You’re forgiven. Deal with it!

Steve Brown:
You’re forgiven. Deal with it! Let’s talk about it on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
This is Key Life, here to let Christians know that God isn’t mad at them. Keep listening and you’ll hear that because of what Jesus has done, you’re welcomed home into the family of God because of His radical grace, free from the penalties of sin and never alone in your suffering.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. If you’ve been with us this week, we’re talking about what you do in the between times. Paul looks forward to heaven and he says so in this text in Philippians, but he’s not there yet. And he makes it clear that he’s not there yet. And so, we can go and learn from his golf ball. Are you familiar with learning from somebody else’s ball? That’s when you’re playing golf and I used to play golf. But my friend said I never did. But you can watch the person who went ahead of you when he’s putting, or she’s putting, and you learn on what they did, and the cracks and the holes and the way the ball flows. So, Paul lets us learn on his ball, and he talks about heaven, but he says this is what you’ve got to do in the between time. Now, we have seen, if you’ve been listening, that in the between times, or in the hallway, note, not only Paul’s realistic evaluation of himself, I want you to note Paul’s joyous proclamation of election. Note, those two we’ve seen. Now note, Paul’s speedy affirmation of forgiveness, Philippians 3:13b.

But this one thing I do forgetting what lies behind.

Wait, what do you mean forgetting? You killed Christians. What do you mean forgetting what lies behind? You confessed in Romans and then in II Corinthians you did it again. You did some dumb things and you kept on doing them. And you said you did. What do you mean forgetting what lies behind. Listen to me. That’s a strong statement for every Christian I know. And it’s this. That you’re forgiven, deal with it. I, as you know, am a teacher of grace and mercy and forgiveness. Not because that’s my specialty, but because that’s the central focus of the Christian faith. I wish that we should be known for nothing except forgiveness. And that would be enough to have a great awakening. When I talk about forgiveness, real forgiveness, no matter where you’ve gone, no matter what you’ve done, no matter who you’ve hurt, no matter what you’ve said or smoked, true forgiveness. And it’s continual. It goes until you get home and you’re like Him. Everything, all of it, covered. And then then as an aside, but it’s an important side, there’s imputation. Not only did Jesus die for you, and you’re forgiven because of his blood. When he was on the cross, he gave you something in return. What was that? That was his goodness. It’s called imputation. And the word impute means put into the account of. In other words, his goodness, his purity, his righteousness, his perfection was given to you and you’re clothed in the righteousness of Christ. So, you’re not only forgiven, you’re free. And you say, Steve, you can’t say that because that’ll encourage sin. Listen, you never had any trouble with being encouraged to sin. You were doing very fine before anybody said anything. That’s our nature. And God is working on that. And then you say, but if you keep teaching this way, people are going to be worse. No, if I don’t teach this way, people are going to be worse. Listen to me. The only people who get better are people who know that if they don’t get better, that God will love them anyway. I look around and it’s true everywhere. I talk to a whole lot of people, and I find it over and over and over again, those who know they’re forgiven, those who know they’re free and loved, are loving people, are more obedient than others, are kinder than others, are more merciful than others. And so, Paul affirmed his forgiveness after all he had done. And in fact, after all he was doing. And so, what I started saying and interrupted myself was that when I teach on forgiveness, almost always somebody says to me, or later on tell me they were thinking, Steve, you just don’t know me. I’ve got a barber who’s in heaven now, who told me that one time, his name was Tom. He said, Steve, I’m bad. And I told him about Jesus, but he wouldn’t listen, and he said, I’m really bad. And then when he was dying, I sat by his deathbed, and I said, I don’t want you to make jokes. I’m gonna tell you the most important thing I’ve ever told you. And you listen to me, and don’t you dare interrupt because you’re getting ready to die. And I don’t want to go to heaven if you’re not there. And I told him about Jesus, and his forgiveness, and his grace, and his mercy. And that day, or that night, Tom prayed the sweetest, most childlike prayer you’ve ever heard. And he said, God, I’m not good. In fact, I’m bad. And I haven’t followed you at all, and now I’m dying. Could you forgive me? And when I left the hospital room, it was quiet. And I could hear the angels singing. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Wow, what a powerful lesson and powerful story. Thanks Steve. We’ve been studying Philippians 3:12 through 14 and shall continue from here tomorrow. Don’t miss it. So, we’ve been talking about forgetting the past, but what about the future? Well, here’s good news. The future isn’t frightening if you know the future. Well, that’s the message we heard from Max Lucado. We interviewed him recently on Steve Brown Etc. about his new book, which concerns the end times and what follows. Take a listen to part of that episode, then I’ll be back to tell you about a special free offer.

