Even I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and remembers your sin no more.
Psalm 103. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, if we don't know these verses.
Abounding in love, he will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger forever.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
1 John.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.
And the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.
As I said, we've covered all this already this morning.
And we've been flowing through the beauty of that forgiveness.
Forgiveness flows through the very essence of our relationship with our God.
God sent his son.
His son to shed his blood so our sins could be forgiven.
Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
The heart of our relationship with God is based on who he is and what he has done for us.
Without his forgiveness, we have no relationship.
We have peace though, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
As a coming to preach to you this morning, you can't escape the fact that we've just come through Easter.
And on Easter, I happened to be in Italy, in Naples, where we sent Aoife Bevel.
And we're supporting Aoife to help in a church plant there.
And I sat in the first meeting of that church plant, which was a great blessing to be there.
But because my Italian is very weak and the service was in Italian, I was really picking up every maybe third sentence.
I was able to follow.
But because of that, one particular sentence, and I'm not going to try and repeat it in Italian.
And the preacher said,
We are blessed to know that Jesus said,
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
That is the message of God to us in forgiveness.
He forgives us.
Because behind it all, he knows that when it gets right down to it,
we, as clever as we may think we are,
most of the time don't even understand what we're doing when we're doing it.
And the treasure we have in the gospel is that Jesus went on the cross
and said,
Father, forgive.
And he has shed his blood so that we can have that forgiveness.
And therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It's worth repeating that over and over and over again to ourselves.
We have access to that.
As we have been reminded this morning,
through song and prayer,
and how Johnny reminded us even as we looked at those verses from Colossians first thing this morning.
We have access to that forgiveness if we are born again,
if we are saved,
if we are in Christ Jesus,
if the grace of God has gifted us the faith to understand that,
to know that we have been rescued
and brought from the kingdom of darkness
into the kingdom of light,
the kingdom of the sun.
So if you're not,
hear the voice of God talking to you now.
And if you are,
lift your hearts
and thank Jesus.
Thank Jesus for his shed blood
so that you know the truth of this forgiveness.
I was glad that we had that emphasis this morning
and I wanted to emphasize all those things as we come
because from here on,
I'm going to be talking about
how that forgiveness reflects in our hearts
and how we live our life out amongst each other.
Because not only are we forgiven,
but we are told that we must forgive.
Matthew chapter 6 verse 14
For if you forgive other people
when they sin against you,
your heavenly Father will also
forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others their sins,
your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 18, 35
This is how my heavenly Father
will treat each of you
unless you forgive your brother
or sister from your heart.
Mark 11, 25
And when you stand praying,
if you hold anything against anyone,
forgive them so that your Father in heaven
may forgive you and your sins.
The picture of forgiveness
flowing from God to us
and from us out to each other
and out into the world
to me is beautiful.
When I was driving down this morning,
I had an opportunity to do something
on a Sunday morning
I normally don't do.
I was flicking through radio stations,
seeing what the world is talking about
on a Sunday morning
because I'm currently blessed
to live two minutes away
from where I fellowship.
So there's no time to listen to anything in the car.
It's a nice thing on a Sunday morning.
But this morning I heard
poets talking about
the life of poetry.
I heard songwriters talking about songwriting.
I heard,
and I'm not going to get into it now,
but I heard a very well-known celebrity
talking about their decadent lifestyle.
And I asked the Lord
to show me how to love that person
as they gloried in their rebellion.
And then I flicked on
and I heard opera.
And I like opera.
Sorry.
I'm not a huge buff,
but I heard Renata Tabaldi.
And if you're into it,
what a beautiful voice.
And she was singing Puccini.
And as I drove along,
that voice and that music
lifted my heart
and made my soul sing.
And I thought to myself,
does my soul still sing like that
when I consider how much God has forgiven me?
Listening to Renata Tabaldi this morning
was like having my ears washed with liquid gold.
That's how it felt like to me.
And I said to myself,
do I still consider
how my soul has been washed
with something more precious than liquid gold?
the blood of Jesus?
