Today on Real Life Radio, God, who was enthroned in yonder heaven, absolute innocence and perfection, was sinned against worse than you and I would have ever been sinned against, and He sent His Son to pay the price so we could go free. This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibs. I'm David J. Thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's Word, the Bible.
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Get. For a gift of any amount at jackhibs. dot com, that's jackhibs. dot com. On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues with his series now called "The Book of Ephesians" and a message titled "Our Great Redemption, Part One." Ephesians is a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church of Ephesus, showing every believer who they really are in Christ.
And here, Paul reminds us that we've been bought back, redeemed, and fully forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. You see, God didn't just make us and then leave us to wander through this life alone and without purpose. He brings us back when we're lost, ransomed us from sin and from death, and cancelled every debt we've ever owed. It is the good news that saves us and sustains us.
So today, Pastor Jack teaches that sin no longer has power over us. Through Christ, we have everything we need to let go of those things that trouble us or trip us up. And because we've been set free, we are free to forgive others.
Now, with his message called "Our Great Redemption," Part One, here's Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibs. Let's keep going here quickly. It says, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness." Not only should you underline the word redemption, but underline the word forgiveness. And just what does this mean?
Well, obviously, it's the forgiveness of sins. By the way, this forgiveness of sins—the word sin right here is peratomah—and it means a side slip, a slipping up, a lapse. Or a deviation from the course doesn't doesn't that sound gentle? A lapse or a deviation from the course that doesn't sound so bad, does it?
Well, it also says the unintentional error.
Okay, that sounds still pretty gentle, and it means the willful transgression, an offense, a trespass. You know what a trespass is? You cross the line. The sign says "Don't cross this line," and a trespasser goes, looks around left to the right, reads the sign, and crosses the crosses right over the fence. He gets shot with salt in his rear end, and then wants to sue the landowner.
You know, forgetting you know how the how it goes. He's a trespasser. He's lucky he didn't die. Sin is not only the unintentional crossing of the line. Hey, maybe the fence got knocked down and you went into somebody's private land.
You've sinned. You've unintentionally erred. You didn't mean to, but you've sinned nonetheless. You're still breaking the guy's property line. That's not only sin, but so is the willful transgression and trespass to say, "Hey, I know this is somebody's private land.
I'm going on it anyway." That's sin. We have forgiveness of our sins. The Bible says that all of sinning comes short of the glory of God. I, you know, I don't know what it is, but I'm getting addicted to watching the news at night, watching all these guys lie to me. It's kind of, and you can go.
I got it. You know, you just hit the, you hit that one key, and it goes to two four seven, seven four two two four seven, four seven two four seven seven four two. And it's great. Do it real quick, and they're going, and they're just and and that's the only it's the only way you can understand what they're saying. They're all lying.
It'd be great if they're standing there. Ah, this is what I am going to do, and their nose starts to grow, and it turns into a tree, and a bird land, you know, like Pinocchio's thing, and. But it's just it's it's it's a lie. And listen, it's always been a lie. And you're gonna have to vote for the guy that lies the less, because the Bible says every man's a liar.
And the Bible says we've all sinned. We all need forgiveness. And. By how fast the clock is going tonight, maybe we should just stay on this point right here, and we'll end. You guys remember in the Book of Numbers, the children of Israel were complaining and moaning and grumbling, and then they're just cruising along out there in the wilderness, and then they turn on Moses, and they start chewing on him.
And God, it's amazing. God and Moses—they were never in the same mood on the same day. Because one day, Monday, God says, "Stand, Moses, scoot over. I'm going to kill every one of them." And Moses says, "Don't do it! Don't do it!" Then Tuesday, Moses says, "God, get out of my way.
I'm going to kill every one of them." And God says, "Now, Moses, calm down. Calm down." It's a great thing they were never thinking the same thing on the same day.
So they're chewing on Moses, complaining and whining, and God says, "Moses, look out!" And it says that God sent fiery snakes, serpents, to bite the people and to start killing them because of disobedience.
So then God says, "You know what? Put a molten bronze, brass serpent." On a pole and raise it up in the air, and tell the people that if they look at the brazen serpent on a pole, that's where the medical, by the way, the medical institution got their sign for healing. That snake on a pole. Moses tell them if they look at the pole with the snake on the pole, the brass snake brass stands for judgment in the scriptures. Snake, sin, Satan.
Look on it, and they'll be made whole. They'll be healed from the snake bites if they just look.
So tell them, okay, everybody, look at the snake on the pole. You'll be made whole. Look, and they looked, and they got healed. And some didn't look, and they died. Can you imagine?
