Forgiveness, a logical conclusion?
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· 17 viewsForgiveness is a command eternally worth doing!
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Is forgiveness a logical conclusion?
Is forgiveness a logical conclusion?
Tell me if you can complete this thought.
“Hurt me once, shame on you, Hurt me twice ______ on me”
Forgiveness is not an easy thing at times and outside of what God says many can be ignorant can’t they?
Herbert Spencer coined the phrase
“Everlasting ignorance is contempt prior to investigation”
Are there things that we believe before we check them out? Are there things we assume before we investigate?
Question: Is forgiveness a logical conclusion, if so why?
To draw a logical conclusion we need to investigate, don’t take my word on forgiveness let’s look at what God says about it.
I. Forgiving Others
I. Forgiving Others
We are commanded to forgive others (Mk11:25)
25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
If we do not forgive us we are not forgiven (Mt6:14-15)
14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
But what about if someone hurts (sins) against you? (Mt18:15; Col3:13)
15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
I don’t want to leave this one out, if this is not a good reason to forgive
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Col3
The Lord forgave us, we should forgive others.
How often are we to forgive others? (Mt18:21-22)
21 Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
(insert part 1 of forgiveness story; commanded to forgive brother, but not adhered to)
Forgiveness while commanded may not always be easy.
While forgiveness may not be easy it is to God’s glory that we do it (Pro19:11)
11 A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.
So as we investigate forgiveness, maybe we can, should step back and look at God’s forgiveness and see if that helps us in forgiving
So as we investigate forgiveness, maybe we can, should step back and look at God’s forgiveness and see if that helps us in forgiving
II. God’s Forgiveness
II. God’s Forgiveness
If we confess our sins, we will be forgiven (1Jn1:9)
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn1-9
but I’m sorry, i cannot leave, use that verse along, by itself
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1Jn1:
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
What we can know is God is light (v.5)
We cannot fellowship with Him when we walk in darkness (v.6)
He will cleanse us of all sin when we walk in Him (v.7)
Don’t deceive yourself thinking you are sinless (v.8)
He is faithful, He is righteous and will forgive us when we confess (v.9)
Don’t fool yourself, you are not sinless, if you claim you are then you make God a liar (v.10)
God’s forgiveness is tied to repentance and baptism (Act2:38)
38 Peter said to them, “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.
We come from a place knowing our sins separate us from God (Isa59:1) to knowing our sins are many and they can be forgiven (Lk7:47)
47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
How much have you been forgiven? A little, some or all?
Look at what God said through prophet Jeremiah (Jer31:34)
34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Notice at the end what it says “and their sin I will remember no more.”
In a time when the old covenant was dying, that the new covenant was coming God gives this assurance. God’s word in their heart, not on the arm, not on head, not in head, but in heart, written in their heart, in our heart. When we understand what God has done for us.
God’s forgiveness brings great results
III. Results of God’s Forgiveness
III. Results of God’s Forgiveness
Your sins are remembered no more as mentioned (Jer31:34)
You become a new creation (2Cor5:17-18)
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
but let me go just one more verse
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
New creation, old gone, all things become new. Reconciled to the Father through the Son and now has given, committed the word of reconciliation. We hold that in our hands in the Bible.
New creation, old gone, all things become new. Reconcilsed
You are no longer condemned (Rom8:1-2)
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
(expand, because of forgiveness this has happened)
We will understand the steadfast love of the Lord (Psm103:10-12)
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Praise God for His mercy, we did not get what we deserved, not for our sins, nor our iniquities; but showed us His lovingkindness, His mercy and His steadfast love.
So we are commanded to forgive others, why? Because God forgave us, and we have great results from the our forgiveness, so now what? What do we do with forgiveness?
IV. What to do with forgiveness
IV. What to do with forgiveness
Forgiveness should result in kindness (Eph4:32)
32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Why? Again because of God’s forgiveness through Christ!
Forgiveness frees you to dwell on good things vs. distracting things (Php4:8)
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
For with forgiveness comes liberty
Jesus came to proclaim liberty (Isa61:1-2)
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
So that we can walk in liberty (Psm119:45; Gal5:1)
45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
In our liberty we need to take care of it (1Cor8:9)
9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Finally know where the Spirit is there is liberty (2Cor3:17)
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
That liberty, that Spirit dwells in you, the heart of the believer so now can you start to grasp forgiveness?
Drawing a logical conclusion
Scripture is clear we are commanded to forgive
The scripture is clear that God will forgive us
Though the scripture does not say anything about it, it is logical that we should forgive ourselves?
(insert R.C. Sproul quote)
Don’t be arrogant, forgive yourself
We must forgive those whom the Lord has forgiven
Forgiveness it is vitally important and eternally worth it and it starts with you.
(lead to invitation)
God is willing to forgive
Are you holding onto a grudge or a hand of forgiveness needs to be given?
(lead to prayer) and then to song leader