And do I respond
in the right way
to Him
and to all of you
and to all of my brothers and sisters?
Do you
still
want to respond that way?
Do you still
look at yourself
full in the glory
of the grace of God
and recognize
how far you've come
and lift your heart
and say,
thank you Jesus.
Thank you God.
Thank you Lord Holy Spirit
for working in my life
to make these things known to me.
In that moment
of recognizing that forgiveness
and what we are to do,
we see the beauty
of the love of God.
And in the quantity
that that forgiveness
is lavished on us,
we should lavish
that forgiveness
on one another,
our brothers and sisters.
Luke chapter 6,
verse 36.
Be merciful
just as your Father
is merciful.
Luke 11
and Luke 17.
Forgive us our sins
for we also forgive everyone
who sins against us
and lead us not into temptation.
Even if they sin against you
seven times in a day
and seven times come back to you
saying,
I repent,
you must forgive them.
Forgiveness is central
to our peace with God
but forgiveness
is also central
to our peace
in general.
In the verses
that we've just looked at
and the thoughts
we've been just bringing out,
God has made it clear
that it is His desire
that we be at peace
with Him
and with all men
as much as we are able.
To forgive freely
as we have been forgiven.
to forgive
without limits.
That's really easy,
isn't it?
So easy to forgive
without limits.
I have no problem
with that.
Liar.
It's really hard
for us
as people
to forgive
without limits
especially when
the same things
seem to be happening
around us.
but we have to
fight in that struggle
to seek to do it
in God's way
not our own way.
In our lives
forgiveness
it serves
the most obvious things
to resolve conflicts
to remove
resentments
and forgiveness
is
an expression
of our righteousness
through Christ Jesus
lived out.
and whether we like it
or not
and it's been said
several times already
we are told
to forgive.
We can have no real hope
of resolving conflicts
if we have no heart
to forgive.
And we cannot set limits
on what we are willing
to forgive
or how many times
we are willing
to forgive.
in as much
as God's
boundless love
has covered
our boundless sin
we are to forgive
our brothers and sisters
in Christ
endlessly.
Everybody knows
this verse I think
if you've spent
any time in church.
Matthew 18
verse 21
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?
Yeah
good man.
And Jesus answered
I tell you
not seven times
but 77 times.
We know what Jesus
was saying there.
Don't put a limit on it.
And just as we live
in our life in general
don't limit it
to your brothers and sisters.
Our heart is to be
of love and forgiveness
for those
not outside the church
as well.
How can we hope
to want to love them?
But I tell you
love your enemies
and pray for those
who persecute you.
What's an enemy?
An enemy is not
somebody who's just
mildly upsetting you
causing you a little
discomfort.
An enemy is somebody
who's totally opposed
to everything you are
and everything you want
and everything you hope for.
How are you going
to love an enemy?
Unless you have the heart
to forgive.
Now I don't want
anyone to misunderstand
either.
I did not
and I am not saying
that you must
ignore the sin
that is done to you.
I'm not saying
that you have to
blithely go by
and say
ignore it.
The wrongs
that are done
may be dealt with
if you wish.
If you wish
the wrongs
may be dealt with.
But our pattern
has to be the one
that we're given.
Matthew 18
15 to 17
again
I'm sure I'm not
sharing anything
new with you
if you are in the
fellowship for any
length of time.
If you are in the
church of Christ
for any length of time
you will know
that Jesus said
if your brother
sins against you
go and show him
his fault
just between
the two of you.
If he listens to you
you have won
your brother over.
But if he will
not listen
take one or two
others along
so that
every matter
may be established
by the testimony
of two or three
witnesses.
If he refuses
to listen to them
tell it to the church
and if he refuses
to listen even
to the church
treat him
as you would
a pagan
or a tax collector.
You do not
have to suffer
in silence
but neither
do you have
the right
to add further
sin and injury
on top of
a previous
injury.
In all things
we are to be
biblically
minded.
We are to be
faithful to the
desires of
Jesus
in our lives.
He wants
us
plainly speaking
to be
peacemakers
not
troublemakers.
