If God leave here, in the path of truth shall go, he shall be his portion here, and his sons all good shall know. People of God, we now come to the hearing of God's word. 1 John, probably easiest to go to Revelation and turn back a few pages. 1, 2, 3 John, Jude, Revelation. page 1301 in most of the Pew Bibles. The first chapter is only 10 verses and does give us some important context. So we'll particularly look at chapter 2, verses 1 and 2, but we'll read from the beginning of the letter, from 1 verse 1. So we're going to go from 1 1 to 2 2. 1 John 1 verse 1. Let us hear the word of God, the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest and we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us. that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you so that you too may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ and we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete this is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only. but also for the sins of the whole world." So far, the reading of God's holy word. Let us turn also to our catechism. Lord's Day 51, as we continue to work through the six petitions of the Lord's Prayer. Lord's Day 51, question answer 126, page 256. in the Forms and Prayers book. I will read the question together, we can say the answer. What does the fifth petition mean? Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors' means. Because of Christ's blood, do not impute to us, poor sinners that we are, any of the transgressions we do or the evil that constantly clings to us. Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, wholeheartedly to forgive our neighbors. Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord's Prayer includes, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. This comes straight from Matthew chapter 6. It is for those who perhaps say the Lord's Prayer around the dinner table from time to time. This is almost certainly the words that are said in the English language. We might even say this. We might even say that there are some passages which are so familiar that when you start to look from one translation to another, they will basically follow the same words, knowing if we change the words, it would be perhaps confusing. We're so used to these words. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And so here is a word which does mean debt, that is an appropriate translation. It could also be translated guilt, that would also be appropriate. And maybe if it was a different passage, we could turn to the ESV, the New King James, and we might see those two words, right? But not for the Lord's Prayer. We say, forgive us our debts. We're familiar with this. I am told that in the typical Dutch version of the Lord's Prayer, it is a word which is more guilt than debt. So they pray, forgive us our guilt. Forgive us of our guilt. If we turn to Luke chapter 12, the Lord did repeat the Lord's Prayer twice, once to the crowd, once particularly to his disciples. It is, forgive us our sins. as we forgive those who are indebted to us. These words are all correct. We must be forgiven of our great debt. We must be forgiven of the great guilt which we have before God. We must be forgiven because we have sins which make us separate, which create a separation between God and us. And so we must pray this prayer. Forgive us our debts. Forgive us our sins. Take away our guilt. This is a doctrine that there is forgiveness of sins, that we must come before God and pray for the forgiveness of sins, which is at the very center of the gospel and the good news of Jesus Christ. This is then at the very center of the Christian faith. Forgive us our debts. And that there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ has then led in various ways at various times to forms of, well, since there is forgiveness of sins, then I can just go on sinning as long as I pray this prayer and it's no big deal. Versions of that, whether actually said out loud or lived to one degree or another, have existed from the time of the Apostle Paul, and we see also here from the Apostle John, to our own day. But the basic good news of forgiveness in Jesus Christ must lead to the opposite direction. Instead of, well, there's forgiveness of sins so I can sin, it is Be totally separate from sin. Seek to remove yourself totally from it. And this is then even included in the prayer, forgive us our sins. Because when we pray this prayer earnestly, when we pray this prayer seriously, there's an understanding of how severe sin is. of how this is not only forgive us our sins, but make me clean that I might not sin against you. Because there is a great separation and Christ had to pay a great price to bring forgiveness. And so that is our theme tonight, that understanding what Christ has done gives us a serious sense of sin. And it is in light of these things that we are to pray, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who are indebted to us. So we'll look at this tonight. We'll look at that separation. which sin creates. And then second, we'll look at the intercession, and that's the intercession of Christ on our behalf and thinking also in terms of how we need that intercession, the weakness of our own prayers. And then third, the propitiation, how sin is removed, how forgiveness is accomplished