The Freedom of Forgiveness

Announcer (Female): Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham.
Jack Graham: We are free of guilt. We are free of the power and the grip of sin. We are free of the fear and the power of evil. We are free, and God made every one of us to live free in Him.
Announcer (Female): On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about the freedom Jesus gives you to forgive others. Now here's Dr. Graham with his message, The Freedom of Forgiveness.
Jack Graham: I want to talk to you today on the subject, The Freedom of Forgiveness. The freedom of forgiveness. Now, there are certain things that you ought never to forget. Like your wedding anniversary. A man was sitting behind the newspaper drinking coffee and guzzling down, slurping down his breakfast. He was not paying any attention to his wife at the breakfast table. Finally she had had enough, so she just pulled his paper down, looked him right in the eye and said, "You don't even know what day today is, do you?" Immediately he was panic-stricken. But he covered and said, "I know what day it is. How could I forget this day?" So he hustled off to work and he began making phone calls on his cell phone to the office and in the afternoon, his wife received 12 long-stem red roses. A little later on, a beautiful black negligee. A little later on came a box of chocolates. And so when he came home that evening and walked through the door, he noticed something was different. There was candlelight everywhere. There was a white tablecloth, and he smelled a wonderful meal and his wife came and embraced him and welcomed him. I mean, she just was knocked out beautifully dressed and it was just amazing. They sat down and had this beautiful meal and she looked at him and said, "Sweetheart, thank you for making this the best Groundhog Day ever." You know there are some things you ought to remember to forget. And there are other things you must not forget to remember. Is it not amazing some of the things that we remember that we ought to forget? For example, about 40 years ago when I was in junior high, maybe more. No, that's about right. I learned a little song. Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight? When your mama says not to chew it, do you swallow it in spite? Can you catch it on your tonsils and heave it left and right? Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight? Now, how do I remember that? That stupid song is still in my head. They say, you know, you never forget anything. Your brain just sort of sucks it all in and keeps it until somehow you can recover it. I can remember that stupid song, but I can't remember the scripture I memorized yesterday. There are some things that we need to remember. And of course we remember those things, these things that are important, by repeating them and rehearsing them again and again and again. So turn in your Bibles to Second Peter chapter 1. Now remember freedom is bought and paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ at his cross. And freedom is not about your rights, but freedom is about what is right. One man said, "No man can become free until he has become a slave of something higher and greater than himself." We are slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is how Peter identifies himself in chapter 1 and verse 1, "A slave, a bond-servant, an apostle of Jesus Christ." We have been set free by the power of Jesus and His forgiveness. The Bible says the Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. We are set free. We are free of guilt. We are free of the power and the grip of sin. We are free of the fear and the power of evil. We are free, and God made every one of us to live free in Him. He said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." And that freedom of forgiveness of just living in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ is the only way to live and it is the only way to die. In so, in Second Peter chapter 1, verses 12 and 13, Peter writes, "For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yet, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent," he was not talking about a pup tent, he was talking about his tent, the body. He said, "As long as I'm here in this body, I want to stir up and remind you of some things. Knowing that shortly, I must put off my tent." In other words, "I'm pulling up stakes and packing my tent and I'm heading home to heaven, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease." He said, "Long after I'm gone, I want you to be reminded of these important spiritual truths and lessons." It is the lesson that we need to learn and keep learning, so that when we live in the freedom of forgiveness, we will not fall back, but rather we will keep moving forward in our freedom and living in that freedom. And so that's why he said, "I've written this book." Now this Second Peter is the last book that Simon Peter gave us. And it's