Forty Plus Ten - Week 2: Pardon!

Scripture: Acts 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Galatians 1:18-19, 1 Timothy 1:13-17.

In today’s study we take a look at a Credal Statement. What is a Credal Statement? 
    ⁃    It is a fundamental of faith
    ⁃    It enable people to talk about what they know and believe
    ⁃    It is easily memorized
    ⁃    It is easily understood
    ⁃    It is easily shared

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 “What I received I passed on to you. And it is the most important of all. Here is what it is. Christ died for our sins, just as Scripture said he would. He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as Scripture said he would be. He appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to the 12 apostles.” (The Credal Statement in bold.)

Then Paul continues with verses 6-8, “After that, he appeared to more than 500 brothers and sisters at the same time. Most of them are still living. But some have died. He appeared to James. Then he appeared to all the apostles. Last of all, he also appeared to me. I was like someone who wasn’t born at the right time.”

Paul mentions three men in these verses: Peter, James (Jesus’ 1/2 brother) and himself. 2000 years later we have evidences of authenticity: There is convincing physical evidence of Peter’s home in Jerusalem.  Pastor shares pictures.  There is a bone box, The James Ossuary, which has also been discovered and has an inscription, “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” The basic consensus of scholarly opinion is that this is very likely authentic.  

Who were these men? 
Peter: denied Jesus publicly three times
James: his brother, was an unbeliever - did not believe Jesus was who He was, and James ridiculed his brother Jesus
Paul: persecuted and killed believers and denounced Jesus

Who did they become?
    ⁃    Peter became an apostle of Christ and bold preacher of God’s Word. Even arrest, beatings, and threats didn’t lessen Peter’s determination to preach the risen Christ.
    ⁃    James, after seeing Jesus risen from the grave, became a believer and also became the leader of the early Christian church in Jerusalem.
    ⁃    Paul was born Saul and he persecuted believers, but after meeting Jesus on a walk to Damascus Saul became Paul the Apostle and defender of the Gospel.

What did these three have in common?
    ⁃    They had all failed Jesus
    ⁃    A denier
    ⁃    A radical
    ⁃    A persecutor
    ⁃    All come to faith in the Risen Lord 
    ⁃    Their lives are changed
    ⁃    They give powerful testimonies to Christ’s love  for all sinners
What else do they have in common?
    ⁃    The PARDON of Christ - Forgiveness in full.
    ⁃    Each of their stories is a story of redemption in Jesus and a testimony that not a single one of us is beyond the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    ⁃    In these three men we see that God saved the worst of us so that He might save all of us. Their changed lives are a testimony to the heart of God wanting us all.

How do their stories speak to us today?

Applications of the Pardon of God
    ⁃    Christ’s mercy and grace is for us too - 1 Timothy 1:13-14 “I used to speak evil things against Jesus. I tried to hurt his followers. I really pushed them around. But God showed me mercy anyway. I did those things without knowing any better. I wasn’t a believer. Our Lord poured out more and more of his grace on me. Along with it came faith and love from Christ Jesus.”
    ⁃    Christ’s saving power is for us too - 1 Timothy 1:15 “Here is a saying that you can trust. It should be accepted completely. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the worst sinner of all.”
    ⁃    Nothing we have done can cause Jesus not to want to win us over to Himself
    ⁃    Nothing that would cause Him to say He’s done with us
    ⁃    God wants ALL to be saved.
    ⁃    Christ’s patient renewal is for us too- 1 Timothy 1:16 “But for that very reason, God showed me mercy. And I am the worst of sinners. He showed me mercy so that Christ Jesus could show that he is very patient. I was an example for those who would come to believe in him. Then they would receive eternal life.”

Incredible Love - Incredible Grace - Incredible Pardon
And Jesus’ mercy and grace, saving power, patient renewal and incredible love are for us, too!

Paul, Peter and James were living examples of God’s incredible grace - we too are living examples of His incredible grace.

Pardon - God offers pardon, forgiveness to all who will repent and believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and we become the children of God…. FOREVER!!

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