iForgive – A spiritual need for all Mankind
Today, I want to build on this theme - If anyone is to thrive spiritually and keep from drying up inside spiritually, they need to first experience God’s forgiveness…then they need to be a forgiving person.
But I believe there is a spiritual need that every person needs as well – a Forgiving Heart…and the Lord agreed that this was indeed necessary as well. IN fact, he too promised that He would provide forgiveness for all who ask him: I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Notice the words “faithful and just” in this verse.
“Faithful” means that He promises to forgive you! He’s faithful to do it – or, in our vernacular – “He’s good for it! You can bank on it!”
“Just” means that He will forgive you because it is the right (or ‘just’) thing to do! Because He’s God and His promises are sure…and He promised to forgive you because of Jesus’ saving work on the cross, then it is only right to offer you forgiveness!! He promised it to you – He sent His Son to provide forgiveness for you – so, now, if you ask for it, it would be wrong to withhold it!
Therefore, if anyone is to thrive spiritually and keep from drying up inside spiritually, they first have to experience God’s forgiveness…then they need to be a forgiving person.
Facts about “Forgiveness”
Fact #1 – Forgiveness Bring Peace!
The Bible sometimes uses the word “forgiveness” but often times, when speaking about how God forgive us of our sins and saves us, it will use the word “reconcile” or “reconciliation.”
The word “reconcile” means “to make peace” Therefore, when God forgives us, He makes a way to where we can have peace with God.
The Bible also uses the imagery of being “afar off” or “far away” or “separated” or “excluded” from God…and God brings us near.
Colossians 1:20-22 20 …and through [Jesus Christ] to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 2:12-15 12 …remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
I love all the imagery here…the 1st century person latched on quickly to what Paul was saying. Let me explain: You noticed the words “far off”…“brought near” in verse 13? And “destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” in verse 14?
You see, in the first century, there was a temple in Jerusalem where both Jew & Gentile were able to visit and worship. But the gentiles were restricted to the “Gentile Court” and not allowed to proceed any further – into the more intimate areas of the temple. They were relegated to the common area.
So, how did they know how far to go and where their area came to an end? There was a “wall of partition” that made a clear demarcation between the two areas. So, even if the Gentile wanted to worship the one true God in the temple, they were always held afar off and had to pray in the common area.
Of course, this caused a lot of hostility as many deemed it “unfair” because some lacked the ‘privilege’ or ‘opportunity’ to draw near to God. That’s why it is referred in Ephesians to the “dividing wall of hostility.”
This verse says that for Jew or Gentile, God longs to have peace and intimacy with anyone who asks for forgiveness from Him.
Therefore, getting saved is like God tearing down any barrier that has kept you from having peace and intimacy with him…and you can now approach God’s Throne because you are his child!
Hebrew 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
You see, prior to accepting Christ as your savior, we were not “at peace” with Him. And because of our sin, God must judge us and punish us for the sin that we deserve.
But, upon requesting forgiveness from God, we become NOT recipients of His wrath…but recipients of his grace, peace, and mercy!
And Believer, BECAUSE of having received the ULTIMATE FORGIVENESS from Jesus Christ for our sins, we should daily exhibit forgiveness to our family, friends, and loved ones on a daily basis.
IN FACT, God’s Word teaches this very truth, that, if you are a recipient of God’s forgiveness and mercy, you should express forgiveness and mercy to your fellow man!
I want to take a moment and read for you a parable that Jesus taught to his disciples. It is so self-explanatory and clear, that all we have to do is read it. It is worth reading – so, let’s pretend for a moment that we are sitting at Jesus’ feet as he shares us this story:
Matthew 18:21-35 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. ’Be patient with me,’ he begged, ’and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ’Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ’Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 "Then the master called the servant in. ’You wicked servant,’ he said, ’I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
What an accurate picture of forgiveness and our responsibility to forgive others!! I know at the end of that parable it sounds like maybe someone would lose their salvation…”pay back all he owed”
No, it simply means that we shouldn’t expect God to withhold punishment on you if you yourself are not going to be a merciful person.
Fact #2 - Forgiveness Requires Work On Our Part
On the cross, in order for the Lord to provide forgiveness for our sins, He had to bear the weight of sin upon his shoulders. He did not retaliate or react. He worked hard to bear the pain for you and me.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. God absorbed the debt of sin on our behalf so that we could be forgiven.
II Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
You see, he had every right to retaliate (and the power to do it), but he said, the will of God the Father is to do it this way. Notice what Jesus said when in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter tried to retaliate by trying to fight off the guards who are going to take Jesus into custody…he cuts off a soldier’s ear – his name was Malchus – and Jesus talks to Peter while he is miraculously healing Malchus’ ear:
Matthew26:52-54 "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
God’s way is to forgive and not retaliate in kind…but to trust God that He will do His part while you do your part:
Romans 12:17-19 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
Living the life of Forgiveness REQUIRES WORK ON OUR PART!
Fact #3 – Forgiveness is a Choice We Make!
2Cor. 2:7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
If Forgiveness is any less than a choice, then it is based on emotions that fluctuate and change at a moment’s notice. Choosing to forgive faces the sin and deals with it…rather than avoiding it and saying, ‘well its ok, let’s just move on…” without dealing with the issue.
So, are you saying that forgiveness is more than ‘forgiving and forgetting’ everything that has happened? Yes. God’s forgiveness is much greater than forgiving and forgetting. God’s forgiveness is much deeper than forgiving and forgetting.
God is “omniscient” (which means “he knows everything…and will always know everything!”) so God, by His very nature cannot ‘forget’ anything. So, how does God forgive us? He chooses to forgive IN SPITE of what He knows about us! God says we will indeed be at peace with each other again (i.e. Forgiveness)…AND – He promises NEVER TO HOLD THAT SIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT AGAIN!
You see, if you try to forgive and forget, you may just run into the temptation to, when you “remember” sinful acts again, to beat the other person up because of the way these memories made you feel. BUT remember this, my friend, Forgiveness is a CHOICE…and you choose to say, “No matter how many times I remember the pain you caused me, the emotions I felt surrounding that situation in the past, etc, I have accepted your confession and I have promised that I will never hold that sin to your account again! IT is a CHOICE that I have made…and I have declared that I’m not going to go there again and beat you up over it.
Fact #4 – Forgiveness Is A Gift! SALVATION
Psalms 86:5 For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive. And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you!
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
To Do list:
1. Tell others about God’s Forgiveness!
II Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God!
II Corinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
2. Be a Forgiving Person!
…as a testimony to the world that you are different and that God has changed your life! Don’t let grudges and misunderstandings ROB YOU OF YOUR JOY AND YOU POTENTIAL IN CHRIST!
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
