Forgiveness
Matthew 18:21-31
Sermon by Jack Nazary - Midway Baptist 1991
Proverbs 23:7 - "For as he thinketh in his heart so is he!"
You are not what you think you are; but what you think, you are! "Let this mind be in you" Philippians 2:5
Perhaps more than any other passage in the New Testament - this story in Matthew 18 sets forth clearly, unmistakeably and concisely the law of forgiveness on your part and mine.
Let's look at the story....
Should you not have had pity, compassion, and mercy? Should you not have forgiven him just like I forgave you? There Jesus put the clincher on the whole thing. That is what my heavenly father is going to do for you! Notice verse 31
That is an amazing story! The bottom line is: If you and I are not willing to forgive those who have wronged us, God will not forgive us!
The ugliest sight on earth is a Christian full of animosity and bitterness toward a fellow christian. It is a soul-destroying practice to have an unforgiving attitude! The Worst!
I'm convinced that one of the first things to show up at the judgement seat of Christ is that ugly unforgiving spirit.
I. Forgiveness is the basic principle upon which the Christian faith is founded.
Two distinguishing marks of a Christian are "giving and forgiving". In the garden of Eden when sin entered the human race immediately God offered a plan for man's redemption. It is based on forgiveness! He promised to send His son to die on a cross and all who believe in Him will be forgiven. So Jesus came, lived, died and offered forgiveness to every man. To reconcile, or reconciliation is mentioned several times in the scripture. Usually it means two people at odds moving simultaneously together coming for forgiveness - coming together. In II Corinthians 5:18-19, this context and in these verses it is different. Here you and I are - sinful, stubborn, rebellious, antagonist, full of iniquity and shame, at odds with and at a distance from God. Here God in the person of His son came to reconcile. We did not reach up to God. It was not two parties moving simultaneously toward coming together. It was God moving toward man reconciling us to himself. So God has forgiven our sins. God loved..so God forgave. From the cross, our Lord cried out, "Father forgive them" To repeat, forgiveness is the basic principle upon which the Christian faith is built.
II. The second thing about forgiveness: Forgiveness must be in accord with biblical principles
3 questions to be answered:
1. What should I forgive?
If someone - knocks me down, spits in my face, accuses me of being illegitimate, pulls out my beard, curses me, hits me in the face, lied about me, criticizes me....
What did they do to Jesus? Jesus on the cross prayed "Father forgive". Now if someone has hated you, lied about you, cheated you, you can and you should forgive him! Forgiveness must be carried out according to biblical guidelines.
2. How often should I forgive?
Read Luke 17:34, Look at the text in Matthew 18:21 - Seven - 7th - divine computation - seven spirits of God in Revelation, seven eyes, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven churches... Until 70x7 - 490 times. Am I to take that number literally?! 487,488,489, just one more time 490 and I can sock him on the nose! May I say, if you are counting, you are not forgiving. 70x7 is an indefinite number of times - on and on.. We are to forgive. If you and I are not willing to continue unending, unceasingly to forgive those who have wronged us, we should not expect to be forgiven.
3. Who is to take the initiative in forgiveness? When the injury began on his part, the forgiveness begins on ours. One person - you are to initiate the reconciliation = That is what God did! II Corinthians 5:19 What better example to follow! To err is human, to forgive divine! Ephesians 4:32 - and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you!
Example - Revival meeting
2 men nearing the end of the 2nd week, no lost saved, no Christians moved. 2 men at odds - come to hear word every night, sat on opposite sides of building, they go to the same church, sang same songs, worshipped in the same place - so mad they would not speak! 2nd night before revival was over, go things fixed, a revival came because two stubborn, hard-headed, backslidden, Christians decided they were no longer going to act like the devil, but start acting like Christ and learn to forgive.
Why no revival? It may be because you have a deep seated, hatred, bitterness or unforgiving spirit toward somebody. God can't and won't bless a situation like that! Until we can shake hands, smile and say I love you, I forgive you. We will hinder the blessings of God. Forgiveness must be carried out along biblical guidelines.
III. Serious consequences
The heart of the whole matter is a failure to forgive results in serious consequences.
a. you cannot have a good sound, healthy body if you have resentments, hatreds and grudges in your heart.
b. you cannot have the freedom to face the people against whom you have grudge.
- see a person - blood boils, your temper flares, crosses street to keep from meeting and speaking to him!
- attend funeral of person you have said unkind things about or mistreated pains of conscience keep on gnawing with every word.
- Two boys, hospital room = John and Bill = to nurse - that Bill is a meany. I will never forgive him as long as I live. Nurse said, "John, it's not right for you to feel that way, suppose you die in the night, you would be sorry you never forgave Bill." For a few moments John thought about it very seriously then said, "well, all right, if I die in the night, I'll forgive him, but if I don't die, Bill had better watch out in the morning!"
Strange how religious some get on their death beds - must forgive while you are living! A forgiving Christian never need to feel two-faced - when meeting anyone anywhere.. Bury the hatchet - SHUT YOUR MOUTH!
a. Matthew 5:23-24 - No freedom to worship until we are willing to forgive!
b. Mark 11:25-26 - No freedom to pray if you're not willing to forgive!
I Peter 3:7 - Husbands, wives
c. Matthew 6:14-15 - No freedom to ask God to forgive you - Luke 6:37 - If you do not forgive, God will not!