an important book because these are his final words. Here was a man who walked with Jesus faithfully as an apostle, following Him as Lord and King. He knew something about failure in his own life. But now Peter no longer is impetuous and impulsive, but he is in filled and infused with the power of Jesus Christ. And he said, "Here are some things that I've learned sometimes the hard way." Remember when he denied Christ three times, and he was so broken up because of his failure and because of his fall when he was ashamed of Jesus. He said, "I've learned some things along the way in my sin and in my recovery and restoration that I want to remind you never to forget." What are they? Four things, very briefly. He said, "I want you to remember the reason for the Christian life." That's why he said, "For this reason," in verse 12. "What reason? What is the reason for the Christian life?" Well, verse 3, earlier in the passage, he talks about the divine power of Jesus Christ. And that we have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. Do you see it there? And then look down in verse 4, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. Partakers of the divine nature. Did you know that when you become a Christian, the divine nature of Christ begins living in you? You were dead in trespasses and sin, dead. But now you're made alive and the very spirit of the living Christ lives in you. You have been made a partaker of the divine nature, and therefore the reason that we live, the reason for the Christian life is that we continue to grow and develop as believers in Christ. It's wonderful that some of you have come to Christ for the first time, that you've been introduced to Jesus Christ. Some of you say, "Well, I've met Jesus for the first time." That is fantastic, but this is just the beginning. Because as you now know Christ in your life, as the Spirit of the living Lord is in you, now is time to remember the reason. And the reason is that you, the goal of Christ in your life, what is it? It is to be like Him. God is forming in you the very person, the likeness of Christ. And your whole purpose and plan for life is in Christ. And somebody may be thinking, "Well, I can't live like Christ. I can't do this. I'm not even going to try because it's just too hard." Remember, God would never command you to do anything that you could not do. When God guides, He provides, and you have the living Spirit of Christ in you, and therefore you are to remember that. Remember the reason, but also remember the resources that He has given you. That's verse 3 again. He says, "You've been given all things that pertain to life and godliness." In other words, when Christ came to live in you, you are fully equipped to grow up in Christ. Just as a baby, a healthy baby is born with the capacity to grow. The baby's a little guy or a little girl, but everything is developing, genetically planned, divinely programmed to grow up. I mean, we're not born like pollywogs where we grow stuff later. But we have all of the capacity to grow within us. Now in Christ, we have the capacity to grow and we are promised that if we will commit to Him and give due diligence to growing our faith, that we can become more and more and more like Christ. All things. Christ is sufficient. Christ is all. It's not Christ plus anything. It's not Christ plus an emotional experience. It's not Christ plus Bible study, though the Bible study is so very important and the Word of God will be added to your life. But it's not Christ plus secular psychology. Every need you have is found and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And you know the biggest need that every one of us have is forgiveness. Forgiveness. And then to live in the freedom of that forgiveness, in Christ and Christ alone.
Announcer (Female): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, The Freedom of Forgiveness. Did you know that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotion? It's a study of God's Word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life. To sign up, text `DIVO` to 59789 and begin receiving Dr. Graham's devotional every day. Again, text `DIVO` to 59789. Every day people are hearing the truth of Jesus Christ through PowerPoint's broadcast, podcast, and digital outreach. Some are discovering the truth of the Gospel for the very first time. Others are learning to trust God more deeply, and friends like you help make it all possible through your support. That's why this month, we want to say thanks for your gift of $10 or more by sending you Dr. Jack Graham's book, `Choices`. In this encouraging resource, Dr. Graham shares practical wisdom from God's Word to help you make decisions with confidence, clarity, and faith. To give your gift and request your copy, text `AUGUST` to 59789. Please limit one per household. Again, text `AUGUST` to 59789. Now, let's get back to today's message, The Freedom of Forgiveness.
