Address—C. Hendricks
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
We had a meeting on Friday night, I did with the young people and.
When I went there I didn't have any ideas to what to speak on.
And the Lord laid upon me some thoughts on forgiveness.
And I've been meditating on it ever since.
While I'm speaking, turn to Luke 7.
And.
I'd like to.
To speak on the subject more fully than.
We had time for the other night.
I'm going to consider the subject.
There's five aspects to forgiveness.
Some might say therefore, some even 3.
But I'm going to speak of five aspects of forgiveness, eternal forgiveness, restorative forgiveness.
Personal forgiveness.
Governmental forgiveness.
And administrative forgiveness. We're going to look at the eternal first, Luke 7.
Verse 36 And one of the Pharisees desired him, that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisees house and sat down to meet. And behold a woman in the city, which was a Sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisees house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and didn't wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee which had bitten him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who in what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a Sinner.
Now when it says that it doesn't just simply mean what we think of we're all sinners and we know that, but it means she was a a woman of ill repute, an immoral woman when the Pharisee which had.
Bitten him, saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who in what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a Sinner. And Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon.
I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on There was a certain creditor which had two debtors, The one owed 500 pence.
The other 50.
And when they had nothing to pay, frankly forgave them both.
Now there's 2 words in the New Testament for forgiveness.
This word, he frankly forgave them both, Is the word meaning to show grace to to show grace to.
Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave, or showed grace to the most.
And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house? Thou gavest me no water for my feet.
But she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gave us me no kiss. But this woman, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet.
My head was oiled out. It's not anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Now the Lord uses a different word.
Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, remitted, dismissed, discharged, sent away.
Totally gone. That's the word the Lord uses.
For she loved much.
But to whom little is forgiven, same word remitted.
The same loveth little.
Said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. Remit it.
Discharged and they decided meet with him, began to say within himself, Who is this then that forgiveth sins also?
He said to the woman, Thy faith that safety go in peace. This is such a lovely picture. I'd like to be able to spend more time on it, but I've read it to introduce the subject that there are two words and he both those words are used the one means to show grace to and the other means to remit.
To totally do away with.
Forgiveness. Now turn to Luke 24.
This is the eternal aspect.
This is the aspect of forgiveness that flows from himself.
And from his work.
In Luke 24 He said unto them, verse 46 Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance and remission of sins, that's that second use of the word remission of sins. Forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Forgiveness of sins. Now turn to Acts 10.
Acts 10.
Peter is preaching to the household of Cornelius.
And.
00:05:02
He says in verse 43 to him the Lord Jesus Christ give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission, forgiveness of sins.
And while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. They believed that message. And here you have the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins. And upon receiving the forgiveness of sins, they were sealed with the Holy Spirit. He was poured out upon them.
So that's the effect of his work.
Acts 13.
Acts 13, verse 38.
Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. That's the word translated remission.
And by him all that believer justified from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Forgiveness of sins preached.
In his name.
And through that man who had died and been raised again. So the forgiveness of sins from the eternal side of things is based solely upon the work, the person and work of Christ.
And it is eternal. Sometimes it's called judicial forgiveness.
And we can never lose that. We can never lose that. That isn't dependent upon us in any way. Now turn to Ephesians one. I'm going quickly because I have much to cover. Ephesians 1.
Just want to touch on a number of these verses that speak of eternal.
Forgiveness. Ephesians 1 and 7.
In whom we have redemption through His blood. The forgiveness of sins. We have it. It is a present possession. Enjoyed the knowledge of sins forgiven.
It's not an intelligent prayer to ask God to forgive our sins. If we have faith in Christ, our sins are forgiven. We have it through the redemptive work of Christ.
Again, in Colossians one we have the same expression.
In Colossians 114, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.
We read it this morning, Hebrews 10. I'll just read it again, Hebrews 10, verse 17. Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission, forgiveness of these is there's no more offering for sin. We have the forgiveness of sins one more and that will take care of the eternal.
Forgiveness side first John chapter 2, verse 12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his namesake.
We have forgiveness of sins.
I like the bumper sticker that says forgiven forgiven.
Now the next aspect of forgiveness is what I have called restorative forgiveness. Now we're in first, John, So let's look at chapter 2.
Verse one.
My little children, these things right I unto you, that ye sin not.
And if any man's sin.
We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Notice the precision of Scripture. It doesn't say if we sin. We have an advocate supposing that we must sin.
