懊悔还不彀
神如何来赦免我们的罪呢？在这件事情上，我们有许多人，有一个很大的错误思想，以为说，我虽然犯了许多罪，但是如果我懊悔了，我的罪就过去了。可是我愿意告诉你，懊悔永远不能赦免你已往的罪，因为事情还留在那里。你可以对你所犯的罪懊悔，但是你的罪不会因你的懊悔而消除。如果这里有一个土匪，作过很多案，害了很多人，也一直的没有抓到他。他忽然有一天来到你们面前说，已往的事我懊悔了，从今天起，我完全改邪归正，我决定安安分分的作个好人。请问你们，是不是他已往所作的案子，那么多被控诉的罪状，就统统不算了？
神的义总要顾到
圣经给我们看见说，我们所有的罪都带来一定的刑罚。所有我们的行为，所有我们所作的事，没有一件是随便可以过去的。我们生命的表现是不对的，不只得罪了自己，也是得罪了别人，不只得罪了别人，也是得罪了神。神乃是公义的神，祂绝不能马马虎虎的忽略人的罪。神的公义，不能随便让人的罪过去。
从前有一个人，杀了人、抢了人的钱，逃到另一个地方住，后来结了婚，生了孩子，而那个地方的人都不知道他以前的事。终于有一天，来了三个侦查他下落的人，就把他逮捕了，要把他带走。这个人就问他的妻子说，你看我是不是个好丈夫？他妻子说，你的确是一个好丈夫。他又问他的孩子说，我是不是个好爸爸？孩子也承认他的确是个好爸爸。他又问邻居们说，我算不算是个好邻居？他的邻居也异口同声的，称赞他是一个好邻居。他就对三个侦查人说，我实在是个好人，这些人也证明我是个好人，可以释放了我罢！那三个人说，你和谁都好，但是与法律不好。你的悔改也许保守你以后不犯罪，可是不能清洗你已往的罪，也不能拯救你逃脱法律的定罪。结果，还是要把他带去法庭受审判。
良心也不放过去
而且我们的良心也不能放我们过去。良心睡觉的时候，我们还不太觉得我们有错，可是良心会睡觉，良心不会死！良心一旦醒过来，它就要给你看见你的罪，它要叫你难受。也许它今天不出声，不说话，但是它不是永不出声。对你已往的事情，它不会让你过去的！
神赦免也要顾到祂的义
并且，神不能随便的赦免我们的罪。若是我们随便的犯罪，神也随便的赦免我们所犯的罪，我说句顶直的话，神自己就犯罪了。神不是不能赦罪，神只在与祂的体统合得起来的情形下，才能赦罪。神不能因着赦免我们的罪，却把自己陷于不义。神永远是公义的神。
信息重点：人可以为过去所犯的罪懊悔，也可以决定以后作得更好，但懊悔和改好并不能除去已经犯过的罪。我们的良心不能让罪随便过去，公义的神更不能如此；因此，我们真正需要的是一个既能除去罪，又能满足神公义要求的救法。
应用祷告：神啊，我承认自己的懊悔和改好不能除去已经犯过的罪。谢谢你是慈爱的，也是公义的；求你使我不倚靠自己的行为和努力，乃是转向你为我所预备的救法。阿们。
请享受诗歌 (点击诗歌名）
Complete Forgiveness of Sins (2) — 1 Pet. 3:18
Regret Is Not Enough
How does God forgive our sins? Concerning this matter, many of us have a very big mistaken thought, thinking, “Although I have committed many sins, if I feel remorse, my sins will be past”. But I would like to tell you that feeling remorse can never forgive your sins in the past, because the matter still remains. You may regret the sins you have committed, but your sins will not vanish because of your regret. Suppose there is a bandit who has committed many crimes, harmed many people and has never been caught. Suddenly one day he comes before you and says, “I regret what I did in the past. From today on, I will completely turn from evil to good; I have decided to be an honest, law-abiding person”. May I ask you, does this mean that all the cases he committed in the past, all the many charges brought against him, are no longer counted?
God’s Righteousness Must Always Be Considered
The Bible shows us that all our sins bring a certain punishment. Nothing in all our conduct, nothing we have done, can be passed over casually. The expression of our life is wrong; we have sinned against not only ourselves but also others, and not only others but also God. God is a righteous God; He absolutely cannot carelessly overlook man’s sins. God’s righteousness cannot let man’s sins pass casually.
Once there was a man who murdered someone and robbed him of his money. He fled to another place to live, later married and had children, and the people there knew nothing of his past. Finally, one day three men who had been searching for his whereabouts came and arrested him, intending to take him away. This man asked his wife, “Do you think I am a good husband?” His wife said, “You are indeed a good husband.” He then asked his children, “Am I a good father?” The children also admitted that he was indeed a good father. He asked the neighbors, “Am I a good neighbor?” His neighbors with one voice praised him as a good neighbor. He then said to the three investigators, “I am truly a good man, and these people also testify that I am a good man. Please release me!” Those three men said, “You are good to everyone, but you are not good with the law. Your repentance may keep you from committing crimes in the future, but it cannot wash away your sins in the past, nor can it save you from the condemnation of the law”. In the end, they still took him to court to stand trial.
Conscience Also Will Not Let Us Go
Moreover, our conscience also cannot let us go. When the conscience is asleep, we do not feel that we are wrong, but the conscience may sleep — it does not die! Once the conscience awakens, it will show you your sins, and it will make you miserable. Perhaps today it does not make a sound or speak, but it will not be silent forever. Concerning your past, it will not let you pass over!
God’s Forgiveness Must Also Take His Righteousness into Account
Furthermore, God cannot forgive our sins casually. If we sin casually and God forgives the sins we have committed casually, then, to put it bluntly, God Himself would be committing sin. It is not that God cannot forgive sins; God can forgive sins only in a way that is consistent with His standing. God cannot, by forgiving our sins, put Himself in unrighteousness. God is forever the righteous God.
Message Major Points: Man may regret the sins he has committed in the past and may also determine to do better in the future, but regret and reformation cannot remove sins already committed. Our conscience cannot let sins pass casually, and the righteous God even less so; therefore, what we truly need is salvation that can both remove sins and satisfy the requirement of God’s righteousness.
Daily Prayer: God, I admit that my regret and reformation cannot remove the sins I have already committed. Thank You that You are loving and also righteous; make me not to depend on my own conduct and effort but to turn to the salvation that You have prepared for me. Amen.