in that great mediator, Jesus Christ. So first, what is the separation? There is a great separation between God and man, a separation made by sin. And before John writes about how sin is taken away in chapter 2, he says, I'm writing these things so that you may not sin. It's almost as if He's kind of starting a little bit of a new section. Again, the chapter divisions are not inspired, but this is an appropriate place. Okay, we're beginning a new thought a little bit. The context of chapter one is still in mind, but I'm gonna begin a new thought. But before I talk about the great forgiveness, which is in Jesus Christ, I'm gonna give one more reminder. Do not sin. I'm gonna speak about how sins are forgiven, but that doesn't mean you can go on sinning. Do not sin. I'm writing these things that you may not sin. And so John begins chapter two with these words, as the apostle Paul has said, perhaps, perhaps more famously, we might say, should I, should I then sin that grace may abound? Never, never, never. And so the apostle says, and then he says, I'm writing these things that you may not sin, but if anyone does sin, and now here we think just about the context of chapter one, is he saying that no one sins? Well, no, certainly he's not saying that. Just two verses earlier, he said, if you say you have no sin, you deceive yourself and you're a liar. So he has that context in mind. Do not sin, but if you do sin, and that's everyone, as the context says, well, you need Jesus Christ. Why? Because that sin is a serious, is a serious business. This is a serious problem. It is a separation from the creator himself. It is a separation from the one who gives the law and defines what sin is. This is sin and this is the problem that sin creates. It's a separation from the creator. Ecclesiastes 12 speaks of this. The preacher, as we could call the main author of Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1, he says this. He states it in the positive, remember also your creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near, of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them. Before it's too late, cry out and remember your creator. Why does he have to say this? Because so many have forgotten their creator. So many have created a separation between Creator and creature by forgetting who God is. So before it's too late, as it comes really to the climax of the book of Ecclesiastes, before it's too late, say, remember your Creator. because we have forgotten him. Romans 1 then says it this way, perhaps a passage more familiar than Ecclesiastes to some, they exchange the truth about God for a lion worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. There is a separation between man and God in the sin of forgetting the very one who is the creator, the very one who gives you life, the very one who makes it so that you can live second by second. So remember the creator. And then there's a separation because God is the great law giver. God is the great law giver. And so when we sin, we sin against the one who defines what sin is. If you would turn with me to Amos chapter one and two, I'm just going to read kind of a few words from a number of different verses, because there's this pattern to the first two chapters of Amos. And the pattern is to say, here's a group Here's a group which has transgressed, sinned against me, and then judgment is described, and then it moves to the next group. And notice all of these patterns and all of those who are listed. Who has sinned against God, the lawgiver? Who has transgressed against Him? Chapter 1, verse 3, for three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment. And then chapter 1 verse 6, for 3 transgressions of Gaza and for 4, I will not revoke the punishment. 1 verse 9, for 3 transgressions of Tyre and for 4. 1 verse 11, for 3 transgressions of Edom and for 4. 1 verse 13, for 3 transgressions of the Ammonites and for 4. 2 verse 1, for 3 transgressions of Moab and for 4. who sins against God, who denies the one who is the law giver and transgresses against his law. It's all of the neighbors. It's every nation that Israel and Judah knows well. It is the whole world because God is the creator of the whole world. God is the law giver for the whole world. And then also, the people of God can go against the one who they should so clearly know, even as the whole world should know, that he is the lawgiver. Amos saves two more nations in his list for three transgressions of Judah and for four. I will not revoke the punishment because they have rejected the law of the Lord. And then chapter two, verse six, for three transgressions of Israel and for four, I will not revoke the punishment because they sell the righteous for silver and other sins are listed just as they were for all the nations that neighbor Israel and Judah. Surely to sin against God, By forgetting He is the Creator, by forgetting He is the Lawgiver for all men. It's to make separation. It's to make separation. It is transgression. And to paraphrase Psalm 5, God does not delight in wickedness, so evil cannot dwell with God. God is the creator. God is the lawgiver. When man sins against God, when man forgets that he is the creator, when man breaks the laws which he has made, which he defines, wickedness cannot dwell with God. There