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Biblical Forgiveness Isaiah 43:25 Cooper P. Abrams III |
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Introduction: Genuine forgiveness runs deep. It is not a thin surface patch on a relationship, but an inner change of heart toward the offender. Too often we think we have extended forgiveness when we have only covered over our resentment.
Corrie Ten Boom shares this true story in her book, "The Hiding Place": It was a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there - the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie's pain-blanched face. He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!"
His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.
Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.
I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.
The story says they she then took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.
I. DOES GOD REQUIRE YOU TO FORGIVE AND FORGET?
I think we know the answer to that, but lets see what the Bible says. An unforgiving, vengeful, or bitter spirit will not only effect us and those around us, it will separate us from the blessing of God. Therefore we must forgive others no matter what the offense.
A. The Scripture sets the example in that God's forgiveness involves remembering your sins no more.
1. Isa. 43.25.
2. Jeremiah 31:34. "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," says the Lord. "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer 31:34)
3. Eph. 1:7-12.
4. "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John. 1:7)
5. Heb. 10:19-22.
B. God totally forgives, yet he cannot erase the memory of our sins. He is the almighty and final Judge who will bring every act and every even careless word to judgment whether good or evil.
1. For believers: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Cor. 5:10)
2. "And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your sojourning here in fear" (1 Peter 1:17)
3. Folks forgetting is not required in order to forgive. Because the memory of sin remains it does not mean that there is not total and complete forgiveness.
C. God knows we have sinned and has the memory of it but God does not hold sin against the believer after God forgives him.
1. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you." (Eph. 4:32)
2. Our responsibility is to forgive as others as God has forgiven us. It means we are not to hold another's sin against him.
You are to commit it to God. God is the judge. "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." (Matt. 16:27)
"Grudge (grumble) not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door." (James 5:9)
D. The term "not to remember" means "not to mention or to bring to mind."
It means you do not keep an account.
You to not keep score.
E. The Bible uses the term "forget" in the sense of "escaping notice." For example, the Apostle Paul could remember his earlier sins, yet he boldly proclaimed "to forget" (not take notice of those things) that were behind in order to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
1. Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
2. 1 Timothy 1:12-15. Paul was formally a persecutor and blasphemer...yet he found mercy in the Lord.
F. Some folks try very hard to forget and fail! Because it is next to impossible to forget things that happen.
1. Yet, we can and should not to have them effect our relationship to others.
2. Memory plays a good function in that we can remember what we before God saved us. It helps us appreciate and be thankful to God for saving us from that life style and sin.
3. We are to forgive and not let the memory of past sins against us effect our love for the brethren.
II. IS IT POSSIBLE OR NECESSARY FOR YOU TO FORGIVE YOURSELF?"
A. Man's wisdom teaches that "forgiving self" is a prerequisite for experiencing peace and joy.
1. We hear statements: " I just can't forgive myself for what I have done." OR "You must learn to forgive yourself to get rid of your guilt."
One might even say, "I know God forgives me, but I need to forgive myself."
2. What does the Bible say!!???
B. Any teaching that emphasizes a need to forgive oneself is in fact trusting and exalting SELF instead of relying solely on the promises of God.
1. God says it we believe and trust Him, He totally forgives us our sins for all time.
2. That is a promise of God.
3. If you then believe that you must forgive yourself to get peace and joy, in addition to God's Plan of Forgiveness, your are saying God's plan is not adequate.
C. How do you go about forgiving yourself?
1. Do you make yourself forget you did the act?
2. Or do you deny you did it.
3. Question: Can you forgive yourself of your sin? Who is the only one who can forgive sin!?
4. Suppose you are able to force yourself to accept that you have forgiven yourself.....all you have in fact done is force yourself to feel forgiven!
BUT IF YOU ARE FORGIVEN WHO REALLY FORGAVE YOU?
GOD DID...ONLY HE CAN FORGIVE YOU.
5. Folks if you could forgive yourself then why do we need God?
D. 1 John 1:9, says it is God who forgives and who "cleanses" for all unrighteousness!
E. Instead of trying to forgive yourself in addition to God's forgiveness, you should go on with your life in Christ.
1. God forgave the matter is settled!!
2. Phil. 3:13-14!!!
III. WILL THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR SIN BE REMOVED WHEN YOU RECEIVE FORGIVENESS?
A. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." (John 5:24)
1. The ultimate judgment for your sin is removed.
Rom. 6:23.
2. Roman 8:1, "{There is} therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Rom 8:1)
B. However, receiving God's forgiveness does not guarantee all the consequences of your sin will be removed.
1. A friend of mine while in college before he was saved he took LSD. Was worried if it would effect his children.
2. Alcoholic: Years destroying his body. Saved yet still has a diseased body.
3. The thief on the cross believed in Christ Jesus and was saved...yet he still died for his sin. His soul was saved yet His body was not.
C. You can receive God's forgiveness for your sin against someone else, but you are responsible to go the person against you have sinned and seek reconciliation!
Matthew 5:23-24 gives the action we must take: "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
IV. WHAT ABOUT NOT FEELING LIKE FORGIVING ANOTHER OR NOT FEELING LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN?
A. Even if you do not feel like forgiving another, you can and you must obey God and forgive as God has forgiven you.
1. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Cor. 3:5)
2. Phil. 2:12-15.
3. Your forgiving is not to be based on how you FEEL about the matter, but out of obedience to God.
4. God will not bring up your past sins against you...you must not bring up past sins against another.
B. As a child of God, even if you do not "feel" forgiven after sincerely confessing your sins, the fact is that God has promised to forgive you and you are forgiven.
1. It is a matter of trusting God. God said to repent of your sin and ask forgiveness. If you truly repent...then God forgives. BELIEVE IT...GOD WILL NOT LIE.
2. Nothing can take away your salvation. ROMANS 8:31-34.
3. What are you to do? At Paul said, let the past take care of itself....you press on to the high mark of your calling to God. (PHIL. 3:12-14)
CONCLUSION:
Sir Walter Scott had difficulty with the idea of "turning the other cheek." But Jesus' words took on special meaning one day when Scott threw a rock at a stray dog to chase it away. His aim was straighter and his delivery stronger than he had intended, for he hit the animal and broke its leg. Instead of running off, the dog limped over to him and licked his hand. Sir Walter never forgot that touching response. He said, "That dog preached the Sermon on the Mount to me as few ministers have ever presented it." Scott said he had not found human beings so ready to forgive their enemies.
TO THE LOST: RECEIVE GOD'S PROMISES AND FORGIVENESS FROM
SIN.
TO THE SAVED: BELIEVE AND TRUST GOD....LIVE FOR GOD AND
FORGIVE OTHERS! As Jesus told the woman caught in adultery..."go
and sin no more."
