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 HOW
TO BE
FORGIVEN FROM SIN
by: Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
SIN
- AN UGLY THREE LETTER WORD
"For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
Thousands
of y ears ago, King David stated: "He that confesseth and forsaketh
his sin shall have mercy, but he that covereth his sin shall not
prosper." (Proverbs 28:13)
The
Bible states emphatically, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
"But
if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all
sin." (1 John 1:7)
SIN
IS REAL - WE ARE ALL SINNERS
Sin
is real, says famed psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger. The highly acclaimed
psychiatrist is distressed by modern society's failure to understand that
many of man's problems are caused by sin.
It
annoys him to hear people discuss morality without so much as mentioning
the word "SIN".
WHEN
WE DISCOVER THE ROOT OF OUR PROBLEMS - WE CAN DEAL WITH THEM
Menninger
believes that in order to raise civilization's moral tone and deal with
depression, anxiety and worry, people must learn the root cause of their
problems.
And
the root cause in many instances is a person's unwillingness to take
responsibility for his own actions, but rather lay the blame on someone -
or something - else!
Several
decades ago, George W. Cornell of the Associated Press (AP) wrote a
column titled 'Word Sin Disappears But Remains A Fact', in which he
quoted at great length Dr. Karl Menninger's beliefs on this subject.
ARE
IMMORALITY & UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR SIN?
"He
says the realities of personal guilt and sin have been glossed over as
symptoms of emotional illness or environmental conditioning for which the
individual is not considered responsible, but he adds:
"There
is sin...which cannot be subsumed under verbal artifacts such as
'disease', 'delinquency', 'deviancy'. There is immorality. There is
unethical behavior. There is wrong doing."
WHATEVER
BECAME OF SIN?
Cornell
states: "He calls for a reaffirmation of the concept of sin and of
personal responsibility for it. " In a new book published by
Hawthorne called 'Whatever Became of Sin?' he declares:
"In
the concept of personal responsibility and answerability for ourselves
and for others were to return to common acceptance, hope would return to
the world with it."
We
have the father of psycho-analysis, Sigmund Freud - who was battling his
own weird and kinky imaginations and habits - to thank for much of that!
The
founder of the Menninger Centre in Topeka, Kansas, is seeking to correct
the situation by addressing the problem.
SIN
HAS A DEFIANT, DISLOYAL QUALITY
His
latest book, Whatever Became of Sin?, describes the subject as "a
transgression of the law of God; disobedience of the divine will; moral
failure...Sin has a defiant, or disloyal quality; someone is defiled or
offended or hurt."
Modern
psychiatry often lets people off the hook. And failure to bring offenders
face to face with their error could produce a sense of vindication,
without coming to grips with the problem; the need to change lifestyles.
ACCEPTING
RESPONSIBILITY & REPENTING BRINGS FREEDOM FROM GUILT & ANXIETY
Menninger
has successfully treated thousands of clients for more than a half
century and has proven that acceptance of responsibility coupled with
repentance, often brings freedom from guilt and anxiety. The refusal to
confront the problem only compounds it by giving at the very best,
temporary relief.
Thousands
of years ago, King David stated: "He that confesseth and forsaketh
his sin shall have mercy, but he that covereth his sin shall not
prosper." (Proverbs 28:13)
FORGIVENESS
IS THE KEY TO MENTAL HEALTH
Forgiveness
is vital to good mental health. We must forgive others if we expect God
to forgive us, as well as being able to forgive ourselves.
A
leading psychiatrist noted that 90% of the mentally ill could be
immediately well if they were able to forgive themselves and others and
to receive forgiveness!
It
is difficult for an individual to forgive himself without the assurance
that God has forgiven him.
That
is why the gospel - CONFESSION, REPENTANCE and FORGIVENESS - is so
relevant and necessary!
IF
WE CONFESS OUR SIN GOD IS FAITHFUL TO FORGIVE OUR SIN
The
Bible states emphatically: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) "But if
we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all
sin." (1 John 1:7)
Some
health officials, in explaining their AIDS program, go to great lengths
promoting condoms, as well as sexual abstinence. Then they usually add:
"THIS IS NOT A MORAL ISSUE".
How
ridiculous. Of course it's a moral issue!
If
our young people had higher morals there wouldn't be such a problem with
drug abuse, fornication or homosexual problems which puts them at risk
for the AIDS virus.
