Forgiveness

Unforgiveness in Washington

This week there has been a lot in the news about digging up the past. If you have paid attention to any media outlet, certainly you have seen the name Brett Kavanaugh. I have to admit, I don’t always pay attention to the news. Like many of you, I get tired of hearing about political move, the latest celebrity stunt, the latest politician caught in sex scandal or money laundering scheme. I tire over hearing over the brokenness, and sometimes, the stupidity that makes it way to national news. I started paying attention when a dear friend of mine sent an email to a group of guys. My friend who is about 40 years older than me and 40 years wiser than me, woke up in his sleep the other night, with this whole Kavanaugh trial on his heart. The Lord directly him to a passage in Scripture and then spoke a word to him. At the end of that encounter with God, he sent an email to a group of us, stating what the Lord had showed him and stating his concerns about this whole ordeal, which seems much to do about win vs. losing, than it does about a terrible act that may or may not have occured 36 years ago.

I have no interest in making this a political sermon and please don’t hear that I am on one side or another on this case. I can state my views, but I will do those away from the pulpit, because there are honest, well meaning people who have strong opinions on either side of this story. Something that has been on my heart, even before this week, is the topic of Forgiveness. I wonder how many times we actually think about forgiveness and how many times we genuinely offer forgiveness. Whether you have watched Fox News, CNN, local media, or watched videos via Facebook and YouTube, you have heard testimonies, accounts of details, heard the raw emotion in voice of adults who genuinely hurt. I have also wondered where is decency, integrity, kindness, and forgiveness in the actions and words of politicians, judges, professional analysts, news correspondents and every other American who chooses to voice their opinion via their Facebook and Twitter page.

Where does forgiveness play a role? When are we called to forgive? Why should we forgive another? Should we forgive and forget every time someone wrongs us? How many chances do we give before we finally say to someone, ‘you’ve run out of 2nd chances?

Lets take a look at what the Bible has to say?

1 John 1:9 CSB

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

What does God say?

There is something interesting about looking at a topic like forgiveness. We can look at it primarily from a human perspective and I can give you a bunch of psychological findings and guidance when it comes to forgiveness, but I believe its more important for us to hear what God has to say about forgiveness. J.I. Packer wrote in Knowing God

“Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives. As it would be cruel to an Amazonian tribesmen to fly him to London, put him down without explanation in Trafalgar Square and leave him, as one who knew nothing of English or England, to fend for himself, so we are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it .”

With that said we must look at how God handles forgiveness. Last week we hosted our revival. The common line that I heard come out is that we are called to remember, repent and return. Remember what we have been taught and what God has done for us. Repent of the ways in which we have sinned against a perfect and righteous God, and then return back to Him. Return back to what He has called us to or called us to go do. But why must we repent and return to God. Why does He call us to do such things? Why should we have a broken heart and confess our sins?

It is because we people that are loved and called out by God. We are as Peter said, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession.” We have been called out and set apart by Him. I will give you another J.I. Packer quote:

“God was happy without humans before they were made; he would have continued happy had he simply destroyed them after they had sinned; but as it is he has set his love upon particular sinners, and this means that, by his own free voluntary choice, he will not know perfect and unmixed happiness again till he has brought every one of them to heaven. He has in effect resolved that henceforth for all eternity his happiness shall be conditional upon ours.”

“God was happy without humans before they were made; he would have continued happy had he simply destroyed them after they had sinned; but as it is he has set his love upon particular sinners, and this means that, by his own free voluntary choice, he will not know perfect and unmixed happiness again till he has brought every one of them to heaven. He has in effect resolved that henceforth for all eternity his happiness shall be conditional upon ours.”

Do you get that? It is by God’s free and voluntary choice to choose us and to love us, and to not be happy until we are His. He has called us out of darkness and “Into His marvelous light.” () Unfortunately, we often don’t live lives that ovewhelmed with that thought. We are more “whelmed” than we are “overwhelmed.” I believe it is what hinders us from being able to turn around and forgive another person, because we have been so “whelmed” by the forgiveness that God gives us that we are not overwhelmed in wanting to respond to others with forgiveness.

When we are overwhelmed is normally when it is pouring out of us and we spilling out onto other people. When we are whelmed, its tucked neatly inside and stays right where it is.

God longs for people that are for Him, that worship Him, and serve Him. It is why He just about started over during the time of the flood, yet He kept Noah and his family; a people for His own possession. It is the reason why when the national of Israel wandered in the desert, that He protected a remnant of people, so that He would always have a people for His own possession. It is why a common theme through the book of Daniel is that God delights when we confess, repent and return to Him, because He wants a people for His own possession. But people are people. We aren’t perfect and we make mistakes. We fall from grace, sin against God and need forgiveness. You stumble and fall, sin against God and you need forgiveness.

Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

If we have experienced that unbelieveable matchless grace of Jesus and realize that He has saved us, forgiven us of all of our debts and restored us to a right relationship with God almighty, then we should give forgiveness, just as our heavenly Father has forgiven us. Otherwise we turn into the story of the “Unforgiving Servant” that Jesus told us about.

Matthew 18:23–35 CSB

“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought before him. Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. “At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’ Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan. “That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’ “At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”

Matthew 18:23-

We can either take the role of the master; we can be compassionate, release them and forgive them. Or we can take the role of the servant, who was unwilling to forgive and, well, he was handed over to the jailers and tortured.

A lot of times we don’t think we are being unforgiving. Many time someone will recall or recount an event to me. I remember this, and then this person said this or did this. I’ve forgiven them and I’m over it, but their lips are tight, their jaw is almost clenched, their shoulders are up, and it is all a clear sign that forgiveness really hasn’t taken place.

Whirly-doos

Whirly-doos

It looks a lot like this. What if I wanted to make a little money on this side? Say I started to work out a new invention. I have created a line of whirly-doos. Whirly-doos are such a good invention. They have saved a lot of people hard work. What if a church member comes to me and says they want to buy 10 whirly-doos. Whirly-doos sell for $20 each. The overhead is terrible. The agreed upon price is $200 for 10 whirly-doos. Sorry, there is not discount just because you are a church member. I created 10 whirly-doos and deliver them to the church member. Upon arrival, they tell me that they only have $100 and they ask if that would be enough. They don’t have the full $200 right now, but they’ll get it to me later. I’m gracious. I understand hard times, so I release the 10 whirly-doos for $100. I’m a little frustrated, because there was an agreed upon price, but I’ll wait for the rest later. Now, what happens when 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or a whole month go by and still I’m missing the extra $100. Maybe 6 months has passed and I’m still short changed. The natural reaction is to feel a little resentment. Every time I see that person I’m reminded that they still owe me money. Every time they buy a new truck, I think, “bet they bought that with my $100.” Every time they say what restaurant they went to last night, I’m thinking “bet that dinner didn’t cost you $100.” Every time the enemy gets a chance to remind me of the grievance, I feel bitterness in my heart. Who else has been there? Am I alone? It is natural for human to feel that way. Guess what?

You are set apart. You were “bought with a price.” () You were forgiven of much, so guess what, you need to forgive much. Don’t be like the unforgiving servant, but be like the master and be compassionate, release them and forgive them. I get it though, “Brandon, that’s $100.” Yeah, be an adult, talk to the person about the issue, and handle it. Stop carrying on with the bitterness. Stop judging that person in light of what was done and move on with life.

Here is the key about forgiveness.

Forgiveness does not mean to forgive and forget. Forgiveness remembers the damage that was done and still chooses to love the person anyways.

God spoke to the nation of Israel saying:

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), .

Jeremiah 31:34 CSB

No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.

this is the LORD’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin. Jere

He says, “Never again will I remember their sin.” You can read that and think that God has somehow done a complete brain dump and forgotten all about what we did. Indeed He casts our sins as far as the east is from the west, but forgiving can also be defined as: 1) to lose the remembrance of: be unable to think of or recall, 2) to treat with inattention or disregard, 3) to disregard intentionally, 4) to cease remembering or noticing. (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed.)

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), .

a: to lose the remembrance of: be unable to think of or recall 〈I forget his name〉

God may or may not completely forget what we have done, but when we are forgiven, he chooses not to act upon it. Rather, He chooses to love us, as if we had not committed the sin against Him. Now that should be what leaves us overwhelmed. Just like the old preachers would say, “if that don’t light your fire then your woods wet.”

b obsolete: to cease from doing

2: to treat with inattention or disregard 〈forgot their old friends〉

3 a: to disregard intentionally

b: to give up hope for or expectation of—usually used in the imperative 〈as for prompt service, forget it〉 verb intransitive

Prayer: May we be so overwhelmed by the forgiveness that you have shown us, that we show it to others.

1: to cease remembering or noticing 〈forgive and forget〉

2: to fail to become mindful at the proper time 〈forgot about paying the bill〉 synonym see NEGLECT—for•get•ter noun—forget oneself: to lose one’s dignity, temper, or self-control

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) Forget

a: to lose the remembrance of: be unable to think of or recall 〈I forget his name〉

b obsolete: to cease from doing

2: to treat with inattention or disregard 〈forgot their old friends〉

3 a: to disregard intentionally: OVERLOOK—usually used in the imperative 〈I shouldn’t have said that, so just forget it〉

b: to give up hope for or expectation of—usually used in the imperative 〈as for prompt service, forget it〉 verb intransitive

1: to cease remembering or noticing 〈forgive and forget〉

2: to fail to become mindful at the proper time 〈forgot about paying the bill〉 synonym see NEGLECT—for•get•ter noun—forget oneself: to lose one’s dignity, temper, or self-control