Look, and you'll be made whole. Ah, it's stupid. Just look at it. You'll be made better. Look at the people around you.
That's a stupid idea. You know, there's snakes hanging on his leg, symbol of sin, venom going through the body, sin sick. Just look at the snake on the pole. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The guy croaks, he dies.
What a dummy! They could have been forgiven. Colossians chapter two, verse eleven. Says and you. I don't know if it's verse eleven, but it's Colossians two.
And you, being dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with him. Oh man, that's good. Having forgiven you all. Your trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting, listen of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, and He has taken them out of the way, having nailed them to the cross. I'm going to read that one more time.
Having forgiven you all trespasses. Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that were contrary to us, every time you and I sinned before we came to Christ, somewhere in heaven a record up there he goes again. Another thing was written down. Every time you and I blew up there he goes, and when we came to Christ, because what he did two thousand years ago on the cross, a gigantic heavenly eraser went. And wiped it clean.
Jesus took all of our wrong, and took it to the cross, and dealt with it there. Is that incredible? I had a chance today to speak to some chiropractic students at the LA Chiropractic School during their lunch break, Christians on campus type thing, and. Just, you know, just talking to those guys, it just began to just get in my heart again about the incredible gospel we have. It's free, and we're to receive it.
He's done it all. All of our sin, and nailed it to his cross. Of course, this word forgiveness means to be pardoned from judgment, to be granted forgiveness. To be set at liberty. I'm going to say something here that might be kind of interesting to you, so I want you to listen carefully, and jot this down if you would.
Tonight, the world is in need of forgiveness. Positionally, they're alienated from God. That is the world tonight. Do you understand? They're separated from God.
They need redemption. They need forgiveness because they are positionally alienated from God. The world is going to hell tonight. The Bible says. They need forgiveness.
They need to look to Christ and be forgiven. But what about the Christian?
Well, if the world is alienated from God tonight and they need forgiveness, and Romans three twenty three says that all have sinned, that's true, and they need His salvation, that's true.
Well, what about the Christian tonight? What about us? We are in need of forgiveness, practically. That is communally. I don't want confusion.
This is very important. The world tonight is lost and needs their position changed, so that they stand before God holy in Christ. You with me? You and I have already done that. We're believers.
That's not going to be undone. But we need forgiveness in our lives for communal purposes. We need forgiveness to keep our relationship with one another and with the Lord open. Very important. You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs.
To learn more about this ministry or to catch up on some previous episodes, go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. And now let's get back to today's message. Once again, here's Pastor Jack. You know First John one nine, where it says, "If we confess our sins, he's talking to Christians.
He's not talking to non Christians. If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his words not in us.
So none of you are perfect. If you're thinking that tonight, we've all sinned, but we need to confess that sin. Isaiah fifty nine one. You know it. It says, "Behold, the hand of the Lord is not short that it cannot save, nor is his ear heavy that he cannot hear.
But your sins have separated you from your God. Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear you." Verse two. Why don't you grab your Bible real quick and go to Matthew eighteen? Where does forgiveness come in in the life of the Christian? Doesn't the Bible say that if we do not forgive our brothers, neither will God forgive you?
Well, what does that mean? Does that mean you can lose your salvation? No, we're talking about the Christian having the need of forgiveness, and it is communal. You can hold something against a Christian, and you being a Christian, and you're not going to lose your salvation over that. But God won't speak to you again.
You will sever communication with Him. You might even spend the rest of your Christian days in a stunted way if this is not dealt with. Matthew 18, look at verse 21. And Jesus said, "If you want to be perfect, go sell. Wait a minute.
Did I give you the right verse? Where am I? Eighteen.
Sorry, eighteen. Matthew eighteen, beginning at verse twenty-one. Then Peter came to him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I shall forgive him up to seven times?' Pretty impressed, oh Lord, seven times. Jesus said to him. I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
That is an amazing thing, just of itself. In other words, not four hundred ninety, but infinitely. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants, and when he had begun to settle the accounts, one. Was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, and his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.
The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, "Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all." Then the master of the servant was moved with compassion and released him of the debt and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred bucks or denarii, and laid his hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, "Pay me what you owe." So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you all." And he would not, but he went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.
So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all the debt, because you begged me. Should you not also have compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" And his master was angry and delivered him to the tortures until he should pay all that was due to him.
So my heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses. He's talking to believers. You don't forgive somebody and you're going to suffer from it. You don't lose your salvation because you you won't forgive somebody. You're going to mess up your Christian walk if you don't forgive somebody.
