Classroom: Forgiveness TWO 03-01-07
03-01-07 Brian
Forgiveness TWO
Forgiveness is not optional. Forgiveness is best for the other person, to draw them back to God; but forgiveness doesn’t change the past. If we let our anger keep stirring us, if we don’t give these things to God,
Revenge, the first idea that comes into our minds when somebody wrongs us; vengeance is for God. Romans 12:19 – Hebrews 10:30
Grief is not guilt.
We have to hold on to the belief that every person can change. Think of yourself, and who God has changed in the Bible.
The Bible says to take the log out of our own eye before examining the spec in our brother’s eye. It doesn’t say don’t worry about your brother’s problems – it just says to examine yourself first and make sure there’s nothing hindering you.
Forgiveness involves personal pain. Whenever you extend the hand of grace, there’s always going to be one dog out there that will bite our hand.
You can take the example of Joseph and his brothers. What did Joseph do when his brothers came to him?
Forgiveness restores the possibility of relationship; therefore it reopens the future. There is a releasing from the other person of their burden.
Why does God delay His judgment upon us? Because He loves us.
Why does God delay His judgment upon Satan?
Does God condemn those whom He loves?
Forgetting is negative and passive.
Forgiving is positive and creative.
Before you “forgive and forget” – the one who has sinned and the one who was sinned against must remember together. They must recall the feeling together, and finish the feeling together, reconstruct the relationship together, and then they can forget together.
Forgiveness
1. Is not an option
2. Is for the spiritual benefit of the sinner
3. Involves personal pain/sacrifice
4. Opens the doors to restore the relationship
Hunger for restoration + Revoke desire for revenge + Pursuing goodness = Forgiveness that invites repentance and is open for reconciliation.
Matthew 5:38-39
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
If you turn the other cheek, you may receive many things – but if you turn the other cheek, you expose their sin to them. They might see their anger, and you are able to demonstrate that you are living in a different kingdom.
When we’re dealing with sinners, the Christian thing to do is not to cower when we are being wronged – but to stand firm, not in anger, not in trying to seek revenge, and not turning away.
Matthew 5:42
Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Jesus gave people what they needed, and not what they thought they wanted; and I think that’s an important thing to think about. I think that’s how we “don’t refuse” the one who asks – but giving them what they need and not what they think they want.
If Jesus wanted to love the way we often think we should be loving people – he would have lived to a ripe old age because nobody ever would have wanted to kill him.
Reconciliation:
Romans 5:10
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
What do enemies do?
Take your people
Take your land
Take your authority
Banish you from their presence
Before we came to know God, we were building kingdoms and communities of darkness. We were enemies of God. In a war, what usually causes a war to end? All being dead. An agreement is reached. And when an agreement is reached, usually it’s because one side realize if they do not reach an agreement – they all will die.
We were in war with God and it was only going to end when someone died. If you get in a war with God – who do you think will die first?
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
So through Christ’s death, we have been reconciled to God and have been given the words of reconciliation. We have moved from being enemies to ambassadors.
Ephesians 2:11-15
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
Forgiveness TWO
Forgiveness is not optional. Forgiveness is best for the other person, to draw them back to God; but forgiveness doesn’t change the past. If we let our anger keep stirring us, if we don’t give these things to God,
Revenge, the first idea that comes into our minds when somebody wrongs us; vengeance is for God. Romans 12:19 – Hebrews 10:30
Grief is not guilt.
We have to hold on to the belief that every person can change. Think of yourself, and who God has changed in the Bible.
The Bible says to take the log out of our own eye before examining the spec in our brother’s eye. It doesn’t say don’t worry about your brother’s problems – it just says to examine yourself first and make sure there’s nothing hindering you.
Forgiveness involves personal pain. Whenever you extend the hand of grace, there’s always going to be one dog out there that will bite our hand.
You can take the example of Joseph and his brothers. What did Joseph do when his brothers came to him?
Forgiveness restores the possibility of relationship; therefore it reopens the future. There is a releasing from the other person of their burden.
Why does God delay His judgment upon us? Because He loves us.
Why does God delay His judgment upon Satan?
Does God condemn those whom He loves?
Forgetting is negative and passive.
Forgiving is positive and creative.
Before you “forgive and forget” – the one who has sinned and the one who was sinned against must remember together. They must recall the feeling together, and finish the feeling together, reconstruct the relationship together, and then they can forget together.
Forgiveness
1. Is not an option
2. Is for the spiritual benefit of the sinner
3. Involves personal pain/sacrifice
4. Opens the doors to restore the relationship
Hunger for restoration + Revoke desire for revenge + Pursuing goodness = Forgiveness that invites repentance and is open for reconciliation.
Matthew 5:38-39
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
If you turn the other cheek, you may receive many things – but if you turn the other cheek, you expose their sin to them. They might see their anger, and you are able to demonstrate that you are living in a different kingdom.
When we’re dealing with sinners, the Christian thing to do is not to cower when we are being wronged – but to stand firm, not in anger, not in trying to seek revenge, and not turning away.
Matthew 5:42
Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Jesus gave people what they needed, and not what they thought they wanted; and I think that’s an important thing to think about. I think that’s how we “don’t refuse” the one who asks – but giving them what they need and not what they think they want.
If Jesus wanted to love the way we often think we should be loving people – he would have lived to a ripe old age because nobody ever would have wanted to kill him.
Reconciliation:
Romans 5:10
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
What do enemies do?
Take your people
Take your land
Take your authority
Banish you from their presence
Before we came to know God, we were building kingdoms and communities of darkness. We were enemies of God. In a war, what usually causes a war to end? All being dead. An agreement is reached. And when an agreement is reached, usually it’s because one side realize if they do not reach an agreement – they all will die.
We were in war with God and it was only going to end when someone died. If you get in a war with God – who do you think will die first?
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
So through Christ’s death, we have been reconciled to God and have been given the words of reconciliation. We have moved from being enemies to ambassadors.
Ephesians 2:11-15
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
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