Fearless Forgiveness

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I want to invite you to take out your Bibles and turn with me to Genesis chapter 50 and look at verse 15.
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Today's passage is verses 15 to 21 and we're going to be talking about the subject of fearless forgiveness.
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Before we read I have just a few comments that I would like to make.
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Because when we talk about the subject of forgiveness I am very confident that we are talking about a subject which is often perplexing in the minds of many people, especially many believers.
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We know that we have been called to be people who forgive and we know that our forgiveness of others is based on the fact that we have been forgiven.
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The Christian faith revolves around the concept of forgiveness, without it there would be no Christian faith.
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Yet even though this subject is so foundational to our faith it's often accompanied by a myriad of questions and often these questions surround how we are to forgive others and in what way does forgiveness look when someone has wronged us.
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But it also is that the question of forgiveness often surrounds our forgiveness with God.
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We know that for those who are in Christ they are forgiven.
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According to the Bible there is therefore now what? No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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Yet very often I find myself in situations where people will come to me with the question, pastor how can I know that I have been forgiven? Or how do I live in light of forgiveness? And it's more common than you realize over the years I have had several people confide in me while we were talking privately that they are fearful because they believe in Christ yet they have a hard time believing that he is so gracious that he could forgive all of their sins knowing the depth of their own depravity.
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And they fear that in some way God is still holding their sins against them.
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Well this type of fear is actually exemplified in the text that we are going to read today.
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The brothers of Joseph sinned grievously against him.
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Joseph forgave them completely and yet they still do not believe it.
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And they know that Joseph has the power to condemn them.
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Joseph is second command in all of Egypt at one single word he can have them enslaved, he can have them imprisoned, he can have them executed without any compromise or question.
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And they assume now that their father has died that Joseph is going to want his pound of flesh.
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So they concoct a plan to ensure his forgiveness without realizing they already have it.
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They have full forgiveness but they live in fear.
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Let's stand and read beginning at verse 15.
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When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil we did to him.
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So they sent a message to Joseph saying, Your father gave this command before he died, say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin because they did evil to you.
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And now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.
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Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
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His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, Behold, we are your servants.
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But Joseph said to them, Do not fear for am I in the place of God.
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As for you, you meant evil against me.
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But God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today.
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So do not fear.
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I will provide for you and your little ones.
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Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
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Father in heaven, I thank you for your word.
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I pray even now that you would keep me from error as I preach.
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As a fallible man, I pray that you would keep me from falling into failure and falling into error.
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And I pray, Lord, that I would preach with the power of the spirit and preach as a dying man to dying men.
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Lord, as if it were the last time.
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Lord, may the gospel of Jesus Christ be the centerpiece of today's message.
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As we look at the forgiveness that comes through him.
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And I pray, Lord, for the believer that they would be comforted and for the unbeliever that they would be terrified to be outside of Christ.
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And I pray this in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Well, for those of you who are guests with us, and maybe this is your first day with us, you're actually coming in at the end of a three-year journey.
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I went back and looked it up this week.
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And we did our first sermon in Genesis in September of 2019.
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So it is now 2022.
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We're heading towards September.
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And my goal is to preach today's message and next week's message.
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And we will be completed.
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Now, the baby may change that if he decides to come early.
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But I keep asking him not to.
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I get down at the belly and I say, Listen, it's been three years, man.
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Please let me finish.
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So we got a plan.
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Me and Theo, we got a plan.
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We're gonna take at least two more weeks.
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How about Jennifer? Jennifer would give birth today if it were up to her.
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She is ready for him to make his debut.
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And I know many of you have not been here since we began.
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In fact, we have so many new folks, it almost feels like I need to start over.
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Because so many of you don't know the context and everything of where we are.
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And I'm not gonna start over.
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When I finish this, I'm going to Colossians.
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So we're gonna get back to the New Testament.
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But understand, context matters.
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And where we are matters in the text.
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And for those of you who have been here over the last three years.
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And you have walked through these messages with us.
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We've learned a lot.
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I mean, we've walked through the lives of all of the great patriarchs.
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We've looked at the life of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
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We've looked at the twelve sons of Jacob.
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And beginning a couple weeks ago, before I was out with my illness.
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Beginning a few weeks ago, we began to draw the book to a close.
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And we saw the death of Israel.
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Jacob, as you know, is his other name.
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And we saw on his deathbed, he was surrounded by his twelve sons.
