Forgiveness
The Pastor last week requested that we read the following
passages that are
related to forgiveness, conversion, and transformation.
Questions:
Question: What is a “Conversion” for a Christian?
Question: What is a “Transformation” for a Christian?
Question: How is
forgiveness related to conversion and transformation?
Question: Why do
we forgive others?
Per dictionary.com
the term “transformation” is:
-
“change in form,
appearance, nature, or character.”
-
“A marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the
better. “
-
“a qualitative change .”
Now let’s look at Scripture . . .
Psalm 86:5 (NIV):
4 Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I
lift up my soul.
5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love
to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy.
Mark 3:28 (NIV):
27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and
carry off his possessions unless he
first ties up the strong man. Then
he can rob his house.
28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of
men will be forgiven them.
29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will
never be forgiven; he is guilty
of an eternal sin."
Acts 10:43 (NIV):
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to
testify that he is the one whom God
appointed as judge of the living
and the dead.
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who
believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his
name."
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy
Spirit came on all who heard
the message.
Ephesians 1:7
(NIV):
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has
freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, in accordance
with the riches of God's grace
8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and
understanding.
Col. 1:14 (NIV):
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of
darkness and brought us into the kingdom
of the Son he loves,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 10:10
(NIV):
9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do
your will." He sets aside the first to
establish the second.
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the
sacrifice of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his
religious duties; again and again
he offers the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins.
1 John 2:2 (NIV):
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you
will not sin. But if anybody does sin,
we have one who speaks to the Father
in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous
One.
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only
for ours but also for the sins
of the whole world.
3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his
commands.
1 John 2:12 (NIV):
11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness
and walks around in the darkness; he
does not know where he is going,
because the darkness has blinded him.
12 I write to you, dear children, because your sins have
been forgiven on account of
his name.
13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him
who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear
children, because you have known the Father.
1 John 4:10 (NIV):
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent
his one and only Son into the
world that we might live through
him.
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he
loved us and sent his Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to
love one another.
Questions:
Question: What is a “Conversion” for a Christian?
Question: What is a “Transformation” for a Christian?
Question: How is
forgiveness related to conversion and transformation?
Question: Why do
we forgive others?
References:
The following websites were referenced on July 20, 2007: