Welcome to Refinery Life Australia.
This week we are continuing our series titled Great Words from the Bible.
Today we are talking about Forgiveness.
Prayer
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Text
1 John 1:9 (AMP)
9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].
Scripture Reading
Matthew 6:9-15 (AMP)
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.
Introduction
Forgiveness is easy to talk about but difficult to practice.
It has been said that, “he who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass.”
And “only the brave know haw to forgive, it is the most refined and generous pitch of virtue human nature can arrive at.”
But the formats authority on forgiveness, Jesus Christ, said centuries ago in Matthew 6:14-15, 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.
What is forgiveness?
The word forgiveness means to pardon, to remit, to absolve the blame, to cease to feel resentment against an offender on account of wrong done, to abandon a claim against a debtor.
Forgiveness in the Bible, however, is much more.
Forgiveness involves restoring a personal relationship that has been interrupted.
The apostle John said in 1 John 1:9, If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].
- Forgiveness is conditioned on repentance of sins and faith in Jesus Christ.
Two conditions must be fulfilled before forgiveness can be granted, repentance and faith.
Only Christ is invested with the authority to forgive.
When someone complies with the conditions of forgiveness, Christ promises to issue forgiveness.
2. Forgiveness is based on the death of Christ.
He very fact that Jesus offers forgiveness on the conditions of repentance and faith does noted away with the necessity of atonement.
The law demands that sin be punished.
Even God cannot and does not forgive sin apart from the sacrifice Christ made.
He assumed our guilt and paid the penalty in full.
Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.
Every alter and every sacrifice made in the alter signifies this.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21, He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].
Romans 10:4, For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior].
Forgiveness can only be exercised by Christ because He died for our sins.
3. Forgiveness is limited.
Some passages in the New Testament seem to limit forgiveness.
These passages are those in which Jesus discussed the unpardonable sin, Matthew 12:31-32, 31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy [every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things] will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Mark 3:28-30, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and all the abusive and blasphemous things they say;
29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit and His power [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin [a sin which is unforgivable in this present age as well as in the age to come]”—
30 [Jesus said this] because the scribes and Pharisees were [attributing His miracles to Satan by] saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Luke 12:10, And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit [that is, whoever intentionally discredits the Holy Spirit by attributing the authenticating miracles done by Me to Satan], it will not be forgiven him [for him there is no forgiveness].
The sin against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven because it brings eternal damnation, the loss of moral discrimination, indifference to our own condition, and hostility towards the Lord.
4. Forgiveness is the spirit of a Christian.
The Bible tells us to exercise forgiveness toward those who offend us or trespass against us.
Of course we cannot remove the guilt of sin.
Peter once asked Jesus in Matthew 18:21-22, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.
Peter was certain that seven, being a biblical number would be enough, but Jesus said “seventy times seven.”
That is 490 times.
Most Christians would lose patience before they reached the number seven, let alone seventy times seven.
The value of forgiveness is manifested in our Christian spirit.
We all know how miserable it is to hold a grudge against someone.
Jesus can free us from such a spirit of unforgiveness and make us happy.
Joy and an unforgiving spirit cannot live together.
5. Forgiveness brings blessed results.
What are some of the things forgiveness produces or brings to the believer?
Forgiveness awakens love for God.
Forgiveness brings peace of mind.
Forgiveness removes the cause of alienation, it removes mistrust.
Forgiveness gives us insight into the character of our Lord.
Conclusion.
Let us be forgiving people.
The saying “I can forgive, but I cannot forget,” is only a half truth.
God said in Jeremiah 31:34, And each man will no longer teach his neighbor and his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me [through personal experience], from the least of them to the greatest,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness, and I will no longer remember their sin.”
You and I are not infallible and all wise, but we can climb to the heights where we cease to feel resentment in our hearts toward anyone.
It is not easy, but it is possible because our Lord has forgiven us.
Vengeance belongs to the Lord.
As the Judge of the earth, He will give a just reward to all.
We would do well to be forgiving and leave the vengeance to Him!
Until next time
Stay in the Blessings
I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word.
When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer.
Theres nothing thats too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body!
You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at www.refinerylife.org
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