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And he pronounced oracles over each of them.
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Some of them he gave negative proclamations toward.
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And some he gave positive promises to.
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And the two that received the most words from him were Judah.
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Who would receive the promise of the kingship.
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The scepter would not leave his hand.
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And of course we talked about the fact that that pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Who is the lion of the tribe of Judah.
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And the other one who received the greatest of the blessings was Joseph.
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Joseph actually had two of his sons adopted by Jacob.
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And they became full heirs with Jacob's other sons.
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And we know that they became tribes in the nation of Israel.
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The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
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Now once Israel gave those blessings, he died.
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And his sons wept over him, particularly Joseph.
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It says he cried over his father.
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The entire nation mourned over him.
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They embalmed him.
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They took his body to Canaan.
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They buried him alongside of Abraham and Isaac.
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And now the twelve sons are left without their patriarch.
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Their father is gone.
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And a sense of dread has fallen over the eleven.
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They know that they have sinned against their brother.
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They know that their sin against their brother was heinous.
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They remember his cries.
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When they were selling him, when he was in the pit.
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And then when they took him out of the pit.
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And they sold him to the Midianite traders.
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They remember that he was crying out for them to not do this evil thing.
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And so now they have not their father to hold back their brother's wrath.
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And in their mind they are concocting all of the unimaginable horrors.
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That they believe Joseph has been saving up.
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Our outline today is simple.
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Two point sermon.
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We are going to look at the fear of condemnation.
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That is verses 15 to 18.
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And then we are going to look at the assurance of forgiveness in verses 19 and 21.
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Let's look first at the fear of condemnation.
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It says in verse 15.
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When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead.
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They said it may be that Joseph will hate us.
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And pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.
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As I was reading this.
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And I was trying to think through and sort of read existentially.
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We are sort of putting my mind in the mind of the brothers.
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And sort of trying to imagine what they were thinking.
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I find it amazing that they can still feel this way.
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Understand this.
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Joseph has been with them for 17 years.
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That's how long they have been in Egypt.
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Remember Joseph was 17 when he was sold into slavery.
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He spent over 20 years.
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First in the house of Potiphar.
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Then in the prison.
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Then as the second in command to Pharaoh.
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But then when Joseph called his father back from Canaan.
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And his father came to live with him.
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It says in the text that his father lived with him for 17 years.
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So he has been in Egypt.
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He has been caring for his family.
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He has been supporting all of their needs.
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He's put them in the land of Goshen.
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The best of the land.
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The famine is far removed.
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The famine has been done now for over a decade.
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And yet they still feel that all of this has been a sham.
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Because for 17 years he's provided for them.
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He's loved them.
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He's fed them.
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He has given them everything good.
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And yet somehow they believe it's all been a ruse.
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He's just been waiting for daddy to get away.
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So that he could extract from us his revenge.
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Just for a moment I want you to consider how deep guilt and shame can be.
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Because that's what we're seeing here.
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The reason why the brothers feel this way is they know they're guilty.
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I'm not going to go around the room and ask.
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But if I were to have a private conversation with any one of you.
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I imagine there's something in your life about which you probably still feel guilty.
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Something that you've done in the past.
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Maybe something that you did when you were younger.
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Maybe something you did this week.
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I don't know.
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I'm not going to ask.
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But I'm just saying.
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I imagine that many of us have things in our life that we wish were not so.
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Or at least we know we still bear the guilt of this thing that was so atrocious.
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And imagine if your guilt was that you had sold your youngest brother into slavery.
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Second to youngest.
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That you had treated him poorly and lied about his death.
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They realize something.
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And understand this.
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This is an important part of salvation.
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And I don't want to jump too quickly to the application.
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Because we're only on the first verse here.
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This is such an important part of salvation.
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Recognizing our guilt.
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If you don't understand your guilt before God.
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You don't understand the power of the cross.
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If you don't understand what Christ saved you from.
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Then you don't understand the depth of your own salvation.
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So in one sense this is good.
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They're recognizing their guilt.
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But it's very bad.
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Because they've already been forgiven.
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And they don't realize it.
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And this causes them to concoct a plan.
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Look at verse 16.
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So they sent a message to Joseph.
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Notice it doesn't say they went.
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It says they sent a message.
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Now we don't know who the message is being bore by.
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We don't know if it's a messenger.
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John Gill thinks that it was Judah and Benjamin.
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Because they had a good relationship with Joseph.