A
RISE IN MORAL VALUES WOULD DECREASE SEXUAL DISEASES
If
people were more moral and stuck with the Bible standard of "one
woman -- one man", there wouldn't be such a dramatic increase in
sexually transmitted diseases.
A
RISE IN MORAL VALUES WOULD ELIMINATE SO MUCH SIN
It
goes without saying, violence would be almost non-existent and crime,
rape and child abuse would drop drastically.
WHAT
THE WORLD NEEDS IS A MORAL REVOLUTION!
There
are signs that a moral revolution is coming. During an earlier Canadian
election, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was accused of lying.
Constituents were sending politicians the message: "We won't
tolerate dishonesty."
MORAL
VALUES ARE NECESSARY FOR A THRIVING ECONOMY
During
the last general election in Canada, Prime Minister Jean Chretien was
accused of breaking three earlier election promises which included the
promise to scrap the hated "GST". In the recent US
Presidential election, nearly all candidates were speaking about values.
Why? People understand that a sense of moral values is not only
important, but necessary.
America's
annual "SIN BILL" topped more than a half a trillion dollars in
1987.
Dr.
Charles Ewing of The National Statesman said that Americans spent $144
billion for liquor, $177 billion on gambling, $110 billion on drugs, $73
billion on tobacco and $40 billion on pornography!
TEENAGERS,
OUR GREATEST COMMODITY - are being threatened by violence, murder, drugs,
alcoholism & suicide.
An
article by Dr. Robert Blum in the Journal of American Medical Association
states: "Over the past 30 years, adolescents have been the only
population in the US who have not experienced improvement in their health
status."
According
to Blum, 77% of adolescent deaths were caused by accidents and violence,
including self-inflicted violence. And there was a shocking four-fold
increase in suicides & murders!
A
US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report states: "Of
the 10,250 kids born today...one will die and four will sustain serious
or crippling injuries in an alcohol related crash before they reach the
age of 24."
A
SERIOUS WARNING - "THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH"
This
is a very sobering, serious warning about sin, accidents and death! May
we all take a lesson from these tragic statistics, realizing that
"The wages of sin is death."
WHAT
MUST I DO TO BE FORGIVEN OF MY SINS?
You
may say, "All you have stated is true! But what must I do to be
forgiven and freed from my sins?" The Bible says, "If we
confess our sins (to God) He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". (1 John 1:9)
George
W. Cornell writes: "Menninger says that just as it is inadequate for
a clergyman to give only pastoral counseling to a schizophrenic, it is
inadequate for a psychiatrist to treat a symptom like sleeplessness of a
man involved in wicked rascality."
REPENTANCE
OF SIN IS VALUABLE!
"It
does little good to repent a symptom, but it may do great harm not to
repent a sin. Vice-versa, it does little good to merely psychoanalyze a
sin and sometimes a great harm to ignore a symptom."
He
says recognizing the fact of voluntarily willed sin is "the only
hopeful view", since it implies the possibility of repenting and
correcting it. He adds:
"The
logical reasonable effective solution for tension reduction in such
circumstances is to make atonement, as the theologians call it, or as we
say, by restitution, acknowledgement and revised tactics."
As
the situation now is "vague amorphous evil appears all around
us" with the presumption that "no one is responsible, no one
guilty" and that there is 'just nothing to do'. BUT, THERE IS
SOMETHING WE CAN DO!
THE
BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN
"But
if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all
sin". (1 John 1:7)
The
Bible says: "... But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord". (Romans 6:23)
HOW
DO I INVITE JESUS CHRIST
INTO MY LIFE?
Pray
to God, a prayer - from your heart.
Tell Him that you are a sinner and that you need forgiveness.
Tell him that you believe Jesus Christ died for your sins.
Tell him that you are willing to change, to turn away from sin.
Ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life and be your
personal Saviour.
"But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name." (John 1:12)
"Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2
Corinthians 5:17)
WOULD
YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART TODAY?
PRAY
THIS PRAYER NOW TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST IN YOUR HEART
"Dear
Heavenly Father,
I
ask for Thy great mercy and grace. I acknowledge my sinfulness and
confess that I cannot save myself. I believe the GOOD NEWS that
Jesus paid the penalty for m sins, through His vicarious death on the
cross."
