Aren't you glad you're a Christian? Aren't you
glad you can look up and know that the mighty
Creator is your Heavenly Father? Oh, remember
again, the richest person in the whole world
is poor if they do not have that wonderful relationship.
between themselves and Almighty God. And the
poorest person, that person without a copper
cent in his pocket, the person who may be living
in one little attic room, is rich with peace
of mind and peace in the soul and having made
his peace with God. who's able to look up and
say with surety, My Heavenly Father. Well, sir,
oh, got your Bible. That's right. Remember our
little heart -to -heart talk? And I didn't finish
it. Yesterday and today, here we go. And it all
started. When a gentleman asks this question,
will you please explain John 20 and the 23rd
verse? As I told you in a little heart -to -heart
talk, that I could not begin to just take this
one verse of Scripture and give you... a true
and an exact explanation of it unless I would
take the entire chapter because you cannot take
just one verse of scripture out of its continuity
and try to give the correct meaning of the scripture.
Many a false doctrine has been built on just
one verse of scripture. Know that. You must always
see what precedes or what follows a scripture.
We did exactly that. That 20th chapter of John,
it begins with a glorious resurrection morning.
When Mary came to the tomb, the body of Jesus
was not there. All... what a day that was. What
a day of excitement it must have been. I am sure
that this was a day of excitement that none of
us had ever lived through. Because in that 19th
verse, it says, Then the same day at evening,
being the first day of the week, when the doors
were shut, and the disciples were assembled for
fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in their
midst. First of all, I dare say they were afraid.
Of course, the most natural thing in the world
would be to be frightened. The last time that
some of them had seen him. was when they took
his body off the cross. And then suddenly, there
he stood in their midst. And the first thing
that he did was to show them his hands, his side.
He brought forth his credentials, that there
would be no doubt in their minds whatsoever that
he was. Their savior, their master, their Christ.
Then he began talking to them. During his time
was limited. He talked to them about the most
important things possible. For some of them,
it would be their last instructions. The first
thing that he... did was to tell them of their
great responsibility. That even as God the Father
had sent him and his mission had been accomplished,
and accomplished perfectly, now he was going
away. He would no longer be in their midst in
bodily form. They had leaned upon him. Oh, how
heavily they had leaned upon the master. As long
as he was in their presence, as long as they
could see him, their faith was intact. But now
he was going away. They would no longer be able
to see him. They would have to stand on their
own two feet. They would have to exercise faith
as their faith had never been exercised before.
He said to them, This is the greatest responsibility
that I have ever given to men. Even as the Father
hath sent me, So send I you. Oh, what a responsibility.
I wonder when he spoke those words if they really
realized the full impact of the words that he
was speaking unto them. But remember something.
That same responsibility is yours. That same
responsibility is mine. We too are sinners saved
by the grace of God. We too are Christians even
as they were Christians. Know that. Their responsibility
is also our responsibility this very hour. You
and I represent Him. even as the Father sent
Jesus. And Jesus carried out the instructions
to the dotting of every I, to the crossing of
every T, and carried the Father's instructions
out perfectly. So we, as Christians, representing
Him, or to follow his instructions and carry
out his perfect plan. We represent him. Even
so, send I you. But he didn't stop there. When
he had finished saying these all -important words,
he breathed on them and then reminded them of
something that he had spoken to them about previously
telling them in detail regarding the work of
the holy spirit the one who had not yet come
And the Scripture says, He breathed on them and
saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. As
I told you in our little heart -to -heart talk
yesterday, this was a prophetic breathing. It
was symbolic. For it was impossible for them
to receive the Holy Spirit that moment. because
the Holy Spirit had not yet come. Jesus had previously
told them that he had to go away first before
the Holy Spirit could come. Therefore, hear me.
When he breathed upon them, they did not receive
the Holy Spirit, the person of the Holy Spirit.