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Doesn't say that.
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So that's just again one man's opinion.
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But a message is concocted by the brothers.
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Saying your father gave this command before he died.
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Say to Joseph.
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Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin.
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Because they did evil to you.
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And now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.
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Now here's something very important about verses 16 and 17.
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It doesn't tell us whether or not this is true.
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What I mean is.
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These brothers have concocted a story.
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They've sent that story to Joseph by way of a messenger.
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And this is what the messenger says.
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Your father said after he dies.
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That your brothers are to be fully forgiven of the sin that they did against you.
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Now here's the thing about that.
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We never ever hear that from Jacob himself.
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And so I'm in agreement with many commentators including Bruce Walkie and others.
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That this is a sham.
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That they're worried about this.
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And so they concoct this story about their father.
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Because this never happens in the narrative.
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In fact were this the case.
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Here's my reasoning.
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If you want to get into the brain of old pastor Keith here.
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This is my reasoning.
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Jacob sat with his 12 sons.
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He gave each of them commands.
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Including his oracles over his son Joseph.
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Never once did he mention their sin against Joseph.
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Never once did he mention.
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Hey don't touch him after I'm dead.
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If there was a point at which that should have happened.
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It would have been then.
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So in my humble opinion.
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And it's again it's only my opinion.
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I don't think this passes the smell test.
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I don't think this passes the smell test.
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I don't think that Jacob really said this.
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But I know why they want Joseph to think he did.
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Because Joseph respected his father.
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Joseph loved his father.
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And if Joseph believed that his father told him not to do something.
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He would be a diligent son and he would obey his father.
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So they are relying on the fact that Joseph is a faithful son.
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And they're using that to their advantage.
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But I want you to notice.
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The response of Joseph.
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Notice at the end of verse 17.
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It's not even it's own verse.
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It's just a section of a portion of a verse.
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It's the last part of verse 17.
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It says Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
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Man Joseph cried all the time.
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Did y'all know that? I mean he was a man's man.
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Joseph was a man.
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But this is sixth time.
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If you go back and count up how many times Joseph has wept.
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He wept when he first saw him.
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He wept when they fell down before him.
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He wept when he saw Benjamin.
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He wept when they repented.
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Like he just like he just tears everywhere.
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And that's okay.
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But this one's a little bit different.
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Because this weeping is not told why.
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But we can conjecture.
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We can infer the reason based upon what the text is saying.
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Because what the text is saying.
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Is that he has shown them love.
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He has shown them forgiveness.
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He has shown them absolution.
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He has shown them nothing but care and grace for 17 years.
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And now they come to him and say we don't believe you.
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You understand what they're saying.
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We don't believe that you are honestly a man of integrity.
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And we believe the last 17 years has been a lie.
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If you notice in there what they say.
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The word forgive comes up twice.
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Please forgive the transgression of your brothers.
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Please forgive the transgressions of the servants of the God of your father.
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They're saying forgive us.
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And can't you imagine the heart of Joseph as he says I already have.
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You're asking for what you already possess.
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And I want you to notice something.
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This is not easy to see in the English.
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But in the underlying Hebrew of this passage.
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They are using the heaviest word for sin.
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That is available to them.
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At least the writer Moses is using the heaviest word.
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Because we know that there are different words for sin.
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But in this sense.
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And the ESV chooses to translate it transgression.
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What does King James say brothers? Trespass.
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They are using a weighty word.
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And you say why? Well the text doesn't tell us.
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But I can only assume.
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That the reason why they are choosing this.
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Is they're trying to show they do understand the weight of what they've done.
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They understand the power of the guilt that they have done.
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They have transgressed.
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They have trespassed.
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They have sinned against their brother.
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This was not a mistake.
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Earlier this year.
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The Southern Baptist Convention met in California.
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And it was a, well it was a mess.
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But one of the things that struck my heart.
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Was they had a worship team there leading the songs.
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And they were singing the song at the cross.
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And they decided to change the words.
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To at the cross.
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Now you know.
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At the cross.
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At the cross.
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Where I first saw the light.
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And the burden of my heart.
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Rolled away.
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They changed it.
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At the cross.
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At the cross.
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Where I first saw the light.
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And the mistakes of my past.
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Rolled away.
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Now I ain't lying.
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Look it up online.
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I got into an argument with a guy online about it.
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Because I said.
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What they are doing.
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Is they are minimizing sin.
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And he says.
