Forgiveness – Double Freedom!
(Luke 6 v 37-42/Matthew 18 v 15-20)
The Old Testament is the story of Israel, a nation founded on grace.
God chose Abraham in Genesis, blessed him and his family – Isaac, Jacob and subsequent generations. In Exodus God rescued them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to Canaan, the land He had promised to their ancestors. Through Moses God gave detailed commandments and structures for a safe and just society and among these were to be occasions of celebration. God had been loving and gracious to them, theirs was to be a kind and merciful and subsequently joyful community.
At the heart of their settlement was the Tabernacle representing God’s presence among them, a tangible reminder that they could approach God often, reverently bringing their offerings and prayers and being assured of His ongoing forgiveness and provision.
Deuteronomy 15 tells us that every 7th year was to be a ‘jubilee’. Farmers would let the land rest ‘fallow’. All debts were cancelled and slaves were set free! Grace had been their national foundation, grace and generosity were to be their ongoing strength.
So Jesus was drawing on this Old Testament heritage when He taught His followers to pray, ‘Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those in debt to us.’ It comes just after, ‘Give us today our daily bread.’ Just as our bodies need food every day to keep healthy and strong so our souls need constant grace. We need forgiven and we need to forgive!
The dictionary actually gives not one but four definitions of the word ‘forgive’, four aspects of the same thing. To forgive means to cease to blame, to grant pardon, to release from penalty and to cancel debt. This is what God does when someone repents and turns from sin and submits to trust and obey Jesus as Saviour.
He ceases to regard us as blameworthy and offensive. He declares us ‘justified’. We are no longer destined for punishment in Hell but promised heavenly resurrection and eternal life. We are no longer held accountable for our sins for Jesus suffered to clear our debt on the cross.
The Shorter Catechism sums up a lot of New Testament teaching in questions 33-36 when it states: ‘Justification is the act of God’s free grace by which He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight. He does so only because He counts the righteousness of Christ as ours… Sanctification is the act of God’s free grace by which our whole person is made new in the image of God and we are made more and more able to become dead to sin and alive to righteousness. The benefits that in this life go with or come from justification, adoption and sanctification are: the assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit and growing and persevering in grace to the end of our lives.’
When we understand and appreciate these truths, when we repent and trust and obey and begin to experience them in our lives this makes a wonderful change. We have been reconciled to our Maker. We know Him now as our loving Father Who delights in providing for us. We know the risen Son of God as our Saviour, our Master and Friend, a kindly Shepherd Who leads and accompanies us by the Holy Spirit. It makes church a place of great celebration, a global fellowship of people thankful to share God’s forgiveness and therefore willing to show patience and mercy to one another.
Of course we’re still human so this is not always easy. People sometimes do atrocious things provoking natural outrage. Even in church we have genuine disagreements at times, people can speak rashly, we can all feel hurt and disappointed. We can be quick to blame and condemn others. At times we can be hypocritical. If it weren’t so destructive it could be almost comical like someone with a log in their eye criticising the speck in someone else’s!
Jesus teaches His followers to practise forgiveness. In Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount He expresses it as a caution after the Lord’s Prayer saying our unwillingness to forgive a brother could effectively prevent God’s forgiveness coming to us. In Luke we have a shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer given in response to a question about prayer. It’s likely Jesus taught His pattern for prayer numerous times. On this occasion Jesus encourages forgiveness positively saying, ‘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.’
In Matthew 18 He teaches we shouldn’t be counting our brother or sister’s failures but be willing to forgive and go on forgiving until we’ve lost count. Now this doesn’t mean it’s ok to deliberately go on sinning. But in truth we all frequently have specks and logs in our eyes. Each of us need to address these before the Lord but in church we must discuss things humbly, discreetly, with patience and a desire for reconciliation. How many times have we disappointed our loving Father in heaven? How many times has He graciously looked on His Son’s perfect offering on Calvary and forgiven us yet again? We must try and be like Him.
So here is our choice, to forgive or not to forgive. Both are very powerful. To hold a grudge has a crippling effect. There is a legitimate place for justice but to hunger for revenge prompts people to commit the most dreadful crimes. Consider our history in Ireland where fresh generations today are still seeking vengeance for things done centuries ago! Bitterness invites illness, both physical and mental. It opens a door to spiritual darkness and the deepest sorrow. It poisons fellowship and compromises our witness. Who wants to join a church that speaks of love but practises hatred?
The Lord Jesus urges us to choose higher and better, a path undoubtedly painful but honourable and liberating, a path He travelled Himself when on the cross, suffering agony and humiliation He prayed, ‘Father forgive them…’ Forgiveness liberates both our enemy and ourselves from the curse of an endless feud. It releases us to live and love with gratitude and joy.
Jesus said if we bind or loose things on earth they are bound or loosed in heaven. What did he mean? If we choose bitterness we bind ourselves in darkness, shutting out heaven’s light and grace. But if we choose to forgive and let it go, heaven’s blessing is released upon us, our families and our churches. Debts are cancelled and slaves go free.
