The Laws of Pardon
Text: Acts 8:1-25
Series: Restoration Sermons
Date:
Speaker: Ed Rangel
Location: Waupaca Church of Christ
Bible Version: NASB 1995
Sermon Type: Expository
Learning Objectives
By the close of this lesson the hearer should be able to:
- Define "pardon" as "restored as before" and explain why that definition matters more than a generic sense of forgiveness.
- Identify who God authorized to answer the question "What must I do to be saved?" and state the four passages that establish that authorization.
- State what the authorized spokesmen were told to answer and identify the three passages that contain that answer.
- Trace the answer through at least two specific conversions in Acts — Saul and the Philippian jailor — and show how the apostles adapted the answer to fit the sinner's condition.
- Identify the second law of pardon (for erring Christians) and state three biblical examples and supporting texts.
Thesis
Pardon is not a vague benefit distributed in unspecified ways; it is a specific restoration to a specific condition, given through specific means authorized by the specific person who has the right to grant it. There are two laws of pardon: one for the alien sinner who has never obeyed the gospel, and one for the erring Christian who has left the condition of pardon and needs to return to it. Both are rooted in the authority of Christ and answered by those he authorized to speak on his behalf.
Burden
The sermon addresses a question that every person who has sinned must face: How do I get right with God? The answer is not a feeling, not a private transaction, and not a matter of sincere effort — it is a defined response to a defined call, authorized by the one who has the right to authorize it. The outline frames the entire sermon around authorization: Who can answer the question? What were they authorized to answer? What did they answer? The effect is to ground the plan of salvation not in tradition or sentiment but in the explicit will of the one who defines what pardon is.
Introduction
"What does pardon mean? Answer: restored as before" (Job 7:21; Jer. 5:20). The definition is precise. Job's prayer is for restoration — for God to forgive the transgression and take away the iniquity, so that Job is no longer under its weight. Jeremiah's call for the people to return — "Return, faithless Israel" (Jer. 3:12) — carries the same concept: pardon brings the pardoned one back to the condition he was in before the offense separated him. Not merely the removal of punishment, but the restoration of relationship.
Mercy triumphs over justice. This is the ground of any pardon: justice demands a consequence; mercy extends a way past it. The pardon available in the gospel does not ignore justice — it satisfies it through the sacrifice of Christ (Rom. 3:25-26) — but it triumphs over the death that justice would otherwise require. The one who is pardoned is restored as before; the one who remains unpardoned bears the full weight of what justice requires.
There are two laws of pardon corresponding to two conditions: the alien sinner who has never been in a covenant relationship with God through Christ, and the erring Christian who has been in that relationship, broken it by sin, and needs to return. The sermon addresses both.
I. The First Law of Pardon — The Alien Sinner
The question the alien sinner asks: What must I do to be saved?
The answer to this question is not at the disposal of every religious spokesperson. The first thing established here is who has been authorized to answer it.
Whom has God authorized to answer the question? Four passages identify the authorization:
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19) — the apostles received the keys of the kingdom; the terms of entry are theirs to announce.
"If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained" (John 20:23) — the authority to declare remission was given to the apostles; their pronouncement of the conditions of forgiveness carries divine weight.
"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation... Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us" (II Cor. 5:18-20) — the apostles were ambassadors of reconciliation; to hear their announcement is to hear God's terms.
These passages together establish that the answer to "What must I do to be saved?" is not a matter of private theological opinion. It belongs to the authorized spokesmen — the apostles — whose answer carries divine sanction.
What did God authorize them to answer? Three texts converge:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (Matt. 28:18-20).
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16).
"Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations — beginning from Jerusalem" (Luke 24:46-48).
The content of the commission is consistent: proclamation of the gospel, followed by a response that includes repentance and baptism, in the name of Christ, resulting in the remission of sins.
What did they answer? "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). This is the answer the authorized spokesmen gave when the authorized question was first asked in Acts 2:37. It is the original answer, from the original authorized speakers, in the original setting.
Two additional conversions confirm the pattern and show how the apostles adapted the answer to suit the sinner's condition:
The conversion of Saul (Acts 22:16). Ananias comes to Saul after the Damascus Road encounter — when Saul has already seen the risen Christ, already believed, already been on his face in prayer for three days. He is told: "Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name." The delay is the focus: belief and prayer and prostration have not washed away the sins. The baptism is still required. The answer was the same for Saul as for the crowd on Pentecost, adapted to his specific condition and state.
The conversion of the Philippian jailor (Acts 16:30-33). "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" — the question in almost the exact words of the sermon's opening. Paul and Silas answer: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." This has sometimes been read as a faith-only answer. But the record continues: Paul and Silas spoke the word to him and to his household; "and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household" (v. 33). The full answer was given; the full response was made; the salvation was completed in the baptism.
The apostles gave the answer to suit the sinner's condition. The form of the answer varied by context: the crowd on Pentecost needed to hear repentance foregrounded; Saul needed to hear the urgency of the step still undone; the jailor needed to hear belief foregrounded before the steps were explained. But the substance — faith, repentance, baptism for remission — was constant.
II. The Second Law of Pardon — The Erring Christian
The second law addresses a different sinner: not the person who has never been in covenant relationship with God, but the person who has been and has broken it.
The prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). He went away, spent everything, came to himself, and returned to the father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him" (v. 20). The pardon for the erring Christian begins in the same place as the first law: returning to the father. The condition of restoration is the turning — the repentance that brings the prodigal home.
Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:13-24). Simon had believed and been baptized (v. 13). He then sinned by trying to purchase the gift of the Holy Spirit with money (v. 18-19). Peter's response identifies both his condition and the path of return: "You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you" (vv. 21-22). The law of pardon for the erring Christian is repentance and prayer — not re-baptism, but the turning of the heart and the appeal to God.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). The ongoing provision for the sinning Christian is confession — the same act the prodigal performed in words ("I am no longer worthy to be called your son," Luke 15:21) and Simon was told to perform (repent and pray). The faithfulness and righteousness of God are the ground of the forgiveness; the confession is the condition.
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed" (James 5:16). The communal dimension of the second law: the erring Christian is not limited to a private transaction; he can confess to brothers and receive prayer from them in the context of the community. The healing is not only spiritual but relational — the restoration of the erring Christian to the body he has been separated from by sin.
Application
Two applications, one for each law:
For the person who has never obeyed the gospel: the authorized answer is clear, consistent across the New Testament record, and suited to your condition. You do not need to wait for a special experience or a private confirmation. The answer was given by the authorized spokesmen, and it has not changed: believe, repent, confess, be baptized for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38).
For the erring Christian: the path back is not re-baptism but repentance and prayer. Simon was not told to be baptized again; he was told to repent and pray. The prodigal did not need a second birth; he needed to come home. The condition of pardon is the same condition it was when you first came: a turning of the heart toward the God who is faithful and righteous to forgive when you confess.
Conclusion
"Mercy triumphs over justice" (James 2:13). The entire sermon rests on that claim. The two laws of pardon are the mechanics of that triumph: how mercy reaches the alien sinner who has never been right with God, and how mercy restores the erring Christian who has been right and is no longer. The mechanics are not arbitrary; they are the terms of the one who has the right to grant pardon, stated through those he authorized to speak.
"What does pardon mean? Restored as before." That is the destination of both laws. The alien sinner restored to the condition of one who has never sinned — all sins remitted in baptism (Acts 22:16). The erring Christian restored to the condition of fellowship he had before the sin separated him (I John 1:9). Both restorations are real; both are the work of the same mercy; both require the response the authorized spokesmen named.
Invitation
"What must I do to be saved?" The question is yours to ask; the answer has been given by those authorized to give it.
Believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Repent of the life organized around your sin. Confess his name. Be baptized for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38). And receive what pardon means: restored as before.
Word Study
| English Term | Greek Term | Basic Meaning | Usage in This Sermon | Sermon Significance | Key Texts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pardon | nāśāʾ | to lift, to carry, to take away | to lift, to carry, to take away | the Hebrew concept of pardon involves the removal of a burden; "restored as before" is the experiential result; the person who has been pardoned is no longer carrying what the pardon removed; Job's prayer and Jeremiah's text both reflect this lifting, this restoration. | from |
| Keys of the kingdom | kleidas tēs basileias | the authority to open and close | the authority to open and close | keys in the ancient world were given to those authorized to grant or deny access; the apostles received the authority to announce the terms of entry into the kingdom; those terms are the keys; their announcement opens the door. | Matt. 16:19 |
| Ambassador | presbeuomen | an official representative who speaks with the authority of the one who sent him | an official representative who speaks with the authority of the one who sent him | an ambassador cannot change the terms; he can only announce them; Paul's claim is that the apostolic announcement of the gospel is God's own appeal through them; to hear it is to hear God's terms. | II Cor. 5:20 |
| Forgiveness of your sins | eis aphesin tōn hamartiōn hymōn | eis is directional | eis is directional | toward, for the purpose of; baptism is administered "for the remission of sins" in the sense that the remission is its purpose and result; the sins are released, sent away, removed — which is what aphesis means. | Acts 2:38 |
Scripture Interlock Table
| Theme | Boles' Outline | Supporting Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Pardon = restored as before | Intro | Job 7:21; Jer. 5:20 |
| Keys of the kingdom — authorization to announce terms | I | Matt. 16:16-19 |
| Authority to forgive/retain sins | I | John 20:23 |
| Ministry of reconciliation — ambassadors for Christ | I | II Cor. 5:18-20 |
| Commission: make disciples, baptize, teach | I | Matt. 28:18-20 |
| "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved" | I | Mark 16:15-16 |
| Repentance for forgiveness proclaimed in Christ's name | I | Luke 24:46-48 |
| "Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins" | I | Acts 2:38 |
| Saul: "Why do you delay? Get up and be baptized" | I | Acts 22:16 |
| Jailor: believe in the Lord Jesus — immediately baptized | I | Acts 16:30-33 |
| Prodigal son — returning to the father | II | Luke 15:11-32 |
| Simon: repent and pray — law of pardon for erring Christian | II | Acts 8:13-24 |
| "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive" | II | I John 1:9 |
| "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another" | II | James 5:16 |
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Converted from H. Leo Boles, Outline 117. Primary text: Acts 8:1-25 (stated by Boles; Simon's case is the erring Christian example). OCR corrections: "Answe1·:" → "Answer:"; "Uob. 7:2 1" → "Job 7:21"; "iVhat" → "What." Doctrinal audit: Acts 2:38 retained as the primary answer to "What must I do to be saved?" — not softened or made optional; faith-only insufficient for the alien sinner demonstrated through Saul (believed and prayed for three days, still told to be baptized) and the Philippian jailor (belief announced first, baptism immediately following); second law of pardon (erring Christian) requires repentance and prayer, not re-baptism — Simon's case preserved as Boles intends; I John 1:9 and James 5:16 developed as the ongoing provision for the erring Christian; invitation retains full obedient response (Acts 2:38).
