Good morning. If I'm not mistaken, Don Fortner wrote the worst of that hymn, and I'm sure he had Second Samuel chapter 23 in mind when he wrote them. These be David's last words. Although my house be not so with God, yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant. ordered in all things ensure. This is all my salvation, and this is all my desire, though we make it not to grow. What a whole gospel's in that hymn we just read, that we just sang. I'm so very thankful.

We have a special treat today. Paul Pendleton preaches in Beaver, West Virginia. You can't get there from here. But Paul, we're so thankful that you're here. Paul and Paula are visiting their daughter, Emily Murray, and Christian. So I want us to pray together. And then, Paul, you come and bring the message the Lord's put on your heart, OK?

Our merciful Heavenly Father, how thankful and how hopeful we are. for that covenant of grace that you made in eternity past and how sure our salvation is on the promises that you made. The father electing a people, the son redeeming those whom the father elected and the Holy Spirit bringing the gospel in power and making us willing and giving us faith to believe on Christ. Lord, we pray that you would be pleased to bless your word again, that you would make it effectual to our hearts and that you would renew our hope and increase our faith. Pray for Paul and thank you for him. Ask Lord that you would Bless the message you've put on his heart and bless our ears to hear. We ask it in Christ's name. Amen.

Paul, you come, please.

Good morning, everyone. Give me a minute here. You can go ahead and be turning to Colossians 1. While you're doing that, I'm going to give a few greetings. I am here with Paula. She is here, but she's out in the parking lot. We have two dogs that we have to bring with us. And we didn't want to leave them by themselves at Emily's, because it would be kind of long, and it gets hot out there. So she's out there for the first message, and she should be in here for the next. I sing greetings from Sovereign Grace Chapel. Walter Pendleton is my brother, and he's my pastor. been so for some time, 35 years or so. But I'm thankful, Greg, that you would ask me. I don't deserve this, but he deserves to be praised.

OK, Colossians 1. And I won't keep you very long. It'll be less than two hours. Colossians chapter 1. I guess I've got to get there. And I'm going to read. Just a few verses there. Colossians 1, let's read 8 through 14.

Who also declared unto us your love in the spirit. 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 and all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye 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 longsuffering with joyfulness, giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

And that's what I want to look at today, is forgiveness of sins. I'm interested in forgiveness because I need forgiveness. But we hear today about, you know, a lot of people talking about forgiving people. And I'm not being critical with what I'm about to say. I'm not trying to be critical. But, you know, Paula and I will watch some of these crime shows and you'll see someone who has had something unthinkable done to them or one of their family members or whatever. And then you eventually end up hearing some of them might say, I forgive them, but I can't forget what they did.

And I'm not saying that they should not forgive them. My point is we all too often, especially as the people of God, we do not forget what a brother or sister has done, even though we say we forgive them. And I'm glad God's forgiveness is not like ours. We say we forgive one another, but what someone else has done to us is always right here in our mind. It's always there.

And I know that those folks, the folks of this world, they say they forgive. But there's one thing they certainly wouldn't do, and that's commune with some of those that they have forgiven. And again, I'm not saying that they should necessarily. But even we as believers, we may not commune with some, even if they're our brothers and sisters, even if we say we forgive them. That's what we're like.

But God's forgiveness is not like that. We know God knows all things. And we know God does as he pleases. He does as he wills. He's sovereign over all things. We don't go up to God and say, I'm going to let you forgive me, do we? We don't do that. As my young son used to say, that's ridiculous.

But what do we read of God's choice to his people? And listen to it in Jeremiah 31, 34. You don't have to turn there, but Jeremiah 31, 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord. For they shall all know me from the least of them and to the greatest of them, saith the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sins no more.

Do you see that? God, the sovereign of everything, says he will remember their sin no more. So do you think he's going to remember them? No. God cannot lie. His forgiveness has with it a forgetting of their iniquity, their sin. And that's for his people. I want to be one of those, don't you?

But it's not just forgetting their iniquities. He also communes and fellowships with his people. We kind of see that indicated in our text. He translates us into the kingdom of his dear son. so we can have communion with him. But it goes even further than that, and hopefully we'll look at that a little bit. What does he tell us? Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them, and I'm thankful for that.

So I wanna talk about today, forgiveness as it relates to man, and the forgiveness of God. So forgiveness as it relates to man, We are told in scripture to forgive one another. Christ tells Peter in Matthew 18, 21 and 22, we read, then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saying to him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until 70 times seven. That's a lot of forgiving, isn't it? But that's what Christ tells us to do.

