THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN

THE GOSPEL:  GOD'S OFFER OF FORGIVENESS OF SIN

Romans 1:16-17 - For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ --- is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:  as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

1 Corinthians 15:1-7 - Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand --- For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:  and that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:  after that, He was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present day, but some are fallen asleep.  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

  PETER AND PAUL'S MESSAGE:  THE GOSPEL OF FORGIVENESS 

Acts 5:29-32 - Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, Whom you had killed being hanged on a tree.  Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.  And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, Whom God has given to them that obey Him.

Acts 13:26-31 - Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fears God, to you is the Word of this salvation sent.  For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning Him.  And though they found no cause of death in Him, yet desired they Pilate that He should be slain.  And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree, and laid Him in a sepulcher.  But God raised Him from the dead:  and He was seen many days of them which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses unto the people.

Acts 26:12-18 - Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.  And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?  It is hard for you to kick against the pricks.  And I said, Who are You, Lord?  And He said, I am Jesus Whom you persecute.  But rise, and stand upon thy feet:  for I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of these things which you have seen, and of those things in the which I will show unto you; delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send you, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.

Colossians 1:9-14 - For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, Who has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:  Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:  in Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

FORGIVENESS IS NOT BY RELIGIOUS WORKS, BUT IS A GIFT

Romans 4:2-8 - For if Abraham were justified by works, he had whereof to glory; but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.  Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.  But to him that does not work, but believes on Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  Even as David also described the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness apart from works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast.

BELIEVERS STILL SIN:  FORGIVENESS RESTORES FELLOWSHIP 

Romans 7:22-25 - For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man:  but I see another law in my members, warring against the Law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  So then with the mind I myself serve the Law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

1 John 1:1-10 - That which was from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our eyes, Whom we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us:  and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.  This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.

GOD CONTINUALLY OFFERS FORGIVENESS TO UNBELIEVERS

WHO WILL TRUST IN CHRIST JESUS, THE RISEN LORD!

HE ALSO CONTINUALLY OFFERS FORGIVENESS TO BELIEVERS!