Pattern of Progress (Part 2)

Psalm 46:1–7 ESV

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Luke 17:3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,

REVIEW

if brother sins against you - rebuke

not ignore, no retaliation, no cowardice, no rubbing nose in it

rebuke w/ humility (maybe you’re wrong) - ready to forgive - taking log out - selfaware.

knowing the difference between - someone who had a momentary lapse and lashed out - vs. someone who always lashes out

TODAY - assuming their really was sin - rebuke went well - what next? they repent.

WHAT DOES THIS REPENTANCE LOOK LIKE

their mind changed - new perspective on themselves - leads to new action

repentance bears fruit - confession - acknowledging sin - agree with rebuke (if true) and God

no muddying the water - clearly stating sin for what it is and what repentance is

no blame shifting

BUT WHAT IF I DON”T LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS

they didn’t grovel enough. - repentance not past focused it’s future focused.

not interested in them punishing them or “thinking about what they’ve done” - this isn’t penance. It’s repentance.

WHAT IF THEY SINNED AGAINST YOU IN A WAY THAT COST YOU?

stolen? or maybe through negligence? real repentance would make restitution.

restitution doesn’t pay for the sin - it’s against God - only Jesus can do that - but it is a signal of true repentance - think Zacheaus.

Maybe they can’t repay? Maybe they’ve wrecked your name/reputation? THey should confess to those people and try to restore it.

but keep in mind - some of this you’ll have to pay yourself, you’ll have to cover - and keep in mind what Christ has forgiven you.

WHAT IF THEY DON”T AGREE THAT THEY”VE SINNED

you can give the holy spirit time - or get other witnesses - keep in mind to not taint the witnesses - also keep in mind you might be wrong.

“BUt I THOUGHT I WAS SUPPOSED TO FORGIVE EVEN IF THEY DON”T REPENT”

that’s not possible. it takes two for forgiveness to occur.

this is a legal transaction, not an emotional thing.

“do what?”

unrepentant people are not forgiven, not even by Jesus.

BUT WAIT - Jesus on the cross, Stephen being stoned.

they didn’t say “I forgive you” they said “father forgive them, or don’t hold this against them”

they were READY to forgive - praying on the behalf of those who were sinning against them - putting their forgiveness forward - bread analogy.

AND BECAUSE OF THIS - many Jews were saved. The Jerusalem church was eventually born. AND WHO WAS PRESENT WHEN STEPHEN WAS BEING STONED AND HE ASKED THE LORD TO NOT HOLD IT AGAINST THEM?

PAUL - and what a work was done there.

Because Stephen, Jesus, harbored no ill will and were ready to forgive...

this is the pattern we are called to follow. You can’t forgive those who are unrepentant, but you can be READY to.

and if we just think through the Bible a little bit, we can verify this. “if we confess our sins he is faithful and just will forgive us our sins” 1 John.

you see? transactional.

SO! - if all goes well - they agree w/ rebuke - bear fruit of repentance - then FORGIVE

You were ready the entire time. The bread was made. The deposit placed. However you want to say it. And now you MOVE

restoration.

BUT NOW - what about forgiving myself?

“we should all practice forgiving ourselves”

not equally applied - “the abusive husband must forgive himself first...” say what?

this is not Bible - this is world masking itself as Christian. Watch out.

SO you forgive those who sinned against you - no more bringing it up.... no more leverage. it’s over and done.

“love keeps no record of wrongs”

BUT I THOUGHT - forgiveness took time - was a drawn out process.

Look through the Bible - do you see that anywhere?

simple. quick. legal declaration.

BUT WAIT ARE YOU SAYING now everything just goes back to the way it was?

no. someone guilty of embezzlement can’t be an accountant again.

betrayal? - trust must be rebuilt.

pastor in an affair - won’t pastor again - at least not until a long season of testing is over. we’re talking years, maybe decades.

this idea of long drawn out process of forgiveness IGNORES the cross. that our sin is atoned for.

instead we treat forgiveness more like purgatory, where eventually you’ll get it. But you gotta pay for a while first.

BUT SINCE we have atonement… we don’t have to be a church recognized by our downcast stewing in victimization. INstead we can look like what the Bible says “they shall know you by your love”

SO just forgive and forget?

rarely hear this nowadays - most of the time we hear things like “never forget” -

BUT if this is you - you can’t forget - have you realized this yet? It’s still there.

but that doesn’t mean you can’t forgive - to clear the record against them legally.

this isn’t pretending it didn’t happen

and it doesn’t mean that we don’t need to work on reconciling our relationship

IT JUST MEANS - you’re moving forwad - not backward.

AND THROUGH THIS - we continue to build Christ’s church.

the enemy’s tool is a wedge. He works to get us alone.

bitter - harboring unforgiveness.

but forgiveness is our weapon - our weapon against the enemy

Eccl 4:12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken

forgiven people forgive.

NOW FOR MANY OF US - we are quite a bit behind the curve on this.

thankfully - we have the holy spirit - we have the grace of God

and we are forgiven.

Forgiven people can forgive. Unforgiven people can’t.

in other words - heaven is full of forgiven & forgiving people.

Hell is full of unforgiven, unforgiving people.

maybe it is because you don’t know if YOU ARE forgiven?

IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS… and then all is washed away

as far as the east is from the west...

he remembers not our sin...