And I know Peter knows something of forgiveness because Christ taught him of that forgiveness, didn't he? He said he was gonna deny him three times. He was told he was gonna do that, and he still did it. But Jesus Christ had prayed for him that his faith fell not, and so it did not. Even in his despicable acts of denial, He still, Christ still forgave him and his faith failed not. But those who are unregenerate, even us at one time, we knew nothing of forgiveness. We really did not know and this world does not know what true forgiveness is. And we don't see that from forgiving one another either. I'll just say that right out. In fact, in this flesh, I can certainly see everyone else's sins. It's very easy for me to see everyone else's sins. The problem with me and my flesh, I can't see my own sins most of the time. And the reason for this is because I cannot see the one that that sin is against.

What did David cry out? And this was certainly that time when he had been with Bathsheba and killed her husband in war. What did he say? This is what David says in the Psalms 51, 4. Against thee and thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. When we sin and we can sin against another, human being, we can do that. But when we do sin, that sin is against the God of Scripture, the sovereign God. But by nature, man cannot really see this. He can't see that sin. Man doesn't think he needs forgiveness by nature. He doesn't think he needs it. This flesh can think or deceive ourselves, and we excuse or try to justify ourselves by our actions. Because we by nature have this old wicked heart that is desperately wicked and we can't even know it. It can deceive us or others around us in thinking that we've done something for Jesus Christ. But they know nothing of David's cry against thee and thee only have I sinned. They in some way think they are doing God a favor by giving their heart to Jesus, you'll hear some of them say.

God is sovereign. He's sovereign over all things, and He created all things by Himself and for Himself, and He holds it all together. What is man going to do for God? What are we going to give to God? What is man going to give God for payment of sin, for this forgiveness of sin that we're looking at? We've heard this before, but the question is not what can I do for God, but will he do something for me? But we must be careful on this thing of forgiveness of our brethren. If you would turn over to 2 Corinthians 2, 2 Corinthians 2. 2 Corinthians 2, and I'm gonna read just verses 8 through 11 for time's sake. 2 Corinthians 2, verse 8. Wherefore, I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. Yeah, that you would confirm your love toward him, for to this end also did I write that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also. For if I forgive anything to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Someone at Corinth had done something and was rebuked by Paul by it. But Paul also rebuked those that let it go on there. But as we read here, we see this man was repentant. And maybe some did not want to forgive him. And it seems to at least indicate it was a warning against not forgiving him here. But we read here of, what do we read here of? Satan's devices. And I'm talking to God's people. And the context is forgiveness. Satan's devices is to put something between God's people. Satan's devices can cause division among God's people. It is Satan's device that we just read about. To not forgive one another goes right along with the device of Satan. Do we do wrong? Of course we do. Is there time for rebuke? Of course there is, for all of us. Should we forgive one another? Of course we should. To not forgive one another is to fall into one of Satan's devices. Our problem is, just like someone once said of repentance, we need to repent of our repentance. So it's the same for forgiveness. We need forgiveness of our kind of forgiveness sometimes. If we can forgive, it's all of God. I want to say that up front too. God has to do it all if we are able to forgive anybody.

But we often do not forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we harbor it. We keep it right close to us, watching to see what they might do next. And I'm talking from my experience. I heard someone else say that a preacher first preaches to himself, and then he preaches to everybody else. This is coming from my experience. But we often do not forgive our brothers and sisters. We just keep it right in here close to us, and just trying to see what they might do next.

God will work in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. So if he works it, it's not going to be a half-forgiveness. It will be forgiveness. We can forgive. And we will forgive our brethren. But we oftentimes, we want to keep up bringing another one's offenses. Have you ever been in an argument and one of the first things you find your mind thinking, or maybe you even might say it, But you remember what you did back then? I've done that before. Knowing full well you said that you forgave them before that, but you bring it right back up. I have, maybe you have not done that, but I have. I just don't let people live it down sometimes as the saying goes. And I'm speaking of myself, as I said, as much as anyone else. I can very easily remember someone else's sins. But it seems my sins, I can pass right over them. And sometimes, some people maybe, they don't even know they have any, or they don't think they have any sin.

