A Forgiveness-filled Life

in Christ
 A Christian Life Is…
A Forgiveness-filled Life
 Forgiveness
➟What is forgiveness?
➟The Revell Bible Dictionary lists 3 definitions:
1) to pardon or absolve of wrongdoing
2) to cancel a debt
3) to give up resentment
➟Question: Which of these definitions most closely
resembles the forgiveness we receive from God?
➟Question: Which most closely resembles the
forgiveness Christians are expected to show others?

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 Images of Forgiveness
➟The Hebrew and Greek words for forgiveness
convey a variety of images.
➟To Cover or Atone: “Yet He was merciful; He
forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them.
Time after time He restrained His anger and did not
stir up His full wrath.” (Psalm 78:38)

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 Images of Forgiveness
➟The Hebrew and Greek words for forgiveness
convey a variety of images.
➟To Cover or Atone
➟To Carry or Take Away: “But now, please forgive
their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book
you have written.” (Exodus 32:32)

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 Images of Forgiveness
➟The Hebrew and Greek words for forgiveness
convey a variety of images.
➟To Cover or Atone
➟To Carry or Take Away
➟To Pardon: “No longer will a man teach his
neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the
LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the
least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will
remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

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 Images of Forgiveness
➟The Hebrew and Greek words for forgiveness
convey a variety of images.
➟To Cover or Atone
➟To Carry or Take Away
➟To Pardon
➟To Be Gracious: “Be kind and compassionate to one
another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God
forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

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 Images of Forgiveness
➟The Hebrew and Greek words for forgiveness
convey a variety of images.
➟To Cover or Atone
➟To Carry or Take Away
➟To Pardon
➟To Be Gracious
➟To Dismiss or Send Away: “Forgive us our debts, as we
also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive
men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your
Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:12-15)
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 Images of Forgiveness
➟The Hebrew and Greek words for forgiveness
convey a variety of images.
➟To Cover or Atone
➟To Carry or Take Away
➟To Pardon
➟To Be Gracious
➟To Dismiss or Send Away
➟Remission, Release, or Freedom: “Peter replied, ‘Repent
and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38)
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 Repentance and Forgiveness
➟How are these two concepts interrelated?
➟A popular belief is that we cannot forgive
someone who doesn’t first ask for
forgiveness.
➟What do you believe?

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 When?
➟For someone who is already in Christ, when
does God forgive?
a) When the person repents?
b) When the person asks for it?
c) Immediately?
d) Not until the Day of Judgment?

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 Contingent Forgiveness?
➟ Is there anything we have to “do” (other than accept
Christ) to receive forgiveness? (More specifically:
Is God’s forgiveness contingent on our forgiving
others? )
➟Matthew 6:15 – “But if you do not forgive men
their sins, your Father will not forgive your
sins.”

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 Contingent Forgiveness?
➟ Is there anything we have to “do” (other than accept
Christ) to receive forgiveness? (More specifically:
Is God’s forgiveness contingent on our forgiving
others? )
➟Matthew 6:15
➟Luke 6:37-38 – “Do not judge, and you will not be
judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be
condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give,
and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured
into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be
measured to you.” 13
 Consider Matthew 6:14-15 again.
➟"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if
you forgive not men their trespasses, neither
will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
➟You see, to forgive someone in a way that
honors our Savior is to not only forgive but to
not bring up.
➟Stop and consider salvation. When we accept
Jesus and what the Lord has done for us, He
gives us a clean slate. 14
Consider Matthew 6:14-15 again.
➟That’s what we are supposed to do when it
comes to forgiving others. We are to forgive
as Christ has forgiven us and be done with it.
➟It amazes me how some can claim to be such
excellent servants of Christ but have
relationships that go unmended with hurt
feelings that have not been resolved.

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Consider Matthew 6:14-15 again.
➟In order to be the servants of Christ we ought
to be, we have to be right in our relationships.
And that means forgiving and not bringing up
the past!
➟One of the areas in our Christian life that we
must learn is that of forgiving others. Much
of the problems in relationships can be
resolved if we only practice the virtue of
forgiveness.
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Consider Matthew 6:14-15 again.
➟Forgiveness is a powerful tool that God gave
His children to use when needed.
➟We should be humble enough to grant
unlimited interpersonal forgiveness.
➟After all, are our sins against God less vile
than those sins committed against us?
➟Remember, every time someone sins against
us it is also a sin against God!
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 A Parable on Forgiveness
➟ 21. Then came Peter and said to Him,
“Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against
me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
➟ 22. Jesus said unto him, “I say not unto
you, not until seven times; but, until seventy
times seven.
➟ 23. “Therefore is the kingdom of Heaven
likened unto a certain king, who would make
a reckoning with his servants.
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 A Parable on Forgiveness
➟ 24. “And when he had begun to reckon, one
was brought unto him, that owed him ten
thousand talents.
➟ 25. “But forasmuch as he had not
wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him
to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all
that he had, and payment to be made.
➟ 26. “The servant therefore fell down and
worshipped him, saying, ‘Lord, have
patience with me, and I will pay thee all.’ 19
 A Parable on Forgiveness
➟ 27. “And the lord of that servant, being
moved with compassion, released him, and
forgave him the debt.
➟ 28. “But that servant went out, and found
one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a
hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him,
and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay
what you owe!’