"I
believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead according to the Scriptures
and He has the power and authority to forgive my sins and save my soul.
I repent of my sins and am willing to forsake them with the help of the
Holy Spirit."
"I
now renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways and I now
receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, my Master and my God.
Come into my heart and save me now, for Christs' sake. Thank you
Lord, for saving my soul. In Jesus precious' name, I pray."
Amen.
If
you prayed and ask Jesus Christ into your heart - YOU HAVE NOW
RECEIVED THE GIFT OF SALVATION - YOU HAVE BECOME A CHILD OF GOD.
God Bless You.
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Bible
Scriptures verses on
sins
& judgment (King James Version)
 Hebrews
10:30-31 -
(kjv) - "I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again,
The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to
fall into the hands of the living God."
John
3:18 - (kjv)
- "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that
believed not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God.
1
John 1:9 -
(kjv) - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1
John 3:4 -
(kjv) - Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for
sin is the transgression of the law.
Mark
3:28-29 - (kjv)
- "Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the
sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall
blaspheme: Nut he that shall blaspheme against the Holy
Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal
damnation.
Hebrews
10:26 - (kjv)
- For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge
of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.
1
John 5:16 -
(kjv) - If any man sees his brother sin a sin [which is] not unto
death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin
not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that
he shall pray for it.
Proverbs
28:13 - (kjv)
- "He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy,
but he that covereth his sin shall not prosper.
1
John 1:7 -
(kjv) - But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanseth us from all sin."
Isaiah
59:2 - (kjv)
- But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and
your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Romans
3:23
- (kjv) - "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God;"
John
14:15
- (kjv) - "If
ye love me, keep my commandments"
Exodus
15:26
- (kjv) - "And
said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy
God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give
ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put
none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the
Egyptians: for I AM the LORD that healeth thee."
Romans
6:23
- (kjv) - The
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
1
John 2:3-4 -
(kjv) - And
hereby we do know that we know him, of we keep his commandments.
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a
liar, and the truth is not in him."
Psalms
103:3 -
(kjv) - Who
forgiveth all thine iniquies; who healeth all thy diseases,
Ezekiel
18:20 -
(kjv) - The
soul that sinneth, it shall die.
3
John 1:2 -
(kjv) - Beloved,
I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health,
even as thy soul prospereth.
1
John 5:14-15
- (kjv)
- And
this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us: .. And if we know that
he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we desired of him.
Philippians
2:13 -
(kjv) - For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.
Romans
8:32 -
(kjv) -
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?
Jeremiah
30:17 - (kjv) - For I will restore health unto thee, and I will
heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD: becuase they called thee
an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Bible
Scriptures verses on
Faith &
hope (kings james version)
Romans
12:12
- Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing
instant in prayer;
Jeremiah
29:11
- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Romans
15:13
- Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy
Ghost.
Deuteronomy
31:6
- Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them:
for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not
fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Romans
5:2
- By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Isaiah
40:31
- But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be
weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah
41:10
- Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am]
thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will
uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Psalms
39:7 -
And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope [is] in thee.
Mark
9:23 -
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are]
possible to him that believeth.
1
Corinthians 13:13
- And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these [is] charity.
Romans
8:24
- For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for
what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Proverbs
23:18 -
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut
off.
Proverbs
10:28
- The hope of the righteous [shall be] gladness: but the expectation
of the wicked shall perish.
Romans
8:25
- But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience
wait for [it]
Jeremiah
17:7
- Blessed [is] the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the
LORD is.
Psalms
71:14
- But I will hope continually, and yet will praise thee more and
more.
Romans
10:17
- So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
James
2:19 -
Thou believest that there in one God; thou doest well: the devils
also believe, and tremble.
Hebrews
11:6
- But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.
Matthew
21:22
- And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye
shall receive.
Mark
11:22-24 -
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Ephesians
2:8-9
- For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
Luke
1:37
- For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Hebrews
11:1
- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.
1
Corinthians 2:5
- That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God.
Proverbs
3:5-6
- Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine
own understanding.
James
2:24
- Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith
only.
James
2:14
- What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath
faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
2
Corinthians 5:7 -
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Psalms
46:10
- Be still, and know that [I am] God: I will be exalted among the
heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
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Faith
- Hope - Success - Determination 