God's people know better. We know there are sins that we don't even know exist. And I don't want you to misunderstand me. There are times, as I've said, that rebuke is necessary. And I'm not saying we should never rebuke or say something. We have to behave ourselves as becometh the gospel, we're told in scripture. And if we don't, we need to be rebuked for it. But forgiveness is part of the gospel, we just read it. Forgiveness is. One thing is for sure about rebuke though, we read in 1 Corinthians 10, 12, wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. And we also know this, it says in Titus 3, 9 through 11, but avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition, reject, knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

If a man or a woman will not hear the word of God, if they persist in not behaving themselves as become of the gospel, then you are to reject them, that's what it says. But we are also to be long-suffering to one another. Why? Because we need to. We all need forgiveness. We all do the wrong thing. In and of ourselves, we will do the wrong thing every single time. If God does not give us this long-suffering to one another, we would consume one another. And I'm talking about forgiveness here. But we all need forgiveness and thank God for his forgiveness. Colossians 1.14, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And a little bit about this word for forgive. So we read in Matthew 18.21 where Peter asked, Lord, how off shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, is what the word is there. The English word is forgive, and that word there, when we read the passage forgiving one another, that word means, and I'm gonna give a few words here of that word in Strong's, and you can look these up. It's forgive, forsake, lay aside, set aside. That's all we can do. We have this flesh, and we cannot forget. All we can do is just lay it aside on purpose. By God's grace, we lay it aside. We have to ask God, please help us forgive our brothers and help me to let it go. It's like we say, I'm putting it over here and I'm not gonna think about it anymore.

But you know the forgiveness of God is not like that. Not that we're talking about in our text. The word for forgiveness used in our text means this, whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. You know what that word means? It means pardon. That's what the word means. Being forgiven of sin by God does what for those he does this for? It makes them free. It sets them free. They're pardoned. The sin is totally forgiven and forgotten. They are pardoned for it forever.

And there's a good reason for this, because in order to forgive those of their transgression against him, we see it right here in our passage, the first part of verse 14, in whom we have redemption through his blood. To have true forgiveness of sin, sin that no one can lay to our charge, even we can't place it on us. We often, ourselves as believers, are ashamed and trodden down a lot of times for our own sin, knowing we sinned against him. And we should be ashamed for our sin, don't get me wrong, we should, and we are. But God be thanked, he's not going to lay it to our charge. He said he will remember them no more. He shed his blood for them, why would we bring them up again?

But oh, I look for that day, that time when he will bring me right where he is, face to face with him, where I won't even remember my sins, like he's already told me he doesn't remember. I just long for that day, don't you? I mean, I have sin with me now, and I see it, but God does not see it if I'm in Christ. Because it took something to have this kind of forgiveness, It took the blood of God to have this kind of forgiveness. We read in Hebrews 9.22, and almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission. That word for remission is the same word we read forgiveness in Colossians 1 right there, pardon. Without the shedding of blood, there is no pardon. But with it, full and complete pardon. The forgiveness of God comes by Jesus Christ dying on that tree and him shedding his blood. That he's already done and it is complete because he said it is finished and it is. Thank God, thank God.

God does not remember our sin. He said he doesn't. So it doesn't matter if someone else sees our sin and it doesn't matter if we see our sin because we have it with us all the time now. God does not, and God is the one who matters. But do not take God's forgiveness for granted. Some people do, and they do not have true forgiveness. Those that take his forgiveness for granted all the time, they use the word of God deceitfully to their own damnation. And I don't speak of this like because I sin all the time. I sin knowing I'm sinning sometimes. But God does grant us repentance. But then there are some who, like I said, take God's forgiveness for granted all the time. That's all their heart is in their heart to do. The heart they have just takes God for granted all the time. And they do not love God, and they're not looking for forgiveness from God. What they're looking is for a loophole for forgiveness. They're trying to find a way to justify or excuse themselves.

Jesus Christ told that woman caught in adultery, the one to whom he said in John 8, 10, and 11, it says, when Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? And she said, no man, Lord. They're not there. They're gone. They cannot condemn you. They may say the words, but their words carry no weight with God. And then he said, though, he didn't stop there, he said, she said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.

She was guilty. She was caught in the act. And that passage leaves no doubt that she was guilty. She was guilty and she knew she was guilty. But Christ said, neither do I condemn thee. So she left being pardoned. In her mind, she knew it. But he did not stop there. He told her, go and sin no more.

If you think that God's forgiveness gives you the right to just live to this flesh, then you know nothing of forgiveness. If you know nothing of the forgiveness of God in Jesus Christ, you know nothing of forgiveness shown to you. then you in turn know nothing about forgiving the brethren. So we must be careful, we must watch, look to Christ who did forgive us of our sin, who has not condemned us, and in seeing him and his forgiveness, we can then look to the brethren and forgive them of their sin against us. That's how we do it, by him.