Let’s hold that thought.
(Luke 6 v 37-42/Matthew 18 v 15-20)
The Old Testament is the story of Israel, a nation founded on grace.
God chose Abraham in Genesis, blessed him and his family – Isaac, Jacob and subsequent generations. In Exodus God rescued them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to Canaan, the land He had promised to their ancestors. Through Moses God gave detailed commandments and structures for a safe and just society and among these were to be occasions of celebration. God had been loving and gracious to them, theirs was to be a kind and merciful and subsequently joyful community.
At the heart of their settlement was the Tabernacle representing God’s presence among them, a tangible reminder that they could approach God often, reverently bringing their offerings and prayers and being assured of His ongoing forgiveness and provision.
Deuteronomy 15 tells us that every 7th year was to be a ‘jubilee’. Farmers would let the land rest ‘fallow’. All debts were cancelled and slaves were set free! Grace had been their national foundation, grace and generosity were to be their ongoing strength.
So Jesus was drawing on this Old Testament heritage when He taught His followers to pray, ‘Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those in debt to us.’ It comes just after, ‘Give us today our daily bread.’ Just as our bodies need food every day to keep healthy and strong so our souls need constant grace. We need forgiven and we need to forgive!
The dictionary actually gives not one but four definitions of the word ‘forgive’, four aspects of the same thing. To forgive means to cease to blame, to grant pardon, to release from penalty and to cancel debt. This is what God does when someone repents and turns from sin and submits to trust and obey Jesus as Saviour.
He ceases to regard us as blameworthy and offensive. He declares us ‘justified’. We are no longer destined for punishment in Hell but promised heavenly resurrection and eternal life. We are no longer held accountable for our sins for Jesus suffered to clear our debt on the cross.
The Shorter Catechism sums up a lot of New Testament teaching in questions 33-36 when it states: ‘Justification is the act of God’s free grace by which He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight. He does so only because He counts the righteousness of Christ as ours… Sanctification is the act of God’s free grace by which our whole person is made new in the image of God and we are made more and more able to become dead to sin and alive to righteousness. The benefits that in this life go with or come from justification, adoption and sanctification are: the assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit and growing and persevering in grace to the end of our lives.’
When we understand and appreciate these truths, when we repent and trust and obey and begin to experience them in our lives this makes a wonderful change. We have been reconciled to our Maker. We know Him now as our loving Father Who delights in providing for us. We know the risen Son of God as our Saviour, our Master and Friend, a kindly Shepherd Who leads and accompanies us by the Holy Spirit. It makes church a place of great celebration, a global fellowship of people thankful to share God’s forgiveness and therefore willing to show patience and mercy to one another.
Of course we’re still human so this is not always easy. People sometimes do atrocious things provoking natural outrage. Even in church we have genuine disagreements at times, people can speak rashly, we can all feel hurt and disappointed. We can be quick to blame and condemn others. At times we can be hypocritical. If it weren’t so destructive it could be almost comical like someone with a log in their eye criticising the speck in someone else’s!
Jesus teaches His followers to practise forgiveness. In Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount He expresses it as a caution after the Lord’s Prayer saying our unwillingness to forgive a brother could effectively prevent God’s forgiveness coming to us. In Luke we have a shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer given in response to a question about prayer. It’s likely Jesus taught His pattern for prayer numerous times. On this occasion Jesus encourages forgiveness positively saying, ‘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.’
In Matthew 18 He teaches we shouldn’t be counting our brother or sister’s failures but be willing to forgive and go on forgiving until we’ve lost count. Now this doesn’t mean it’s ok to deliberately go on sinning. But in truth we all frequently have specks and logs in our eyes. Each of us need to address these before the Lord but in church we must discuss things humbly, discreetly, with patience and a desire for reconciliation. How many times have we disappointed our loving Father in heaven? How many times has He graciously looked on His Son’s perfect offering on Calvary and forgiven us yet again? We must try and be like Him.
So here is our choice, to forgive or not to forgive. Both are very powerful. To hold a grudge has a crippling effect. There is a legitimate place for justice but to hunger for revenge prompts people to commit the most dreadful crimes. Consider our history in Ireland where fresh generations today are still seeking vengeance for things done centuries ago! Bitterness invites illness, both physical and mental. It opens a door to spiritual darkness and the deepest sorrow. It poisons fellowship and compromises our witness. Who wants to join a church that speaks of love but practises hatred?
The Lord Jesus urges us to choose higher and better, a path undoubtedly painful but honourable and liberating, a path He travelled Himself when on the cross, suffering agony and humiliation He prayed, ‘Father forgive them…’ Forgiveness liberates both our enemy and ourselves from the curse of an endless feud. It releases us to live and love with gratitude and joy.
Jesus said if we bind or loose things on earth they are bound or loosed in heaven. What did he mean? If we choose bitterness we bind ourselves in darkness, shutting out heaven’s light and grace. But if we choose to forgive and let it go, heaven’s blessing is released upon us, our families and our churches. Debts are cancelled and slaves go free.
Let’s hold that thought.
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