For Christ's Sake

Q: What does the Bible say about forgiveness?

The Bible teaches that God forgives us for Christ's sake, not based on our merit or actions. In Ephesians 4:32, the Apostle Paul instructs us to forgive one another as God has forgiven us, emphasizing that this forgiveness is granted for Christ's sake. This means that God's forgiveness is not contingent upon our asking for it, feeling sorry enough, or promising to do better; it is rooted in Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. As seen in Ezekiel 36:32, God does not forgive for our sake but for His own, allowing us to be wholly reliant on His grace rather than our works. True forgiveness is a divine act that highlights God's glory and grace through Christ.

Q: How do we know God forgives us?

We know God forgives us because He does so for Christ's sake, as stated in Scripture. The assurance of our forgiveness lies firmly in the motives and actions of God. He forgives us for Christ's sake, illustrating that it is not based on our actions or sincerity. Psalm 106:8 highlights that God saves for His name's sake, which underlines His unwavering commitment to His glory and promises. David, in Psalm 25:11, asks God to pardon his iniquity for His name's sake, reinforcing the idea that God's forgiveness stems from His character and covenant faithfulness, not our worthiness. Therefore, our understanding of being forgiven must hinge on Christ's redemptive work, reassuring us of the completeness of our salvation.

Q: Why is Christ's sacrifice important for Christians?

Christ's sacrifice is fundamental because our salvation and forgiveness are rooted in it. The significance of Christ's sacrifice cannot be overstated within Christian theology. God saves us for Christ's sake, reflecting His plan of redemption that encompasses the entirety of salvation—election, justification, and sanctification. Romans 8:36 speaks of believers being counted as sheep to be slaughtered for Christ's sake, indicating the depth of commitment required in following Him. Additionally, Philippians 3:7-8 makes it clear that all things should be counted as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. The sacrifice of Christ assures us that our forgiveness is complete, not contingent on our efforts, and invites us to live in a manner that reflects this grace in all aspects of our lives.

Q: What does it mean to forgive for Christ's sake?

Forgiving for Christ's sake means extending grace to others as God has extended grace to us. To forgive for Christ's sake means to recognize that our capacity to forgive stems from our understanding of how God forgives us. In Ephesians 4:32, believers are urged to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, as God has forgiven us for Christ's sake. This approach emphasizes that we are called to mimic God's character in our relationships, showing kindness and mercy to others. Furthermore, being mindful of the grace we've received enables us to overcome bitterness, resentment, and a lack of forgiveness. It illustrates the transformative power of grace in our lives, encouraging us to reflect this in how we treat others and underpinning our unity as the body of Christ.

Q: How does God's forgiveness influence our lives?

God's forgiveness shapes our identity and compels us to forgive others. God's forgiveness dramatically influences our lives by reshaping our understanding of self-worth and worthiness. For instance, in Isaiah 43:25, God states He blots out transgressions for His own sake and promises not to remember our sins. This unmerited favor allows believers to stand justified before God, knowing that they are loved and accepted despite their failures. This assurance of being forgiven leads us toward a lifestyle characterized by humility and kindness towards others. Recognizing the depth of our own forgiveness compels us to embrace a posture of grace and forgiveness, thus reinforcing community and relationships grounded in love and mercy, as exemplified in Christ.