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Well they didn't replace the word sin.
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They replaced the word burden.
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I said.
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Listen man.
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Son.
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Just don't.
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That's what I said actually.
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I said.
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Son.
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He's like.
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I'm 40.
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I don't care.
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You're still acting like a kid.
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Just don't.
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Because understand this.
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Through the history of Christian theology.
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The word burden.
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Has always been associated with sin.
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Read Pilgrim's Progress.
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The burden.
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Was his sin.
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And when we talk about the burden of my heart.
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Being taken away.
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It's my sin being taken away.
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It's not a mistake.
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I didn't just make a mistake against God.
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I sinned and committed high treason.
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Against the Lord of glory.
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And the master of the universe.
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And if you don't understand the weight of your sin.
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And that it's not just a mistake.
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Then you don't understand the power of the cross.
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And you won't rightly sing at the cross.
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At the cross.
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These guys were not saying it was a mistake.
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They were saying.
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We have transgressed against you.
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We know what we have done.
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And as I said.
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I think this part is actually kind of good.
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That they know.
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What's not good.
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Is they're calling his integrity into question.
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That's bad.
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So they're sinning again.
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But at least.
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The possible positive that we could draw from verses 16 and 17.
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Is they know the weight of their sin.
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But as Bruce Waltke said.
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There's a problem.
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After 17 years of kindness to them.
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That reinforced his original forgiveness.
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Which came back in chapter 45.
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They still misunderstand his goodness.
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And they think that he will at least take his revenge.
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Or at last take his revenge.
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That's the problem.
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It's good that they recognize their sin.
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It's bad that they don't recognize their forgiveness.
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And just by way of quick application.
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Notice Joseph is grieved by this.
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How much more do you think we grieve the heart of God.
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When we face God.
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And his forgiveness of us.
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And we call him into question.
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Because this is about integrity.
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They are calling Joseph's integrity into question.
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How much more so do we call God's integrity into question.
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When he promises us forgiveness.
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And yet we question whether or not he's sincere.
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So his brothers finally come.
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Verse 18.
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His brothers finally come into the room.
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They fall down.
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And they say behold we are your servants.
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By the way they've done this several times already.
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This is like the fourth or fifth time.
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They've fallen down at his feet.
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Fully fulfilling the prophecy in verse 37.
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Or chapter 37.
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Where it says they were going to fall down before him.
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They've done this like many times at this point.
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This is just one more time.
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But you see they don't need to be there anymore.
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They don't need to be laying prostrate before him.
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This is not what he asks for.
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He didn't ask them to come in and get down on their hands and knees.
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And put their face in the dirt.
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He has received them as brothers.
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He has received them as fully forgiven.
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Fully absolutized.
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He has given them their forgiveness.
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And they can't.
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They just can't accept it.
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So they're in absolute fear.
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They're face down.
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They're in the dirt.
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They're facing their brother.
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And he gives them the assurance of their forgiveness.
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This begins verse 19.
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But Joseph said to them.
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Do not fear.
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For am I in the place of God.
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Now understand.
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From a worldly perspective the answer is yes.
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Because from a worldly perspective.
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They recognized two authorities.
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Pharaoh who was considered to be a god on earth by the Egyptians.
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And their false pagan beliefs.
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They believed Pharaoh was a god in the world.
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And they believed Joseph had all the authority of Pharaoh.
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Because he had all the authority that Pharaoh gave to him.
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Which was his own.
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And so from their perspective.
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Joseph has the power to bless them.
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Or curse them.
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He has the power to give them life.
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Or to give them death.
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But notice the humility in his own words.
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The humility in the words of Joseph.
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When he says.
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Am I in the place of God.
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Because again from a worldly perspective.
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They want to say yeah.
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But he's saying no.
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The hidden meaning is no I'm not in the place of God.
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What he's saying here.
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Is he's saying I am not your judge.
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The business of judgment.
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Belongs to God.
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And I want to tell you.
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We don't always like that.
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We want to be judge and jury.
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Over those who wrong us.
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Oh you can't amen that.
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You know I'm right.
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We want to be the judge.
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I had just this week and a half ago.
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Man somebody said something that totally offended me.
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Like to my core.
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I was angry.
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I don't mean to be.
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I shouldn't be smiling.
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I look kind of mean.
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But I was mad.
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Somebody said something hurt my feelings.
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Hurt my heart.
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Was offensive.
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And in the flesh.
