This message is an introduction for the need to forgive. We will be teaching more about forgiveness in a later series but for now touch on this s part of our R is for Relationships Series. I am indebted to R.T Kendal’s books Total Forgiveness and Totally Forgiving Ourselves as well as John Arnott’s book, Forgiveness.
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Today we are not going to cover everything there is to know about forgiveness, but I want to set some foundational thought about forgiveness. We will return in a later series to talk through forgiveness. We will return to talk about this theme in a later series because every time I have ever taught on this through the years it always throws up issues of unforgiveness.
If we take our mission statement seriously, that SERVE is vital to us and the R of Relationships is critical, we will be a forgiving people.
When we forgive we choose mercy over justice.
Forgiveness is the key to blessing! Forgiveness and repentance open our hearts to allow the Spirit to flow within us deeply.
There are thee vital things for us to grasp if we are to move forward:
Ø A revelation of how big God really is. Nothing is impossible for Him (Luke 1:37).
Ø A Revelation of how loving God is – He cares for us and is committed to loving us to life! Jeremiah 31:3
Ø A revelation of how to walk in that love and give it away – a heart that is free and has room for others!
What does unforgiveness produce?
vEnergy Draining Wounds
If our focus is what others have done us we can end up using all our emotional energy on that rather than living. We will have nothing left to live with.
Key – repentance and forgiveness.
This will involve God taking us to His threshing floor and breaking off the heard shell and separating the wheat from the chaff in our lives.
Luke 3:16-17: John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
The Lord tells us up front that He wants to burn off that which would hold us back – that chaff in our lives! Are we willing for that to happen?
vCritical Thoughts and Words
Negative thoughts in our lives can actually block us from serving others and releasing others into their God given ministries. Negative thoughts are hurts that stop us moving into the provision God has for us and showing grace to each other.
Paul described these as strongholds:
2 Cor. 10:4-5: The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Note: if the battle is lost in the mind we cannot hope to win in the spiritual. Lose the battle in the mind and we can never experience the victory that Chris has for us.
We need to discern the accuser from the comforter. The enemy is always negative – the Spirit always positive. Think about that for a moment!
God speaks to our minds and spirit. The enemy speaks to our mind. We need discernment to know what God is saying:
Isaiah 30:21: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it.
Isn’t it strange how we always wonder if what we are hearing is the enemy or God. Why? Because the enemy seems to shout into our mind when the Lord whispers to our spirit!
Note: the accuser accuses and the Comforter comforts!!
To align ourselves with the accuser means we will find justification for our thoughts of anger, bitterness and judgement. Why? Because we join the enemy in accusing others and not taking responsibility for our own spiritual condition.
When was the last time you had something nice to say about those who have sinned against you? You might say, “well you don’t know what they did to me!” But that is the accuser speaking!
If we want the Lord’s blessings in our lives we have to forgive those who have sinned against us.
1. Unforgiveness Relies on The Law of Judgement
The Holy Spirit seeks to do a deep work in our lives and hearts.
Matthew 7:1-2: Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Do we believe that Scripture? If we demand repayment and justice for the wrongs done to us then we will be dealt with by God according to our own strategy! The way we treat people is the way God will treat us. Wow!
If we really got hold of this principle we would instantly become the most loving, forgiving, and understanding people on the face of the earth. I would be the best church leader and this would be the best church!
Truth: We don’t get what we deserve!
Justice is good! Mercy is better!! Justice is the law of God. It means if you hurt me I can hurt you! If someone is wronged then that wrong needs to be made right. Our sense of justice understands that. Eye for an eye – sounds fair!!
The law of justice was instigated because God required a special people (Israel) who would be set apart for Him – Exodus 19:5-6, 10-13 – sets limits and boundaries on people.
But the law is an external force. It is a deterrent. It could not allow for a full relationship with God. The law is an external force and can do nothing to change our lives – all the law does is reveal sin (Jon Maxwell - Deuteronomy).
The law is punitive in nature – a covenant built around regulations to model a holy people. Justice and punishment – even if it is right – does not bring redemption. That is why there had to be the shedding of blood for forgiveness (Hebrews 9).
Some modern theologians want to weaken this with the notion of expiation (covering) of sin rather than the propitiation (removal of punishment from one to another) of sin.
But that is what atonement – the word we use to say God’s justice is now satisfied in Christ’s death on the cross – means! To transfer the punishment from one to another!
Do you know that Christ has already taken the punishment of those who have sinned against you?
Whether they have repented of it or not is not the issue you have to contend with in your heart! The issue is: are you going to speak life or death, mercy not justice!
God will not deal with us on a level of grace and them on a level of justice.
If we demand justice we will maintain the area of hurt in our hearts that will lead to unforgiveness and bitterness that will eventual lead to us becoming so entangled that we cannot function:
Hebrews 12:15: See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Being punished does not bring a change to the heart – it may change behaviour on certain levels (disobedient kids) but it does not change the heart.
Matthew 9:3-8, esp. 7-8: At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!":4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Get up and walk'? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7 And the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
The law does not deal with hardness of heart – grace does! If we want justice for others we will be dealt with by the same justice. It is the law of God, it is fair, but it is also an arena in which the enemy is greatly skilled.
He is the master accuser and the master prosecutor.
We would not have hope of eternity if we received the justice we deserved.
Forgiveness relies on a choice -
2.Forgiveness Chooses Mercy Over Justice
There is a place where the devil cannot follow and accuse. It is called mercy, love, forgiveness – GRACE!
Grace is a higher place. The devil has no rights there. But if we spend 80% of our time on our negative/justice level we will find ourselves stepping out of the new covenant into that which is lower.
Illustration: Umbrella – under cover and shielded from the storms of the enemy. Every time we plead for mercy for us and justice for others we step out of that place of cover to get revenge. Even if we pray, “have your way with them Lord,” what we are really hoping for is that God will “get ‘em!” So what happens is we place ourselves in the firing line of God’s judgement!
If we move out of the way we allow God to deal with a person according to His mercy, not our version of it.
We need to cry out for mercy for them for they did not know what they were doing – even if they did know! Huh? They may have known what they we doing was wrong, but did not know the consequences you would be left to deal with!
Luke 23:34: Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”.
If we live in grace and mercy the enemy cannot follow us there! He has no rights there! There is no room for him under that umbrella!!
Matthew 7:3-5: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
We have x-ray vision for the faults of others – yet are blind to our own. This is a major key to freedom. When we want mercy for our own sins we tend to go much easier on others!
Much energy is expended when we try and keep hurts alive. But as we live in mercy and grace – releasing others – we will find His burden light and His yoke easy (Matthew 12:30)
Wrapping it Up
Much more could be said and will be in the future. But understand this: We need to move closer to God. Allow Him to heal the hurts. Allow Him to show mercy to us and others (even if we think they don’t deserve it).
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