Forgiving to the degree we were forgiven

How forgiven are we?

There are levels of forgiveness. Maybe not by definition but practically there are.

* You can say you forgive but you don’t. That is certainly more than declaring that you will never forgive.

* You can forgive but not forget. I don’t hold it against you but I’m going to treat you differently because of what you’ve done to me.

* You can forgive and seek redemption, which is to repair what has been broken.

* You can forgive people right into a trash can. When you cut someone out and say they are forgiven but put up walls.

Psalm 103:10-14 “he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”

He pities and has compassion on us because we were formed from dust.

How high is heaven above the earth? How far is the East from the West?

Romans 8:31–39 (NIV)

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

an argument from greater to lesser. If He was willing to give us this great thing, what could there be that He will not give?

You are more than forgiven, you are a child of God who cannot be charged because God has justified you according to His righteousness, and what is the limit of that?

God says, “Everything is mine. The glory, the righteousness, the judgement seat, and I have justified, forgiven, paid the price, and declared them innocent.” If that God has given us His son who can bring a charge against us? Everything is His!

Not only has every sin been forgiven, but NOTHING will put you back in bondage. NOTHING will put you back in shame. And NOTHING can take you from this place of forgiveness in the heart of God.

What does this have to do with repairing Unity?

Colossians 3:13-14 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Forgive as far as the East is from the West. Forgive as the Lord choosing to remember sins no more. Forgive because the same one who says, NO ONE may bring a charge against you, says no one may charge your brother as well.

Luke 17:1-5 “Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!””

Faith feeds forgiveness.

Forgive members of the church as much as Christ has forgiven you

Your place in God’s heart never changes. You are as forgiven today as you will ever be. God’s love does not wax and wane on you according to your obedience. If you have been forgiven then all God has for you is love. And He loves you as much as He loved His own son. And He loves your brother and sister in Christ the same. So forgive them.