Forgive One Another

Isn’t God awesome! He is good, gracious, merciful, and forgiving.

How many thing have we done that make us undeserving of forgiveness. But our God is so merciful that even though we are undeserving, he freely forgives us.

This entire passage is related to the command of forgiveness.

Why? To mirror our great God.

It is inevitable that someone will hurt us.

But how do we deal with our hurt when they do?

We are going to look at how we are called to forgive as they repent. How this is very difficult to do. And even though this is a difficult task, in the end we are unprofitable servants who are only doing what our master requires of us.

v.1-2

Causes to Stumble

The wording the ESV uses is temptations to sin.

What the Greek word means is to be a cause for stumbling.

God in this passage is speaking of forgiveness. Forgiving the one who has caused us to stumble.

We always wonder if they are getting off unpunished. Are we letting them get away with it.

This is saying that you are placing it in the hands of God, saying you trust Him to punish them better than you can.

This is also a warning to those who would cause people to stumble. Be careful of your actions. If you make a mistake repent.

The pastor who is preaching “another gospel” other than that which Jesus gave or hiding the truth in unrighteousness.

The person in the church who desires to stir up discord among people in the church.

The parent at home who says that they are a christian, but doesn’t live it in their life.

The person who willingly try’s to wrong others.

A dire warning is here for those who do not listen to the advice given.

v.3-4

Forgiveness

A difficult topic, but one that we see Jesus laying the foundation, giving a blue print and giving the command for forgiveness.

v.3- rebuke

Rebuke

The first step if a brother or sister wrongs you is to come to them and explain what they have done and show biblically how it’s a sin.

Just because you feel wronged, doesn’t mean that you were. This is why it’s important to come with the bible because our emotions can blow us all over the place, we must be grounded by the bible.

Sometimes the offended one is the one who needs to repent if he/she was offended about something that holds no standing.

Tanner is mad because Paul sat in his pew. Tanner might be mad, but un-biblically so. Tanner can confront Paul but without scripture hopefully Tanner will realize he was wrong and realize that he needs to repent and not get mad about someone sitting in his pew.

v.3-4

Repents

To repent isn’t just to say sorry, it is to admit your sin and ask for forgiveness.

Sorry acknowledges your guilt. That you feel bad for doing the deed.

Every kid is sorry when they got caught.

Saying “I’m sorry,” and “It’s okay” resolves nothing.

Acknowledgement of sin hasn’t taken place and forgiveness of sin hasn’t taken place.

Asking for forgiveness is admitting your sin, and calling for action on part of the offended one, more on that in a minute.

We covered repentance as admitting your sin, the second part is that you stop committing that sin.

Repentance is a 180, going the opposite direction that you were.

It is a renewing in your mind that takes place. Where the thing that you used to do, that was detestable in the eyes of God. You now desire to no longer do that deed.

Unrepentant

What happens after being rebuked, they don’t repent. What does God call us to do?

Matthew 18:15-17

Matthew 18:15–17 ESV

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

First you rebuke them alone. This is what we see happening in Luke. Showing biblically how they are wrong.

Then if they don’t repent. You go with a friend or two and urge them again.

If they still don’t you bring them before the church or the board and if they don’t repent, you break fellowship with them.

1 Corinthians 5:11

1 Corinthians 5:11 ESV

11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

If they are unrepentant. You don’t have them over for coffee. You don’t go for a walk with them.

They are as dead to you. With the entire purpose not to destroy them, but break them and bring them to a point of repentance.

Anywhere in this process if they repent, we forgive, and bring them into the church. But only at the time of repentance.

v.4 forgive

Forgiveness

After the offender repents and asks for forgiveness, then action is demanded from the offended. He has the choice to forgive, or not to forgive.

Jesus says here, you must forgive, even if you don’t believe that their repentance is genuine, you must forgive.

Forgiveness and trust are not synonymous.

Forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you will trust them right away.

That is called being foolish and unloving because it can be setting that person up for failure again.

Forgiveness does mean that you will not brood on it, stew on what they did.

Forgiveness is an agreement to no longer remember their sins.

Isaiah 43:25

Isaiah 43:25 ESV

25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

This is an amazing statement by God, He is omniscient. This means he knows all so he literally cannot forget.

But God in His amazing love and mercy chooses to not to dwell on our sin or hold our sin over us.

This is what God is calling us to do. To make a willing choice to no longer remember how that person has offended you.

When it comes into your mind, you block it out. If not you are not honoring your agreement.

You forgive, again and again.

Reconciliation

What is in view with, repenting and forgiving is for the relationship to be mended.

Because the trust has been broken the relationship will be different for a time. But being reconciled should be the end goal of believers.

v.5

That’s Hard

But that is such a difficult task!! We aren’t up to it!!

I know, increase our faith. We aren’t strong enough to do it!

This superficially is a pious statement. They are saying we aren’t holy enough to do that.

We are going to be better Christians before we get to the place where we can forgive the way you ask us to.

v.6

Your right, you do need more faith, however you already have enough to do the job that Jesus is asking you to do.

To forgive this way, it isn’t something super spiritual that you need Jesus to give you. You need to apply what He has already given you.

Unworthy

What servant, after plowing in the fields wants to have the difficult task of preparing a meal for the master before they eat? None!

Though the job is a hard one to do. God has called you to do it. Not try, but to do it.

After completing it, you don’t have grounds to say you are such a great Christian for forgiving.

All you can say, is that you are an unworthy servant, who did what is required of him, by our gracious, loving master King Jesus.