In our study of Mark we are now in Mark 2:5; were Jesus saw the faith of the men who carried the paralyzed man. Their faith was made evident by what they did in going through the roof. The persistence and unrelenting desire of these men to get their friend to Jesus demonstrated their faith rest in Jesus' ability to heal him. They refused to be deterred by any obstacle.

When He saw the paralyzed man Jesus recognized, that he needed something far more than simply the healing of the body. He needed to have confidence that his sins were forgiven so Jesus said to him "Son, your sins are forgiven"

The word translated "son" is the Greek word teknon that means "little child" This man is a believer in Jesus but he has no doctrine so no faith rest the therefore has no confidence and his fear has caused his paralysis.

The word for forgiven is the present passive indicative of the Greek word "aphiami" that means they have been sent away or put off. Passive voice indicates that God has done the forgiving.

Jesus is showing that this man's condition was the rooted in a spiritual problem not a physical one.

The paralyzed man was literally "helpless" (Rom. 5:6;) as such he pictures all men in their status of spiritual death and helplessness that is the result of sin. Jesus' word spoke strength into his paralyzed body, just as that same word gives life to those who receive it by means of faith alone.

It was a dramatic moment and His words must have amazed the listeners, because no one had ever spoken like this before.

Mark 2:6; The scribes, the theologians of the day, were there. They were the recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations of Judaism. They didn't say anything out loud but in their thoughts they thought it. In their thoughts they were critical of Jesus but they do not express it overtly. Net note 13

These were legalists who knew nothing of grace and who rejected Jesus' claims of being the Son of the Father. They do not go to the Scriptures for information, but instead they debated within themselves to determine what it could all mean.

Their human viewpoint thinking was so filled with prejudice that they were determined not to believe in Jesus so they took issue with Him.

Mark 2:7;. "This one blasphemes or slanders." The word "blaspheme" means to slander. "Who can forgive sins but God alone?

To them it was the worst kind of blasphemy for anyone to pretend to have authority to forgive sins because this prerogative only belonged to God. They did not accept that Jesus was undiminished deity and true humanity. He therefore proceeds to prove that He is God by reading their thoughts and then healing the man.

Mark 2:8; "Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned within themselves in this manner." They did not speak aloud, and audibly express their indignation and objection to His words, but Jesus knew their thoughts (Psa. 94:11;), and He answered them accordingly.

To be able to read their secret thoughts was another evidence of His Deity, for it is only God who knows our thoughts from far away (eternity) (Psa 139:2;)

Mark 2:9; "Which is easier?..." Net note 18 The scribes had no idea since they could do neither. but Jesus could do both. He chose to do the more important first because this man was a believer so his sins were forgiven.

He would perform a miracle to demonstrate His authority to deliver from both sin and its consequences. In this case since the man is a believer Jesus addresses the root of the problem that is sin not just the consequences of sin.

In actual fact it is more difficult to forgive sins because that requires positive volition from the person being forgiven. This requires the function of God's righteousness and justice addition to His sovereignty and omnipotence.

Jesus can heal anyone because their volition isn't involved. They don't have to have faith to be healed or anything else. All they have to have is a disease. What their mental attitude happens to be or whether they have faith or anything doesn't mean a thing.

Jesus can heal anyone it simply involves divine volition. But to forgive sin involves divine volition and human volition to believe in Jesus Christ who is the means of forgiveness.

It is easier for Jesus to heal than for Jesus to save. Even though Jesus died for the entire human race each individual must personally receive Him as saviour through faith alone in Christ alone to have their sins forgiven. John 1:12;

This brings us to the doctrine of forgiveness.

There is a difference between redemption and forgiveness. Redemption is the salvation ministry of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Redemption is directed toward sin. Redemption is the means of salvation.

Forgiveness is the result of the salvation ministry of Jesus Christ on the Cross. There is no forgiveness on the Cross. The Cross was all judgment, and judgment is not forgiveness.

There are two categories of forgiveness for believers. All pre-salvation sins were blotted out the moment you believed in Christ so you could receive the filling of the Spirit and at least thirty-nine other things.

All post salvation sins are forgiven when they are acknowledged. Failure to use the grace provision of 1John 1:9; results in perpetual carnality and the status quo of grieving the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30;) and quenching the Holy Spirit (1Thes 5:19;) because in the status of carnality it is impossible to "walk by means of the spirit". Gal 5:16;

All sins of human history were imputed to Christ and then judged on the cross. Jesus Christ in His perfect impeccable humanity was qualified to receive this forensic judgment from God the Father. 2Cor 5:21;

He accepted the imputation of these sins because of His impersonal love for all mankind. Then He received the judgment for every sin because of personal love for God the Father.

Through omniscience the righteousness of God had condemned every sin in eternity past. What the righteousness of God condemns, the justice of God judges, but the love of God provided the solution to the problem of sin that was acceptable to the righteousness and justice of God through the grace of God.

The solution is Jesus Christ. 1John 4:10; Jesus' personal love for God the Father motivated Him to stay on the Cross and be judged for every sin.

All of this took place because Jesus Christ as eternal God made four great decisions in eternity past.

The first decision was atonement. Atonement means that the Lord Jesus Christ was judged for the sins of the world. He was judged as a substitute for us (the Greek preposition huper plus the genitive of advantage). Rom 5:8;

The second decision was propitiation. Propitiation is the judgment of our Lord satisfying the righteousness of God the Father. 1John 2:2;

The third decision was reconciliation. Anyone can be reconciled to God the Father through the salvation work of Jesus Christ. 2Cor 5:18;

The fourth decision was redemption. Redemption is our Lord paying the price for our eternal salvation, purchasing us from the slave market of sin. Mankind makes the decision to accept God's redemption solution by faith alone. Col 1:13-14;