But nor does it say, if any man's sin, he has an advocate.
That would bring forth the thought that the advocacy of Christ only begins to function for us when one sins. But it says if any man sin the individual case because that's an exception. The Scriptures never presents sinning for Christians as the normal thing. It's the exception if any man's sin. We, the whole company of the redeemed, have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
He's there right now on our behalf, whether we're sitting or not. He's there as our advocate.
Our helper, the one that pleads our.
And he's washing our feet, John 13, removing any defilements along the way. Now turn back to first John 19.
If we confess our sins, that's why I call this restorative forgiveness. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This verse has a very large bearing and meaning, as do most of the verses in John's ministry. But I'm applying it in that way. It can also be applied for one that first comes to the Lord, but.
00:10:07
I believe that it's more appropriate to apply it to the one that.
It doesn't say asks for forgiveness. I don't believe we're ever told in Scripture to ask for forgiveness. We're told to confess our sins and then we have the assurance from God that he's faithful and just to forgive us.
And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, there be other things that we haven't confessed that we're not even aware of. But He knows. And so if we come confessing what we do know.
Is wrong and owning it before him and naming it, naming the sin. Then He will do more than just forgive us those sins that we've confessed. He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
A beautiful example of that is in Psalm 51.
And I want to read it at least part of it.
The confession of sin.
This was after David had sinned.
With Bathsheba.
And Nathan the Prophet came.
And brought home to him.
Thou art the man.
Thou art the man.
And it says that the heading of this Psalm to the chief musician, a Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity.
Cleansed from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee the only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight.
Thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Behold, I was shaken in iniquity, and incended my mother conceived me. Behold, thou desirous truth in the inward parts.
And in the hidden part, thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop.
And I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
That's an allusion to the ordinance of the red heifer.
Make me to hear joy and gladness.
That the bones which thou has broken may rejoice here is a repentant.
Sorrowing.
Saint One, who had fallen into a grievous sin.
More than one.
Thou art the man.
Hide thy face from my sins.
And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart.
For God and He knew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from my presence, and take me not. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me, Or, as the new translation reads, take not the Spirit of Thy holiness from me.
I think the thought there is.
Having fallen as I have.
Having sinned so grievously.
I don't want to be insensitive to the evil, to the enormity of the evil that I've committed.
Take not the spirit of Thy Holiness from me.
I want to be holy.
And separate from evil.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. You see, He hasn't lost. We don't lose our salvation when we sin as a St.
But we lose the joy.
We lose the fellowship, we lose the communion.
We lose so much.
Because we have allowed the flesh a place.
Uphold me with thy free spirit.
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. A beautiful example of that is Peter's restoration. I hadn't thought of it till just now.
Though I'll deny thee, yet will not I?
The Lord says yes, you will.
He had confidence in the flesh and he had to learn that there's nothing good in the flesh.
And he denied him three times. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.
And he went out and wept bitterly.
But on the day of Pentecost, and in those days following, he stood boldly before his Jewish brethren, and he said, Whom ye denied in the presence of Pilate.
When he was determined to let him go, but he denied the Holy One and the justice and.
Call for a murderer to be granted unto you.
He brought home with power the very sin that he had been guilty of.
He was a restored man.
00:15:01
That God can use and use mightily.
And so with David.
Deliver me from blood guiltiness. Verse 14. O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips.
And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Without desirous, not sacrifice, else would I give it.
Delight is not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken.
And a contrite heart, O God, thou would not despise.
Well.
There's an example of a beautiful confession.
If we confess our sins like David did.
He's faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Then there's governmental forgiveness. I'd like to dwell more on each one, but.
Time is running on.
Turn with me to.
To 6.
Matthew.
These two verses I'm about to read have.
Disturbed many Saints.
Verse 14.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses.
Heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if he forgives not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive.
Your trespasses.
That seems to be saying that forgiveness depends upon us.
In a sense it does.
Not eternal forgiveness. That depends entirely and altogether on the work of Christ.
We can never lose that.
You can be forgiven eternally and even.
Well, I'll just say that eternally, judicially before God.
But if you harbor.
If I harbor an unforgiving spirit.
Towards.
My brethren.
No matter who they be, no matter what they have done.
To me.
This verse says if you forgive not.
Amend their trespasses.
You hold it, you know there are some people that.
And some Saints.
That if you ever cross them.
