10/9/21 "Forgiveness: Essentially Christian"
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Intro:
I read a book that asked a question, and it has changed my entire outlook on faith from then on
“When you get to heaven, what is the one fact about God that is so central to your faith, if you found it it wasn’t true, would make you not want to be there?”
Changed my whole outlook. Everything I know about God comes from that place of love
If I believe that, then I also have to believe that everything God asks is out of love.
Coming to our text today -
this isn’t something that is greatly desired to be talked about.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:31-32
For at least the past 6 months, I have been hearing words that echo bitterness, rage and anger. Much of it justified. There is so much in this world to be angry about.
People have asked “how can I forgive? They don’t deserve it”. And largely, from what I can see, they are right. And...-
Forgiveness is what God, the God who loves us, wants for those he loves - out of love. Does that makes sense? Not because we should be living in a kumbaya type community, but because God sees that forgiveness is the way to healing, to joy, for each person who does the work of forgiving.
That is why this is so needed. Because God loves us too much to let us wallow in bitterness and anger without showing us the way out. But, as this God who loves us too much to force us, God only gives us the way out. We have to choose to take it.
to be a people who take the challenge - who see a way of love and actively puruse it
Deeper into the verses leading up to this..
They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
-Ephesians 4:18
That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Remember your identity. This is the difference of being a Christian -being made new in Christ. This life isn’t just something that is a good thing to work towards, but is who we are to be at our core.
What does that mean? How does forgiveness work? Well, now you’ve really gotten to the hard part. And…the question, if you are really serious, is a huge first step. Are you open to asking it? To really seeking to find a way to forgive?
Admitting you have been hurt
A people who respect strength. an “I can take it” kind of people. A sticks and stones may break my bones...”
We are full of lies, and we lie most of all to ourselves
Too often we feel that admitting it means that we are weak. The truth is, we have all been hurt.
Its not about weakness vs strength, its the experience of being human
Admitting it just means you aren’t delusional and are strong enough to recognize it.
Who is it that you think of? Who has hurt you? Recently? Past? First it has to come to the surface of your awareness.
sometimes the simple act of recognizing it diminishes the problem. It is bigger and grows when we bury it.
Recognizing the hurt done to us
Like lancing a wound - doesn’t feel better right away, no healing without it
When we don’t forgive, it hurts us the most. It goes deeper into our soul and the infection takes over
forgiveness is not excusing the actions of others, it is simply not allowing those past actions to continue to affect my life.
Write it down, say it out loud to a friend, or just to God. Name it.
Paul even says “be angry, but do not sin” - anger can be very justified. Be angry - that’s ok.
Express forgiveness.
The video - saying it, expressing it - it actually does something physically.
Except sometimes we have to repeat it to get it right. Jesus taught us how to forgive on the cross
The world has natural consequences, the law has its place, but Christians are a different group
“Father, forgive them” - everyone was there.
“If God answered his prayer from the cross, which we should fervently hope God did--if we have indeed been forgiven, then that is the end of it--the end of all the blaming, all the scape-goating, all the getting-even, all the revenge. He died to put an end to all of that. He volunteered to be the last victim, so that his followers would never make victims out of anyone else again. He even gave us a prayer to pray if we should ever find our own hands hammered down: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." - Barbara Brown Taylor
If we knew the pain we had caused - we would curl up in our homes and never interact again for fear of ever hurting someone again. I don’t know, you dont know. I am the one Jesus was talking about.
This month is officially Forgiveness month at Meadow Glade. What you get out of it is up to you. We are offering a Sabbath School class, a weekend workshop, there will be links to videos and resources on our app, sermons…I could keep going. Are you willing to go on this journey? Willing to let Christ heal you? Or is your anger, rage and bitterness too precious to you, are you too attached to allow them to go. Too afraid of what happens when you let go? I promise you, the God of Love is there to catch you
I truly believe forgiveness is the heart of Christianity and what we need most right now - to let go of what is holding us back.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Only through Christ. Christ in you.