Characteristics Of A Forgiven Person Series

A. Psalm 32:1-2 (READ and COMMENT)

ILLUSTRATION:

Some years ago, two TEENAGERS with a long history of CRIME and DELINQUENCY robbed a DRUG STORE on the lowest East Side of New York City and then ran into a YMCA to HIDE OUT while all the POLICE activity was going on.

On the way out, they saw a young man sitting at a DESK getting ready to DIAL the PHONE. They became FRIGHTENED and ASSUMED that he must be calling the POLICE. They seized and beat him SAVAGELY with BRASS KNUCKLES and a BASEBALL BAT. Thinking that he was DEAD, they HID him BEHIND a RADIATOR near the SWIMMING POOL and ESCAPED.

Later that evening, a woman who came to SWIM, was walking by the POOL. She SLIPPED in the man’s BLOOD, screamed, and then FOUND Donald Tippet’s BODY. He LIVED, but one EYE was so badly DAMAGED that it could not be SAVED.

Meanwhile, the two TEENAGERS were APPREHENDED and brought to TRIAL. Their PAST RECORDS assured that both would get LONG SENTENCES. However, Donald Tippet did an AMAZING thing—he REQUESTED that the JUDGE allow the two YOUNG MEN to be PAROLED to his CHARGE. He wanted to give them another CHANCE. He believed they could CHANGE.

One of the boys blew his OPPORTUNITY. He COMMITTED another CRIME, was CAUGHT, and SENT to JAIL. The other boy, however, was RESPONSIVE to Tippet’s FORGIVENESS. He went to COLLEGE and then, eventually, to MEDICAL SCHOOL. He became a SURGEON—an EYE SURGEON.

A REPORTER, writing about Donald Tippet’s AMAZING STORY of FORGIVENESS, said of the SURGEON’S accomplishments: “I wonder if he ever PERFORMS one of those DELICATE EYE OPERATIONS without thinking of that NIGHT in the YMCA and the YOUNG MAN whose CONFIDENCE and FORGIVENESS changed his LIFE!”

B. FORGIVEN! Is there a more POIGNANT word in the English language than “FORGIVEN”?

1. David was a man who understood FORGIVENESS because he KNEW that he was a SINNER.

ILLUSTRATION:

Here was a man CHOSEN by God to be the KING of Israel. A man “after God’s own HEART.” A man who was LOVED by God and PROTECTED by Him when he was PURSUED by King Saul

who was out to KILL him.

What does he do? He commits ADULTERY, then LIES about it. And then, trying to COVER-

UP his SIN, he has a man KILLED.

COMMENT:

When David writes, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven and whose sins are covered and not counted against him by the Lord,” he’s talking about himself. He was LOST, but

now is FORGIVEN.

2. Onesimus was also a man who knew what it was like to be LOST in his SINS, only to come to know and accept Jesus Christ as his Lord (Master) and Savior, and be FORGIVEN- Phil. 10, 15-16 (READ)

MESSAGE:

I. NEED FOR FORGIVENESS

A. The first time we hear of Onesimus is in Paul’s letter to the Colossian Church.

1. From his dwelling place in Rome where he is under house arrest, “Paul SENDS Tychicus and Onesimus to deliver the letters he had written to the churches of Colossae and Ephesus, along

with the personal letter he had written to Philemon.”

a. In Col. 4:9, Paul describes Onesimus as “our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you”

b. We know nothing more about Onesimus until we LEARN in Philemon’s LETTER that he was a “THIEF and a FUGITIVE”—a runaway SLAVE who had rebelled against his MASTER.

2. We don’t know the reason that Onesimus felt the need to STEAL from Philemon and RUN AWAY.

a. There is no indication from Paul’s letter to Philemon that he, as a Christian SLAVE OWNER,

was in any way ABUSIVE or UNFAIR to Onesimus.

COMMENT:

People REBEL and SIN against God all the time—even Christians, and it’s not because our

Heavenly Father has MISTREATED us. We just GIVE IN to Satan.

b. It is true that Onesimus was not a Christian when he STOLE from Philemon and RAN AWAY

to Rome, undoubtedly using the very MONEY that he had STOLEN to FUND his TRIP.

B. While in Rome trying to HIDE OUT among the million-plus population, Onesimus just so happens to

come in CONTACT with the Apostle Paul.

1. Now, I don’t think Onesimus went to Rome to FIND Paul.

a. He probably didn’t even know that Paul was a PRISONER in Rome.

b. But Paul BELIEVES that “God may have brought them TOGETHER in order for him to bring Onesimus to Christ and RECONCILE him with Philemon”- v. 16.

2. Onesimus was LOST, and his LIFE was a MESS.

a. STEALING from his Master and RUNNING AWAY was an OFFENSE punishable by DEATH

—CRUCIFIXION, in fact.

b. Undoubtedly, as a FUGITIVE he would be in CONSTANT FEAR for his LIFE—looking over