Church Revitalization #10 Do we forgive quickly?

Remember God’s Forgiveness

One of the most important steps in overcoming an unforgiving attitude is to focus your attention on how much God has forgiven you.

List out five things that God has forgiven you for.

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ARE WE QUICK TO FORGIVE?

"I delight to do your will, my God, and your instruction is deep within me.”” ()

Why do you suppose that real believers WANT to forgive?

() ________________________________

In the new birth God gives to us a new disposition that is bent towards loving and obeying His will ().

Look up the following three passages and write down the main point about forgiveness (Hint: God to us and us to each other) ____________________________________

One thing that we certainly know is that Jesus did not mean that we earn God’s forgiveness for the sins we commit against Him by granting forgiveness to others for their sins against us. This would make our salvation conditional upon doing something to earn it—in this case dispensing forgiveness to others.

HERE’S THE MAIN POINT: These texts show that a forgiving spirit characterizes those who have been forgiven.

Repenters toward God are forgivers toward others. Those who find themselves unable to forgive reveal that they’ve never experienced the transforming forgiveness of God. But those who are willing to forgive as God forgives may be hopeful that they have received the grace of God. And this grace causes them to truly want to forgive, even when the flesh rages against that impulse.

Let’s read . But before delving into this passage, it is important to note that Peter goes directly to Jesus with his personal questions about forgiveness. He asks the Lord what to do, and we get the impression that the situation is pretty messy. He cries out to him in distress and speaks plainly. Crying out to Jesus is a sign of deep faith. All too often, Christians ask questions about forgiveness to everyone but the Lord. If we are going to forgive from the heart, crying out to Jesus when we are hurt is crucial. (Let’s read the text).

In that story, a servant owed the king an enormous debt. When the king threatened to have the servant and his family sold as slaves to pay the debt, the servant begged for mercy.

How does the king react to him begging for mercy? (v27) _____________________________________________

Moments later, the servant saw a man who owed him a debt that was tiny in comparison. When the servant demanded payment, the man asked for time to repay it.

Sironi, A. (2012). From Your Heart … Forgive. The Journal of Biblical Counseling, 26(3), 51.

How did the servant respond to his fellow servants begging for mercy? (v30) ________________________

When the king heard about this, how does he respond? (vv32-33) ______________________________________

And then (in v34) ________________________________

Then what hard hitting words does Jesus close with in v35? _________________________________________

If you are struggling with unforgiveness, take another look at the enormous debt for which God has forgiven you. Turning to the Bible and reminding yourself of God’s holiness will help you see more clearly the seriousness of even your smallest sin (see ; ). You made a list of some of the sins for which God has forgiven you.

Ask yourself whether you have ever treated God or others the same way you have been treated by the person you are trying to forgive. You are trying to forgive someone who has sinned against you. Have you treated God or others sinfully? YES! We all have. Take a long look at this list and remind yourself what you deserve from God because of your sins. Then rejoice in the promise of .

The more you understand and appreciate the wonders of God’s forgiveness, the more motivation you will have to forgive others. We are not called to forgive others in order to earn God’s love; rather, having experienced His love, we have the basis (Christ and His shed blood) and motive (love for God and others) to forgive others.

So we’re called to imitate His forgiveness. How does Paul put it? () ________________________________

Or in ___________________________________

HIS FORGIVENESS IS GRACIOUS BUT NOT FREE

It’s only by grace that a person is saved. What I mean is that salvation rests entirely on the unmerited favor of God. Forgiveness is a gift that God graciously offers us. "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.” ()

I could pastor for a million years, and it would get me no closer to being forgiven by God. I am forgiven only by grace. God’s forgiveness to me is a gift. Did God offer me this gift because He saw that I had a small seed of goodness or potential? Not at all. Forgiveness is a gift motivated by the love of the One true God. You have to grasp this verse: "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,” ()

So, motivated by love, God graciously offers the gift of forgiveness. Though offered as a gift, it was at a high cost to God, that this gift was purchased. Our salvation was purchased at the expense of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ ().

FORGIVENESS IS CONDITIONAL.

Only those who repent and believe are saved. Now we know that all people are not saved. Only those who repent and believe the gospel. We receive forgiveness by turning away from sin (in repentance) and turning to Christ believing in what He did at the cross (faith in Christ alone). “testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” ( ) Paul used both terms. We must turn to God in repentance and we must have faith in our Lord Jesus. The way to open God’s forgiveness package is through repentance and faith.

GOD’S FORGIVENESS IS A COMMITMENT.

God forgives us graciously.

He’s motivated by love.

He’s motivated by love.

He offers forgiveness as a gift (an expensive gift).

He offers forgiveness as a gift (an expensive gift).

Not everyone is forgiven (only those who repent and believe the gospel are saved).

Not everyone is forgiven (only those who repent and believe the gospel are saved).