They write you off.
They have.
A An unforgiving spirit.
And that's serious. Governmentally, that is extremely serious.
Governmentally.
We read that verse in first Peter 117. If you call on the Father, who without respective persons.
Judgeth according to the work of each.
Past the time of your sojourning here in fear.
That holy awe and fear that I.
Conduct myself. Allow my thoughts or my attitudes to be such that God cannot smile upon.
That he will set himself again.
We didn't get to it.
But I must be did it in first Peter 3.
First Peter 3.
It says in verse 12, For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against them.
That do evil.
Could that apply to a St. Yes, it could, governmentally.
Peter speaks and we had that before us in our readings. Peter speaks of the government of God.
And the government of the father over his family.
If we go on in an evil course, if we harbor bitterness and resent resentment and and and we carry grudges.
Those are destructive forces.
And the father sets his stick turn to Matthew 18.
Matthew 18.
Verse 23.
Therefore Kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him 10,000 talents.
Now that's what we owe to God.
00:20:02
An amount that we could never pay.
We owe such an enormous debt to God because of our many, many, many sins. We could never pay it.
But for as much as he had not to pay, as Lord commanded him to be sold in his wife and children, and all that he had in payment to be made.
The servant therefore fell down and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
He couldn't, he couldn't begin to pay that debt.
Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
And the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him 100 pence.
That's how serious the minor offenses are that our fellows can give to us in comparison with what we owe to God.
And 100 pence in contrast with 10,000 talents.
And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying that's the man that had been forgiven so much.
Pay me the fellows. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I would pay the all.
And he would not.
He would not.
He would not extend forgiveness for 100 pence when he'd been forgiven 10,000 talents.
Had you ever heard a Saint of God say I can't forgive him for that?
Or I can't forgive her for that.
Beloved, that is serious.
May we never allow such an attitude.
In ourselves towards anyone.
God has forgiven us an infinite amount.
And we can't forgive the paltry trifles that come against us. Let's read on.
He would not but cast him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their Lord all that was done. Then his Lord after that he had called and said unto him, O thou wicked.
Certain servant.
Oh, I used to read that and I used to say to myself, well, that has to be an unsafe person.
No it doesn't.
If you harbor an unforgiving spirit, you are in the class of being a wicked person, a wicked servant.
I forgave thee all that debt because thou desirest me. Shouldest thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?
And his Lord was wroth.
And delivered him to the tormentors. I used to think that meant hell. It doesn't.
This is governmental.
To the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. Now notice that last verse. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you.
If ye from your hearts.
Forgive not everyone his brother.
Their trespasses.
From your house.
You don't extend forgiveness to someone that has.
Sinned against you until they repent.
Of their sins.
That's brought before us in.
Luke, and we'll come to that in a moment.
But we are to have.
In our hearts, forgiveness.
So that as soon as someone comes and says I'm sorry for that, done.
Will say I forgive you.
We won't say I can't forgive you that or I won't forgive you that.
I know the case.
Where as husband.
Was ensnared.
With a woman that he did not love.
He loved his wife.
And he fell into sin with that woman, the excitement of the moment.
That he grieved over what he had done, as David did.
Over his sin with Bathsheba.
And he went to his wife, weeping.
Sorrowing, saying I love you not not her. I'm sorry for what I've done. I abhor myself for what I've done. Forgive me.
And she said no, I won't.
That puts her.
In the class of a wicked servant.
Her state worse than his.
Because she would not.
Forgive when he was truly repented.
I'm talking about a case of true repentance.
00:25:03
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you.
To me.
If I, from my heart, forgive not everyone his brother, their trespasses.
You know that bitterness.
Harboring grudges.
An unforgiving spirit is self-destructive.
It sets the face of God the Father in a governmental way against us.
So it makes it so terribly serious.
Against.
Governmentally, oh, you're eternally saved and you're going to spend eternity in heaven. But sometimes there are troubles that have come up among brethren, and we'll just leave that to the judgment seat of Christ, is said. And we won't get it resolved down here.
And there's the harboring of resentment and bitterness and unforgiveness.
How many assemblies have been destroyed by that spirit? Governmental forgiveness?
The principle of government is found in Galatians 6, and I'll just quote it to you. Whatsoever a man saw it, that shall he also.
If we sow unforgiveness.
We will reap that.
Father says if you don't forgive, I won't forget.
