True Forgiveness is in Knowing
There is Nothing Too Big to Forgive!

By David J. Stewart | April 2018

Proverbs 19:11, “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.”

       The title of this article is based upon an exact quote from Dr. Jack Hyles, the world's greatest preacher in my humble opinion. I've never known such a forgiving man in all my life as Brother Hyles. No believer can be right with God who doesn't forgive others. Here is a precious MP3 sermon by Pastor Hyles called, what else, “FORGIVENESS,” in which Dr. Hyles says, “I decided years ago to forgive everybody before it is asked!” I decided to do the same thing in my own Christian life long ago. I do not hold a grudge against anyone in this world, God knows my heart. I love everyone with God's unconditional love.

One of my favorite MP3 sermons by Dr. Hyles is titled, “If Thou Should Mark Iniquities, Who Could Stand?” Everyone's a dirty sinner! If God were to mark iniquities against all of us, NO ONE could stand tall and proud and boast of their own goodness. We're all sinners! Revelation 12:10b calls Satan, “the accuser of the brethren.” Satan is not the accuser of the world, he is the ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN!!! Satan accuses Christians! When you're a Christian, the whole world is waiting for you to fall. I have noticed that when I go to watch a preaching video on YouTube (owned by Google) by a particular preacher, horribly defamatory videos often appear in the video suggestion area. That is Satan folks!

I condemn no one for their sins. I am a Baptist preacher, so I have to take a stand sometimes, which I hate doing, but what kind of horrible preacher would I be if I hobnobbed, went along to get along, dipped my sails, trimmed my message or tried to remain politically correct? Jesus Himself, God in the flesh, refused to condemn anyone. John 8:10-11, “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” Isn't that beautiful? God refused to condemn the adulterous woman. God, the Son, refused to condemn a sinner. Anyone who rejects Jesus as their Savior is already condemned. John 3:18-19, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” Carefully notice that a person is not condemned for being a sinner; but rather, for NOT BELIEVING!

The woman in the following passage of Scripture BELIEVED, as did the woman taken in adultery, which is why she was not condemned. Luke 7:37-38 and 47-48, “And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. ... Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.” Jesus said to whom much is forgiven, the same loveth much. This woman was a reputed sinner in the community, very likely a prostitute, but she BELIEVED on the Lord, and her sins were thus forgiven. I have been forgiven of much myself, and so I have much love toward God in my soul, and toward others. If you ever realize just how sinful you are, AND YOU ARE SINFUL, you will find the same depth of love and forgiveness for the dear Savior, and toward all mankind my dear friend. The way to learn to love others is to bask in the love that God has for you, Oh sinner!

A few people would die for a righteous man; perhaps someone might even give their life for a good man; but who would die for a criminal? Jesus, that's Who! HE DIED FOR YOU TOO, YOU CRIMINAL! In God's holy sight we are all criminals! Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” All humanity are guilty sinners, criminals, in the sight of a holy God. That's the first thing you must realize to be saved, that is, you need to get saved because you deserve to burn in Hell because you are a guilty sinner!!! Galatians 3:13, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Jesus suffered and died a criminal's death, in your place and mine on the cross, so that by faith we could be made the righteousness of God in Him (2nd Corinthians 5:21).

“The law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out.” ―Billy Sunday

Oh listen my friend, it matters not how sinful you are. It matters not what horrible things you have done. By God's grace, there is no sin so great and so horrible, that the precious blood of Jesus Christ cannot reach deeper than the stain of sin has gone!!! Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” What a precious promise from God. Do you realize that there is not another God in any religion that forgives sin like the God of biblical Christianity? Micah 7:18, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” There is ONLY one true and living God, the Lord God of true Israel (not manmade fake Israel today), and He loves to pardon iniquity!

“Give your face to God, and He will put his shine on it.” ―Billy Sunday

Best Christians Still Struggle With Sin, But Our Holy God Hates Sin and So Ought We

Perhaps you say, “Well, I know a professed Christian who did some horrible things; Christians are a bunch of hypocrites!” Of course we all are, because we all still sin! It's just a matter of whose a bigger hypocrite, you or me! You will not find a Christian without sin!!! That's why no one can withstand the attack of a critic. The mighty apostate Paul said in Romans 7:1, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” In other words, Paul as a Christian still struggled with the old fleshly nature, as WE ALL DO! Ecclesiastes 7:20, “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”

Now, please don't misunderstand me, it is not okay to commit sin. God hates sin! Christ died to cleanse us from our sins, and to create in us a new heart (1st John 1:9). Every believer who is right with God ought to reiterate with David in Psalms 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” There are some horrible Christians today, who knowing the biblical truth of forgiveness, intentionally go commit gross immorality, expecting other Christians to pardon them afterwards (and they will). Albeit, THIS IS WICKEDNESS!!! Galatians 5:13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Brother Lester Roloff (1914-1982) said it right, “God saved you so you won't live like that anymore!”