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 A Parable on Forgiveness
➟ 29. “So his fellow-servant fell down and
besought him, saying, ‘Have patience with
me, and I will pay you.’
➟ 30. “And he would not: but went and cast
him into prison, till he should pay that which
was due.
➟ 31. “So when his fellow-servants saw what
was done, they were exceeding sorry, and
came and told unto their lord all that was
done. 21
 A Parable on Forgiveness
➟ 32. “Then his lord called him unto him,
and said to him, ‘You wicked servant, I
forgave you all that debt, because you
besought me:
➟ 33. “‘should you not also have had mercy
on your fellow-servant, even as I had mercy
on you?’

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 A Parable on Forgiveness
➟ 34. “And his lord was wroth, and delivered
him to the tormentors, till he should pay all
that was due.
➟ 35. “So shall also My heavenly Father do
unto you, if you forgive not every one his
brother from your hearts.” (Matthew 18:21-
35)
➟Why should we grant unlimited interpersonal
forgiveness?
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Unlimited Interpersonal Forgiveness
➟Our sinfulness affected not only our
relationship with God but with men as well.
➟God forgave us so we can be restored in our
relationship with Him.
➟In addition, He wanted us to practice
forgiveness to one another.
➟The forgiveness we received and experienced
should be shared with those who wronged us.
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Unlimited Interpersonal Forgiveness
➟As humans, we commit sins that harm
relationships.
➟A forgiving spirit is one of the means by
which reconciliation will happen.
➟Sin destroys relationships and forgiveness
restores them.

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 An Illustration
➟One of the simple but great inventions of man
is the eraser.
➟It acknowledges the fact that no one is
perfect.
➟It also reminds us that there is hope and new
possibility for those who mess up their lives
and relationships with others.
➟Forgiveness enables us to experience
freedom, peace, and inner joy. 26
 An Illustration
➟Warren Wiersbe said that, “The world’s worst
prison is the prison of an unforgiving heart. If
we refuse to forgive others, then we are only
imprisoning ourselves and causing our own
torment. Some of the most miserable people I
have met in my ministry have been people
who would not forgive others. They lived
only to imagine ways to punish these people
who had wronged them. But they were really
only punishing themselves.”
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 An Illustration
➟An unforgiving spirit leads to other sins –
anger, a critical spirit, bitterness, and
indifference, not to mention the various
physical illnesses associated with
unforgiveness.
➟We reveal the true condition of our hearts by
the way we treat others. The context of this
paragraph is forgiveness between brothers in
Christ but we know that the principles apply
to other relationships.
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An Unforgiving Heart Leads to Sin
➟Ephesians 4:30-32 says,
➟ 30. “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,
in Whom you were sealed unto the day of
redemption.
➟ 31. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and
anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away
from you, with all malice:
➟ 32. “and be kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as
God also in Christ forgave you.” 29
 Whom Do You Need to Forgive?

➟Whom do you need to forgive today?

➟Perhaps you need to forgive your fellow
church member, your parents, your siblings,
your co-workers, your spouse, and your
relatives.
➟Release yourself from the prison of
unforgiving heart and from the curse of sin.
How do we forgive?

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 Understanding Forgiveness

➟Understand the meaning of forgiveness – to

cover, to erase, and to send away the sins of
the offender.
➟Therefore, when we forgive we are actually
giving the person a clean sheet of paper – we
release the person from the penalty of sin.
➟Forgiveness is surrendering my right to hurt
you for hurting me.

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 Understanding Forgiveness

➟Understand that forgiveness is not toleration

but preservation – we forgive because we
would like to recognize the person’s
admission of guilt and the desire to change.
➟We forgive because we would like to
encourage the person to start a new but right
way of living and relating with us, thereby
resulting to preservation of the relationship.

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 Understanding Forgiveness

➟Understand that forgiveness is not forgetting

but healing – we forgive so that healing will
begin to happen.
➟Healing is a process that requires patience on
the part of the offender.
➟When it is completed, it may leave some
marks but the pains are gone.

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 Understanding Forgiveness

➟Pray, Talk, and Forgive – if the person is

unrepentant, follow the example of our Lord
and pray, “Father, forgive them for they do
not know what they are doing.”
➟God forgave us far more than we will ever
forgive.
➟The master in our parable was disappointed
because of the attitude of the unforgiving
servant.
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 Understanding Forgiveness
➟He owed the master a thousand talents and he
was unable to pay but the master cancelled
the debts and let him go.
➟It was estimated that his debts were about 12
million dollars without considering inflation
today.
➟Compared to what he owed the master, his
fellow servant’s debts are just a drop in a
bucket, and yet he was unwilling to cancel it
and put him into prison. 35
 Understanding Forgiveness
➟In like manner, we should grant unlimited
interpersonal forgiveness because God
forgave us far more that we will ever forgive.
➟God forgave all our individual sins.
➟God provided forgiveness for our past,
present, and future sins against Him and our
fellow humans.
➟He only requires us to forgive the actual sins
of our brother.
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 Understanding Forgiveness

➟God’s forgiveness is far greater than what we

need to forgive others.
➟And yet because of hypocrisy and judgmental
attitudes, we hesitate to forgive others.
➟This is not right.
➟How can we avoid this mistake?

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 Understanding Forgiveness
➟Realize that we are simply channels of God’s
forgiveness – forgiveness did not originate
from us but God.
➟Share what you have received and don’t
hoard God’s forgiveness.
➟Remember to be a catalyst of peace and order
– realize that as we forgive others we are
actually expanding an environment of peace
and order in our society.
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 Summary
➟We do not have the same capacity to forgive
that God does.
➟He can and does forgive completely (making
“forgive and forget” redundant words).
➟We can’t “forget” in the sense that we can’t
remove something from our memory. What we
can do is to not hold it against the other person.
➟“Walking in the light” means immediate and
total forgiveness.

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