That's not eternal. We're not talking about eternal forgiveness. That's based upon the work of Christ.
But we're talking about governmental forgiveness.
God has a government over his family.
And if we allow the flesh.
And nurture it.
And maintain a spirit of resentment and unforgiveness towards another.
No matter how serious what they've done to us.
That puts us in the position of being a wicked servant.
There was a time.
And I prayed every night. Lord, keep me from bitterness.
It's a good prayer.
We will.
I couldn't speak on this subject if I was conscious in my soul that I harbored an unforgiving spirit towards anyone.
Couldn't speak on the subject.
I trust that.
If there's anyone that's doing that.
If you're the kind of person that if someone crosses you, you write them off and no longer have anything to do with them.
You got a real problem.
In our family life with our spouse, our mate, a wife or husband.
We're called upon to forgive over and over.
And over again.
And our children.
To forgive them.
And it's not difficult when we love them.
And as we had there in that passage in First Peter 1/2.
No, I love to our brethren.
Certainly the way of showing it.
Is in the way of forgiveness.
Then there's the.
Administrative forgiveness.
Before I get on that.
And we're in Matthew 18.
Positive place and I'll read a verse in Luke.
17.
I believe it is.
Luke 17, verse 3.
The key to yourselves if thy brother.
Trespass against the ridiculous.
And if you repent?
Forgive him.
And if you trespass against these seven times in a day?
And seven times in a day, turn again to these, saying, I repent.
Thou shalt forgive him.
When I called upon to judge the sincerity of the motives behind what our brother is telling us.
He said I'm sorry, I repent.
Thou shalt forget him.
Seven times.
You think by that time there was a bit of insincerity in that?
But that's not.
What we're called upon to judge now going to Matthew 18, we have a similar passage back to Matthew 18.
Verse 21.
00:30:00
Then came Peter to him, and said Lord.
How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?
Till 7 times. This goes back to verse 15 where the Lord says more that moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.
And if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
The whole purpose there, the whole point of Matthew 18 is grace all the way through is the activity of grace going out, reaching out to those that have offended or to those that have gone astray or to those who are weak and, and and helpless. It's it's the activity of grace. It's taking the low place.
The chapter starts out with a question. Who's the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
And the Lord doesn't answer it directly. He says, Except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Not only don't talk about greatness, you can't even get into the Kingdom unless you're converted, unless you become a little child.
Unless you place, take the place of nothingness.
Helplessness.
Utter dependence. And then he answers the question directly, and has he says he that humble, humble, humblest himself, humbles himself as this little child, the same is greatest.
In the Kingdom of heaven.
The very question betrays that which lies innate with us. We want a place of prominence. Who's the greatest?
Through our place of prominence, pride is the greatest of all evils.
The last to die.
Pride. Pride itself.
And so Peter, thinking of what the Lord had said earlier, he says in verse 21, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me? And I forgive? Until 7 times he thought he was being very generous. 7 times. I'm willing even to go 7 times.
And the Lord says to him, I say not unto thee until 7 times, but until 70 * 7.
There's no limit.
As far as forgiveness is concerned, because there's no limit in the forgiveness of God.
10,000 talents, that's what I am, and a 10,000 talent get her and he's forgiven me.
How can I not forgive any offenses done to me? How can I know?
If I don't, I'm a wicked servant.
And the father will set his face against me.
Governmentally.
And that's true of everyone in this room. That's true of everyone that's in the world.
Who is the Lord's?
70 * 7.
Governmental forgiveness. Now let's look a little bit at.
Administrative.
Forgiveness.
Verse 15.
Nor with thy brothers shall trespass against thee. I want to make this comment before we read these verses.
In our King James translation, Mr. Darby's as well.
Every second person singular starts with AT.
Thou be thy vine.
And every second person plural.
With AY.
We you, your yours. So it's and that's that's always true. So you can always tell when you read the King James.
Whether it's singular or plural in the modern translations where it's all you, you can't tell, and this very passage would not be intelligible if we read you all the way through.
And I'll point that out as we go through it.
Notice in verse 15.
This is all in the singular.
And so it's addressed to an individual. Moreover, if my brother.
Shall trespass against thee.
Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.
If he shall hear thee, thou has been thy brother, and it doesn't go any farther than that. It's just between the two individuals. There's been a personal trespass committed, and you go to them in the energy of grace, in the thought of regaining his fellowship.