Max Lucado: Two things, just the craziness of the world has got me fascinated with studying just the different approaches toward end times, toward prophecy. As you said, even today, Iran is rattling their sabers against Israel, and we’ve got wars with Russia and Ukraine, there’s threats of wars with China and Taiwan. The United States is apparently about to slide into a recession. I wish I’d not read that today.

Steve Brown:
Me too. That was this morning. Yeah.

Max Lucado: That was just today. Yeah. And the political chaos. And so, I know that could be said about every day, every era, every generation, every century. But it has become a fascination of mine because I think things are just moving in such a fragile state. And then part of it too, Steve, my next birthday is number 70. And so, I have found myself increasingly, just insatiably curious about what I’m about to enter into. I’m genuinely excited. I really am. I wouldn’t say I can’t wait to die, but I have no fear of death anymore. One of the great benefits of studying end times is you end up studying the sovereignty of God and the promise that he will guide us and take us home. And so, over the last decade or so, began reading different approaches towards end times. And found a few things that I’d always believed that I still believe, found a few things that I’d always believed that I discontinued and went a little different direction. But you know, it’s just been fascinating and I love talking about it. What I’ve found is it is invigorating, if you unburden yourself from the obligation of I’ve got to figure it out, and if I’m wrong, I’m in trouble. Then you unburden yourself of that, then it gets exciting. You know, you can say, oh, okay, here’s one take on the thousand year reign of Christ, or here’s one take on the tribulation, here’s another take on the rapture. Oh, I didn’t know that so and so taught that, you know, or so and so was a well known premillennialist. It really is, I think, fascinating. Now, I acknowledge that end times or eschatology is kind of like the Serengeti of theology. It’s where the wild things happen. It’s where the numbers are, right? It’s where the beasts are. And it typically attracts big game hunters and big game hunters like to have a swagger about themselves and they like to present almost like they know more about Christ’s return than Christ does. So, you’ve got to watch out for that. I acknowledge that, on the other hand, there are some wonderful, sincere lovers of Jesus who have genuine agreements and disagreements on this discussion. What I’ve found as I dove into it about five or six years ago, is that my own faith got excited. I have found myself increasingly animated. Now, that I think there’ll be a thousand year reign, I can’t quit reading about the millennium, you know, and I’m really at peace with the idea of a rapture. Although for 40 years, I told people, no, there’s not going to be a rapture, but I don’t want, last thing I want to do is argue about it. But I love talking about it. I love it. Even now as we’re talking, I feel a few goosebumps on my arm thinking maybe, maybe today, maybe today, because I do think our redemption is drawing near one way or another. And that is such a wonderful hope to give a hope starved society.

Matthew Porter:
And hey, if you like that little appetizer, you are going to love the full meal. We put that entire episode with Max Lucado on a CD that we can mail to you for free. So, call us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to order that CD. Prefer to mail your request? Then go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses for the U.S. and Canada. Again, just ask for the absolutely free CD featuring Max Lucado. And finally, if you’re blessed by the work of Key Life, would you help share that blessing with others through your financial support? Giving is easy. Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or you can give safely and securely through text, just pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950, then follow the instructions. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And Key Life is a listener supported production of Key Life Network.