The infilling of the Holy Spirit. The baptism
of the Holy Spirit. Call the experience whatever
you will. They did not receive that power. They
did not receive the person. At that moment. For
the Holy Spirit was still in glory. Jesus was
with them in bodily form. And the Holy Spirit
could not come until after. after Jesus had gone
back to glory and took the position of great
high priest. Watch. After he said those words,
there followed the wonderful words revealing
the reason why they should receive the Spirit.
And here it comes. Now we come to that 23rd verse.
And all of this time we have been laying the
groundwork for this most important. I read it.
Whosoever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven
unto them. Whosoever sins ye retain, they are
retained. Now that was spoken to the whole assembly,
to those who were sent, to his disciples. Pause
for just a minute. Consider something that is
most important. Is that authority, is that power
still with the church? It certainly ought to
be. I repeat, It certainly ought to be. That
authority, that power should still be with the
church. And it certainly is when the conditions
are borne in mind and observed. What did the
Father send Jesus into the world to do? to deal
with sin and sins, thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for it is he that shall save his people from
their sins. He came into the world to face a
world that is morally paralyzed and blasted.
What for? to bear the sins, to break the power
of sin, to liberate humanity from the mastery
of sins, to remit them, to set men free from
their sins. There's only one who has the power
to forgive sins. Just one. It is the blood of
Jesus Christ, God's Son. The blood. of the Son
of the Living God that blots out our every transgression.
It is the blood that maketh an atonement for
the soul. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, that cleanseth us from all sin. That's straight,
beloved. There is only one who has the power
to forgive. That's right. The ultimate reason
of the mission of the church in the world is
to deal with sin. Of himself, he said in his
lifetime, I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance. That's the mission of
the church. Have the church then the power to
remit or retain? To bring the question down to
the individual, have I, not as a priest belonging
to a caste, not as a minister recognized by the
church and set apart by the church to my work,
but have I as one sent by Christ? the right to
say to any individual, Thy sins are forgiven
thee. Have I the right to say to any man, any
woman, Your sins are forgiven. Now pause a minute.
I don't want to rush through this. It's most
important. I don't believe that I've ever heard
a sermon preached on this in my life. I don't
ever remember. And yet it's most important. Let's
face it. Has any man, has any woman the right
to say to another, your sins are forgiven? Oh,
I wish I could be sitting right there and see
your face right now. Oh, I wish right now I could
hear everything that's being said. I wish I could
know what your answer would be. It would probably
be divided quite evenly. Some would say no and
some would say yes, but it's what the Bible says.
Watch something. I have looked into the faces
of hundreds and hundreds of men. I have seen
the tears of repentance coursing down their faces.
I have heard their prayers as they've looked
up and said, dear God, deliver me from sin. I
know I'm a sinner and I'm sorry for my sins.
And I come to you right now, forgive my sins.
And I've looked into their tear -stained faces
and I have said, a God who cannot lie has promised.
A Jesus who gave his life for you has promised
that... If we confess our sins, he is able and
just to forgive us our sins. That right now,
Jesus does forgive your sins and you have been
forgiven. And this moment you stand redeemed,
an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ Jesus.
I have a right to say that upon the authority
of God's word. Why? Because they have met the
conditions of confessing. And the only person
that Jesus cannot help. Hear me. I don't care
who you are. You may have committed every sin
in the book. You may have broken every commandment.
You may have gone as low as any human being has
ever gone. If you will confess your sins to him,
not to me, to him, because it is his blood that
maketh an atonement for the soul, and you can
look up and say, Jesus, I've sinned against you.
I've sinned against the laws of God, the laws
of men. I'm sorry. If you will repent to him
of your sin, a God who cannot lie, a Christ who
is bound by his promise, will keep his promise
and that moment he'll forgive your sins. As surely
as you have met the condition, I can turn to
you and say of a truth. Sir, you are forgiven.
This moment, you stand justified before God by
faith. That authority is... Feel the power of
the church. Know that. That's the word of God.
Oh, that's glorious. Isn't that thrilling to
you? That's why Jesus said, remember, be filled
with the Spirit. It is the Spirit who gives the
power. And as the Father hath sent me, so I send
you. Do my work. And we're crying to do a good
job. Amen.