Let's read verse 32 of Ephesians
chapter 4 once again. Be ye kind one to another. Tenderhearted. Forgiving one
another even as God. For Christ's sake. have forgiven you. I've entitled this message for
Christ's sake. You know, that's used as a swear,
isn't it? People are always saying, well,
for Christ's sake, using it in a slain, cursing way. For Christ's
sake. Without commenting on the actual
doctrine of the text just yet, there are two things I'd like
for us to consider. There is something that God does
for Christ's sake. He said, God has forgiven you
for Christ's sake. And there is also something we
are to do. for Christ's sake. You be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven
you. Now, there are two points to
this message. What God does for Christ's sake, and what we are
to do for Christ's sake. Now what God does for Christ's
sake, in the text it says, He hath forgiven us for Christ's
sake. Now understand this. There is
a reason, there is a motive behind every action. If I am in fact
forgiven by God, He had a reason for forgiving me. And it wasn't
because I asked Him to forgive me. It wasn't because I was sufficiently
sorry over my sin. It wasn't because I promised
to do better and never do it again. That's not why God forgave
me. If I am, in fact, forgiven, He forgave me for Christ's sake. That's His motive. That's His
reason. Not for my sake. He didn't forgive
me in a response to me. Now, are you saying you don't
have to ask for the forgiveness of sins? Of course, I'm not saying
that. Yeah, you better ask for the forgiveness of sins. You
better ask for the Lord to have mercy on you, no doubt. But God
doesn't forgive you of your sins or me of my sins because I asked
Him. That's not His reason. He does it for Christ's sake.
He said in Ezekiel 36, 32, not for your sakes do I this, saith
the Lord. Now, did you hear that? Not for
your sake. You know, that's good news. What
if he had to find a reason in you to do it? You'd be in trouble,
would you? I'd be in trouble. He does this
for the Lord's sake. Turn with me for a moment to
Psalm 106. Verse eight. Nevertheless, He saved them for
His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power to be known. Now, He saves sinners for Christ's
sake. That's why He does it. That's
His motive. That's His reason for doing what He does. Now,
in that verse of Scripture I just read, we have three very important
questions answered. Who does the saving? He saved
us. Secondly, who is saved? He saved
them. Who are they? He saved them. And thirdly, why did He do it?
He saved them for His namesake. That He might make His mighty
power known. Now, before we go on, The word saved is used a whole
lot. Religious folks hear about it.
You heard some man say, I got saved. I've been saved. Or they
got saved. And that's really the wrong way
to use that language. You don't get saved. The Lord
saves you. You get a cold. You get ill. You get a sickness. You don't
get saved. The Lord saved me. Now, the Bible,
when it talks about being saved, saved from what? Well, most folks,
when they think of being saved, they think, well, that means
you don't have to go to hell. You've been saved from condemnation. You've been saved from the pain
of hell. You've been saved from the terrible things that are
going to happen if you're not saved. Well, that's certainly
included. No doubt about that. But saved means saved from sin. Matthew 121 says, Thou shalt
call His name Jesus, for He shall save. His people from their sin. Saved from the condemnation of
sin, yes. Saved from the power of sin.
That's what happens when God gives somebody a new heart. Saved
from the very presence of sin. That's what happens when we're
glorified in glory. But salvation is salvation from
sin. He saved them. Now, who does
the saving? It says He saved them. And when
it says He, well, is that talking about the Father? Yes, it is.
What about the Son? Is it talking about the Son?
It's talking about the Son as well. Was He talking about God
the Holy Spirit? Where does He come in? He's talking
about God the Holy Spirit as well. He saved them. God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He saved them. Salvation is of the Lord. The
Father saved His people in eternal election when He chose them to
be saved and gave them to His Son. My salvation in the very
mind and purpose of God was accomplished even then. He saved them when
Christ kept the law for me. Christ paid for my sins, put
them away. It was the Lord Jesus Christ
who saved me. Yes, God the Father saved me, but Christ Jesus saved
me. And God the Holy Spirit saved me when He gave me a new nature
and a new heart. He gave me eyes to see Christ.
He gave me the faith to believe on Christ. He saved them. Now, that's the very pith and
marrow of our theology, isn't it? Salvation is of the Lord. He saved them. Who did He save? It says He saved
them. Who? Now, I want you to remember
this before I read these preceding verses. There's a couple of verses
before Psalm 106, verse 8. You can't take a promise to yourself. unless you personally fit the
character of the one the promise is made to. Now, let me repeat
that. I'm trying to figure out if I'm
one of the hymns that he saved. You can't take this promise to
yourself as yours unless you fit the character of the one
the promise is made to. Now, that's just true across
the board. Now, look up in verse 6 of Psalm 106. We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly. Would that be you? Would that be your confession?
Now, that's strong language. He's not glossing over anything.
He says, we've done wickedly, we've committed sin, we've sinned
with our fathers. Now that's quite a confession.
Would that be you? Would that be me? Let's go on
reading. He goes on to describe these people. Our fathers understood
not thy wonders in Egypt. They were a spiritually stupid
people. Our fathers understood not thy
wonders in Egypt. They didn't have any real understanding.