And eliminating the problem that is coming in.
If you hear the dollars gain, my brother, that's as far as it has to go. No one else knows anything about it.
But if you will not hear thee.
Then take with me one or two more from the local assembly.
Where the two brothers reside.
00:35:02
That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
It still has to do with the individual if he will not hear the.
And if he shall neglect to hear them, these two or three witnesses that you've brought along?
Tell it unto the assembly, the church locally.
What if you neglect to hear the church?
The final Court of Appeal.
There isn't anything.
Administratively.
That can settle the issue, but the assembly locally.
If you neglect to hear the church.
The local assembly, let him be unto thee. It's still in the singular as an heathen man in a publican. Now notice in verse 15, If thy brother trespass against thee, thou has came thy brother. Now he's no longer to be considered by the individual as thy brother, but as an heathen man and a publican as an unsafe person.
He has refused the voice.
Of the local assembly he neglected here the assembly the church. Let him be unto thee still addressed to the individual.
That is, this is instruction for the one that's been trespassed against. Now all these verses 1516 and 17 are instruction to the individual. Let him be unto thee as an heathen man, and a public name.
Now in verse.
18 It changes to the Pearl.
He's no longer talking to the individual, he's talking to the assembly, the local assembly there.
You see, if it was all you, you'd never see this change. You'd never realize he's talking to the individual in these first 3 verses and then he talks to the assembly notice.
Verse 18 Verily I say unto you, Pearl, Yes, the local assembly.
Whatsoever.
Plural shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.
Instruction to the local assembly there.
Which has the authority, by virtue of the presence of Christ in their midst, to administratively.
Find and loose.
Remit and retain.
Notice that 18th verse starts out Verily I say unto you, verse 19 starts out again. I say unto you, He had more to say than just the instruction as to binding and losing.
Now if you turn back to Matthew 16, we won't turn there, but to Peter he says those very same words, except it's all in the singular. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. That's instruction to an apostle.
That was Peters Apostolic authority.
And he exercised that in the book of Acts.
But here it's Pearl. It's to the local assembly.
And then he says in 19 he says again, I say unto you, speaking to the assembly still that if 2 of you.
Shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them.
Of my father, which is in heaven here is on the part of a competent testimony in the local assembly the smallest plurality to.
3 is is this is adequate testimony, 2 and 3 is abundant testimony.
But here it's just if to agree.
To agree.
If there isn't agreement in prayer, there is no promise that there's going to come an answer.
But if there's agreement, now it's not that you and I get on the phone together and say, let's agree to pray about something. That's not the kind of agreement I believe that's here. This is an agreement that is produced by the Spirit of God in the soul so that he burdens you with the same thing that he burdens me with. And when we pray together, we sympathize, we agree, we harmonize.
They're playing the same thing.
We're playing the mind of the Lord.
The two of you shall agree on earth is touching anything that they shall ask.
This is 2 from that local assembly now.
This this context. Keep it in context, otherwise you will not rightly divide the word of truth.
It shall be done for them. Of my Father, which is in heaven. We have the promise of an answer.
I think at the time when Brennan got together in an assembly and it was just like this, there was they were in harmony.
They were all burdened about the same thing. They were all crying the same thing. They were of one mind.
And when they got from their knees, one brother turned to another, and he said, you will see a short shortly. You will see the Lord answer this prayer. And he did.
Because there was that agreement.
00:40:02
When brethren want to pray together.
Cross purposes.
One praying this way, one praying that way that there's no agreement.
And we don't have the promise of the Lord's answer with that kind of thing.
And that can happen. It has happened.
It recently did happen.
And so the assembly refused.
Others to come for that kind of a permit.
Because it wouldn't have been a prayer meeting in agreement.
And then that famous verse that we know so well for were two or three.
Are gathered together unto my man.
It's really unto.
In his right, that's what you get in First Corinthians 5, but here it's unto.
Where am I in the midst of them? His presence in the midst guarantees 2 Things. Competent.
Competency from an administrative standpoint for the assembly to bind and to loose.
In his name.
By the word of God.
Where does the assembly get its authority? From the word of God?
It can't go contrary to the word of God.
One brother put it this way.
If I was charged with murder.
And two witnesses came forward and testified.
That I had done it.
The assembly put me out.
And it turned out later, I knew that hadn't done it. I knew that I was innocent.
That the assembly acted on Scripture.
