Forgiveness Described

Text: Luke 17:1-5

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (11/09/03)

Introduction:   

ILLUS - Too Poor to Pay

In a rural village lived a doctor who was noted both for his professional skill and his devotion to Christ. After his death, his books were examined. Several entries had writing across them in red ink: "Forgiven-too poor to pay." Unfortunately, his wife was of a different disposition. Insisting that these debts be settled, she filed a suit before the proper court. When the case was being heard, the judge asked her, "is this your husband's handwriting in red?" She replied that it was. "Then," said the judge, "not a court in the land can obtain the money from those whom he has forgiven."

REVIEW of the Definition of Forgiveness

We said forgiveness is not...

A feeling / Apologizing / Forgetting / Memory Healing / Unconditional

IMPORTANT – Two additional notions we must reject .....

1. Forgiveness of Self – from self-love, self esteem movement.

Not in the Bible – We already love ourselves!

Ephesians 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

2. Forgiveness of God – absurd at best, blasphemous at worst.

God is the absolute standard of right and wrong. He does not need our forgiveness.

We saw from the Bible that Forgiveness is.....

1. An act modeled after the forgiveness of God.

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

2. Not passive (Forgetting), but active (Not Remembering)

Jeremiah 31:34 ... I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Psalms 130:3-4  If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

4  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

3. Forgiveness is a Promise (Eg. God’s declaration)

I promise that I will not raise this offense again in a judgmental, accusatory, or revengeful way to:

Others / Offender / Myself

Here is another good definition of Forgiveness...

FORGIVENESS is the loving voluntary cancellation of a debt.

The Biblical definition of the word includes the ideas of..

1. Lifting burden of guilt.

2. Cancellation of a debt

3. Removal of liability

Today our goal is to describe forgiveness – We examined what forgiveness is, now we will look at what it does.

What does Forgiveness Look Like?

I. Forgiveness Involves Confrontation

Dealt with in greater detail in previous message.

A. “GO” to your brother

B. Rebuke him

Not the Prosecution of a case, but a cautious explanation of the facts as you see them.

Allowing for a forthcoming explanation that will clear up the matter.

Thank God, we were confronted in our sin by God’s Holy Spirit!!

John 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

What sins require confrontation leading up to the restorative process?

ANSWER – Any offense that creates an unreconciled condition.

This may depend upon...

1). The predisposition of the one offended

2). His past experiences

3). How the offense was interpreted

4). How often repeated, etc.

C. When You are the Offender

1. Do something quickly

Matthew 5:25  Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

2. Who have we sinned against?

Psalm 51:4  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:.....

All sin is against God.  -  YET, seeking God’s forgiveness and that of the offended brother cannot be separated.

3. What about sins of the heart?

Matthew 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Known only to God and the sinner.  Lust / Anger / Envy / Pride

Confess only to God – Confession beyond the circle of knowledge can lead to additional sin and unnecessary hurt.

4. Don’t go justifying your sin

Be brutally honest, take ownership, accept moral culpability, don’t argue with God!!

II. Forgiveness Involves Repentance & Confession

Both are necessary conditions of forgiveness.

A. Repentance

Luke 17:3  Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

It is not sorrow, though that may accompany repentance.

Repentance is not the same as regret, it is the open acknowledgement of one’s sin.

2 Corinthians 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Repentance is turning from one’s sinful thoughts and ways to Biblical truth and holiness.

It is a change of heart that leads to a changed life.

Isaiah 55: 8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

What thoughts must change?

1). Thinking we can get away with sin – God will expose sin

Numbers 32:23   ...and be sure your sin will find you out.

2). Thinking sin will benefit us.

3). Thinking we will continue in our sin.

4). Thinking our sin is not so serious.

Romans 7:13  ... that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

B. Confession

Confession is inseparably linked with repentance.

It is the verbal admission of wrong-doing in the presence of the wronged party.

CONFESS – homologeo – “to say the same thing”.

To agree with God about your sin.

• Not the Confessional booth.

• Not Public confession of Private sin.

• Not Confession to appease your accuser – not to confess what you are unsure of Biblically as sin.

Confession is agreement with another that is in agreement with the Word of God.

NOTHING MORE is Required!!

III. Forgiveness is a Commencement

It is only a beginning, not an end in itself.

In other words forgiveness for it’s own sake alone is incomplete.

A. Removes the Negative

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

2 Corinthians 2:7-8  So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.8Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

B. Opens Way for Positive Change

More is needed than the removal of the offense – A forgiven person may still be the same, non-victorious, easily tempted individual they were before.

ILLUS: The offender cannot unspill the milk, but he can help clean up the mess he has made.

The idea is not “forgive & forget” – often it’s the supposedly forgive offender who is forgotten.

Not merely “forgive & tolerate”, but “forgive and rsetore”!!

C. Forgiveness is Ongoing, Continual

There may be an investment of time, talents, energies, prayer etc.  That go beyond the initial confrontation and repentance.

1. Confirm your love (2 Cor 2:8) – “officially reinstate”

2. Rebuild relationship

D. Consequences of sin not eliminated by forgiveness

It is not an exemption!

EXAMPLE – David – Psalm 51

David paid a huge price for his sin – give examples.

Sin may need to be brought up again in a counselling situation, but that is not the same as bringing it up to use against the person.

Conclusion:     (Review)

Saved By His “Worst Enemy”

During the Revolutionary War there lived in Pennsylvania a pastor by the name of Peter Miller. There was one man who lived near the church who hated him and had earned an unenviable reputation for his abuse of the minister. This man was not only a hater of the church, but it also turned out that he was a traitor to his country, and was convicted of treason and sentenced to death.

The trial was conducted in Philadelphia, and no sooner did Miller hear of it than he set out on foot to visit General Washington and interceded for the man’s life. But Washington told him, “I’m sorry that I cannot grant your request for your friend.”

“Friend!” Miller cried. “Why, that man is the worst enemy I have in the world!”

“What?” the general exclaimed in surprise. “Have you walked sixty miles to save the life of an enemy? That, in my judgment, puts the matter in a different light. I will grant him a pardon for your sake.”

The pardon was made out and signed by General Washington, and Miller proceeded at once on foot to a place fifteen miles distant where the execution was scheduled to take place that afternoon. He arrived just as the man was being carried to the scaffold, and when he saw Miller hurrying toward the place, remarked, “There is old Peter Miller. He has walked all the way from Ephrata to have his revenge gratified today by seeing me hung.” But scarcely had he spoken the words when Miller pushed his way through to the condemned man and handed him the pardon that saved his life.

—Bible School Journal