Sermon Notes

THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD

MARK 3:20-30

“There is none who does good, not even one.”—Psalm 14:3b, 53:3b

“None is righteous, no not one.”—Romans 3:10

“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”—Psalm 86:5

MARK 3:20-30

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

1. GOD IS A FORGIVING GOD
   
   

    

   
   

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”—Lamentations 3:23-23

FORGIVENESS: the removal of the guilt and shame of sin—past, present and future

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter.”—Mark 3:28

1. God’s forgiveness is available in Christ

• “Truly, I say to you…” (v.28a)

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”—Ephesians 1:7

1. God’s forgiveness is available to cover ALL sin

• “all sins will be forgiven…” (v.28b)

“All sins will be forgiven. The sins of youth and age. The sins of head, hand, tongue, and imagination. The sins against all God’s commandments. The sins of persecutors like Saul, the sins of idolator’s like Manasseh, the sins of open enemies of Christ like the Jews who crucified Him, the sins of backsliders from Christ like Peter—all may be forgiven. The blood of Christ can cleanse all away. The righteousness of Christ can cover all, and hide all from God’s eyes.”—J.C. Ryle

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”—Micah 7:18-19

1. God’s forgiveness is available to every human being

“And he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’”—Luke 24:46-47

1. GOD’S FORGIVENESS CAN BE REJECTED

Mark 3:29-30

but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

1) Forgiveness can only be received in response to the Holy Spirit’s work of convincing and convicting

2) You may reject the convincing and convicting work of the Holy Spirit

What is this sin that can never be forgiven? To willfully and habitually reject the Holy Spirit’s witness about the person and work of Jesus Christ

“It is not a single act but a habitual action and attitude…The unforgivable sin is the stubborn refusal to acknowledge that God is working and has worked in the man Jesus.”—James A. Brooks