The testimony of two or three witnesses should every word be established.
So I was put away.
And then it turned out that those witnesses were liars.
And so the assembly recognizing that they had acted on false testimony.
Rescinded that and loosed.
Made from that.
Now, did the assembly act wrongly?
When it disciplined me, no, because it acted according to the word.
It had wrong input.
But suppose the assembly should put me out because.
I was preaching that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God.
That he couldn't have sinned.
That his humanity was holy, impeccable.
And they put me out for that.
That's totally contrary to Scripture. They have acted contrary to the Word, which David gives them authority to act for him.
That would have been a wicked act.
That's the difference between a mistaken act.
And a wicked act.
The Lord in the midst.
Gives competency to act for him. Now let's turn to John 20, please.
John's Gospel, chapter 20.
Verse 19.
Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews.
Then Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Then we have a little picture on the 1St resurrection day of the assembly before it was formed. It was formed 50 days later by the coming of the Holy Spirit and the day of Pentecost. But here we have a picture of it.
Disciples assembled together, Jesus in the midst, and he proclaims the fruit of his redemptive work. Peace be unto you.
And when He had so said, He showed them his hands in his side. And then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord? The effect of knowing the knowing the work of Christ is to set the souls at peace, and the effect of seeing this person is to give us gladness. Weren't we glad when we saw the Lord this morning in our midst? You had to see Him by faith. Of course He was there.
He was there. We could feel his presence.
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. This time it wasn't for themselves, but for.
Proclaiming it to others as my Father had sent me. Even so send I use so no other sent out with the gospel of peace to the world.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive you, the Holy Ghost.
In what? In the power of what life were they to proclaim this? In the power of what life were they to enjoy this peace and this presence and be gathered together, the resurrection life of Christ in the power and energy of the Holy Spirit. You don't have time to develop that.
That's what we have in verse 22.
00:45:00
Now verse 23, where we have administrative forgiveness, whosoever sins you remit.
They are remitted unto them, and whosoever seems you retain, they are retained. Now he speaks this to the disciples gathered together with Christ in the midst. This is instruction for the assembly.
The authority to remit and to retain sins. This is administrative.
Forgiveness.
Or the opposite to it.
Let's look at Acts chapter 8.
Acts Chapter 8 There's two instances I want to call our attention to.
Acts Chapter 8.
Verse 5. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with 1 accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake. Hearing and seeing the miracles which he did, or unclean spirits crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them. And many taken with policies, and that were lame were healed, and there was great joy in that city.
And there was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the same city, used sorcery and bewitched the people.
Of Samaria given out that himself was some great one.
To whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is a great power of God.
To him they had regard, because in a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries, that when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Then Simon himself believed also.
This was not real.
He wasn't truly converted to God at all, but it says he believed.
He believed intellectually. He believed on seeing the miracles. Always distrust a conversion that's based upon seeing miracles.
What is the conversion that's real when we believe the word?
And we believe the work being born again out of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.
And this is the word which in the Gospel is preached to you.
Is by receiving the word of God that a soul is real?
Well, Simon, it says, believed and he was baptized, that he was administratively brought into the house.
Into the circle of Christians.
Now the only one that can do that is someone that's inside. He's the only one that can bring someone outside in. Someone outside can't get in on his own.
He has to be admitted administratively, received in by someone that's inside.
This Christmas got it all backwards today.
Make announcements at the Lord's table at the breaking of bread, and they say if you're a Christian here this morning and you desire to remember the Lord, that's your responsibility.
And they wash their hands of their responsibility and God says no, it's not his responsibility, it's yours. It's the responsibility of the assembly to receive and to refuse to receive, to remit and to retain sins administratively.
He hasn't given that to the individual. No individual has any right to introduce himself on his own authority into a Christian assembly.
It's the assembly that receives him. It's the assembly that disciplines him if necessary.
And that's what you have here in John 20. Now let's do, let's go on with this. So Simon was admitted. He was, he was brought in by someone that baptized him. And it says when he was baptized, he continued with Philip. He was one of them now and wondered beholding the miracles and signs which were done. That's what that's what attracted him so much.
Who was making money and practicing sorcery?
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John, and when they were come down, they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.
Whereas yet He was found upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, then laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
And when Simon saw that true laying out of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money.
You see, he was a covetous man. His heart hadn't been changed at all, and he wanted that power.
