For God’s Children: He No Longer Remembers Your Sins

Scriptures: Isaiah 43: 25 and Ephesians 2: 8-9

I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. (Isaiah 43: 25)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

Scripture Commentary: God no longer remembers your sins.

Imagine the moment you accepted God and repented. In that moment your sins are forgiven. And God no longer remembers your sins!

In Isaiah 6: 7, a seraphim touches Isaiah’s mouth with a coal and God forgave his sins.

Imagine God wiping away all your lies and healing all of the hate you have stored up inside yourself.

  • Anger – forgiven
  • Bitterness – forgiven
  • Boasting – forgiven
  • Jealousy – forgiven
  • Envy – forgiven

Imagine it all forgiven by God – your evil thoughts, greed, hypocrisy, gossiping, lusts, pride, ingratitude, materialism and unbelief! All forgiven and forgotten by the grace of God!

Cry out to God for forgiveness.

Your sins are gone. Forgiven. Washed away. And forgotten. In the same way that the coal removed Isaiah’s guilt and sin, the blood of Jesus takes away yours. You don’t do anything except ask for forgiveness and repent of your sins.

God’s grace changes everything. Jesus Christ did it on the cross for you.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Isaiah 43

Ephesians 2

Isaiah 6

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Isaiah:

Learning from Adversity

The Destroyer Flees From the Voice of God

Do Not Fear; God Is With You

Scripture: Isaiah 41: 10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Scripture Commentary:

God says to followers, “So do not fear, for I am with you.” As our Creator, Father and Maker, He will guide us and protect us at all times. He calls us to a life of thankfulness. Our moments are to be punctuated with thanksgiving.

The basis of our gratitude is His sovereignty. God is Creator and Controller of the universe.

Heaven and earth are filled with His glorious presence.

When we criticize or complain, we are acting as if we think we can run the world better than God does. We need to look at the mess we are in! From our limited human perspective, it may look as if God is mismanaging things. But we don’t know what God knows; we can’t see what He sees.

If God pulled back the curtain to allow us to view heavenly realms, we would understand much more. However, we are designed to live by faith, not by sight.

God shields us from knowing the future or seeing it. Acknowledge His sovereignty. Give thanks in all things. One day He will call us home.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Isaiah Chapter 41

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Isaiah:

Don’t Cut Yourself Off From God

Actively Honor the Lord

Jesus Makes the Rough Places Smooth

Scripture: Isaiah 42: 16

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do;

Scripture Commentary:

God guides us when things are unfamiliar; He dispels the darkness and makes rough places smooth. I was blind but now I can see. This is because God, through His grace and mercy, has taken us out of the darkness of this world and has placed us in His marvelous light.

This was done when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came into the world and gave His life for our sins. Jesus’s mission here on earth was to demonstrate God’s righteousness and to be a true light in the world

Are you God’s servants?

Through Jesus we have the opportunity to share in His mission. God has called us to be His servants. Are you God’s servants? That is the question being asked.

The road we were on was crooked but because of His love, rough places have become smooth. His brilliant light shows the way. We are given the privilege to take God’s message to the world.

Ask God for His direction.

Don’t rely on your own thoughts. Let Him truly guide you; don’t guide yourself. Let His light shine in the world with brightness.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Isaiah Chapter 42

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Isaiah:

Find Security in God’s Plan: See What is Right

Judgment and Hope

Mighty God, My Everlasting Father

Sermon: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

First we have the birth of Christ as foretold in Isaiah 9: 6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor,[d] Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Then we heard about His death. Romans 5: 10 says, “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” 

And now we have the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13: 20 says , “Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep,  and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—”

Before Jesus, only the rabbi had access to the Father.

Before Jesus came to save us from sin, we would have had to go to a rabbi, priest or holy man to intercede for us to God. But God sent His Only Begotten Son to not only pay for our sins but also to give us direct access to God, the Father.

God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.

This was a painful death. Jesus was beaten with whips, stripped of His clothes, and spit upon. Thorns were driven in His head as a crown. Then He had to carry His cross (the instrument) that was to be His death seat. When He got to the place of His execution, they hammered large nails into His hands and feet to hold Him into place on the cross.

Would you have sent your child to a death such as this, or to any kind of death? I know your answer is no! But God sent His Son to us, knowing that He had to die for us. God loves us that much!

Jesus died on the cross, and His body was taken down and placed in a tomb. The people and His followers leave, likely saying to themselves, “That’s it! Jesus is dead!”

