Sermon Central
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Freedom Of Forgiveness
Contributed by Douglas Phillips on Apr 12, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: AS CHRISTIANS WE LIVE IN THE WORLD OF THE EXTRAORDINARY. AS TUTU’S DAUGHTER SAID, “WE ALL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BE EXTRAORDINARY.” OUR CHALLENGE TODAY IS TO BE EXTRAORDINARY FORGIVERS. PART OF A SERIES ON THE LORD'S PRAYER.
THE FREEDOM OF FORGIVENESS
A LETTER WAS WRITTEN FROM A LADY TO HER EX-BOYFRIEND EXPRESSING HER UNHAPPINESS SINCE SHE BROKE OFF THEIR ENGAGEMENT. IT READ:
DEAREST JIMMY:
NO WORDS COULD EVER EXPRESS THE GREAT UNHAPPINESS I’VE FELT SINCE BREAKING OUR ENGAGEMENT. PLEASE SAY YOU’LL TAKE ME BACK. NO ONE COULD EVER TAKE YOUR PLACE IN MY HEART, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU.!
YOURS FOREVER, JANET
P.S.: CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING THE 100 MILLION STATE LOTTERY.
SOMEONE PRAYING FOR FORGIVENESS ONCE SAID:
“FORGIVE ME MY NONSENSE, AS I ALSO FORGIVE THE NONSENSE OF THOSE WHO THINK THEY TALK SENSE.
BY NOW YOU PROBABLY REALIZED THAT I’M SPEAKING ON THE ISSUE OF FORGIVENESS TODAY. IT IS THE ONLY PETITION THAT JESUS ACTUALLY EXPOUNDS ON AS HE DOES IN VERSES 14 AND 15.
THIS IN FACT IS A VERY DIFFICULT PART OF THE PRAYER TO PRAY. IT SETS JESUS AS THE MODEL OF FORGIVENESS WE ARE TO COMPARE OURSELVES WITH AND THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN.
CONSIDER JESUS’ WORDS UPON THE CROSS AS THE STANDARD:
LUKE 23:34: 34 JESUS SAID, “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE SAY, I JUST CAN’T FORGIVE THIS GUY, HE’S GONE WAY TOO FAR.” WE THINK OF OUR FAMILIES, IF ONE OF THEM WERE HURT OR KILLED, THERE’S NO WAY I CAN FORGIVE THEM. I JUST CAN’T.
YET THIS IS JUST WHAT GOD DID FOR US ISN’T IT. WHEN JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS, HIS SACRIFICE WAS ACCEPTABLE AS A FULL PAYMENT OF OR SIN DEBT. IT WAS HIS LIFE FOR MINE AS THE SONG SAYS.
HAD WE BEEN THERE, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONES TO PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS. WE WOULD HAVE MOCKED HIM, THREW THINGS AT HIM, SPIT ON HIM, AND WE WOULD HAVE HEARD JESUS SAY “FATHER FORGIVE THEM.”
GOD THE FATHER HAD TO DEAL WITH A DYING SON, AND BECAUSE OF HIS DEATH, HE HAD TO FORGIVE, THE VERY PEOPLE WHO CAUSED HIS DEATH.
HOW’S THAT FOR A STANDARD!
WE WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT FORGIVENESS IS ONLY FOR THE PENITANT, AND NEED ONLY BE CONSIDERED IF ASKED FOR. THIS HOWEVER IS NOT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.
HE DOES NOT TREAT US AS OUR SINS DESERVE OR REPAY US ACCORDING TO OUR INIQUITIES. 11 FOR AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS ARE ABOVE THE EARTH, SO GREAT IS HIS LOVE FOR THOSE WHO FEAR HIM; 12 AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST, SO FAR HAS HE REMOVED OUR TRANSGRESSIONS FROM US. 13 AS A FATHER HAS COMPASSION ON HIS CHILDREN, SO THE LORD HAS COMPASSION ON THOSE WHO FEAR HIM; 14 FOR HE KNOWS HOW WE ARE FORMED, HE REMEMBERS THAT WE ARE DUST
FORGIVENESS IS NOT ABOUT “RIGHT OR WRONG.” THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WRONGED BY SOMEONE, MAY NOT HAVE ANY GREAT SIGNIFICANCE ON THAT INDIVIDUAL. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE AN APOLOGY, AND IF YOU SAY TO THEM THAT YOU WANT TO FORGIVE THEM FOR DOING YOU WRONG, THEY COULD JUST LAUGH AND SAY “SO WHAT”?
MOST PEOPLE CANNOT SEE THE PRISON THAT “UNFORGIVENESS” PUTS THEM IN. WE ALL KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELD GRUDGES AGAINST OTHERS FOR YEARS AND NEVER ATTEMPTED TO FORGIVE THE OTHER PERSON. FAMILY MEMBERS GO TO THEIR GRAVES BEARING GRUDGES AGAINST EACH OTHER BECAUSE NO ONE HAD THE AUDACITY TO SAY “I FORGIVE YOU.”
SOME PEOPLE I KNOW SAY I NEVER APOLOGIZE, I NEVER SAY I’M SORRY, EVEN IF I’M WRONG. TO SAY I’M SORRY IS TO SHOW A WEAKNESS. THEY HOLD THIS ATTITUDE FOR YEARS, WHEN ALL THEIR FRIEND WANTS TO HEAR IS A SIMPLE APOLOGY.
TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU HOW TO BE FREED FROM THE PRISON OF UNFORGIVENESS. I WANT TO LOOK AT HOW YOU CAN BE A FORGIVER IN CHRIST.
POINT ONE: WHAT IS BIBLICAL FORGIVENESS?
A KEY PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO BEING A FORGIVER, IS THAT WE THINK ABOUT IT IN HUMAN TERMS, WHEN AS A CHRISTIAN WE ARE TO THINK ABOUT IT IN SUPERNATURAL TERMS.
FORGIVENESS DOESN’T COME IN OUR POWER, WE ARE TOTALLY AGAINST IT. BIBLICAL FORGIVENESS IS CENTERED IN THE OF ACTING IN THE POWER OF CHRIST.
COLOSSIANS 1:27: TO THEM GOD HAS CHOSEN TO MAKE KNOWN AMONG THE GENTILES THE GLORIOUS RICHES OF THIS MYSTERY, WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.
PASTOR WAYNE MAGRUDER WROTE:
“FORGIVENESS IS THE KEY TO GOD’S GRACE BUT IT IS ALSO THE ONLY THING POWERFUL ENOUGH TO BREAK THE BONDS OF RESENTMENT WE CAN CARRY TOWARD SOMEONE WHO DOES SOMETHING TO US…..FORGIVENESS IS A LOT LIKE GRACE IN THE FACT THAT IT IS OFTEN UNMERITED, UNDESERVED AND UNFAIR.”
WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO FORGIVE YOU ARE RELEASING YOURSELF FROM CARRYING A LOAD OF GUILT AND ANGER THAT YOU NEED NOT BE CARRYING IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE WEIGHT OF THIS LOAD IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAR.