They were spiritually stupid people. He said they remembered
not the multitude of thy mercies. They were ungrateful people.
That's how they would be described. They didn't remember the multitude
of His mercies. Look what else it says. But they provoked Him
at the sea, even at the Red Sea. They were a provoking people. Nevertheless, here's a precious
word. In spite of all that, He saved
them for His namesake. Why did He save them? For His
namesake. And who's His name? What's His
name? His name is Jesus Christ, the Lord. He saved them for the
sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, for Christ's sake. Now, what
all is involved in being saved for His namesake? Now, this ought
to give everybody in this room abundant encouragement. God doesn't
have to find a reason in you to save you. Is that good news? He does it for Christ's sake. He doesn't have to find a reason
in you. He does it for Christ's sake. Now, what all is involved
in this? Well, first of all, the forgiveness of all your sins.
Listen to this scripture from Psalm 25, verse 11. David said,
For thy name's sake, Pardon my iniquity, O Lord, for it is great. For Thy name's sake, pardon my
iniquity. He doesn't say, pardon my iniquity
because it's not all that bad. He doesn't say, pardon my iniquity
because I'm so sorry. He doesn't say, pardon my iniquity
because I promise I'll never do it again. He says, pardon
my iniquity. My iniquity is such, it's so
great, it's so heinous, it's so evil and he really believed
this about his own iniquity. He said the only way you can
pardon my iniquity is for your namesake. There's no other reason
as to why it would be pardoned. That's how, that's my case. Pardon my iniquity for thy namesake. Now let me show you what's involved
in the pardon of sin. Turn over to Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43, verse 25. This is God speaking, and He
says, I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for My
own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Now, look at these
people that He's speaking to, how they're described, back up
to verse 22. He says to these people who he's blotted out their
sins for his own sake. He says in verse 22, But thou
hast not called upon me, O Jacob. Thou hast been weary of me, O
Israel. Thou hast not brought me the
small cattle of thy burnt offerings, neither hast thou honored me
with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve
with an offering, nor weary thee with incense. Thou hast bought
me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with
the fat of thy sacrifices. But thou hast made me to serve
with thy sins. Thou hast wearied me with thine
iniquities. I, even I, am he that blotteth
out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember
thy sins." Now notice he says, I'll blot out your transgressions.
You know what that word means? To erase. To erase. So that there is nothing there
when the record book is opened up. You know what you're going
to find against me if I'm somebody that he's saved? Nothing. Open him up. Examine him. Did
he ever do anything wrong? No, he didn't. Did he always
do what was right? Yes, He did. You see, my sin
has been blotted out. There's nothing there but perfection. It's what the Bible calls justification. I'm justified before God. That means I'm not guilty. There's
nothing there to condemn me for. Isn't that wonderful? To have
your sins blotted out so when God looks at you, there's nothing
there but perfection. I have blotted out my sins. Why? For my own sake. Not for your
sakes do I this, for my own sake. And notice what else it says
in verse 25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgression
for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins. The reason he doesn't remember
our sins is because there is nothing there to remember. Justify. cleared of all guilt because
there's no guilt there. That's what Christ did. He blotted
out my sins. They're gone. Therefore, there
is nothing there to remember. And He'll not remember them so
as to be suspicious. Now, if you sin against me, I'm
going to forgive you by the grace of God. And I hope you'll forgive
me if I sin against you. If I do you wrong, I hope you'll
forgive me. And I hope I'll forgive you if you do me wrong. But I
tell you what, I'm watching out for you. Oh, I say I'm forgiving you.
But it's back in the back of my mind. Watch out. I'd do it
again. But you know, the Lord doesn't
do that. He doesn't watch out for you. He doesn't remember
any sin. There's nothing there He embraces. Isn't that wonderful? That's
the way He forgives. When He hands out the distribution
of His rewards in eternal glory, The reward of heaven, the reward
of grace. He doesn't say, well, he doesn't
really deserve that. I mean, I remember what he did.
No, nothing like that at all. I'm completely justified. My sins are not remembered because
there's nothing there. You see, he blots out iniquity
and transgression. So that's what the blood of Christ
did. His blood blotted out. all my sin. His perfect righteousness
is mine, charged to me, that makes me not guilty. God cannot
even remember my sin because there's nothing there. That's
what's involved in forgiveness. That's a wonderful forgiveness.
And He does it for Christ's sake. He doesn't do it for my sake. It's not His response to me.
It's not His response to my zeal or my knowledge of it. It's his
response to Christ. Now, you can take that. That
is true regarding every aspect of salvation. We're quickened.
We're given life. We're regenerated for Christ's
sake. We're born again for Christ's sake. Listen to Scripture. Psalm
143, verse 11 says, Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake.
Now, understanding this is about being born again, about being
regenerated. You don't say, God give me new
life, and He gives life. It doesn't work that way. Now,
you do say, God give me life. As a matter of fact, David said
that. He said, quicken me. Give me life for Christ's sake. But