4 steps - a spiritual exercise
1. Pretend there is no one here but you
2. Clear your mind of all thoughts; just put your brain in neutral
3. Take 60 seconds to think if you know of any person anywhere toward whom you have any animosity, ill feelings because of wrongs
4. Resolve this moment that you are going to make things right with that person as soon as possible.
If you are not willing to do that, you are worse off for having heard this message today!
That is an amazing story! The bottom line is: If you and I are not willing to forgive those who have wronged us, God will not forgive us!
The ugliest sight on earth is a Christian full of animosity and bitterness toward a fellow christian. It is a soul-destroying practice to have an unforgiving attitude! The Worst!
I'm convinced that one of the first things to show up at the judgement seat of Christ is that ugly unforgiving spirit.
I. Forgiveness is the basic principle upon which the Christian faith is founded.
Two distinguishing marks of a Christian are "giving and forgiving". In the garden of Eden when sin entered the human race immediately God offered a plan for man's redemption. It is based on forgiveness! He promised to send His son to die on a cross and all who believe in Him will be forgiven. So Jesus came, lived, died and offered forgiveness to every man. To reconcile, or reconciliation is mentioned several times in the scripture. Usually it means two people at odds moving simultaneously together coming for forgiveness - coming together. In II Corinthians 5:18-19, this context and in these verses it is different. Here you and I are - sinful, stubborn, rebellious, antagonist, full of iniquity and shame, at odds with and at a distance from God. Here God in the person of His son came to reconcile. We did not reach up to God. It was not two parties moving simultaneously toward coming together. It was God moving toward man reconciling us to himself. So God has forgiven our sins. God loved..so God forgave. From the cross, our Lord cried out, "Father forgive them" To repeat, forgiveness is the basic principle upon which the Christian faith is built.
II. The second thing about forgiveness: Forgiveness must be in accord with biblical principles
3 questions to be answered:
1. What should I forgive?
If someone - knocks me down, spits in my face, accuses me of being illegitimate, pulls out my beard, curses me, hits me in the face, lied about me, criticizes me....
What did they do to Jesus? Jesus on the cross prayed "Father forgive". Now if someone has hated you, lied about you, cheated you, you can and you should forgive him! Forgiveness must be carried out according to biblical guidelines.
2. How often should I forgive?
Read Luke 17:34, Look at the text in Matthew 18:21 - Seven - 7th - divine computation - seven spirits of God in Revelation, seven eyes, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven churches... Until 70x7 - 490 times. Am I to take that number literally?! 487,488,489, just one more time 490 and I can sock him on the nose! May I say, if you are counting, you are not forgiving. 70x7 is an indefinite number of times - on and on.. We are to forgive. If you and I are not willing to continue unending, unceasingly to forgive those who have wronged us, we should not expect to be forgiven.
3. Who is to take the initiative in forgiveness? When the injury began on his part, the forgiveness begins on ours. One person - you are to initiate the reconciliation = That is what God did! II Corinthians 5:19 What better example to follow! To err is human, to forgive divine! Ephesians 4:32 - and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you!
Example - Revival meeting
2 men nearing the end of the 2nd week, no lost saved, no Christians moved. 2 men at odds - come to hear word every night, sat on opposite sides of building, they go to the same church, sang same songs, worshipped in the same place - so mad they would not speak! 2nd night before revival was over, go things fixed, a revival came because two stubborn, hard-headed, backslidden, Christians decided they were no longer going to act like the devil, but start acting like Christ and learn to forgive.
Why no revival? It may be because you have a deep seated, hatred, bitterness or unforgiving spirit toward somebody. God can't and won't bless a situation like that! Until we can shake hands, smile and say I love you, I forgive you. We will hinder the blessings of God. Forgiveness must be carried out along biblical guidelines.
III. Serious consequences
The heart of the whole matter is a failure to forgive results in serious consequences.
a. you cannot have a good sound, healthy body if you have resentments, hatreds and grudges in your heart.
b. you cannot have the freedom to face the people against whom you have grudge.
- see a person - blood boils, your temper flares, crosses street to keep from meeting and speaking to him!
- attend funeral of person you have said unkind things about or mistreated pains of conscience keep on gnawing with every word.
- Two boys, hospital room = John and Bill = to nurse - that Bill is a meany. I will never forgive him as long as I live. Nurse said, "John, it's not right for you to feel that way, suppose you die in the night, you would be sorry you never forgave Bill." For a few moments John thought about it very seriously then said, "well, all right, if I die in the night, I'll forgive him, but if I don't die, Bill had better watch out in the morning!"
Strange how religious some get on their death beds - must forgive while you are living! A forgiving Christian never need to feel two-faced - when meeting anyone anywhere.. Bury the hatchet - SHUT YOUR MOUTH!
a. Matthew 5:23-24 - No freedom to worship until we are willing to forgive!
b. Mark 11:25-26 - No freedom to pray if you're not willing to forgive!
I Peter 3:7 - Husbands, wives
c. Matthew 6:14-15 - No freedom to ask God to forgive you - Luke 6:37 - If you do not forgive, God will not!
4 steps - a spiritual exercise
1. Pretend there is no one here but you
2. Clear your mind of all thoughts; just put your brain in neutral
3. Take 60 seconds to think if you know of any person anywhere toward whom you have any animosity, ill feelings because of wrongs
4. Resolve this moment that you are going to make things right with that person as soon as possible.
If you are not willing to do that, you are worse off for having heard this message today!
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