Ironworks

     The five previous weeks we have discussed how to become saved and stay saved. While this subject is fresh in our minds, let us reflect and seek to understand what forgiveness is. The need for forgiveness necessitates the perfect sacrifice of the Messiah, Jesus. Without forgiveness of sins, we remain in sin and hopeless. So with regard to forgiveness, how must we as Christians forgive those who have sinned against us? Some have attempted to look at Matthew 6:14-15 to justify forgiveness as a purely one-sided transaction. The text reads,  “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Does this mean that one forgives regardless of repentance or is forgiveness unconditional?  Repentance is Always a Prerequisite of Forgiveness There has been an error taught in the world including many denominational groups, that has begu...

  “Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about); and the king went by the way of the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.” 2 Kings 25:4-7 Sin Will Cause You to Flee One that lives outside the law will face the consequences of the law; this is what happened to Israel first and then the kingdom of Judah. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar had control of Judah and yet King Zedekiah rebelled against him (2 Kings 25:1). Zedekiah believed he was safe for a while holed up in the ...

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;   but he that believeth not shall be damned.   Mark 16:16 Mark 16:16 is one of many passages that confirm that baptism is one of the five steps in the Gospel Plan of Salvation that is applicable to all men. Some observations in the verse include the fact that both belief and baptism are coequals to be saved. The diagram below shows their correlation as well as the order of both belief and immersion for the purpose of salvation. Belief is an absolute prerequisite of baptism, and this is very well explained in the second section of verse, for it is by disbelief that one is condemned. As it has been noted before, it certainly takes more to be saved than to be condemned. He____________________________________________________/shall be saved             That______________________/believeth              ...

      Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the  Lord  imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the   Lord ; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.  Psalm 32:1-5                   A few weeks ago , I preached on forgiveness and how it is qualified. I wanted to add this in and share a few thoughts from Psalm 32: Please recall Davids great sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). You will surely be reminded that he made many attempts to cover it up. He very well may have believed that he had gotten away ...