Not Series #2 Not Guilty

Sermon – “Not Guilty”

Impact Church London,

May 30th, 2021

Recap: New Sermon Series “Not.” Started with: “The Fire Must Not Go Out.”

We can bring clarity and precision to what “is,” by eliminating what is “not.”

1 Thessalonians 5:19
“Do not quench the Spirit.” (NKJV)

Strange fire: We can be very subtly persuaded to continue our life in Christ by our own efforts and abilities.

Intro:

Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…

Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…”

Ephesians 6:15
“…and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace..”

The good news is characterized by peace. The Gospel is not adversarial, it is the announcement that God has brought us peace. We can’t share the Gospel with a mentality that is “us vs them” or “insiders vs outsiders.”

2 Corinthians 5:19
“that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.”

John 3:17

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Sermon: “Not Guilty!”

What if the Good News we shared was this:

2 Corinthians 5:19
“that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.”

You are forgiven. You are not guilty! God has reconciled you to himself and is not holding yours sins against you!

John 1:29
“Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

2 Corinthians 5:21
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

John 3:17
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Jesus didn’t come to point out our problem, but to fix it. The law brought condemnation, Jesus brought grace and truth.

2 Corinthians 3:7-9
“But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones…For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.”

1 John 2:2
“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

1 Timothy 4:10
“…because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

What if in light of these “nots”, we shared the Gospel as the announcement of forgiveness rather that forgives as something that is possible if you just trade God your x, y, z for his forgiveness?

In the spirit of “not,” we are not:

* Saved by our decision or commitment.

John 1:12-13
“…to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

* We aren’t saved by our own ability to pump up faith…

Ephesians 2:8
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

* We weren’t saved by our ability to repent. Repentance is a gift.

Acts 5:31
Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

We aren’t saved because of our ability to recite and confess all of our sins.

John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Confess = voice the same conclusion: FORGIVEN !

John 3:17-18
“…but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

God condemns no one. The ultimate reason why people don’t experience salvation has nothing to do with God:

John 3:19-20
“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

The judgement and subsequent condemnation that is on anyone is this : the light has come, but people preferred to choose darkness over the light.

John 3:21
“But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Not saved by “light” deeds, but by the recognition of their existence and acceptance of the light.

Summary:

2 Corinthians 5:16
“Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.”

We must now see everyone not after what they are in the flesh, in Adam, in their fallen humanity, but we must see them according to what Christ has done.

2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Newness is found in Christ and what he did. He took on all of humanity and in him we all live and move and have our being.

2 Corinthians 5: 14-15
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

We all died in Christ, and we all live in him. The question is are living for Him by faith.

2 Corinthians 5:18
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation…”

We have all been reconciled to God. Some of us just don’t know it or won’t accept it. But those who do, they have been given a ministry to announce reconciliation to all.

2 Corinthians 5:19
“…that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses [sins] against them..,”

God is not counting our sins or the sins of the world against them. Sin is not the issue, the SON is. Therefore, because he :

2 Corinthians 5:19b
“…has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

What should we do?

2 Corinthians 5:20
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

All of humanity stands before God not guilty! The verdict has gone out, you are accepted, loved, forgiven, and made new. Will you accept that? Will you receive that as truth? When you do you will discover that you are already standing in a room full of light, all you did was dare to open your eyes.

Romans 5:1-2 (MSG)
“By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.”

2 Corinthians 5:19
“that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses [sins] against them..,”

Sermon Notes – Not Guilty!