Forgiveness (4Given Part -3)

He has removed our sins
 as far from us as the east is from 
the west.  Psalm 103:12

Now that we've explored a couple of the most common obstacles to forgiveness or forgiving, let's take a look at what it really means.  Forgiveness is not a suggestion - it's a command.  It is not recommended - it's an essential.  It's not healthy - it's life giving.  It doesn't make life better - it changes lives. So . . . What makes it so hard to pull off?

The answer is found in our human nature.  Paul addresses this best in Romans 7:25b when he says, " . . . I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."  I'm thinking that if Paul, an apostle of Christ and the author of at least thirteen New Testament writings struggled against sin and imperfection then we'll probably find it at least a little difficult to fully embrace the notion of "forgiveness" from time to time!

Take a look at the first half of the same verse, "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"  The answer can only be found in Christ.  It is a human impossibility to do it on our own.  We have to learn to allow God to work in us and through us.  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", Phillipians 4:13.  Even then we won't always get it right!  Forgiveness and forgiving is a continual process of reconciliation and will always be God that makes it possible.


Whenever I think about forgiveness I tend to be drawn to the example of Christ's life and work.  For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).  Sin entered the world through one man - Adam.  Sin became a cancer within humanity's spiritual DNA and has been passed on to every man, woman and child ever since.  Our righteous and holy God judged creation with the plague of death as a result yet though his mercy and grace sent his own Son to die in our places.  I'm sure we all know the story of gospel but, what about the events that led to Christ's brutal death on that cross?


Consider Jesus.  God born into humanity through human flesh yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).  To the world, he was an outcast from the beginning - born seemingly as the illegitimate child of Mary and made the butt of jokes, songs and mockery.  Even his own half brothers and sisters didn't fully accept him as their own (John 1:11).


As he grew up, his calling and purpose began to come into focus.  His purpose was to bring reconciliation between God and man.  The only way that this could be accomplished was through a perfect sacrifice - a judgement of death and destruction of sin in his own body.  He would be that sacrifice for a world that despised him.

Jesus was rejected, feared and hated from birth.  Herod tried to kill him to protect his authority.  The Jews, the very people that God sent him to save, plotted to murder him more than once.  The Scriptures teach us that the crowds pressed against him so hard that nearly crushed him.  These people weren't looking to befriend Jesus.  They were looking for entertainment and to see what he might do for them.  Very few of the people that he healed and fed and loved stuck around long after their own selfish desires were satisfied.

Still others demanded a king - not because they loved him but, because they wanted him to fight for their freedom against the Roman empire.  Religious leaders either threatened him or were ashamed to be seen with him.  Even one of his own disciples plotted against his life.  In the end, they called out to Pilot, "Crucify him!"
On the cross, soldiers taunted him and criminals condemned to the same fate mocked him.  Worse yet, God himself rejected him as he carried the penalty for "our" sins!

Jesus' earthly life was certainly one of pain and suffering from start to finish.  Isaiah 53:3 describes our Lord's life this way - "He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.  We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.  He was despised, and we did not care."  Why would he (God in the flesh, the Creator of mankind) subject himself to fate?  Because if he hadn't . . . that punishment would have been ours to bear!  Eternally bound by the grip of sin and death.  Thank God that Jesus embraced forgiveness over wrath.

Forgiveness (Part 2)

 Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?  Matthew 18:21

In this post, I will attempt to be as succinct as possible and allow the group to flesh out the discussion over the next few days.  Let's allow this session to be guided by the following questions:

• Why are we to forgive?
• Who are we to forgive?
• Why is it important?
• What impact does it have on our world and the kingdom to come?

This is where the issue of forgiveness gets sticky.  Most of us had rather justify our positions for "not" forgiving than to actually submit the God's command to do so. This is not to say that we should foolishly allow our hearts to be trampled on but, it does mean that we have some work to do if we are to grow in our relationship with Christ and others.  I'll do my best to keep my reasoning in context.  Feel free to correct me as needed!


The fact is that we will be "sinned against" and we will sin against others!  In light of this, we'll do well to sow grace generously and pray for an abundant harvest of the same.  A great deal of the pain that we experience comes from our fear of conflict.  Conflict, in and of itself, is not a bad thing.  It is necessary and natural if we are to become effective communicators of the Gospel.  It is also essential to the reconciliation process!  


The problem is usually a failure to deal with root causes or seek mediation.  We are much more content bickering over the "symptoms" of the hurt than to actually find and address the source of bleeding.  Here's my point, it is much easier to argue with your spouse or children over their "laziness" than it is to first pray for guidance and then to calmly disclose that the fact that this issue is really about our feeling abandoned or unappreciated.  


And yes . . . it is a two way street.  This is precisely why we must learn to rely on the Spirit's leading and not our own judgement of the situation.  Be forewarned:  our resolution to forgive and to be understanding doesn't necessarily mean that we'll receive the same courtesy in return.  This is especially true when a believer is dealing with a non-believer.  There is a different standard in play!  


In the end, it is not about the other person's choices.  It's about us and the choices we make as Christians in light of the forgiveness that Jesus has shown us.  Is this fair?  I suppose that depends on your point of reference.  If you are judging fairness by the standards of the world and our "equal rights" culture then the answer is very likely 'no".  If your are judging forgiveness by the standard of God's Word and as citizens of the coming kingdom then you will probably better understand its evangelistic implications as they relate to an eternal standard.


Below are a few Scriptures to chew on as you prepare to answer the question that I asked at the beginning of this discussion.


Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."  Matthew 18:22


"Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves.  So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves."  Matthew 10:16


Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."  Luke 23:34


But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  Romans 5:8


God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:17


. . . And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us.  For we are familiar with his evil schemes.  2 Corinthians 2:10b-11.


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.'  Matthew 18:14-16


Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.   Colossians 3:12-14

Forgiveness (Part 1)

The biblical prescription to "forgive" is not an easy pill to swallow. In fact, the bottle usually has one of those adult-proof lids on it that is really hard to get off.

Notice that I said adult-proof and not child-proof. This is because the command to "forgive one another" become more difficult as we grow older. Perhaps this is because we allow our hearts to grow more calloused and hard with every hurt that we experience.

More likely, it is because adults tend to use their hearts as duffel bags rather than sieves the way that children do. In this instance, the kids have it right! Our hearts were designed as a "flow valves" (both physically and spiritually) rather than storage units.

As with any valve, once the system is clogged it begins to build pressure, fracture, and will eventually fail altogether. Children have an amazing capacity to process and learn from life's wrongs and then simply allow them to flow through until they are discarded and are no longer a threat to the health of the system.

To help us maintain this system, Jesus has given us some basic "warranty" instructions to ensure that our hearts will operate at maximum capacity throughout the duration of our lives. These special instructions not only ensure peak performance - they also serve to either validate or void our warranties.

In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus explains the heart's warranty terms as they relate to "forgiveness" - “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

The manufacturer cannot be held liable for the product if the consumer isn't willing to follow the operating instructions or to perform the necessary maintenance required to ensure that the product is serviced regularly to prevent decreased performance or failure. In short, the consumer is responsible for holding up his end of the deal!

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