You saw a power that was stronger than the power of sorcery that he'd been practicing, and he wanted that power so that he could make it into a lucrative business, as many have done today in Christendom.
Give me this power, that on whomsoever Elohim's ye may receive the Holy Ghost. Peter said unto him, Thy money perish.
With me.
Because I was thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money that was neither partner lot in this matter.
But thine heart is not ranked in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this like wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. But I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. He was a wicked man.
Then answered Simon and said, Pray you to the Lord for me.
That none of these things which he has spoken come upon me now, once he's been exposed for the fraud that he was.
The Christian company there refused them. They retained his sin.
00:50:03
And he was excluded. That's not recorded, but there's no doubt that that happened.
We did not remain among them. Now in the next Chapter 9, we have just the opposite case.
Verse 26. Saul is converted in this chapter earlier.
It says when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he is saved to join the himself to the disciples.
But they were all afraid of Him, and believe not that He was a disciple, and so they would not receive him, they would not remit his sins. He had gone about with letters. He left Jerusalem with letters from the High Priest to bind all that called upon the name of Jesus, to throw them into prison, to persecute them. They were afraid of Him, and well they should have been.
But something that happened up there in Damascus, he got saved.
We don't know how much time elapsed between verse 26 and 27, but in verse 27 Barnabas now comes forward. And he took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him.
And that he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus, and when and He was with them, they received him now into their company administratively. They refused. They retained his sins at person. Now they remit them administratively.
That's the function of the assembly. It's not an individual function, except in the case of the Apostle Peter.
He was given that authority.
He was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem, and he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. Now let's turn to 1St Corinthians 5.
1St Corinthians 5 verse 9 I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with fornicators.
Yet not all together with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous or extortioners, or with idolaters.
For then must you need to go out of the world.
If we had to refrain any kind of fellowship with the worldly people.
We have to leave the world. We couldn't carry on business and anything because this is the kind of lifestyle that these people live.
He's talking about.
Dealing with those that are professing Christians. So he says, now I have written unto you verse 11, not to keep company. If any man that is called a brother doesn't say he is a brother. He's called a brother that he makes the profession of Christianity. So he's in the great house. He's called a brother. Whether he's real or not is not for us to say. The Lord knows them that are his, but he's called a brother. So we treat him as though he's a brother.
If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one known not to eat.
So he's professing Christian and going on say you were talking to someone at work and and they say they're a Christian. And you find out a little bit later that the man is living with a woman that's not his wife.
You could meet with that person.
Well, if he was just a wordling, you wouldn't impose that kind of thing because you don't impose Christian principles on the world. That's what Christians are trying to do. They're trying to impose Christian principles on the world. And that's not our responsibility. What our responsibility is to impose Christian principles on Christians.
And that's where we failed, like the man that made that announcement says.
Would solve ourselves of any responsibility. Whether you want to break that or not, that's your responsibility.
Instead of being responsible for our own house, we're trying to be responsible for something that is my responsibility, which is the world.
They've got it just backwards.
But what have I to do to judge them also that are without Paul is an apostle, but this be a sphere of his Apostolic authority did not reach to the world every every authority that's been conferred on man has its limits and the limits of his authority was the assembly.
The house, the great house, he says. What have I to do to judge those who are without? Do not he judge them that are within those that are in the house? Those are in the sphere of profession.
But then that are without God judges.
Those that are outside of the sphere of professing Christianity, they're not in the great House, they're in the world.
God judges them.
But our responsibility is to judge those that are within. And so he says to these Corinthians now, he was writing in a day when there were all these divisions that we have today, which make the problem much more difficult, complex today, I know that. But we're just looking at the principles here.
Therefore, put away from among yourselves that with the person.
Doesn't say put him away from the Lord's table. You never get that in Scripture. Put away from among yourselves, that wicked person.
That is, they are put away from the fellowship of the Saints.
And he's put away as a wicked person. Turns out that he was really a brother.
So this sin was bound upon him or retained, and he was excluded from their fellowship. Someone asked Mr. Dowdy, where are they put to? I heard it said, well, we put them out into the world, we can't do that.
00:55:07
We put them away from among ourselves, Darby answered that question. He said. It doesn't say where we put them to. It says where we put them from. We put them from among ourselves.
If I have a naughty child in my family and I say you can't eat tonight at the table, go to your room. I don't throw them out the house. I don't throw them into the into the into the world. I don't throw them.