Jack Graham: So everything that that we need to live a godly life and not fall back, some of you are already thinking, you know, "I've made real commitments to Christ in recent days. How do I know I'm not going to fall down? How do I know I'm not going to go the other way? How do I know that I can keep going forward and not fall?" Because that's what Peter is talking about. He says later on in the passage that we've been cleansed from our sin, verse 10. And then if you do these things, you will never stumble. You don't have to stumble, fail, and fall. Peter was saying, "You don't need to make the terrible mistakes that I made. If you will remember the reason." The reason for the Christian life is to become more and more like Christ. "If you will remember the resources," and that is we've been given all things in Jesus Christ that pertain to life and godliness. But you also need to remember the resistance. That's why Peter wrote down in verse 4, the last sentence of verse 4, you see that there? It says, "We have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Now, the world is a system that shapes many people. That's why the Bible says, "Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Too many of us are being conformed to the world rather than being transformed by the Word of God. We're to be different than the world. We're to look different, talk differently, dress differently. But rather we are to live in our hearts having escaped the corruption, the rottenness of the world system. Not talking about the world that Jesus loves and died for. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son." God loves people, all people. But the world is the antichrist, antigod system. This world is hostile to God and is no friend to grace. And so there's this resistance. I mean, God doesn't take us on to heaven, He leaves us in the world, and as long as we're in this world, the Bible says in First John chapter 2 that the world and all this in it, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, that's the world. We're constantly engaging the world. And we're either being shaped by the world or shaped by the Word, the Word of Christ. And that's why in this passage of scripture, if you don't want to be shaped by the world and sucked in to the world system and go back in the wrong direction and start living for the world and the things of this world that do not love Christ, if you want to keep going and live for the kingdom of God, He said in verse 5, look at it. Look at verse 5. "But also for this reason, giving diligence, add to your faith." Add to your faith. Remember I said earlier, this is just the beginning of faith for some of you. For some of you, you've been in the faith a long time, maybe since you were little children. But you have not been adding to your faith. You have not been building on the foundation and the forgiveness of your faith. He says, "Give diligence to this." And that means intensely, dedicated to it. Some of you are dedicated and diligent to sports. You're diligent to video games. You're diligent to your social life, but you're not diligent to grow your faith. But he said, "If you don't want to fall backwards, you must be diligent." Not doing things half-heartedly, but wholeheartedly, not presenting God things that are just half-baked but all the way. Add to your faith. Just like you want to get in shape physically. Too many times people promise, "You know, I'm going to get in shape. I'm going to start eating better. I'm going to start exercising." They go out, they put on the running suit they got for Christmas. They go out and they run like crazy, they're pumping iron, and the next day they hurt so bad. What doesn't hurt doesn't work. And they quit. But others commit and stay with it and give diligence to it. They stay after it. They get after it, and as a result physically they change. What we need today is to add to our faith muscle, spiritual muscle, that we may grow and develop stronger, better, more muscular in our faith every single day. And he said the way to do that is to add to your faith. Look what he said to add. "Virtue," that's moral character and strength. "Knowledge," that's wisdom and discernment, how to make good and godly decisions. "Self-control," that's especially self-control related to our passions sexually. "Endurance," which means perseverance. And then "godliness," which is reverence and worship. And "kindness," brotherly kindness, which means fellowship and friendships and relationship in the body of Christ, the church. And then "love," the agape love of Christ, the love of sacrifice, the love of the cross. He said, "Here's the list." Does that sound familiar that list by the way, it's akin to the fruit of the Spirit, isn't it? It's the character of Christ being formed in us. So it's moral excellence, and it's knowledge, and it's self-control, and it's love, and it's brotherly love, and all of this God has given us in order that we might experience victory over the world. We do have resistance, but that resistance can be overcome. And there's one final thing that Peter says, and that is to remember the reward. Remember the reward. Now don't miss this. For he says, "If you do these things," down in verse 10, "you will have an entrance," verse 11, "supplied to you abundantly in the everlasting kingdom of the Lord." An abundant entrance into heaven. It's a word picture that Peter used, he'd seen this no doubt many times when Olympian athletes would return from a victory to their town, and there would be parades and cheers. There would be an abundant entrance back into the town. They were excited because of the championship that was won. Peter is saying, "If you live like this, if you live in freedom and forgiveness and faith, you're