If you have been saved, i.e., born again, you're sins are gone, gone, gone! Psalms 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Do you know why the Bible says “east” and “west”? It is because east and west never meet. You can only go so far north, and then you'll be going south again (and vise versa); but you can travel east forever and you'll never find west, or you can move westward forever and you'll never find east. Isn't that beautiful? Our great God not only pardons us of all our iniquities, but He also declares us justified through faith in Christ Jesus, JUST-IF-I'D never sinned at all. What an awesome God!!!
 

Many Harlots and Tax Cheats Going to Heaven, But Not Religious Church Leaders

There are unsaved people who live above reproach, thinking they are pretty decent people. Such self-righteous persons look down upon and condemn born-again believers who have openly sinned. However, in eternity when God judges everyone, the seemingly good unsaved person will burn in Hell forever, while the openly sinful Christian will enjoy the blessings and splendor of Heaven for all eternity. Matthew 21:31b-32, “Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” Please notice “WHY” the publicans (tax cheats) and harlots went into the Kingdom of God, but not the religious scribes and Pharisees, because they, “BELIEVED HIM”! They simply believed on the dear Savior, the Son of God, taking Him at His Word!

The only way to Heaven is through faith in the Good News (Gospel) of Christ crucified, buried and risen. Only by faith in what Christ has done to pay for our sins on the cross, can anyone be spared God's wrath to come (Romans 5:9). You had better get saved, and get your sins under the blood, or else you'll spend eternity paying for your own sins in the fires and torments of Hell with Margaret Sanger, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, Steve Jobs, Freddie Mercury, George Harrison, Gene Wilder, Stephen Hawking, Gene Roddenberry, Rod Serling and George Carlin! (All of those poor souls openly rejected the Son of God!) Your time is running out!

“The reason you don't like the Bible, you old sinner, is because it knows all about you.” ―Billy Sunday

1st John 2:17, “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” The will of the Father to have eternal life is to BELIEVE on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again! Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

No matter what sin you are guilty of committing, God can and will forgive that offense on the basis of what Christ did on the cross to pay for your sins, by the precious blood that He shed and sprinkled of that precious blood upon the Mercy Seat in Heaven. True forgiveness is in knowing that there is NOTHING too big to forgive!
 

Cast All Offenses and Hurt Feelings Upon the Lord

Perhaps you say, “Brother Stewart, how do I forgive?” Okay, I'll tell you. You simply let an offense go into God's hands for judgment. If someone has hurt you, you place them by faith into God's hands, knowing that God has promised to avenge all wrongs. Romans 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” What “place” ought we to put our wrath against those who have wronged us? The Lord! That place is the Lord, trusting His wisdom and omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotence (all-powerful) to do balance the scales of justice, where there is no justice. I can forgive even those who have never sought my forgiveness, because I know that they one day must face their Creator, and be judged (Hebrews 9:27; Romans 14:10-12; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

One of the truths that helps me forgive others quickly is found in Matthew 25:40, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” When someone mistreats me, they have done it to Jesus! This is because I am a child of God, that is, a born-again Christian. When someone cheats me, they have cheated Jesus! When someone is unkind or mean to me, they have done it unto the Lord. That is exactly what the Bible says. Do you know why? It is because I belong to Christ. 1st Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” The very moment that I became saved, that is, the moment I trusted the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen for my sins, I became God's property! So when someone hurts me, it is as if they did it to Jesus Himself, and they WILL be judged accordingly. Matthew 18:6, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

But most of all, if God was willing to forgive a woeful sinner like me of all my sins, who am I to deny forgiveness to others who have wronged me? Many people have deeply hurt me throughout my life, who have never sought my forgiveness. They have never righted their wrongs against me. Albeit, I have still CHOSEN to forgive them all, because I know that they did it to Jesus too, and they must be held accountable one day in eternity. Jesus warned in Matthew 12:36 that men shall give account even for their words spoken. Forgiveness is a choice my friend. On the cross Jesus said, “Father forgive them,” because He already had! Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

“True forgiveness is in knowing there is nothing too big to forgive.” —Dr. Jack Hyles

Souls Are Dying!

Precious Christian Testimonies

How Permanent Is Your Salvation?
(an excellent MP3 sermon by Pastor Hank Lindstrom, 1940-2008)

“The mark of the child of God is that he loves everybody!”
(a quote from Pastor Jack Hyles' classic MP3 sermon, “FORGIVENESS”)

Ye Must Be Born Again! | You Need HIS Righteousness!