This is the new beginning. This is why He came.

Christ’s death did not merely precede His resurrection. It was the price that obtained it. That’s why the Bible says in Hebrews 13:20, “Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep,  and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—”

The blood of the covenant is the blood of Jesus.

As He said in Matthew 26: 28, “for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant[d] between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.”

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Isaiah Chapter 9

Romans Chapter 5

Hebrews Chapter 13

Matthew Chapter 26

Read the sermon, The Prophecy of Jesus Christ, from The Gospel Mailman:

His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful

Jesus Christ, The Prince of Peace

Do You Know the Way to Heaven?

Love Each Other As God Loves You

We invite you to return later this week for the conclusion of the sermon, The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ, The Prince of Peace

Part Two: The Prophecy of Jesus Christ

Isaiah 9: 6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 53: 5

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

In this prophecy of Isaiah, God pulled aside the curtain of time to let the people of Isaiah’s day look ahead to see The Prince of Peace. They saw ahead to the suffering of the future Messiah and the resulting forgiveness made available to all mankind.

Today we can see all that Christ did and if we still reject Him, our sin is greater than that of the Israelites who could not see what we have seen and know.

Have you given your life to Jesus, The Prince of Peace?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Are you in the fold or are you like a wandering sheep?

Jesus is the sinless lamb who offered Himself for our sins to make us acceptable to God, His Father. What Christ did on the cross opened the way so we can enter heaven. It is not by our works or deeds. We are justified because we claim Jesus Christ the righteous servant.

When you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, your sin is stripped away and you are clothed in His goodness. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ, you are lost and belong to Satan. All you have to do is accept Christ. He will forgive and forget your sins.

God loves each of us so much.

He will hold no memory of our wrong when we accept His Son. And if God is willing to forgive us, we must forgive anyone who has harmed us. We cannot seek God’s forgiveness if we can’t forgive.

In closing, in time of great darkness, God promised to send a light who would shine on everyone living in darkness and the shadow of death. Jesus is that light. He is Wonderful, Counselor, the Prince of Peace and Mighty God.

This message of hope was fulfilled in the birth of Christ and the establishment of His eternal kingdom. He came to deliver all people from their slavery to sin. Take comfort in this certainty: although the Lord may not always take us out of our troubles, He will lead us safely through them.

Think of the prayers He has answered and praise Him! Keep your thoughts and trust in God. Ask His forgiveness. He will forgive and forget.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Isaiah Chapter 9

Isaiah Chapter 53

Read Part One of the Sermon, The Prophecy of Jesus Christ.

His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful!

Sermon: The Prophecy of Jesus Christ

Isaiah 9: 6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 53: 5

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah made the prophecy about Jesus Christ about 681 years before He was born. As we celebrate Christmas, let us reflect on this day we have set aside as His birthday.

Are you really celebrating His birth or are you celebrating yourself?

What has Christmas become to you?

For some it’s a day off. For many, it’s a day to receive or give gifts. But this is the day God sent us His Only Begotten Son to pay for our sins.

His son was not the all impressive, commanding figure of a man making a strong impression. No! He was a humble, suffering servant – a sinless lamb to be led to slaughter.

Such a prophecy is astounding. Why would God send His Son to be beaten, spit upon and nailed to the cross for us? He allowed it out of Love, LOve, LOVe, LOVE!

Who would believe God would save us this way?

We think the only way to get anything done is to fight and go to war. That is Satan’s way, not God’s. God’s ways are not our ways. The Messiah’s strength is shown by humility, suffering, mercy and love.

Despite Isaiah’s prophecy of Jesus’s coming, the people still rejected Him. Why do people despise someone who is kind, forgiving, and shows love?

Please return next week for the conclusion of the sermon, The Prophecy of Jesus Christ.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Isaiah Chapter 9

Isaiah Chapter 53

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Isaiah:

Do Not Be Separated From God

God Knows You In Your Entirety

The Great Shepherd Restores the Soul

Part One: Jesus Is Our Great Shepherd

Psalm 23: 1

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord is my shepherd, maker, Father, protector, the Great Shepherd.

Our needs are taken care of. It’s not what we think we need; what He has for us is all we need.

David is writing out of his own experience as a shepherd to his father’s sheep as a young boy.

1 Samuel 16: 11

And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

Sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance and protection.

As God’s children, we are dependent on Him for His guidance and protection. The New Testament calls Jesus the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, and the Chief Shepherd.