is then separation. There is then a gap which man cannot leap. It is a great separation. And so. Just as Amos chapter one and two says that for all who sin against God, whether they be the nations of the world or God's people. So Romans 2 verse 8 to 11 would speak in a similar way. There's tribulation, there's distress. For those who seek self for those who do not obey truth. There will then be. distress and judgment for the Jew first. Why for the Jew first? Because to whom much is given, much is expected. But then also for the Greek, glory and honor and peace is for everyone who does good. And that's also for the Jew first, and then for the Greek. The Lord shows no partiality. God is just. God has every right to do this. He is the creator. He is the lawgiver. And when man forgets him, when man breaks those laws, there is great separation. That is, we might say, the bad news. That is why the Catechism speaks of us as poor sinners that we are. But then there is good news, because the story does not end here. There is good news. Sin makes a great separation, but there is a great mediator who stands between God and man. It's appropriate, people of God, to speak to one who does not know the basic message of the Gospel, and to follow what sometimes is called the basic three parts of creation, and fall, and redemption. We could also speak in three parts just saying man has sinned, There must be one who can stand then between man and God because sin makes a separation. And then to speak about what that man who stands in the middle does. What Jesus Christ has done so that he can make the separation disappear. That's the basic outline that we are following tonight. There is a mediator who stands between man and God. Let us think a little bit about intercession just more broadly, though. What is an appropriate prayer? There is an example in 2 Corinthians 7. where the Apostle speaks positively. 2 Corinthians 7, beginning at verse 9, and the Apostle will speak positively about the way that the Corinthians have come in confession of sins, in the way they have prayed, which is intercession is prayer, related to prayer. 2 Corinthians 7, beginning at verse 9, As it is, I rejoice, not because you were aggrieved, but because you were aggrieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. foresee what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment. At every point you have proved yourself innocent in the matter. Do you hear some of the words that describe the true confession going on here? The apostle's saying, what a joy, I see earnestness, even zeal, and godly grief as you come. Godly grief, why the word grief? Well, broadly speaking, because it's a great separation, right? Because sin is a terrible thing, so it produces godly grief. And then, when there is that godly grief, we would come with earnestness, even zeal, before the Lord. In other words, seriously saying, forgive us our sins. It is not an empty word. It is not a, if I just say this, that's all that needs to happen. It is said seriously, earnestly, with godly grief, because that separation must be reconciled. So then with this as an example of how one would come in godly repentance before the Lord, there is one who has noted and I'm kind of reordering his four or five points, but Brockle would then speak about how when we pray, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, there needs to be this seriousness to that. You know, so many haven't memorized. Well, what a beautiful thing. But don't let having this prayer memorized ever let it to be just something simple or something not taken seriously or said seriously. And so, Brockle, who wrote long before what we today call the sinner's prayer, spoke about these kinds of words. When we pray, forgive us our sins. We have to say them seriously. Otherwise, you're just making your debt worse. Because you're not acknowledging with godly grief that you need this forgiveness. And that would just be worse than not saying it at all. He gives a few points, and again, these are kind of reordered, but in order that this prayer wouldn't be useless, even provoking God to more wrath, these are basic questions that we must ask ourselves. Do you live with evil desires? Are you continually permeated with envy or hatred? Well, then that would be an evidence that you're not seriously praying, forgive us our sins, because you don't think that your sins are a serious matter and your actions are showing that. What about this going one step further? Do you have the intention and desire to depart from all sin? Okay, so this isn't just, you know, I'm living willfully in sin. This is, I'm not living willfully in sin, but there are some sins which I don't even have a desire to get rid of. There are some sins which, you know, in my mind, they're minor. And so, you know, I'm not living in some obvious, what other people would call big sins. I've got this one sin that I don't even have an intention to depart from. Well, then you're not praying this prayer seriously. You're not praying seriously, forgive my sins, oh God. And then he does speak of, I think this might even be a two word quotation, of having a serious sense of your sin. Do you have a serious sense of your sin as you pray, forgive us our debts? And then on the positive side, do you pray for forgiveness? and