to remember the reason that you're to be like Christ. You're to remember those resources that you have, that you can grow, everything you need to grow. That you can remember the resistance. Know that you're in for a spiritual battle. And add to your faith therefore, the strength that you need to win. Then you will have this abundant entrance into heaven. You'll be rewarded. Not everybody is going to have an abundant entrance into heaven. Some people are going to barely get there. They're saved, but barely saved. But if you win for Jesus Christ, He said, "If you don't stumble and fall, you're going to have an abundant entrance into heaven. It's freedom." Someone encouraged me to watch several years ago the edited TV version of Braveheart, and I did that. It was a story of William Wallace, and some of you, of course, know that story. You may not know that William Wallace was a great believer in Jesus Christ and a servant of God. And it came time to die because of his beliefs and because he would not recant certain things to the king. And so the final scene of that movie, he is in his prison cell and he's praying because he's to be executed the next day. And as he's praying, he's praying, "Oh God, let me die well. God give me courage to die." So they brought him out the next day for the execution. They gave him a choice. They said, "Look, if you will recant before the king right now, we will kill you quickly and put you out of your misery. But if you don't, we're going to torture you to death." He would not recant, so they put him on the rack. History tells us that he was tortured to death. He was put on the rack, and you'll remember there on the rack, if you happened to have seen this, as they're as they're pulling him joint from joint, he did not cry out. As they begin disemboweling him, he did not cry out. But as he was ready to die, he summoned all the courage and strength and faith that he could, and with one final word, he cried out, "Freedom!" William Wallace had an abundant entrance into heaven. You can have that same abundant entrance by knowing and following Jesus Christ.
Announcer (Female): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, The Freedom of Forgiveness. Let me remind you about an encouraging resource Dr. Jack Graham created to help you navigate life with biblical wisdom. It's his book, `Choices`, which comes as our thanks for your gift of $10 or more. When you give today to support the outreach of PowerPoint Ministries, you'll help share biblical truth and the life-changing hope of Jesus with people around the world through broadcast, podcast, and digital ministry. To give your gift and request your copy, text `AUGUST` to 59789. So that everyone has a chance to take advantage of this limited offer, please limit to one per household. Again, text `AUGUST` to 59789. And thank you for helping share the hope of Christ with a world that desperately needs Him. Did you know that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotion? It's a study of God's Word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life. To sign up, text `DIVO` to 59789 and begin receiving Dr. Graham's devotional every day. Again, text `DIVO` D-I-V-O to 59789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?
Narrator (Male): In Second Peter, the Apostle talks about four things we need to keep in mind to truly live the kind of life that God has called us to live. First, it's important to remember the reason for the Christian life. As followers of Jesus, you and I are called to grow and to develop. And the moment you become a Christian, something wonderful begins to happen. The divine nature of Christ is living in you and you are now a brand new person, a new creation. But this is just the beginning, because the goal of the Christian life is to become more like Christ, step by step, day by day. This is the reason for the Christian life, that we can be born again and then grow up in our faith. The second way to live the kind of life that God wants you to live is to remember the resources that God has given you in Christ. In Him, you have the capacity to grow up and develop, and you must take responsibility to access all the resources that are provided for you: the Word of God, prayer, the church. And then we should discipline ourselves to develop in our faith so that we can become more and more like Christ. Third, it's important to remember that we will face resistance when our goal is to honor God. But thank God, He has given us His Word. He has given us the presence and the power of His Spirit so that we can experience victory over any resistance we face. And finally, the way to live a life that God desires us to live is to remember the reward of heaven. Now, maybe today you'd admit that you're not sure you'd go to heaven if you died. And if so, I'd like to invite you to pray a prayer of faith right now and invite Christ into your life. Simply but sincerely pray like this: "Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned and broken Your commandments. But I turn from my sin and I trust in You. I believe You died for me and rose again. And right now, I receive You as my Lord, my Savior, my Master, and my Friend. Come into my life, Lord Jesus, and may I live for You in the power of Your Spirit until You come for me." Now if you will pray and receive Christ into your life, I want to welcome you into the family of God.
Announcer (Female): Today if you prayed that prayer with Dr. Graham, text us so we can get you started in your new life with Christ. Text the word `JESUS` to 59789. That's `JESUS` to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about why being overlooked by people doesn't mean you're being overlooked by God. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.