Verse 15
If your brother
sins against you
go and show
him his fault
just between
the two of you.
If he listens
to you
you have won
your brother
over.
There is the
first part
of the model
of how we are
to deal
with these
issues
if we feel
wronged.
It dictates
our attitude
too.
It's so easy
to feel
aggrieved.
It really
is so easy
to feel
aggrieved.
How many
times have
you felt
aggrieved
and had
that feeling
of hurt
that you've
been wronged?
And it
builds up
a head of
steam
inside you.
And you
can get to
the point
of rather
than really
wanting
restoration
and
reconciliation
you really
just wanted
the other
person
put in
their
place.
To show
them how
wrong they
are.
Even if
you let
it stew
for too
long
building up
that momentum
that you
just want
to ring
from their
mouth
an apology
so that
you can
say yes
I was
right.
You
were
wrong.
And if
you do
that
sometimes
before you
even get
to that
point
you've
told this
person
or you've
told another
person.
Sometimes
we can
even be
very clever
and dress
it up
saying I'm
looking for
prayer.
I just
want to
pray about
this.
And we're
avoiding the
fact that
what we
should have
done is
gone to
the person.
Building
ourselves up
getting ready
to put the
other person
in their
place.
setting them
straight.
Letting them
know what
they need
to know.
And forgetting
that what
we're supposed
to do is
pray and
then go to
the person.
Pray then
say to
the person.
Just between
the two of
you.
And it
means just
that.
Speak
to the
person.
Speak
to them.
What happens
next is a
different
matter.
Only if
the person
refuses to
resolve are
we to do
anything else.
And still
what's the
purpose of
it?
Not to
show the
other person
how wrong
they were.
The real
purpose is
reconciliation
restoration.
And restoration.
We have the
have to have
the heart
to want
to say
something,
to fix
something.
a gentle
answer turns
away
wrath,
but a
harsh word
stirs up
anger.
We have
to be
careful.
And even
if we have
been wronged,
it doesn't
mean we have
to actually
seek out
the person.
We can
choose to
forgive
and let
it go.
You don't
have to
correct
everybody,
you know.
you can
choose to
analyze the
thing and
go,
that can
be left.
I can
choose to
forgive.
It certainly
doesn't mean
you seek
revenge or
retribution.
That seems
fairly basic.
That's God's
job anyway.
It's mine to
avenge, I
will repay,
says the
Lord.
So if you
have been
grievously
hurt, you
can still
forgive and
trust that God
will deal with
somebody else's
sin.
We're not
told to
overcome evil
with evil.
We're told to
overcome evil
with good.
It's not an
eye for a
nine.
Jesus said,
turn the
other cheek.
Be careful in
your responses.
If somebody
forces you to
go one mile,
dig in your
heels and
refuse to go
the second.
That's what it
says, isn't
it?
No, it
says, go
two.
But we
have fallen
so often
and so
easily into
the counsel
of what the
world says,
stand your
corner,
fight your
ground,
don't be a
doormat.
That's one
that I hear
all the time,
but we're not
meant to be
doormats.
And people
use that as
going, well,
I am going
to stand up
for myself and
I am going
to show that
person that I'm
the one who's
right here.
And straight
away we're in
dangerous territory,
we're on
dangerous ground.
Even Christ
corrected,
even Christ
scolded.
Read what he
said to the
Pharisees.
Look what he
did in the
temple.
But,
they were
particular groups.
Look how he
dealt with his
own when he
had to
correct.
He was,
for the
most part,
so gentle
with his
own.
And he
covers us in
his forgiving
love and he
tells us,
well, we
must do the
same or else
we're just
like the rest
of the world.
We must act
out in love.
We know
these verses
too.
What is love?
Well, love is
not rude, it
is not
self-seeking,
it is not
easily angered,
it keeps no
records of
wrongs.
Love does
not delight
in evil,
but rejoices
with the
truth.
And when
we're looking
at these
things that
we have to
deal with
in our
heart of
forgiveness
and in
our
troubles
and our
challenges,
do we
really want
the truth
to come
out,
or do
we just
want our
version of
the truth
to be
accepted?
