freedom in forgiveness (3 of 4)

Over the first few messages we have looked at this verse:

Galatians 5:1
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. NIV
Christ has set us free to live a free life. MSG

I have talked about the yoke of slavery being the bondage to sin that we are each born with.
This bondage came to mankind as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin in the garden. Since that time we all have had in us a desire to go against what we know is right.

Our freedom from this yoke was paid for BY CHRIST through his sacrifice.

We have been set free from condemnation
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

We have been set free from the lies of Satan when he tells us we are worthless
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

In order to be free we must first acknowledge that we are slaves to our sin and we need to be released.
The story of the Pharisee and the prostitute (LUKE 7) gives us a good picture of this.
Jesus forgave the prostitute of her many sins because she came to him broken and realized her love and need for him.

Last year my family and I, through our church, were delivering Thanksgiving groceries to families in the neighborhood. We took with us a man called “Crazy”, a friend of ours from church. Crazy – for all practical purposes - was homeless, but he made it to church more often than most of us. He rarely failed to tell someone, “Jesus loves you!”. Crazy believed it and wanted you to know it and believe it too. At some point during the evening while in our car I asked Crazy if he would pray. I don’t remember much of what he prayed. However, I do remember that I was near tears when he finished. I also remember this line, “Lord you know that I take much more than I ever give…”

We do not have to be homeless to be broken. God wants each of us to realize that it is not because of any great thing we have done or not done that he accepts us. It is because we go to Him broken and honestly say I take much more than I ever give.

Hebrews 8:12 tells us that we have been set free from living with the guilt of our sin
For I will forgive their wickedness
And will remember their sins NO MORE

In the last message/post I wrote about this total forgiveness being a difficult concept to fully grasp.
It is difficult because we look at GOD”S FORGIVENESS through our human experience of forgiveness.

HUMAN FORGIVENESS OFTEN HAS STRINGS ATTACHED WE SAY THINGS LIKE
“I forgive you BUT – don’t ever let it happen again”
“I forgive you BUT – you owe me”
“I forgive you BUT – you should not of done that”
OR
WE DO NOT FORGET THE OFFENSE
“that’s not what happened last time”
“you keep doing this”
OR
WE FORGIVE WITH RESERVATION
“I shouldn’t forgive you of this”
“you don’t deserve a second chance”

Our human examples are not examples of true forgiveness at all.
Our example should be God who says, “For I will forgive their wickedness, and will remember their sins no more.”

This is the God that offers you forgiveness and freedom.
· The God that used Abraham, who did not trust God, to build a nation
· The God that called David, an adulterer and murder, “a man after my own heart”
· The God that redeemed Peter after he denied Christ 3 times.
· The God that TRANSFORMED Saul who was persecuting and killing the Christians to take the Gospel to the non Jewish world.

This struggle to understand and accept forgiveness is not a flesh and blood battle or a mental battle but a spiritual battle.
EPHESIANS 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.


This week we are going to look at living in freedom and forgiving others.

Matthew 18:21-35
21At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, "Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?"
22Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.
23-25"The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn't pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.
26-27"The poor wretch threw himself at the king's feet and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt.
28"The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, 'Pay up. Now!'
29-31"The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' But he wouldn't do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.
32-35"The king summoned the man and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?' The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy."
MSG

MATTHEW 6:14-15
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

We can acknowledge our need for forgiveness and accept it and live in it, BUT if we do not choose to forgive others as we have been forgiven WE ARE NOT FREE

WE HAVE CHOSEN TO PICK UP THAT YOKE AND PUT IT RIGHT BACK ON

WHY

What good does it do any of us to keep from forgiving somebody?
We get wrapped up in thinking that they do not deserve to be forgiven and forget that neither did we.

OUR DESIRE SHOULD BE TO FORGIVE LIKE GOD WHO DELIGHTS IN SHOWING MERCY

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. Micah 7:18

The passages in Matthew are pretty straight forward. We cannot be forgiven if we refuse to forgive. When God says things like this through His word we often want to ignore it and pretend it isn’t there.
Instead we need to deal with the unforgiveness no matter what happened, how long ago it happened, or how many times it happened.

Mercy is unmerited forgiveness.
Follow the example of God. Delight in showing mercy.
Stop reading now and begin to forgive and remember it no more.
Allow healing to take place in your life and the lives of the others.


DELIGHT IN SHOWING MERCY
EXAMPLES
Exodus 23:5
If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.

Proverbs 25:21
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

Matthew 5:44
But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you

1 Thessalonians 5:15
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

WHO SHOULD WE FORGIVE
Luke 23:34 – JESUS ON THE CROSS
34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."[a] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Stoning of Steven Acts 7:54-60
54When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

It is clear from these examples that we should forgive all even those who do not ask to be forgiven



SEARCH OUR HEARTS GOD THAT WE MAY LIVE IN FREEDOM