Forgiveness
Matthew 18:21 – 35
By: JB Hall
Introduction: Central to salvation and the entire Christian life and experience is the issue of forgiveness. One who needs forgiveness is indebted and in bondage. The one who needs to forgive is also in bondage.
This morning we want to explore this subject of forgiveness and see if we can’t learn some important truths that will set us free, and also set others free. We will do so by asking and answering 5 questions:
(1) What is forgiveness?
(2) Why is forgiveness needed?
(3) Who needs forgiveness?
(4) How do I receive and give forgiveness?
(5) What are the results of forgiveness having been received or extended?
1. What is forgiveness?
A. First, one who has offended has incurred by that offense an indebtedness to the one he has offended.
B. This indebtedness means that he stands responsible to pay the price that justice demands in order to satisfy the debt of the offense.
C. Thus, he is in bondage to the indebtedness he has brought upon himself.
D. Only one of two things can happen.
E. Either he must pay the full price that justice demands; or, he must have the debt of the offense forgiven by the one he has offended.
F. Unless and until one of these two things happens, he remains indebted, and therefore, in bondage.
G. Second, the one who has been offended is marred by that offense, which marring cannot be healed unless full restitution has been made, full justice has been met, or full pardon has been extended.
H. So, what is forgiveness?
I. Forgiveness is the release of the offender by the one he has offended from the debt of the offense he has committed.
2. Why is forgiveness needed?
A. First, we need God’s forgiveness.
B. Romans 3:23 says, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
C. We all, by the fact of sin and by the act of sin, by our nature and by our choice, have offended the holiness of Almighty God.
D. What then, could we pay that would satisfy God’s justice that we might retire the debt we have incurred as a result of our sin against Him?
E. Romans 6:23a says, “For the wages of sin is death…”
F. We know that this death is not only speaking of physical death, for the scriptures are clear that physical death does not retire the debt of our offense.
G. If it did, we would all, having died physically, live eternally in the presence of God.
H. But, we’re told in Revelation 20:15 that, “…whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
I. So by this we can see that everyone is not going to live forever; but some will be removed from God’s presence and cast into an eternal lake of fire.
J. Therefore, we conclude that physical death cannot fully satisfy the justice that God’s holiness demands of our sin debt.
K. So then, eternal death is the only way of God having His justice satisfied because of our offense of sin against His holiness.
L. Thus, we are left with only two options: either we burn forever in an eternal lake of God’s fiery justice; or we receive His pardon, His forgiveness, which releases us from the debt we owe Him as a result of our offense.
M. Second, we need each other’s forgiveness.
N. The first reason we need each other’s forgiveness is that we have not yet been changed into our incorruptible bodies and therefore, offend one another from time to time.
O. The indebtedness incurred as a result of an offense inhibits the operation of a clear relationship with one another as long as the offense remains in place.
P. Since neither you nor I have the means of adequately satisfying the justice that an offense to one’s personhood would require, the only option left for restoring a relationship to good standing is for forgiveness to be extended to the offender by the one who has been offended.
Q. Until the offender has been released from his debt by your forgiveness, you who have been offended hold him in bondage by your unwillingness to release him from the debt of his offense.
R. Well, you might say, “He deserves to be indebted for his offense!”
S. This brings us to the second reason we need each other’s forgiveness.
T. Your unwillingness to forgive your offender also holds you in bondage as you hold him in bondage.
U. Like as he is held in the bondage of debt for his offense, you are held in bondage to bitterness because of your unwillingness to release him; therefore, your unwillingness to forgive, to release him from his debt, holds both you and him in a state of bondage.
V. This bitterness in you will not only serve to keep you in captivity, but will also be a poison that will defile many others around you, as well.
W. Thus, your bitterness will perpetuate the cycle of offense and bondage in that your bitterness will defile others; which in turn, will then make you indebted to them for your offense to them; and your bondage will increase, as well as imprison them because of your offense.
X. It is not until someone, by the sovereign act of his will, chooses to forgive, that the cycle of offense, debt, and bondage is broken.
Y. So, forgiveness releases the offender, releases the offended, and breaks the cycle of bondage that perpetuates itself through an unwillingness to forgive.
Z. The third reason we must forgive one another, is that the forgiveness of God to us is in direct proportion to our willingness to forgive each other.
AA. In our scripture text, Matthew 18:34 & 35 Jesus said, “And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.” “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
BB. So, God holds us in contempt of His forgiveness as long as we refuse to forgive those who have offended us.
CC. Why is forgiveness needed?
DD. Because we have offended God; because we offend one another and incur indebtedness as a result; because the offended is in bondage to bitterness until he chooses to forgive, and because God holds us in contempt of His forgiveness until we forgive those who have offended us.
3. Who needs forgiveness?
A. First, we all need forgiveness from God.
B. The wages of sin is eternal death.
C. If we do not want to spend eternity paying on but never paying off our sin debt to God, we can only escape this fate by God extending, and we receiving, His forgiveness.
D. So, since all of us have offended God by our sin offense, we all, every last one of us, need the forgiveness of God.
E. God’s forgiveness sets us free from the bondage of indebtedness to Him, and allows us to live in liberty.
F. Let me address one of the great fallacies, one of the great misunderstandings of our day about forgiveness.
G. Some will say, “I know God can forgive me, but I cannot forgive myself.”
H. This is a complete misconception concerning the reason you are experiencing the bondage of guilt related to the lack of forgiveness.
I. The Word of God never says we are responsible to forgive ourselves.
J. It is not our responsibility to forgive ourselves.
K. It is God’s responsibility to forgive us.
L. It is only our responsibility to forgive others.
M. If you are experiencing bondage to your debt of sin, it is not because you have not forgiven yourself; it is because you have never accepted the forgiveness of God.
N. Forgiving yourself is not an issue; it is neither possible, nor required.
O. You are only responsible to receive God’s forgiveness when it comes to your personal sin against Him.
P. Second, we all need to be forgiven when we offend someone else.
Q. Since we all are fallible creatures and will inevitably offend someone from time to time, we all require forgiveness if we are to live in liberty and maintain right relationships with those around us.
R. Their forgiveness releases you from your debt obligation to them.
S. As I said earlier, when you offend someone, you place yourself in debt to him, and therefore are in bondage because of that debt until he is willing to forgive your offense, which sets you free from your debt, and therefore releases you from your bondage.
T. Third, we all need to extend forgiveness.
U. Just as you offend others, sometimes others offend you.
V. Since we receive forgiveness ourselves from time to time, we must remember that receiving forgiveness obligates us to extend forgiveness.
W. Refusing to honor that obligation will hold you in bondage to bitterness that will inevitably result in additional bondage as you offend others by the bitterness you are harboring.
X. So, we all need to extend forgiveness to others as we receive forgiveness from them, lest the bondage of indebtedness perpetuate itself through our stubbornness.
Y. So, we all need forgiveness from God, and from one another; and we need to extend forgiveness to all who offend us.
Z. Only through receiving and extending forgiveness can the bondage of indebtedness be broken, and we be allowed to live in liberty and in right relationships with one another.
4. How do I receive and give forgiveness?
A. First, our forgiveness from God is based in the nature of God.
B. God is merciful; but He also is just, meaning He requires payment for every offense.
C. Since we do not have any thing worthy of paying the payment required for our offenses, we have 2 options:
(1) We either spend eternity paying on, but never paying off, our debt obligation to God for the offenses we have committed against Him.
(2) Or, we receive the forgiveness, the release from that debt obligation, based upon a Worthy payment having been made on our behalf.
D. Jesus, the sinless One dying for you and me the sinful ones, satisfied the demands of God’s holy justice.
E. Our forgiveness then is based in the fact that God’s justice has been satisfied, and He therefore, can extend His mercy to us based on that fact.
F. Those who receive Jesus, and in so doing receive the payment He made on their behalf; receive God’s forgiveness instead of His wrath, for His wrath was satisfied in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.
G. God’s mercy desired to forgive; but His justice demanded payment.
H. Jesus, having made that payment, now allows Him to extend His mercy, His forgiveness, to all who will receive Jesus to be their personal Savior.
I. Hebrews 6:1 speaks of “…the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,”
J. Repentance from dead works and faith toward God are simultaneous acts.
K. ‘Repentance from’ means a turning from works that are contrary to God’s will.
L. Does this mean quitting all your bad habits before you exercise faith toward God? No!
M. Let me illustrate it this way:
N. A number of years ago I heard about a couple of boys who walked out on the crusted top of what was the lake bed of Fishtrap Lake. The lake had been drained to winter level, leaving the crusted-over, but muddy lake bed underneath that crust. The crust broke and the boys became mired and could not pull themselves out, and had to be rescued.
O. In much the same way, we are mired in sin and cannot extricate ourselves from its hold. When we turn to Jesus to rescue us, this is turning from dead works. It is exercising faith toward Him, and He will then extricate us from the mire of sin. He will forgive us!
P. Second, our receiving forgiveness from others, and extending forgiveness to others, is based in our willingness to repent of the offense we have offended them with, and their repentance of the offense they have offended us with.
Q. Luke 17:3 says, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”
R. Genuine forgiveness by the one offended, based upon the repentance of the offender, fully restores damaged relationships and sets each one free from the bondage that held him.
S. Two components are necessary for both parties to be freed through forgiveness – repentance by the offender; and forgiveness by the offended.
T. When both occur, all offenses are put away for ever; never to be brought up again.
U. One who revisits a prior offense when another one is committed; or when he gets upset at someone, has never really forgiven his offender.
V. A root of bitterness still exists, and holds him in bondage whether he realizes it or not.
W. The ‘I’ll forgive but I’ll never forget’ attitude reveals that genuine forgiveness has never been extended.
X. Genuine forgiveness releases for ever the one from the debt of his offense; and will never again revisit the offense that has been forgiven.