It's so
easy to
get into
the mindset
of
rebuking
rather than
reconciliation.
As
brothers and
sisters,
we have a
responsibility
to mind
each other.
So if
somebody's
going wrong,
yes,
we should
get alongside
somebody and
help them to
return.
But rebuking,
that may not
be your
job.
It's your
elder's job,
maybe at
times.
It's
definitely
God's
job.
And trust
God.
Protecting
somebody from
sin is not
the same thing
as putting
them in
their place.
It's not.
Look at
David.
He's been
pursued by
King Saul.
Look at
1 Samuel 24.
David had
the opportunity
to take his
revenge on
Saul.
But he
didn't.
He showed
him respect
and honour.
Revenge is
mine, says
the Lord.
And here,
I think,
is the part
that I have
had to talk
to people
about on
so many
occasions.
And here's
the part that
can really
tick us off,
folks.
There is
no limit
to the
number of
times we
are meant
to forgive.
that is
hard for
us to
accept as
people.
Because we
don't like
being hurt
repeatedly.
It hurts
us.
It makes
us feel
rotten
and brow
beaten
and low
and sad.
It makes
us cry.
I put my
hand up.
I've cried.
I've cried
in my
fellowship.
at some
of the
things that
have been
said to
me.
But that
doesn't give
me the
right to
do anything
else other
than what
Christ Jesus
has done
for me
and forgive.
When Peter
comes to the
Lord, he
says, Lord,
how many
times?
And the
Lord says,
not seven,
but seven
times seventy.
in the
measure that
we are
forgiven,
we must
forgive.
Now that
verse is
taken out of
a much
longer passage
in Matthew
chapter 18.
verse 23.
And he
says,
therefore,
the kingdom
of heaven
is like a
king who
wants to
settle accounts
with his
servants.
And he
goes on to
tell the
parable of
the servant
who is
forgiven
much.
And what
is his
response?
He goes
out and
he seeks
retribution,
let's use
that word,
against those
who owe
him.
And the
king is
furious.
And the
king says,
in the
measure,
paraphrasing
it, that
you have
been forgiven,
you should
have forgiven
others.
You can
read that
later to
remind
yourself.
In the
measure that
we are
forgiven,
we need
to forgive.
We have
to guard
our hearts
against
developing a
spirit of
unforgiveness
and resentment.
It seems
obvious to
say it, but
resentment is
the enemy
of forgiveness.
Resentment
leads to
unforgiveness.
And both
of those
things are
poisonous
instruments
that the
devil uses
in our
lives.
Resentment
is poison.
Augustine
said many,
many,
centuries
ago,
resentment
is like
drinking
poison
and
expecting
the
other
person
to
die.
That
has been
used
many
times
by
different
people.
About
three years
ago,
I actually
heard Peter
Andre say
it,
believe it
or not.
But it
has its
original
use in
terms of
our spirit
of forgiveness
that flows
from God
to us
and us
out.
But resentment
is like
drinking
poison
and expecting
somebody else
to die.
Satan loves
unforgiveness
because it
wraps up
individuals
in anger
and hate
and strife.
It destroys
fellowships.
It splits
churches.
God
loves
forgiveness.
Forgiveness
breaks
chains.
We were
chained
in sin.
What broke
the chains?
Forgiveness.
God
loves
forgiveness.
Forgiveness
breaks
chains.
Unforgiveness
binds
chains
around us.
Unforgiveness
towards
other people,
brothers and
sisters,
those outside
our fellowship.
Unforgiveness
puts
chains
of their
sin
back
around us.
When we
don't
forgive,
we are
taking the
sin of
somebody else,
tying it
to ourselves
and carrying
it on.
And often
that person
is completely
unaware
that you've
loaded yourself
with their
sin and
are dragging
it around.
unforgiveness.
And that's
when we're
defeated in
unforgiveness.
Satan has
the victory
there.
Here's an
idea.
Let's put
one over
on Satan.