You'll be bitter, angry. Your heart will be callous and cold. But let me say this, and we'll end right here tonight. Whenever forgiveness is extended by anyone, including God, it is a law that shall not be broken. Whenever forgiveness is extended by you, by me, or by God, someone must pay.
Have you been forgiven a debt?
Someone paid. If you filed bankruptcy, you've been forgiven a debt. But somebody paid. You may not have paid, but somebody did. For God to have forgiven us, He had to pay.
Is that fair? If somebody wrongs me, God expects me, as a Christian, to forgive that guy, even if he hates my guts. Still, God demands of me, a Christian, to issue to him forgiveness for my own spiritual growth. But if I'm going to give him forgiveness or give her forgiveness, I have to pay. The sinner always goes free.
God has established it that way. The one who is sinned against always pays the price. If a wife has been unfaithful to a husband and she winds up coming back home, who pays? In a Christian setting, the husband pays. He issues forgiveness, and every day of his life.
He will wake up daily and bear the cross daily to take that thing before the throne and to issue forgiveness, though the topic may never be discussed again. If a husband is unfaithful to a wife, and he comes back home, who pays? The one who is sinned against always pays the price. And you might say that's not fair. You know what?
It's not fair. It's just the way it is. God, who is enthroned in yonder heaven, absolute innocence and perfection, was sinned against worse than you and I would have ever been sinned against, and He sent His Son to pay the price so we could go free. And that's not fair to Him. And so, when the Lord says you forgive, you cancel that debt.
It's for your own good and mine. And what will keep us from enjoying that liberty, though it's costly, is pride and arrogance. We'll get into this more next week as we complete. Did I say we're going to go to verse eight? We will next week.
Let's pray, Lord. We are forgiven based upon what Jesus has done. Thank you, Lord. Tonight. You may be here tonight, and your heart is broken.
You've been so wronged, you've been so robbed. You feel defiled, abused, violated. You've already started reaching for brick and mortar to build a wall around your heart. And you've decreed that you'll never love again, or you'll never trust that worker again, or that boss again. And you've even had the thoughts of vengeance, and even down deep inside, you would say, "God, get them." And yet, they circled Jesus, blindfolded him, beat him around his head and face, pulled his beard out of his cheeks, and then, several hours later, suspended between heaven and hell on a piece of wood, Jesus cries out, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." How dare we withhold forgiveness in light of Christ's example, Jesus?
We confess tonight we can't do it on our own. We confess tonight, Lord, that we would much rather hang with Peter and pull out a knife and cut off somebody's ear. But Lord, teach us to do the Christ thing, the Jesus style, the Christian way. Father, I pray that tonight there are those who have been so wronged, and maybe they cannot settle the account physically any longer. Maybe that person's dead and gone, or has moved to the other side of the universe, and they can't contact them.
But Lord, you'll make a way, even in the desert, to where that account can be settled, even tonight. And Father, help them to know, help us to know, to be reminded that when we seek your strength to issue forgiveness and it is done, we are the ones who are set free. We become a little bit more like our Lord and Savior. Maybe it's Lord in the life of a spouse or a family member tonight. And Lord, it's time.
You've been saying it's time now to heal. It's time to make right. You need to right now just say, Jesus, my heart is hardened and it is cold, it's angry, and it is justified. But I don't want to live like this anymore. Take it from me and put Your love in my heart for them, though I may hate them even now.
Help me, Jesus. I can't do it myself. Set me free. Lord, we thank you that Jesus held no grudge against us. Thank you, Lord, that Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Thank you for redemption and forgiveness through His blood. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibs here on Real Life Radio with his message called "Our Great Redemption, Part One." Thanks for spending part of your day with us today. You know this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called "The Book of Ephesians." It's a series through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, discovering the riches, the walk, and the warfare of every believer.
And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
So, as you heard from our broadcast, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And if you'd like to know what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life personally, we would love to help you out with that. Go to jackhibbs.com/knowgod. That's K-N-O-W God, and there you'll be guided through what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life and the freedom that you'll find in knowing God. Don't miss out.
That's the No God tab at JackHibs.com. Hey, thank you again so much for listening. And if you'd like to hear or see more of what we do here, you can always go to jackhibbs.com for all the latest on what's going on with this ministry. And please, if you're ever in the Southern California area, come see us at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. We'd love to see you there in person.
It has been so good to be with you today, and I pray you find yourself. In the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. See you on the next episode. This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com.
That's jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word. We'll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.
