God's Grace

The Power of Forgiveness: A Journey of Repentance

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Unlimited Forgiveness Commanded

Matthew 18:21–22

How far is too far? For Peter, forgiving someone 7 times goes even farther than rabbinical traditions, which limited it to 3 times, required - for 7 goes one more than twice as many as the rabbis stipulated.

Rev. Dr. Walter A Maier III, wrote in the Concordia Commentary regarding 1 Kings 7:15-22:

1 Kings 1–11 Commentary

Seven is God’s number throughout Scripture. This was a symbol for God interacting with the world and humanity in blessing and/or judgment. That seven was the symbolic number for God originated in

So Peter is not being stingy here. He’s going to what would seem to be the realm of perfection.

What the Law presents as perfection is actually the “footstool” of God’s perfection. God commands one day of rest after six days of work, but it is not because God got tired, but simply because His work was complete. There was no need for further creative work, only of sustaining work from then on, until the time came to bring about the New Creation in Christ.

Matt 18:23-35

In like manner, in Jesus’ parable, when the King forgave his servant’s immense debt, there was nothing that the servant needed to do in order to finish what the King had done. He was free from debt, free from the burden of fixing things, free to live fresh and clean. But you have to believe it to experience it.

2. Accept Each Other Freely

Romans 14:1–4

As Christians, we have also been forgiven completely, not on the basis of what we have done to earn forgiveness, but on the basis of what Jesus did for us. It’s easy to hear, but hard to believe, because, as it is written, Isaiah 55:8-9

Isaiah 55:8–9 ESV

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Peter says “7” and Jesus counters, not “7,” but “77!” not “I’ll give you more time,” but “I’ll release you from the debt!” What the servant failed to recognize was that he was to take the grace shown to him, not as a moment of favor, but as the launching pad for a new life. Likewise, to fail to recognize that the grace of God doesn’t only release us from debt, it releases us from collections. We are not our brother’s jailer or judge, but His builder.

3. Forego Judgment, Choose Forgiveness

Romans 14:10–12

As we look at our fellow Christians, it is so tempting to compare each other by the old standards. Is someone keeping up with the Standard, or is someone “Taking advantage of God’s grace,” or worse in our eyes, “Is someone sinning against us while claiming protection from punishment by claiming God’s grace?” We will all have to stand before God, and nobody but Jesus has earned the right to be there. The rest of us deserve Gods present and eternal punishment. But Jesus Christ, the only truly Righteous One, is our Defender. He covers our sins in His righteousness, and washes them away with His precious blood. Indeed, as Paul wrote in Romans 14:8 “8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”

4. Transform Evil Through Forgiveness

Genesis 50:20–21

So even the sinful intentions of others can be used by God for our good. This means that, when we trust in God’s goodness, we don’t have to worry about protecting ourselves from the evilness of others. Even when they mean it for evil, God can work all things together for good to those who love Him, who are called by Him according to His purpose. Joseph recognized that God knew before any of those horrible events occured that brought him into slavery, that God would work everything together for good, to move him from bondage to authority, even as He moves us from being objects of wrath to recipients of His grace.

We are not trying to earn God’s favor, by being nice, we are simply reflecting the grace that we’ve received upon our neighbor, to the praise of His glorious grace. And the peace of God that passes understanding guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.