Let's forgive
each other
quickly and
not give him
even the
slightest
foothold in
our relationships
with one
another.
And always
listen to
Jesus and
remember that's
the truth
that sets
us free.
Corrie Ten Boom
said of
forgiveness.
Forgiveness is
the key that
unlocks the
door of
resentment and
the handcuffs
of hate.
It is a
power that
breaks the
chains of
bitterness and
the shackles
of selfishness.
I talk to
people about
this a lot
in my role.
And I
keep getting
asked,
but what
about my
apology?
But what
about them
making it
right?
Well, yeah,
that should
happen where
it is possible.
But in some
cases, that's
never going to
happen.
There are
cases where
there are
hurts and
sin, wrong
doing, where
you're never
going to get
an apology.
You're going
to hang on
and hang on
carrying the
weight of
that other
person's
wrongdoing
around with
you.
What if the
person has
died?
You can't
ring an
apology from
a dead
person.
What if the
person lives
12,000 miles
away and you
have no
contact with
them?
It's my
personal
experience,
folks.
Somebody did
something
absolutely
horrendous to
me.
Sorry, I was
just looking
around at the
profile.
I want you to
know this because
I'm not speaking
from a point of
going, I've
not looked at
these issues and
had to deal with
them myself.
before I was a
Christian, I was
a complete and
utter basket
case.
When I was a
child, I was
abused by a
woman.
It caused me
huge problems all
through my teenage
years into my
adulthood.
I went for
secular counseling
in my 20s.
Thankfully,
somebody dragged
me there because
at that point I
was in a bad
way.
The secular
counselor helped
me to deal
with the
anger.
So I
stopped being
angry.
But I can
tell you now
that every
morning I
woke up and
I opened my
eyes, the
first thing I
thought about
every day,
was what that
person had done
to me.
And then I
became a
Christian and I
learned about
forgiveness.
And I learned
about what I'd
been forgiven.
And over
time, I
realized that I
had to forgive
people.
And it
hit me straight
in the face
one day that
whether I liked
it or not,
for me to be
free of what
that person had
done, I had to
forgive.
That person was
living 12,000
miles away.
I couldn't walk
up to the door
and say,
hey, I want a
word.
There's no point
in arguing with
me.
What you've done
is wrong.
There's no
point in,
there's no need
for me to lay
it out.
There's no
excuse for what
you did.
What you did
is wrong.
It can't be
excused.
There's no
argument.
Irrelevant.
What I had to
do was get
on my knees
and pray to
God for the
strength to
forgive.
I know that
some of these
things that are
in our lives
are not easy
to forgive.
And I prayed
and I prayed
and I prayed.
I can even
remember one
morning I got
on my knees
and I said,
I forgive,
name to the
person.
I forgive you
for what you've
done.
I forgive you
for the damage
it's caused.
I forgive you.
And I stopped,
I lifted my
head and I
went,
oh well God,
you and I both
know that that
was a joke.
Because I wasn't
there yet.
But I got there
and I stopped
waking up every
morning with it
being the first
thing.
and it set
me free
from what
they had
done.
Now that's
a heavy story
but I am
just sharing
it at this
moment.
I had no
intention of
doing that
when I stood
up here this
morning.
But as I
read the
sentence I
said I
must share
this.
I'm not
talking to
you from
a position
where I've
not had to
deal with
tough stuff.
But as I've
looked through
too,
I've realized
that as I
saw what I
needed to
forgive,
I also saw
what I needed
to seek
forgiveness for
because shock,
surprise,
none of us
are perfect.
You don't
need an apology
to forgive
someone.
As long as
you don't
forgive them,
their sin
will continue
to hurt you.
It doesn't
matter what it
is.
I had
somebody who
was counseled
by a secular
counselor to
write a long
letter to
somebody who
had hurt
them detailing
all the
hurts and
then send
it to the
person.
It destroyed
that relationship
forever.
The person
had done this
before they
came to me
and I asked
them to go
back to the
person and
ask for
forgiveness for
sending that
list of things
that happened
20 years ago.