understand this, the reason God gives life, His motive behind
it, is for Christ's sake. It's because of what Christ did.
The reason I had this new nature that He's given me that actually
loves Jesus Christ, He gave it to me for Christ's sake. Every
aspect of salvation is for Christ's sake. We're led by Him. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness. Why? For His name's sake. You know, I love that song, He
leadeth me, O blessed thought, what words with heavenly comfort
wrought, to think that He leads me, that His hand's on me. He
leads me for Christ's sake. Not because I'm doing such a
good job walking the path, but He does it for Christ's sake.
And we'll never be forsaken by him for Christ's sake. Look in
1 Samuel chapter 12. Verse 20. And Samuel said unto the people,
fear not. Now, you've done all this wickedness
that was in asking for a king. Yet turn not aside from following
the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart and turn
ye not aside. For then should you go after
vain things which cannot profit nor deliver for their vain. For
the Lord will not forsake his people. It's true you've done
wickedness. That's what he opens this with. But the Lord will not forsake
his people. for his great names sake, because it had pleased
the Lord to make you his people. Now, you're not going to be forsaken
for Christ's sake. Why did God choose you in the
first place? Well, it was an act of free grace. Doesn't have
anything to do with your works, good or bad. And that's why he
won't forsake you. Because salvation is all of grace. He will not forsake you for Christ's
sake. And he'll bring us up out of
whatever trouble we get ourselves into for Christ's sake. David
put it this way in Psalm 143, 11. I quoted this one once. He
said, bring my soul out of trouble. For thy righteousness sake. Boy,
that's a powerful argument with the Lord. Bring my soul out of
trouble. Now, the Bible gives us a very
powerful illustration of this in 2 Samuel 9. Would you turn
with me there? Verse 1, And David said, Is there yet
any that's left? of the house of Saul, David's
enemies, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake. I'm looking for somebody I can
show kindness to for Jonathan's sake. Now, what's this all about?
Turn back to I Samuel Keep your finger there in 2 Samuel
9 and turn to 1 Samuel 20. Now Jonathan was the son of Saul
and he loved David and David loved him and they made a covenant
together. You can read about it in verse
14 of 1 Samuel chapter 20 and this is the covenant they made.
And thou shalt not only while I let While I live, show me the
kindness of the Lord that I die not. But also, thou shalt not
cut off thy kindness from my house forever. My children and
my children's children know not when the Lord hath cut off the
enemies of David, every one from the face of the earth. So they
made a covenant at this time before, years before 2 Samuel
9 takes place. He said, you promise me that
not only will you be kind to me, but you'll be kind to my
children. and my grandchildren. And David
entered into covenant with him. I'll do it. Now, Jonathan's been
dead a long time. Go back to 2 Samuel 9. Jonathan's
been dead a long time. And now David is the most powerful
man on the earth. All of his enemies have been
put down. And look what happens. Verse
1. And David said, he remembered that covenant. Is there yet any
that's left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness
for Jonathan's sake? And there was at the house of
Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called
him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And
he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is there not
yet any of the house of Saul that I may show the kindness
of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king,
Well, Jonathan hath yet a son, but he's not worth much. He's
lame on his feet. I mean, this fellow, he can't
work for you. He can't do anything for you. I mean, he's worthless. He's laying on both his feet.
As a matter of fact, if you read the history of this fellow, he
was laying because of a fall. His parents had dropped him,
running, and he was laying because of a fall. You can see the significance
of that. Laying because of a fall. And the king said, verse 4, Where
is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house
of Maker and the son of Amelio of Lodivar, the house of no bread.
Then King David sent and fetched him out of the house of Maker,
the son of Ameliel from Lodabar, and when Mephibosheth. That's
his name. You know what that name means?
Shameful thing. What a name to give your kid.
Shameful thing. But that was his name. Shameful
thing. When Mephibosheth, the son of
Jonathan, the son of Saul, was coming to David, He fell on his
face and did reverence. He was scared to death. He didn't
know what David was going to do. And David said unto him, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant.
David said unto him, Fear not, I will surely show thee kindness
for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore to thee all
the land of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my
table continually. And he bowed himself and said,
What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead
dog as I am? Do you see how he showed him
the kindness of God for Jonathan's sake? Even as God for what? Christ's sake, hath forgiven
you. The message is not over. The message is not over. In talking
about what God does for Christ's sake, Turn back to our text,
Ephesians chapter 4. Verse 32, Be ye kind. Tenderhearted. Forgiving. one another, even
as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. This also speaks of what we are
to do for Christ's sake. Now, I want to make a statement
that I've thought about a lot. I've been milling it over in
my mind. I'm afraid when I make this statement.
It makes me nervous to make it, yet I believe it. Listen real
carefully to what I'm getting ready to say. For Christ's sake,