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Well.
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I thought very on Mr.
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Rogers like thoughts.
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And there was just a desire to unload.
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But the scripture calls us.
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To reject seeking personal vengeance.
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You don't have to turn there.
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But I do want to read Romans 12.
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As a reminder.
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Of what the new covenant calls us to.
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This is a very important part of New Testament ethics.
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Romans chapter 12.
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Is the application of Paul's magnum opus.
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And in verse 17.
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He says this.
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Repay no one evil for evil.
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But give thought to what is honorable in the sight of all.
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If possible so far as it depends upon you.
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What does he say church? Live peaceably with all.
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Never avenge yourselves.
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Leave it to the wrath of God.
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As it is written vengeance is mine.
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I will repay says the Lord.
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To the contrary.
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If your enemy is hungry feed him.
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If he is thirsty give him something to drink.
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For by so doing you will be heaping burning coals upon his head.
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Do not be overcome with evil.
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But overcome evil with good.
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Joseph is exemplifying that verse.
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Even before it was written.
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Because he has no intention of bringing vengeance on his brothers.
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He has no intention of bringing punishment.
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He does not want his pound of flesh.
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Even though in all earthly context he deserves it.
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You say how can somebody be that way? How can somebody have the heart of Joseph? The next verse tells us how.
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You want to know how Joseph was able to forgive his brothers? Here it is.
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He recognized God's hand at work in his life.
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Look at verse 20.
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As for you.
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You meant evil against me.
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Notice he does not take them off the hook.
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He didn't say oh guys it's okay.
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I know it's just a mistake.
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Just a bad day.
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No.
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You meant evil against me.
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But God meant it for good.
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You see he recognizes the providential hand of almighty God in his life.
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The same God who does us good.
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Also has evil in our lives come.
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So that he may make good out of it.
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Because God is not out of control ever.
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Even in our suffering.
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I truly believe.
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I don't know if you underlined your Bible or what.
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This is one of the most important verses in the Bible.
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In understanding the nature of the providence of God.
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Joseph recognizes that God is working all things.
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Even the evil acts of his brothers.
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To accomplish his purposes.
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By the way.
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If you are a theologian.
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Which I hope you all are.
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That's our goal.
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Is to be a theologically minded people.
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Theology matters is our motto here.
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And if you want to understand something.
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There is a doctrine called the doctrine of compatibilism.
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And this is one of the verses.
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Where in we draw out that doctrine.
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And that simply means this.
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The doctrine of compatibilism.
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Is that God is providentially working.
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All of the acts of men.
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In such a way.
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That they are compatible ultimately with his will.
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He is not responsible for sin.
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But he decrees all things in such a way.
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That his will is accomplished.
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And in that sense.
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Joseph can look at his brothers.
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And say what you meant for evil.
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Was meant for evil by you.
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Same verb though.
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What you meant.
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That word meant.
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What you meant for evil.
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God meant.
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Same verb.
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For good.
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Same action.
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Two motives.
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Same action.
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Two outcomes.
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Same action.
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Two actors.
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What God.
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What you meant for evil.
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God meant for good.
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Because through this God saved.
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Many people.
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Can't we say that about the cross? I mean doesn't the apostle Peter.
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In Acts chapter 4.
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Say that about the cross.
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That these things have been done.
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By the predestined hand of God.
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That Jesus Christ was put on the cross.
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Was that not the most evil act in the history of man.
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That the most innocent man who ever walked the earth.
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The only innocent man who ever walked the earth.
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Was hung on a cross.
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And yet in his innocence.
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He died for a good reason.
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Not the good reason of his own sins.
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But he died for us.
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And what they meant for evil.
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God meant for good.
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To save many people alive.
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If you're having trouble with forgiveness in your heart.
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There is the passage.
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Say somebody said something evil about me.
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Man they don't know half as bad as you really are.
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I mean.
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They did evil against me.
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Trust God.
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I'm going through it right now.
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It's tough.
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And I ain't saying you're going to know right away.
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Why this is happening.
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I'm not even saying you're ever really going to know.
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Why it's happening.
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But trust the Lord.
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Joseph is saying to his brothers.
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I don't have a reason.
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To remain angry.
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Because what you meant for evil.
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God meant for good.
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So do not fear.
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Verse 21.
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So do not fear.
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I will provide for you and your little ones.
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Notice what he's saying.
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I'm going to continue to care for you.