And then I
said to the
person,
now you go
and pray to
forgive them
and try and
forget about
that list.
They're still
working through
it.
We need to
break the
chain of
hurt.
Break the
chain, the
anchor of
unforgiveness
that is
keeping us
locked in
the past.
As Christ
hung on the
cross, he
cried out,
Father,
forgive them
for they do
not know what
they are
doing.
Most people
don't even
realize they're
doing things
to hurt us.
sinless.
It's the
sad reality
of our
fallen and
broken nature
that most
of the time
we don't
even realize
we're doing
things that
hurt one
another.
But we
need to look
to heaven
to see what
we do next.
And although
it can be
said that
Christ and
his perfect
sinlessness
was able to
do these
things and
we're just
people,
we have
the power
of God
with us.
And we
are to be
ruled by
the Spirit
of God.
And we
know what
the fruit
of the
Spirit is.
And the
Spirit should
dictate how
we react in
each situation.
It should
rule our
every response
in every
situation.
And one
thing that
should tell
us that we
have no
right to
withhold
forgiveness
from anybody
comes from
Christ.
Psalm 25
verse 11
tells us,
For the
sake of
your name
O Lord,
forgive my
iniquity
though it
is great.
Forgive my
iniquity.
Forgive my
sin.
Not one of
us gets in
here clean.
Jonathan
Edwards said,
Christ will
forgive any
sinner.
Christ will
not refuse
to save the
greatest sinners
who in a
right manner
come to God
for mercy.
This is his
work.
It is the
honor of
Christ to
save the
greatest
sinners when
they come
to him,
just as it
is the
honor of
a physician
to cure
the most
desperate
disease or
wounds.
Christ will
forgive any
sinner.
We have
no right
to withhold
forgiveness
from anybody,
but especially
not our
brothers and
sisters.
Colossians
chapter 3
verse 13.
Bear with
each other
and forgive
whatever grievances
you may have
against one
another.
Forgive as
the Lord
forgave you.
As in all
things,
Christ is our
example.
He is the
perfect example
to us.
He has
redeemed us
and he is the
one we are to
model.
When they hurled
their insults at
him, he didn't
retaliate.
When he suffered,
he made no
threats.
We have to
have the
attitude of
Christ.
And we,
in this,
as in all
things, are
more than
conquerors,
because we
can do all
things through
Christ.
It doesn't
mean it's
easy to get
there.
And that's
why we need
to live in
the power of
the Spirit
of God.
And we
need to
recognize to
live like
this will
take commitment
and faithfulness
on our
part.
we're given
all we need
for a life
of holiness,
for a life
of godliness,
but we'll
never fully
experience it
unless we
make the
effort to
be entirely
entwined
with Jesus.
You can't
have a
casual
attitude
to Jesus
and to
the Word
of God
and really
expect to
lay hold
of the
treasures of
heaven.
God has
expressed
his love
to us
through
forgiveness
and we
know this
because while
we were still
sinners,
Christ died
for us.
It's an
expression of
his unending,
unshakable,
unbreakable,
never fading,
always faithful
love to us.
And we know
that we have
the righteousness
of Christ
when we live
as he intended.
inasmuch as
God's
boundless love
covers our
boundless sin,
we are to
forgive our
brothers and
sisters as
we seek to
love them as
Christ did.
Whoever claims
to live in him
must walk as
Jesus did.
Whoever loves
his brother
lives in the
light and there
is nothing in
him to make
him stumble.
But whoever
hates his
brother is in
the darkness
and walks
around in the
darkness.
He does not
know where he
is going because
the darkness
has blinded
him.
I write to
you, dear
children,
because your
sins have
been forgiven
on account
of his
name.
Luke chapter
6, verse
36.
Be merciful
just as
your father
is merciful.
And never
forget, in
forgiving others
you are set
free, free
from the
chain of
others'
sin.
and free
to love
as fully
intended.
In
conclusion,
forgive.
It sets
you free.
It
confounds
Satan.
And it
pleases the
Lord.
Amen.