John 20:23 part 2 of 2 Kathryn Kuhlman

Aren't you glad you're a Christian? Aren't you glad you can look up and know that the mighty Creator is your Heavenly Father? Oh, remember again, the richest person in the whole world is poor if they do not have that wonderful relationship. between themselves and Almighty God. And the poorest person, that person without a copper cent in his pocket, the person who may be living in one little attic room, is rich with peace of mind and peace in the soul and having made his peace with God. who's able to look up and say with surety, My Heavenly Father. Well, sir, oh, got your Bible. That's right. Remember our little heart -to -heart talk? And I didn't finish it. Yesterday and today, here we go. And it all started. When a gentleman asks this question, will you please explain John 20 and the 23rd verse? As I told you in a little heart -to -heart talk, that I could not begin to just take this one verse of Scripture and give you... a true and an exact explanation of it unless I would take the entire chapter because you cannot take just one verse of scripture out of its continuity and try to give the correct meaning of the scripture. Many a false doctrine has been built on just one verse of scripture. Know that. You must always see what precedes or what follows a scripture. We did exactly that. That 20th chapter of John, it begins with a glorious resurrection morning. When Mary came to the tomb, the body of Jesus was not there. All... what a day that was. What a day of excitement it must have been. I am sure that this was a day of excitement that none of us had ever lived through. Because in that 19th verse, it says, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, and the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in their midst. First of all, I dare say they were afraid. Of course, the most natural thing in the world would be to be frightened. The last time that some of them had seen him. was when they took his body off the cross. And then suddenly, there he stood in their midst. And the first thing that he did was to show them his hands, his side. He brought forth his credentials, that there would be no doubt in their minds whatsoever that he was. Their savior, their master, their Christ. Then he began talking to them. During his time was limited. He talked to them about the most important things possible. For some of them, it would be their last instructions. The first thing that he... did was to tell them of their great responsibility. That even as God the Father had sent him and his mission had been accomplished, and accomplished perfectly, now he was going away. He would no longer be in their midst in bodily form. They had leaned upon him. Oh, how heavily they had leaned upon the master. As long as he was in their presence, as long as they could see him, their faith was intact. But now he was going away. They would no longer be able to see him. They would have to stand on their own two feet. They would have to exercise faith as their faith had never been exercised before. He said to them, This is the greatest responsibility that I have ever given to men. Even as the Father hath sent me, So send I you. Oh, what a responsibility. I wonder when he spoke those words if they really realized the full impact of the words that he was speaking unto them. But remember something. That same responsibility is yours. That same responsibility is mine. We too are sinners saved by the grace of God. We too are Christians even as they were Christians. Know that. Their responsibility is also our responsibility this very hour. You and I represent Him. even as the Father sent Jesus. And Jesus carried out the instructions to the dotting of every I, to the crossing of every T, and carried the Father's instructions out perfectly. So we, as Christians, representing Him, or to follow his instructions and carry out his perfect plan. We represent him. Even so, send I you. But he didn't stop there. When he had finished saying these all -important words, he breathed on them and then reminded them of something that he had spoken to them about previously telling them in detail regarding the work of the holy spirit the one who had not yet come And the Scripture says, He breathed on them and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. As I told you in our little heart -to -heart talk yesterday, this was a prophetic breathing. It was symbolic. For it was impossible for them to receive the Holy Spirit that moment. because the Holy Spirit had not yet come. Jesus had previously told them that he had to go away first before the Holy Spirit could come. Therefore, hear me. When he breathed upon them, they did not receive the Holy Spirit, the person of the Holy Spirit. The infilling of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. Call the experience whatever you will. They did not receive that power. They did not receive the person. At that moment. For the Holy Spirit was still in glory. Jesus was with them in bodily form. And the Holy Spirit could not come until after. after Jesus had gone back to glory and took the position of great high priest. Watch. After he said those words, there followed the wonderful words revealing the reason why they should receive the Spirit. And here it comes. Now we come to that 23rd verse. And all of this time we have been laying the groundwork for this most important. I read it. Whosoever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them. Whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained. Now that was spoken to the whole assembly, to those who were sent, to his disciples. Pause for just a minute. Consider something that is most important. Is that authority, is that power still with the church? It certainly ought to be. I repeat, It certainly ought to be. That authority, that power should still be with the church. And it certainly is when the conditions are borne in mind and observed. What did the Father send Jesus into the world to do? to deal with sin and sins, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. He came into the world to face a world that is morally paralyzed and blasted. What for? to bear the sins, to break the power of sin, to liberate humanity from the mastery of sins, to remit them, to set men free from their sins. There's only one who has the power to forgive sins. Just one. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son. The blood. of the Son of the Living God that blots out our every transgression. It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, that cleanseth us from all sin. That's straight, beloved. There is only one who has the power to forgive. That's right. The ultimate reason of the mission of the church in the world is to deal with sin. Of himself, he said in his lifetime, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. That's the mission of the church. Have the church then the power to remit or retain? To bring the question down to the individual, have I, not as a priest belonging to a caste, not as a minister recognized by the church and set apart by the church to my work, but have I as one sent by Christ? the right to say to any individual, Thy sins are forgiven thee. Have I the right to say to any man, any woman, Your sins are forgiven. Now pause a minute. I don't want to rush through this. It's most important. I don't believe that I've ever heard a sermon preached on this in my life. I don't ever remember. And yet it's most important. Let's face it. Has any man, has any woman the right to say to another, your sins are forgiven? Oh, I wish I could be sitting right there and see your face right now. Oh, I wish right now I could hear everything that's being said. I wish I could know what your answer would be. It would probably be divided quite evenly. Some would say no and some would say yes, but it's what the Bible says. Watch something. I have looked into the faces of hundreds and hundreds of men. I have seen the tears of repentance coursing down their faces. I have heard their prayers as they've looked up and said, dear God, deliver me from sin. I know I'm a sinner and I'm sorry for my sins. And I come to you right now, forgive my sins. And I've looked into their tear -stained faces and I have said, a God who cannot lie has promised. A Jesus who gave his life for you has promised that... If we confess our sins, he is able and just to forgive us our sins. That right now, Jesus does forgive your sins and you have been forgiven. And this moment you stand redeemed, an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ Jesus. I have a right to say that upon the authority of God's word. Why? Because they have met the conditions of confessing. And the only person that Jesus cannot help. Hear me. I don't care who you are. You may have committed every sin in the book. You may have broken every commandment. You may have gone as low as any human being has ever gone. If you will confess your sins to him, not to me, to him, because it is his blood that maketh an atonement for the soul, and you can look up and say, Jesus, I've sinned against you. I've sinned against the laws of God, the laws of men. I'm sorry. If you will repent to him of your sin, a God who cannot lie, a Christ who is bound by his promise, will keep his promise and that moment he'll forgive your sins. As surely as you have met the condition, I can turn to you and say of a truth. Sir, you are forgiven. This moment, you stand justified before God by faith. That authority is... Feel the power of the church. Know that. That's the word of God. Oh, that's glorious. Isn't that thrilling to you? That's why Jesus said, remember, be filled with the Spirit. It is the Spirit who gives the power. And as the Father hath sent me, so I send you. Do my work. And we're crying to do a good job. Amen.