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I've cared for you 17 years.
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I've given you a house.
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I've given you land.
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I've given you seed.
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I've given you food.
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I've given you status.
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Think about it when Jacob died.
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He got 40 days of mourning.
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He had status.
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With the people.
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He's given them everything.
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And he says and I'm going to continue to do it.
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Even with your kids.
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And your grandkids.
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Joseph is demonstrating.
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The loving grace of God.
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And it's why we say again.
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He's a picture of Christ in this.
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So now what I want to do.
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Is I want to turn our attention to the application.
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I've already applied it in many ways.
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But I want to give you three thoughts for application.
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As we begin to look at what we've learned today.
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Because I do want us to consider for a moment.
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Our own forgiveness in Christ.
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Because again.
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When we look at these brothers.
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You've got these brothers.
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Who are forgiven completely.
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They've been forgiven for five chapters.
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They were forgiven back in chapter 45.
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They've been living for 17 years of forgiveness.
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They think Joseph still wants his pound of flesh.
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They go with this concocted story.
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About the dad saying something that he probably never said.
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Joseph weeps about it.
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Because he says guys I've already forgiven you.
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You should already know this.
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You should already be living in this.
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But you're not.
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So let me explain it to you one more time.
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What God meant for evil.
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Or what you meant for evil.
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God meant for good.
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You're already forgiven.
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Do not fear.
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So now let's look at our situation.
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If we are in Christ.
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We are fully forgiven.
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Amen.
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Doesn't the Bible say.
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As far as the east is from the west.
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So far has he removed our transgressions from us.
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So here's the three thoughts.
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Number one.
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Forgiveness is not a feeling.
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It is a state of being.
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Number one.
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Forgiveness is not a feeling.
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It's a state of being.
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When I teach about salvation.
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I always try to help.
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We start with guilt.
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When I'm teaching basic salvation.
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I've been doing this with the kids in the Sunday school class.
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We start with the subject of guilt.
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And the first thing I try to help them understand.
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Is guilt ain't a feeling.
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People say I feel guilty.
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No you feel shame.
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Guilt is a legal standing.
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You either are or you ain't.
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If you stand before a judge.
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He's either going to say guilty or not guilty.
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It's a legal standing.
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You say well I feel guilt.
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No you feel shame.
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Because what happens when you're guilty.
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Is you experience the feeling of shame.
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That's what happened to Adam and Eve.
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When they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
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They were guilty.
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And they felt shame.
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And thus they hid themselves.
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Right.
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The same is true with forgiveness.
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Forgiveness is not something that is a feeling.
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Forgiveness is a state of being.
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You either are or you are not.
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You say well I don't feel like I am.
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Well I will admit.
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That there are feelings that come with forgiveness.
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The feeling of absolution.
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The feeling of joy.
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The feeling of the burden being lifted.
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All of that's true.
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But understand this.
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If you come to me and say.
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I don't feel forgiven.
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I'm going to say to you.
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Forgiveness ain't a feeling.
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You either are or you ain't.
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No matter how you feel.
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So that's number one.
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Forgiveness is not a feeling.
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It is a state.
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You are either forgiven.
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Or you are not.
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Number two.
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Forgiveness is not based on our works.
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But on Christ's payment.
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Forgiveness is not based on our works.
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But on Christ's payment.
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When people come and they say.
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When they start talking about their forgiveness.
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It's almost inevitable.
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That they start talking about something they need to do.
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Pastor I just don't know if I'm forgiven.
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I don't know if I've done enough.
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It's like the old auto mechanic.
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Well there's your problem.
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That's your problem.
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You say I don't know if I've done enough.
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You haven't.
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Understand.
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You haven't and you can't.
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If you are looking at what you have done.
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You're looking in the wrong place.
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The forgiveness of the believer has to rest on the work of Christ.
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If it's rest on your work.
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You will never be satisfied.
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We've all broken God's law.
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We all owe a sin debt.
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And that we're all guilty.
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We can do nothing to pay the debt.
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No amount of money.
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No amount of good works.
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No amount of prayers.
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No amount of church attendance.
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No matter how many times we get baptized.
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Or take the Lord's Supper.
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No matter how much we give.
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Or how much we do.
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We cannot establish our own righteousness.
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Christ had no debt.
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He lived his whole life without one sin.
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Therefore when he died.
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He died because of a debt that he didn't know.
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He died because of our debt.
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Our debt is placed upon him.
