Forgiveness and the Cross, January 13, 2008 am

“Forgiveness and the Cross”
Colossians 1:19-23

Introduction:
A. The cross of Jesus Christ declares certain things as well.
I Cor. 1:22-24 we’re told: "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."

Colossians 1:19-23
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell. 20 And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven. 21 And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish, and without charge in His sight, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was proclaimed in all the creation under Heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Proposition: The Cross is an enduring reminder that forgiveness is essential to every human being.

I. The Cross declares that there’s Sin to be Shed.
TEXT 2:21 “And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,..
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

When you are confronted with this declaration of the cross you will do one of five things.
First four are mistakes..


II. The Cross declares that there is a Price to be Paid
Romans 5:6-8 For we yet being without strength, in due time for the ungodly. For one will with difficulty die for a righteous one, yet perhaps one would even dare to die for a good one. But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

A. And that cost is restitution
Romans 6:23 "the wages of sin is death..."
TEXT 20 And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him

III. The Cross declares there is a Hope to be Had.

A. The cross also declares to us that God loves us.
John 3:16 tells us "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…"

"He paid a debt He did not owe;
I owed a debt I could not pay.
I needed someone to wash my sins away.
And now I sing a brand new song; Amazing Grace!’
Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay."

TEXT 21-22 “And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish, and without charge in His sight,”

IV. The Cross declares there is a Life to be Lived.
Romans 6:1-6 “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin"

A. The cross justifies us.
TEXT 22 Christ will “present you holy and without blemish, and without charge in His sight, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard

Conclusion: Have you listened to the declarations of the Cross and received His forgiveness?
Illustration: Father’s Love Letter video