FORGIVING OTHERS AS GOD FORGIVES US

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FORGIVING OTHERS AS GOD FORGIVES US
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• All Misunderstandings About
  Forgiveness Can Be Cleared Up
  By the Word of God!

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Forgiveness is an Absolute Requirement of God.

• IT IS COMMANDED!
• Mark 1125-26 (NASB) 25 "Whenever you stand
  praying, forgive, if you have anything against
  anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will
  also forgive you your transgressions. 26 " But
  if you do not forgive, neither will your Father
  who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.
• It is Just as Binding As Any Other Command!

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• We Are to Follow the Example of Jesus in His
  Willingness to Forgive (1 Peter 221).
• Example Jesus Forgiving Spirit at the Cross
  (Luke 2333-34).

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Luke 2333-34 (NASB)

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

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Isaiah 4325 (NASB)

• "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your
  transgressions for My own sake And I will not
  remember your sins.

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• We Are to Follow the Example of Jesus in His
  Willingness to Forgive (1 Pet 221).
• Example Jesus Forgiving Spirit at the Cross
  (Luke 2333-34).
• Forgiveness of our sins is conditioned upon our
  commitment to forgive others (Mat. 614-15).

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Matthew 614-15 (NASB)

• 14 "For if you forgive men for their
  transgressions, your heavenly Father will also
  forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive men,
  then your Father will not forgive your
  transgressions.

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What Does it Mean to Forgive?

• To Release the Debt of Sin (Mat. 612).

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Matthew 612 (NASB)

• 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have
  forgiven our debtors. - cf. 1 John 34 Eph. 17

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What Does it Mean to Forgive?

• To Release the Debt of Sin (Mat. 612).
• Forgive" (Mat. 612) from the Greek word
  aphiemi "To let go, to give up a debt, to
  forgive, to remit To give up, to keep no
  longer. -- Thayer's Greek Lexicon.
• To forgive someone is to let go of what that
  person may have said or done against you.
  - To give up that debt and to
  keep it no longer!
• No harbored ill-will, no resentment or plans of
  revenge or punishment the debt has been given up!

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Hebrews 812 (NASB)

• "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And
  I will remember their sins no more."

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• Like God, We Are to
  Remember the Sin No More (Hebrews 812).
• A Total Cancellation of the
  Debt of Sin.

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• Like God, When We Forgive Others of Sin, We Must
  Do So from the Heart
  (Matthew 1821-35).

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Matthew 1832-35 (NASB)

• 32 "Then summoning him, his lord said to him,
  'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt
  because you entreated me. 33'Should you not also
  have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as 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 "So shall
  My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you
  does not forgive his brother from your heart."

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When Should We Grant Forgiveness to Others?

• God Does Not Require More from Us Than He
  Requires of Himself When He Forgives.
• We Are to Be Imitators of Him (Mat. 548 Eph.
  51) Therefore, we are to practice forgiveness
  in the same manner that He does.
• Only God Can Read Peoples Hearts (Jer 1710).
• Yet, we still have a responsibility to do the
  best we can to grant forgiveness in the same way
  as God does (Eph. 432).

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Ephesians 432 (NASB)

• And be kind to one another, tender-hearted,
  forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also
  has forgiven you.

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• God Does not Forgive
  Anyone Without Repentance!
• Luke 133 (NASB) "I tell you, no, but unless you
  repent, you will all likewise perish.
• Luke 2447 (NASB) and that repentance for
  forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His
  name to all the nations, beginning from
  Jerusalem.
• Acts 238 (NASB) And Peter said to them,
  "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the
  name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
  sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
  Spirit.
• Acts 319 (NASB) "Repent therefore and return,
  that your sins may be wiped away, in order that
  times of refreshing may come from the presence of
  the Lord

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• The Lord taught that the condition of repentance
  should be met before we grant forgiveness to
  others.
• Luke 173-4 (NASB) 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."

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• If there is evidence that a person has not
  repented, then we should not forgive (Luke 38)
  This is true love for others!
• If we extend forgiveness to an obviously
  impenitent person then we condone his sinful
  behavior (e.g., Gal. 211-13).
• If we forgive when there is no repentance we may
  spur that person on toward more evil behavior and
  we may cause others to sin! (1
  Cor. 51-11 cf. 2 Thes. 314-15).

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Whether or Not We Forgive a Person, We Must
Always Behave Like Children of God!

• Being a Christian and acting like one is not
  dependent on always granting forgiveness to
  others
• If a person does not repent, we must not forgive
  and this does not make us any less of a
  Christian!

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Whether or Not We Forgive a Person, We Must
Always Behave Like Children of God!

• Practicing the goodness of God.
• God does all within His power that is consistent
  to His character and will to lead people to
  repentance (Rom 24).

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Romans 24 (NKJV)

• Or do you despise the riches of His goodness,
  forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that
  the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

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Practicing the goodness of God.

• We in like manner are obligated to do all within
  our power (in harmony with Gods will) to bring
  those who have wronged us to repentance.
• We do this by doing good to them that they might
  be ashamed and repent (Rom 1214,
  19-21 cf. Luke 627-36 1 Thes.
  514 Mat. 1815ff.).

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Romans 1214, 19-21 (NASB)

• 14 Bless those who persecute you bless and
  curse not 19 Never take your own revenge,
  beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for
  it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,"
  says the Lord. 20 "But if your enemy is hungry,
  feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink
  for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon
  his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but
  overcome evil with good. cf. Luke 627-36 1
  Thes. 514 Mat. 1815ff

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We do not forgive until they repent, meanwhile we
do good to them!

• Love
  Blessing
  
  Pray
  Serve
  Generosity
  
  Mercy
  Kindness
  Patience
  Teach,
  Admonish, Encourage
  Reprove, Rebuke

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Whether or Not We Forgive a Person, We Must
Always Behave Like Children of God!

• Practicing the goodness of God.
• Demonstrating patience and forbearance (Col.
  312-3).

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Colossians 312-13 (NASB)

• 12 And so, as those who have been chosen of God,
  holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion,
  kindness, humility, gentleness and patience 13
  bearing with one another, and forgiving each
  other, whoever has a complaint against anyone
  just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

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2 Peter 39 (NASB)

• 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as
  some count slowness, but is patient
  (longsuffering KJV) toward you, not wishing for
  any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

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Whether or Not We Forgive a Person, We Must
Always Behave Like Children of God!

• Practicing the goodness of God.
• Demonstrating patience and forbearance.
• Love all people as ourselves including our
  enemies (Rom. 139-10).

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Romans 139-10 (NASB)

• 9 For this, "You shall not commit adultery, You
  shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall
  not covet," and if there is any other
  commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "You
  shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love
  does no wrong to a neighbor love therefore is
  the fulfillment of the law. - cf. Mat. 544

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• Even if a person does not
  repent we are to LOVE
  them! (1 Cor. 134-8).

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Whether or Not We Forgive a Person, We Must
Always Behave Like Children of God!

• Practicing the goodness of God.
• Demonstrating patience and forbearance.
• Love all people as ourselves including our
  enemies.
• When we do forgive, we must not keep count (Mat.
  1821-22 Heb 1017).

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Matthew 1821-22 (NASB)

• 21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how
  often shall my brother sin against me and I
  forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to
  him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but
  up to seventy times seven. cf. Heb 1017 1
  Cor. 135

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• Our Greatest Motivation to Forgive Others is
  Found in God Forgiving us in Christ (Eph.
  431-32).

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Ephesians 431-32 (NASB)

• 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and
  clamor and slander be put away from you, along
  with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another,
  tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God
  in Christ also has forgiven you.