then live in light of the joy that comes from forgiveness from God. So then in the positive sense, after you pray, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Do you then live in light of the joy that comes from God's forgiveness? And that's his positive point, so to speak. Do we then live forth these words in a positive way? In short, people of God, when we ask God for forgiveness, is our heart and our deed in line with our words? Let's kind of bring this down to the children's version of asking for forgiveness, of admitting wrong. So what is that? Well, forgiveness includes, in a sense, in a very basic sense, saying, I'm sorry, God, for what I have done to you, right? And so when a child has done something wrong, and parents say, you must tell your brother, your sister, your friend, I am sorry, there's some parallels there to coming before God, even, and asking for forgiveness. coming to God and asking for forgiveness is in a basic sense, God, I am sorry for what I have done, forgive me, right? So, younger children or those thinking back to their childhood, like me, when you learn how to say, I am sorry, well, if you had to learn it as I had to learn it, you had to learn to say it seriously. And for me growing up, that always meant no buts, right? I'm sorry, but, well, it was a lot of fun. Or, you know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but, I mean, there was kind of cool how we did that, right? Or any but, any but, fill in the blank, fill in the blank however you might fill it in. Now, maybe some younger children are able to keep that but in the mind only and not to speak it out loud. I would usually speak it out loud, which presented opportunities to learn that doesn't count. You have to do it again. You didn't really say, you were sorry, you said the words, but you didn't really say it, right? So we know. We know young and old. There has to be a serious sense when we come before God, the Eternal Father, and say, I am sorry. I have sinned. Forgive me, O God. No buts, or no poor tone of voice, or whatever it is. a serious sense. We are primarily focusing on the first two paragraphs of question and answer 126. So we're thinking more about Christ's blood and forgiveness with Him. Let's think just for a moment about forgive us as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our neighbors. Even in our forgiveness of our neighbors, there is, Luke tells us, a sense in which if it's not a serious repentance, then we are not required to forgive. Luke says this in Luke chapter 17. Uh, the, the, the physician records this for us. Luke 17 verses three and four, pay attention to yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him. And if he repents, forgive him. Now this forgiveness must be full. The next verse says forgive him seven times. Even a symbol of fullness. And then we could speak about, you know, do, I mean, what if someone's not our brother? What if we don't know them well? What if it's so difficult for us to judge their hearts? Or, okay, we could speak about that. It's another sermon, right? Just as talking about the differences between the forgiveness which God gives to us and the forgiveness which we give to our neighbors. Like, those are different things. Okay, these, but even in our forgiveness, if there's, If there's not a seriousness to the repentance of a brother, Luke says, Luke records for us, then rebuke, don't forgive, in a general way. There must be a seriousness to repentance. You know, the psalmist has told us in Psalm 86, for you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. The psalmist has also said, Psalm 145, the Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. This prayer must be prayed earnestly. Now, In some sense, I've spoken about even the dangers of this prayer when not said seriously. But people of God, may this never drive us away from this prayer entirely. but may it rather drive us to pray it rightly, and may we have confidence that this prayer can be said rightly because of the perfect intercessor." And then we come back to that perfect intercessor, do we not? Because we think, well, you know, I think of kind of that, you know, list, and it's burdensome because I can't do that perfectly, and then I think of, of Corinthians and how the Apostle spoke about that earnestness and that zeal, and I don't always have that earnestness and that zeal. Brothers and sisters, if we come, if we come in light of Jesus Christ, His intercession is perfect and perfects the weaknesses of our prayer. That is the one who stands between God and man. That is the one who is God and man. That is Jesus Christ. So Hebrews seven says specifically about the intercession of Jesus Christ for sinners. Hebrews chapter seven, beginning at verse 23, the former priests were many in number because They were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever, consequently is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. There is a perfect intercessor. the advocate that we have with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. Yes, think about the seriousness that this prayer must be said with. But know, in Jesus Christ, the weakness of your prayer is made perfect. How is it that we have such a Savior? Well, He is the advocate. He's the one who stands between God and man, and He does