Y. Third, what if my offender never repents of his offense?
Z. You are still required to forgive him; but the relationship can never fully be restored until he repents of his offense.
AA. Mark 11:25 & 26 say, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
BB. So, whether your offender repents or not, you need to release him of the debt of his offense; but true restoration of a relationship requires the obligation of both parties to be met – repentance for the offender, and forgiveness for the offended.
CC. You, however, are only responsible to meet your obligation; you cannot be responsible for his obligation.
DD. In order to keep your prayer life unhindered and your relationship right with God, extend forgiveness even when it is not sought.
EE. How do I receive and give forgiveness?
FF. You receive forgiveness from God based upon the payment for your offense having been made by Jesus; you receive forgiveness from others based upon your repentance for your offense and their willingness to release you from your debt of obligation because of it; you extend forgiveness to others based upon your obligation to God for His having forgiven you, and based upon their repentance of their offense toward you.
5. What are the results of forgiveness having been received or extended?
A. The result of forgiveness having been received from God is that you are set free from your debt!
B. The guilt and fear that are products of the presence of sin in your life have been removed so you can live in the liberty of confidence toward God.
C. Guilt is a burden that can be eliminated no other way than by receiving forgiveness from God.
D. As I said earlier, we sometimes misunderstand the cause of guilt, thinking it is because we have not forgiven ourselves; when in fact our guilt is due to our having not accepted the forgiveness of God.
E. When we receive God’s forgiveness, we find that the guilt disappears, along with the fear that accompanies the recognition of being dirty, or guilty before God.
F. The result of forgiveness having been received from someone you have offended is that you have been freed from your debt to them; and the relationship that was broken by your offense has been restored.
G. Now, the wall of offense that stood between you and the person you offended has been destroyed and there is nothing to inhibit the perfect operation of a joyous interrelating fellowship with one another.
H. The result of forgiveness having been extended to someone who has offended you is a multi-faceted one.
I. First, you have released him from his obligation to pay all that he owes you because of the debt he incurred when he offended you.
J. The person who has offended you has been delivered from bondage by your act of forgiveness.
K. Second, the bondage of bitterness that you are experiencing as a resulting consequence of you refusing to forgive someone has been shattered and you have been freed from its captivity.
L. Third, your unimpeded relationship with the Lord that is contingent upon your willingness to forgive others so that the Lord can forgive you, has been restored.
M. Fourth, your prayers to God are unrestricted now that the obstruction of harbored resentment has been released.
N. Fifth, you have given up your position of advantage that you held over your offender because of his offense, for the sweet feel of liberty that can only be experienced when you release your offender from his indebtedness to you.
O. Galatians 5:13a informs us that we “…have been called unto liberty…”
P. Receiving forgiveness from God and from one another, and extending forgiveness to those who offend us, allows us to live our lives in freedom; and to maintain as an unbroken stream of blessing, that liberty that God gave to us and intends us to live in.
Q. If however, we refuse to receive God’s forgiveness, we will live guilt-ridden, fearful lives, and will never experience the sweet taste of true freedom until we are willing to release our sin and receive His forgiveness.
R. If we refuse the forgiveness offered from the one we have offended, we remain obligated to justice, and will never be free toward him, or toward God.
S. If we refuse to extend forgiveness to those who offend us, God holds us in contempt of His forgiveness, so we will remain in bondage to our bitterness, causing us to offend others and increase our bondage, until we are willing to relinquish our advantage for liberty.
T. What are the results of forgiveness having been received or extended?
U. We are delivered from the bondage of sin, debt, guilt, fear, and broken relationships; and by extending forgiveness we set those free who are held in bondage by the debt of their offense to us.
In Review:
(1) What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is the release of the offender by the one he has offended from the debt of the offense he has committed.
(2) Why is forgiveness needed? Because we have offended God; because we offend one another and incur indebtedness as a result.
(3) Who needs forgiveness? We all need forgiveness from God, and from one another.
(4) How do I receive and give forgiveness? You receive forgiveness by yielding up your sin to God and repenting of your offense to others; and you extend forgiveness by releasing others from the debt of their offense against you.
(5) What are the results of forgiveness having been received or extended? We are delivered from the bondage of sin, debt, guilt, fear, and broken relationships; and we release those who have offended us from the debt of their offense, and from their obligation to you that resulted from it.
In Conclusion:
Receiving forgiveness sets you free from the bondage of indebtedness.
Extending forgiveness releases others from the bondage of their indebtedness to you; and sets you free from the bondage of bitterness.
When it comes to forgiveness, there are 3 questions you must answer:
(1) Have you received the forgiveness of God for your sins that have offended Him?
(2) Have you repented of the offense by which you have offended someone else?
(3) Have you forgiven the one who has offended you?
Until you can answer ‘Yes’ to all 3 questions your bondage will remain.