has just as much power with the believer as it does with God. For Christ's sake, has just as
much power with the believer as it does with God. is not worthy of me. And he that
loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross
and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth
his life shall lose it. And he that loseth his life for
my sake for my sake shall find it. Matthew 16, verse 24, Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life,
shall lose it. If you preserve your life, you'll
lose it in the life to come. And whosoever will lose his life
for my sake shall find it. Does for Christ's sake, now listen
to me real carefully, does for Christ's sake have such power
over you that you will lose your life for His sake. If not, God's never done anything
for you. Now, let's just say things as
they really are. If not, God has never really
done anything for you. Those who love His person will
lose all things for his sake and not count it a sacrifice. Turn to Philippians 3. Beginning in verse 7. But what things were gained to
me, those I counted lost for Christ, yea, doubtless, and I
count all things but loss. For the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of
all things, and do count them but done, that I may win Christ
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith. Oh, it always bothers
me when somebody talks about what they sacrificed for Christ's
sake. What have you given up for Christ? You'd count it but
done if you saw the glory of His person. You lose all things
for His sake, and don't count it a sacrifice. Now, this is so vast and far-reaching. Peter said, Submit yourself to
every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. For the Lord's sake. You might not even agree with
it. But you submit yourself to it for the Lord's sake. You know,
you're to be the best citizen you can be for the Lord's sake. You're to be the best employee
you can be for the Lord's sake. You're to be whatever it is He
calls you to be for the Lord's sake. And that's enough. That's
enough of a reason. You don't need any other reason
if you're a believer. You don't need to be threatened with reward
or with punishment. You don't need to have a carrot
put out in front of you to get you. No, you do what you do for
the Lord's sake. Whatsoever you do, do it heartily
as unto the Lord and not unto men. You do what you do for the
Lord's sake. Now, Paul said in Philippians
129, for unto you it is given. in the behalf of Christ, not
only to believe on Him, but to suffer for His sake. Are you willing to suffer for
His sake? Now, what's meant by that? Well,
Paul said, we're fools for Christ's sake. Are you willing to be counted
by this world, this age in which we live in, a fool for Christ's
sake. Now, may God give me the grace
to say what's really in my heart. I counted it an honor to be counted
a fool for Christ's sake. What a privilege. You know, the
Lord said in Mark chapter 13, verse 13, you shall be hated
of all men for my name's sake. If you love Him, that's okay,
isn't it? If you're hated of all men for
His namesake, that's all right, isn't it? It really is. It's
all right. Paul said in Romans 8, 36, For
thy sake we are killed all the day long. For Christ's sake,
have this power over you. You become a servant to God's
people for His sake. Listen to what Paul said in 2
Corinthians 4, 5. He said, We preach not ourselves, but Christ
Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves, your servants, for Jesus' sake. I become a servant to you, truly,
for I'm your servant. for the Lord's sake. And then in our text, I love
what Paul says, Be kind, gracious. Be kind, gracious. Boy, it's
a good thing to be kind, isn't it? Tender-hearted. Tender-hearted. Not hard-nosed.
But tender-hearted. Compassionate as opposed to harsh. Forgiving one another. Forgiving
completely one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, had
forgiven you. Now, here's the statement I want
to make, and I believe this with all my heart when I'm getting
ready to say it. I believe this. This is the most powerful force
in the universe, for Christ's sake. It's the most powerful
force with God. Look what He does for Christ's
sake. Oh, what He does for Christ's sake. And it's the most powerful
force to the believer. We do what we do for Christ's
sake. Does that have power over you?
For Christ's sake. Our Lord knows He will soon be crucified. And a woman by the name of Mary
took a very expensive alabaster box of ointment, perfume, and
she broke it and she poured it upon the feet of the Master. And one of the disciples said,
Why this waste? I mean, that could have been
sold for three hundred dollars out of the year's wages and given
to the poor. There's nothing practical about
this. Why this waste? And I believe the other disciples
chimed in with her. Yeah, why this waste? They criticized her for this. Would you be one of the people
criticizing? Would I be? If you love Christ. You know, that's not a waste. The Lord said, let her alone. She had wrought a good work on
me, and you know what I think is very interesting? That's the
only work that the Lord ever called good during his earthly
ministry. She's the only one. Let her alone. She hath wrought
a good work on me. No sacrifice is too great for
Christ's sake. Amen? Amen. Let's pray.

For Christ's Sake

What does the Bible say about forgiveness?

How do we know God forgives us?

Why is Christ's sacrifice important for Christians?

What does it mean to forgive for Christ's sake?

How does God's forgiveness influence our lives?

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For Christ's Sake

What does the Bible say about forgiveness?

How do we know God forgives us?

Why is Christ's sacrifice important for Christians?

What does it mean to forgive for Christ's sake?

How does God's forgiveness influence our lives?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

Comments

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