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Can God Really Forgive Me?

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Introduction

• “God could never forgive me, I’ve done some awful things”

• How many times do you think that has passed through the minds of mankind?

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The Prodigal Son

• Lk. 15:11-32• Lk. 15:17• “And when he came to himself,

he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”

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“Bread enough and to spare”

• I. God has never been stingy with His blessings:

• (“Bread enough and to spare”)• 1. He fed Israel manna in

abundance2. The widow who shared a meal with Elijah was richly blessed

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“Bread enough and to spare”

• 3. Jesus fed 5000 (plus women and children) – 12 baskets left

• 4. Jesus fed 4000 – 7 baskets left

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Man

• When we think of man and the many sins he is guilty of, we can hardly understand how a single sinner can be saved

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God

• When we think of God and see the greatness of His love, we have a hard time understanding how anyone could turn from God and be lost

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Rom. 8:32

• He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

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Ps. 84:11

• For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

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How about you?

• Have your sins been too shocking and to frequent?

• Is your case a difficult one when it comes to your sins?

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How about you?

• God made you (Gen. 1:28) and he can remake you

• 2 Cor. 5:17• “Therefore if any man be in

Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

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How about you?

• He can cleanse you• He has the power to save• Is. 59:1• “Behold, the LORD's hand is not

shortened, that it cannot save”

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How about you?

• If you have never obeyed the gospel, God can save you if you will repent and obey His commandments

• If you are a Christian God will forgive you if you repent and confess your sins

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Is. 55:7

• Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

15Some Examples From The New Testament

• 1. Publicans & Sinners• Lk. 15:1-2• “Then drew near unto him all the

publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.”

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Lk. 19:10

• For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

17Some Examples From The New Testament

• 2. Sinful woman of Lk. 7• Lk. 7:48• “And he said unto her, Thy sins

are forgiven.”

18Some Examples From The New Testament

• 3. Woman taken in adultery – Jn. 8

• Jn. 8:11 • “Go and sin no more”

19Some Examples From The New Testament

• 4. The traitor – Peter• Mt. 26:72• “I do not know the man”• Did Jesus keep him on

probation?

20Some Examples From The New Testament

• Peter preached the first gospel sermon as recorded in Acts 2

• He wrote two books of the N.T. and was an elder in the church

21Some Examples From The New Testament

• 5. Those whose hands were stained with the blood of Jesus

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Acts 2:38

• “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

23Some Examples From The New Testament

• 6. Some In Corinth- 1 Cor. 6:9-10• “Know ye not that the unrighteous

shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

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1 Cor. 6:9-10

• [10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

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1 Cor. 6:11

• “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God”

26Some Examples From The New Testament

• 7. Saul of Tarsus• A blasphemer of God• Persecutor and murderer of

Christians

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1 Tim. 1:13-14

• “Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus”

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In Conclusion

• Can God forgive you? YES• Do you want to be forgiven?

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References

• Tract by Allen Webster