Forgiveness

Thursday, March 16, 2006

10:33 PM

• Genesis 27, Matthew 18

• What do we forgive? (John 20:23)
• Sin = debt
• Trespasses

"Initially, trespass was wrongful conduct directly causing injury or loss and thus was the origin of the law of torts in common-law countries. Trespass now, however, is generally confined to issues involving real property.

Neither malice nor knowledgeability is essential to trespass"

o In general, whatever we bind on earth, do not let go of, or hold against another person is what we can forgive someone of

o If we do not release the debt, we hold them in debt - this also becomes a burden to ourselves!

• Who do we forgive?
• Those that sin against us, even if we are not hurt or hold it against them
• Why do we forgive? (2 Cor 2: 7,8,11; 1 John 1:9, 2:12)
• Jesus told us to! "Forgive us our sins as we forgive others"
• Because we are forgiven
• Matt 6:12 - 15
  12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

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 for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

• The alternatives to forgiveness: (James 1:20)
• We bind it on earth - results in bitterness, results in death
• We are not forgiven
• God will not listen to us!
• Our own effort, anger

• How much and how often do we forgive? (Matt 18:22, Luke 17:4)
• 7x70x ~ 8 trillion times!
• How to forgive? (Matt 18:35)
• Release, forgive debt
• Lay down claim
• Not making light of the sin
• Attitude of humility - there by the grace of God go I (Paul warned us to be careful so we do not fall into the same temptation)
• From the heart
• Examples of forgiveness:
• Joseph
• Jesus on the cross
• Paul - forgave the many that persecuted him, disagreed with him
• How does forgiveness work?
• In our soul: Hurt -> anger -> bitterness
• In our spirit:
• In the heavenliest: What we loosen on earth is loosened in heaven - God will be for us, not against us!
• In other people: restored to fellowship, unity in the body,

Genesis 27

41 So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob."

Genesis 50

12Thus Jacob's sons did for him as he had charged them;

13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

14After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!"

16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father charged before he died, saying,

17 'Thus you shall say to Joseph, "Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong."' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants."

19But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place?

20"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

21"So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Matthew 18

18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

21Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

22Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven times (Wycliffe, Norwegian translations= 8,235,430,000,000)

.

23"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

24"When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him [c]ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25"But since he (Y)did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him (Z)to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

26"So the slave fell to the ground and (AA)prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

27"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and (AB)forgave him the debt.

28"But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred [d]denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.'

29"So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.'

30"But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

31"So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

32"Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

33' Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'

34"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

35"(AD)My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

Luke 17:

3"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

4"And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him."

Luke 23:

33(A)When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

34But Jesus was saying, "(B)Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing " (C)And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

35And the people stood by, looking on. And even the (D)rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; (E)let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One."

John 20:

23"(A)If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

2 Cor 2:

5But (G)if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree--in order not to say too much--to all of you.

6Sufficient for such a one is (H)this punishment which was inflicted by the majority,

7so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

8Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

9For to this end also (J)I wrote, so that I might (K)put you to the test, whether you are (L)obedient in all things.

10But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes (M)in the presence of Christ,

11so that no advantage would be taken of us by (N)Satan, for (O)we are not ignorant of his schemes.

James 1:

20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

1 John 1:

9(C)If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and (D)to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2:12 I am writing to you, (D)little children, because (E)your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake.