righteousness makes us certain of our forgiveness.

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • God's righteousness makes us certain of our forgiveness. • His righteousness tells us that we cannot escape the guilt of our sin. (Rom 11:22)

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • (Romans 11:22 NKJV) “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • Those who play games with sin thinking they "can be forgiven" will pay a heavy price. (Rom 6:1)

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • (Romans 6:1 NKJV) “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • On the other hand God's righteousness tells me He will always keep His word.

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • Are you aware of the extraordinary lengths God has taken to provide you forgiveness? (Jn 3:16; Mt 26:39)

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • (Matthew 26:39 NKJV) “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.””

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • (John 3:16 NKJV) “”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Forgiveness is based on the Character of God. (Ex 34:6-7) • "If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior." - Author Unknown

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • Satan did not anticipate that God would forgive men!

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • Satan did not anticipate that God would forgive men! • In his role of accuser it appeared that he had won. (Zech 3:1-3)

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • (Zechariah 3:1-3 NKJV) “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. {2} And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • {3} Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.”

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • Without forgiveness we are in the hands of Satan. It that what you want?

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • Without forgiveness we are in the hands of Satan. It that what you want? • Look at the victory God gives us over Satan! (Zech 3:4-5)

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • (Zechariah 3:4-5 NKJV) “Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” {5} And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by.”

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • Do you realize the great victory God has given us through the cross? (1 Jn 3:8)

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • (1 John 3:8 NKJV) “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • Our goal is simple, stay under God's protection and away from Satan.

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • We must be humbled to see our great needs here.

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • We must be humbled to see our great needs here. • Satan's goal is to cheapen forgiveness so that you do not find it.

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • We must be humbled to see our great needs here. • Satan's goal is to cheapen forgiveness so that you do not find it. • It is so sad to see the distant stares of the unforgiven. (2 Cor 4:3-4)

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV) “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, {4} whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • Satan has convinced many to wait because forgiveness is always there. He has lied about this too.

Satan's defeat comes through our forgiveness • "Those who would avoid the despair of their sinfulness by staying far from God find they have also missed the forgiving grace of God."

What is God's forgiveness like? • He blots out our sins! (Acts 3:19; Isa 43:25)

What is God's forgiveness like? • (Acts 3:19 NKJV) “”Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”

What is God's forgiveness like? • (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV) “”I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.”

What is God's forgiveness like? • God hates sin, but He loves us.

What is God's forgiveness like? • God hates sin, but He loves us. • If I can live and die in this forgiveness then all is well.

What is God's forgiveness like? • God hates sin, but He loves us. • If I can live and die in this forgiveness then all is well. • God does not remember our sins any more. (Heb 8:12)

What does the word "forgiveness" mean to you?