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And our ledger is wiped clean.
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Now I will ask you to turn in your Bibles for this one.
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I'm going to be preaching in Colossians.
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Beginning probably in October.
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But I want you to see this verse now.
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I can't wait to preach it more fully.
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But look at Colossians chapter 2.
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And go to verse 13.
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Colossians chapter 2 verse 13 says this.
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Very similar to Ephesians 2 by the way.
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And you who were dead in your trespasses.
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And the uncircumcision of your flesh.
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God made alive together with him.
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That's Christ.
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Having forgiven us all our trespasses.
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By canceling the record of debt that stood against us.
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With its legal demands.
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This he set aside.
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Nailing it to the cross.
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That's the...
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How am I forgiven? How can I know I'm forgiven? If your sin has been paid for at the cross.
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It's been fully paid.
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God made him who knew no sin.
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To become sin for us.
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That we could be the righteousness of God in him.
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Beloved that's the gospel.
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You have a debt that desperately needed forgiving.
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And Christ died in your place.
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To forgive your debt.
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If you have trusted in him.
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Your forgiveness is not what's based on what you have done.
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It is about what Christ has done.
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So the question really becomes.
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Are you trusting in yourself? Are you trusting in Christ? If you're trusting in yourself.
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You're always going to be in doubt.
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If you're trusting in Christ.
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You will find comfort.
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And that leads to number three.
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So number one again.
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Forgiveness is not a feeling.
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It's a state of being.
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Number two.
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Forgiveness is not based on your works.
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But on the payment of Christ.
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Number three.
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Forgiveness is certain.
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Because of God's promise.
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Let me say it again.
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Forgiveness is certain.
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Because of God's promise.
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Now let me say this.
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I'm going to share something.
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It's going to sound maybe a little antithetical to what I've said earlier.
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But I want to say it and be honest.
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We have all struggled with times of doubt.
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And I would never stand before you.
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And claim to have a perfect faith.
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That never experiences seasons of struggle.
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I'd be a liar if I did.
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I know my wickedness.
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I know the things that I have done.
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I know why I would be a ripe candidate for the fires of hell.
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But what I have to look for.
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For certainty.
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In times of my distress.
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Cannot be me.
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It has to be the promise of God.
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That's the only place to find certainty.
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And by the way.
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It's not wrong to have certainty.
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Roman Catholics will say it's a sin.
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To have the assurance of salvation.
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Because they call it the sin of presumption.
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There's a Greek word for that.
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What is it? Baloney.
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It's absolute baloney.
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You are allowed to have assurance.
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Because your assurance is in Christ.
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The reason why Roman Catholics can't have assurance.
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Is because it's all about what they have done.
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To earn those graces.
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Which cannot be earned.
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Because grace is a gift.
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And not something that is earned.
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When you're looking for certainty.
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Look to the promise of God.
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Psalm 103 verse 12.
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As far as the east is from the west.
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So far does he remove our transgressions from us.
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1 John 1 verse 9.
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If we confess our sins.
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He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
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And cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
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Ephesians 1 verse 7.
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In him we have redemption through his blood.
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The forgiveness of our trespasses.
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According to the riches of his grace.
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Hebrews 10 verse 17.
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I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.
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Isaiah 43 verse 25.
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I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake.
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And I will not remember your sins.
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John 3 verse 16.
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For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
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That whoever believes in him will not perish.
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That's the promise of God.
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And if you are to have comfort.
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And assurance.
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And your salvation.
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Do not look within.
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But look above.
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To the promises of him who cannot lie.
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So I say do you trust in Christ today? And in him alone? If, if so I pray that you have the assurance.
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And peace of your salvation.
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But if you have trusted in anything else.
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Or in anyone else.
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I pray that you would be terrified and run to the cross.
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For there is salvation in no one else.
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Than Jesus Christ.
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Let's pray.
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Father I thank you for your word.
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I thank you for the opportunity to again stand behind your pulpit.
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And preach your word.
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And I pray that it has been faithful to the text.
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And I pray Lord that we who know Christ.
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Would live in the assurance of our forgiveness.
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But Lord for those who do not know Christ.
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That today they would run to the cross.
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That they would be drawn in by the power of the spirit.
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Given the gift of regeneration which leads to life.
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And Lord give them the gift of salvation.
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Faith and repentance which comes only through your spirit.
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And I pray this in Jesus name and for his sake.
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Amen.