SPF 124: Five Marks of a Genuinely Forgiven Sinner

August 1, 2019

JC Ryle once said, “Too many persons presume they are forgiven, who have no evidences to show.” What are some evidences of a truly forgiven sinner? How is God at work in those He’s redeemed that show His grace and forgiveness at work in their lives? Today we are talking about 5 marks of a Genuinely forgiven sinner.

JC Ryle once said, “too many persons presume they are forgiven, who have no evidences to show.” What are some evidences of a truly forgiven sinner? How is God at work in those He’s redeemed that show His grace and forgiveness at work in their lives?

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Five Camping Hacks

Freeze water bottles to take in your cooler
Take a small tupperware of toiletry stuff
Bring stuff for bug bites – fav new find – the bug bit thing – uses suction to help get venom and bug saliva out of a bit to reduce irritation.
Bring an airmatress and ditch the sleeping bag and use sheets and a comforter
Try soup for a meal.

(amazon links are affiliate links)

Bug Bite Thing Suction Tool, Poison Remover – Bug Bites and Bee/Wasp Stings, Natural Insect Bite Relief, Chemical Free

Bug Bite Thing

Five Marks of a Genuinely Forgiven Sinner

Salvation is from God alone.

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

The Gospel is the power of God. Not the power of man. Man does not do the saving. Man was dead in trespass. Dead. Not reaching a hand up to be saved. Scripture says man was dead in sin. But through the power of God was made alive in Christ.

Salvation is permanent.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Five Marks of Forgiveness (JC Ryle)

Forgiven souls hate sin
Forgiven souls love Christ
Forgiven souls are humble
Forgiven souls are holy
Forgive souls are forgiving

Hate Sin –

John the Baptist preached to the Pharisees and Sadducees to bear fruit in repentance in Matthew 3:7-10

A soul that has been saved hates sin and therefore turns from it. That is repentance and there is fruit there and evidence of our salvation.

We know what sin is because of the Bible.

Loves Christ –

How our hearts will burst for Christ the more and more we grow in the knowledge of what He did for us on the cross. Our loyalty for His glory grows and we become more and more willing to fill our roles as his bondservants.

47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Humble –

We still sin. But the forgiven soul acknowledges that God is right and we were wrong.

Holy –

holy – set apart – something only God to do and we are; set apart for God and to be made like Christ. He changes us to want the same thing God wants. The forgiven soul wants to pursue the holy life too.

Forgiving –

We cannot be effective as Christians in what we are called to do and be without remembering that we’ve been forgiven. It keeps us humble and thankful. And we in turn are able to turn to those who have sinned against us and extend forgiveness as well.

Matthew 18:32

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Charles Spurgeon Devotion

From the Morning and Evening App

“And when he thought thereon, he wept.”

Mark 14:72

“It has been thought by some that as long as Peter lived, the fountain of his tears began to flow whenever he remembered his denying his Lord. It is not unlikely that it was so, for his sin was very great, and grace in him had afterwards a perfect work. This same experience is common to all the redeemed family according to the degree in which the Spirit of God has removed the natural heart of stone. We, like Peter, remember our boastful promise: “Though all men shall forsake thee, yet will not I.” We eat our own words with the bitter herbs of repentance. When we think of what we vowed we would be, and of what we have been, we may weep whole showers of grief. He thought on his denying his Lord. The place in which he did it, the little cause which led him into such heinous sin, the oaths and blasphemies with which he sought to confirm his falsehood, and the dreadful hardness of heart which drove him to do so again and yet again. Can we, when we are reminded of our sins, and their exceeding sinfulness, remain stolid and stubborn? Will we not make our house a Bochim, and cry unto the Lord for renewed assurances of pardoning love? May we never take a dry-eyed look at sin, lest ere long we have a tongue parched in the flames of hell. Peter also thought upon his Master’s look of love. The Lord followed up the cock’s warning voice with an admonitory look of sorrow, pity, and love. That glance was never out of Peter’s mind so long as he lived. It was far more effectual than ten thousand sermons would have been without the Spirit. The penitent apostle would be sure to weep when he recollected the Saviour’s full forgiveness, which restored him to his former place. To think that we have offended so kind and good a Lord is more than sufficient reason for being constant weepers. Lord, smite our rocky hearts, and make the waters flow.”