this because He made reconciliation on the cross itself. Verse 2, He is the propitiation for our sins. This catechism says it, Because of Christ's blood. Because of Christ's blood, do not impute to us, poor sinners that we are, any of the transgressions that we do, or the evil that constantly clings to us. Yes, there is a separation. In Romans 5, the apostle even says, we were enemies with God, but there is reconciliation through that perfect mediator. Through specifically the death of the son, Romans 5, 10. Propitiation. Big word. What does that mean? To gain the favor of. to appease. Very closely related. Atoning sacrifice is not as good of a translation. Sometimes it's good to keep those big words there. Then atonement is still a big word. What does atonement mean? To supply satisfaction for. This is what Christ does. He gains the favor. He supplies the satisfaction. Romans 5 says we were enemies reconciled by the death of the son. Romans 8 verse 1 says there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This is why he is the perfect mediator. This is why the separation. Is removed. And what is the scope of of this? Not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. Now, there are some passages we could go to which would just seem to directly contradict that verse if we just looked at that verse by itself. So we interpret Scripture, we interpret with context and with the clear, making clear what might seem unclear, although the context of John Chapter 1 is quite clear. There are many who are in darkness. We need light. So this isn't saying each and every single individual. No, it's more a parallel passage would be Revelation 7, verse 9 and 10. And thus I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the Lamb. This is very much in the context of an apostle speaking to those who he knows personally, my little children, saying this isn't just for the apostles, the eyewitnesses themselves, this isn't just for those who have heard directly from the spoken word of an apostle and an eyewitness such as myself in the first few verses. This is not just for the Jew. This is for the whole world. This is for anyone who will hear this word proclaimed, not merely from the lips of an eyewitness, but from the written accounts of an eyewitness and from you who are now to go forth to the next generation. Van Genderen and Vellema, slightly lesser-known Dutch theologians, they said this on this verse, quote, of the impact of propitiation, it is not restricted to the immediate circle of the disciples of Jesus and the believers who enjoy communion with them, the first four verses of 1 John, but propitiation, the work of Jesus Christ on the cross to remove the separation reaches far beyond them. It reaches to all who hear the word of Jesus Christ and what he has done. There is forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. And so we can read it 2,000 years later, more than 2,000 miles away, and we look to the same mediator, are saved by the same propitiatory, making appeasement, supplying satisfaction work. Because of Christ's blood, as the catechism says, do not impute to us any of our transgressions. or the evil itself which clings to us. We have sinned against the great lawgiver. There is separation between God and man because of sin. This is the bad news. There is one who stands. Stands between man and God. One who is man and God. And one victory, through a sacrificial death, to remove that separation and to bring us before God. That we might pray, seriously, seriously, knowing what it costs the Savior, Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Amen. Let us pray. Lord, our Lord, we rejoice in the good news of the one who is perfect, who eliminates separation, make us to think upon Jesus, to come before you earnestly, but even knowing the weakness of our own prayers, to rejoice that the very intercession of Jesus for us is perfect. For we must pray for the forgiveness of sins. And we rejoice that in Jesus Christ there is forgiveness of sins. So we pray even now in this hour in his name. Amen. People of God, our song of application number 341. Standing, if able to sing all the verses of 341. ♪ And take your plea ♪ And give my sovereign life ♪ Would ye devote that sacred hand ♪ For such a worm as I ♪ Was it for crimes that I have done ♪ He groaned upon the tree ♪ Amazing pity, grace unknown ♪ And love beyond degree ♪ And like the sun ♪ In darkness hide and shut his glories in ♪ ♪ When Christ the mighty maker died ♪ ♪ For man the creature sinned ♪ Might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt mine eyes in tears? Grants of grief can ne'er repay the debts of love I owe. Dear Lord, I give myself away. Tis all that I can do. People of God, it is time for our evening gift and offering. This evening, that's for the General Fund. Following that, our benediction and doxology, number 563, the two verses. If you would stand, if able, Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant equip you with everything good that you may do his will working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Grace of Christ our Savior and the Son of the Son. In the Holy Spirit's favor, rest upon us from above. Thus may we abide in union with each other and the Lord, and possess in sweet communion joys which earth cannot afford. Amen.