If Jesus Christ died for you and in so doing wrought forgiveness of sins for you, then you are forgiven. It ought to be a joy to be long-suffering with one another and to forgive one another. And I can't give some kind of set of instructions for doing this. God's word doesn't give us some set of instructions for doing this. The only remedy that I know of that talks about in scripture to be able to forgive your brother is to look to Christ and what he has done. And that's the remedy for everything.

Isaiah 51.1 says, hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord. The Lord is the righteousness of God. Look unto the rock whence ye were hewn and to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged.

We are first to look to the rock whence we were hewn. God did the hewning. He was the one that done the hewning and not by fallen sinful flesh. It was by his hands and not by man's hands.

All we were were in a pit, as it says. We are to remember that pit in which we were digged. We're not to play around in it. And just remember, it took that rock dying on a tree to pay for our sins. He forgave us, but forgiveness for us was not free for him. It is freed us, but it took God coming down to take our sin in his own body on that tree. And he wrought our forgiveness of sin by himself, taking those sins as far as the east is from the west. He says he remembers them no more. So he remembers them no more.

Even if we bring them to mind every day, if God's done this for us, And we ought to, and we will, by His grace, we will forgive one another. But let's be honest, most of the time when we're offended by a brother or sister, it's because they haven't done it the way I wanted them to do it. They didn't do it the way I like them to do it, you know, a lot of times.

But even if they do do me wrong, we are to forgive one another. We are broken clay pots. And please understand me, we can forgive someone, but they are to be repentant of it. Because if they're not, it does no good if they're not repentant of it. But if they are repentant, we should forgive them.

But also keep in mind, if someone offends you, they need to know they've offended you, right? And all I can do is wonder or ask them maybe if someone seems to be offended at me and so on. I can just ask them. But if someone offends me, I can talk to them about it so they know. But if they are repentant, there's something wrong with us if we cannot forgive them.

I read the beginning of this passage earlier, but turn over with me to Matthew 18, Matthew 18. Matthew 18 in verse 22, beginning in verse 22. Matthew 18, starting in verse 22.

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until 70 times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him 10,000 talents. But for as much as he had not to pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and children and all that he had and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence, and laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, pay me that thou ow'st. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet and besought him, saying, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt."

See the difference there? The king, if we're one of his servants, has forgiven us all the debt. We didn't even ask, it shows us here, this guy just asked, give me time and I'll pay it back, but we couldn't. But the king just totally forgave our debt. And you hear that the man said to be patient, that's what it says, he would repay all. But he could not pay this debt back to the king, and the king did not expect it to be paid, because he totally forgave the debt, knowing he could not pay. And he just totally forgave it. But then he turned right around and sought payment that he was owed by his fellow servant. And we're talking about forgiveness here. He punished him for not paying him back.

And then we read in verse 35 of chapter 18. 35, so likewise shall my heavenly father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. I didn't read the rest of that. Let me read the rest of that.

So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry and came and told to their Lord all that was done. Then his Lord, after that, he called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that dead, because thou desiredst me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I have pity on thee? and his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. He pardoned us by his blood. All those sins that we've committed against the King of glory that caused him to be put to death on that tree. What someone owes is to Jesus Christ and not to me. I don't deserve anything.

Remember David's cry. Yet I find myself at times trying to hold things against my brethren. God forgive me of that sin. Cause me to see your forgiveness that cost you dearly and keep me from Satan's devices.

But his act paid the debt of sin I owe. so that I'm pardoned, I'm set free of that debt. I'm free to serve Jesus Christ, to look to Jesus Christ always, and I thank God for that.

If God allows us to see that, if he puts it in us, we will see the way to forgive our brethren, and it will be a joyful thing to do so.

His work causing us to be partakers, that is we share, we participate in this inheritance. Some people wouldn't commune with the ones that had sinned against them and done something wrong to them. But God, he does, he communes with us.

And let's just read that back in our text. Verses 12 and 13 we read. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience. Nope, I'm in the wrong book. Go to Colossians, sorry. Verses 12 and 13 of Colossians 1. giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

Even now we have communion with God because of God and by God, because he took us from one place to another, from darkness to light. It is he who paid for our sins and it is he who puts us in his kingdom. We were under the power of darkness as we are born in Adam, but he has transferred us or exchanged us into his kingdom. Right now, not later on, but right now, those to whom he's done this for are in the kingdom of his dear son because He is our inheritance. Jesus Christ is our reward. That's what I look for is Jesus Christ, and it's all because of him.

Oh, that I might dwell there, because the king has forgiven me by his blood. Help me to forgive my brethren, knowing that my Lord has forgiven me, and he remembers my sin no more. Just help me to forgive my brethren, and cause me and keep me looking to Christ. because of Him. Amen.

Thank you all.