Psalm 23: 2

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

When you drive by or fly over farmland, you’ll see the green pastures. What a peaceful feeling that brings. This is the feeling you have when you truly place yourself in God’s hands.

Isaiah 43: 2

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

God will lead you to the path of rightness. If you go your own way, you are going to walk the path Satan has for you. Don’t think that Satan isn’t waiting to lead you. Check out the following verses below.

Job 2:2

And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Matthew 4: 1

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Now if the devil thought he could tempt Jesus, what do you think he can do with you? Without Jesus to protect you, you have no chance against Satan.

When you put ourselves in Jesus’s hands, you have contentment. Psalm 23 does not focus on the animal-like qualities of sheep but on the discipleship qualities of those who follow Our Lord and Savior.

However, when you choose to sin, you go your own way. Don’t blame God for the place you find yourself.

Psalm 23: 3

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

God won’t lead you to a wrong path.

He restores you because He loves you. He loved us before we loved Him.

God sent His Son to pay for your sins. And by sending His Son, He made a way for you to go to Him directly without anything or anyone intervening.

He restores your soul out of love, but if you are rebellious and disobedient, you are going against your own best interest.

Read the full chapters of the Scriptures referenced:

Psalm 23

1 Samuel 16

Isaiah 43

Job 2

Matthew 4

Please return later this week for Part Two of Jesus Is Our Great Shepherd.

Jesus Spoke Plainly About His Purpose

Part Two: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Son of Man. Jesus spoke plainly about His purpose.

Scripture: Mark 8: 32

He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Note: Peter was not considering God’s purpose but only his own natural human desires and feelings when he rebuked Jesus. Peter wanted Christ to be king, not the suffering servant prophesied in Isaiah 53.

Peter saw only part of the picture.

Like the other disciples, Peter was ready to receive the glory of following the Messiah but not the persecution. He was often the spokesman for all the disciples. In singling Peter out, Jesus may have been addressing all of them indirectly. Unknowingly, the disciples were trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross and fulfilling His mission on earth.

Satan also tempted Jesus to avoid the way of the cross (see Matthew 4). Whereas Satan’s motives were evil, the disciples were motivated by love and admiration for Jesus. Only after Jesus’s death and resurrection would they fully understand why He had to die.

What does it mean to take up the cross?

The Romans, Mark’s original audience, knew what taking up the cross meant. A prisoner carried His own cross to the place of execution, signifying submission to Rome’s power.

Jesus used the image of carrying a cross to illustrate the ultimate submission required of His followers.

Read the Entire Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:

Mark Chapter 8

Isaiah Chapter 53

Matthew Chapter 4

Jesus, Remember Me

Sermon: What Side of the Cross Are You On? … Jesus, Remember Me

Part One: Luke 23: 37-43

… and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,[c] “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[d] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 3Two criminals are to be crucified along with Christ. One is on His left; the other on His right. Each criminal is tied to his cross with ropes. They endure no physical punishment. In contrast, Jesus is nailed to the cross with large nails. But before He is nailed to the cross, He is whipped, beaten, spit upon and a crown of thorns is forced on His head.

Isaiah 53: 3

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

One of the criminals says to Jesus to save Himself and them, too. Similarly, Satan tempts Jesus after He is baptized by John the Baptist.

Matthew Chapter 4 recounts Jesus being led of the spirit into the wilderness. He was there 40 days and nights. When Jesus was weak and hungry Satan came to him.

Matthew 4: 2-3

And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 

Jesus’ response is very clear. In Matthew 4:10, Jesus says, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

Satan tried to tempt Jesus, fully knowing that He is God’s Only Begotten Son. So, if He would approach Jesus to tempt Him, what chance do you have?

I am here to tell you, you have no chance unless you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You must be under the covering of God’s grace.

Read the entire chapters of the Scriptures referenced:

Luke 23

Isaiah 53

Matthew 4

Read Part Two of the Sermon, What Side of the Cross Are You On?

Do You Recognize God’s Voice?

Have your iniquities separated you from God?

Sermon: Will You Be Prepared When Christ Returns? (Have your iniquities separated you from God?)

Part Two: Isaiah 59: 2

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Matthew 25:10-12

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 

Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

How will you R.S.V.P?  I will attend or I will not attend.

Read the Complete Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:
Isaiah Chapter 59
Matthew Chapter 25

Read Part One of the Sermon, Will You Be Prepared When Christ Returns?