Biblical Forgiveness – Isaiah 43:25 – Bible study
Biblical Forgiveness
Isaiah 43:25
Cooper P. Abrams III
Introduction: Genuine forgiveness runs deep. It is nota thin surface patch on a relationship, but an inner change of heart towardthe offender. Too often we think we have extended forgiveness whenwe have only covered over our resentment.
Corrie Ten Boom shares this true story in her book, “TheHiding Place”: It was a church service in Munich that I saw him,the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’spain-blanched face. He came up to me as the church wasemptying, beaming and bowing. “How grateful I am for your message,Fraulein,” he said. “To think that, as you say, He has washed my sinsaway!”
His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who hadpreached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive,kept my hand at my side.
Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I sawthe sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.
I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I couldnot. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. Andso again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.
The story says they she then took his hand the most incrediblething happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand acurrent seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a lovefor this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discoveredthat it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that theworld’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to loveour enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.
I. DOES GOD REQUIRE YOU TO FORGIVE AND FORGET?
I think we know the answer to that, but lets see whatthe Bible says. An unforgiving, vengeful, or bitter spiritwill not only effect us and those around us, it will separate us from theblessing of God. Therefore we must forgive others no matter whatthe offense.
A. The Scripture sets the example in that God’s forgivenessinvolves remembering your sins no more.
1. Isa. 43.25.
2. Jeremiah 31:34. “No more shall everyman teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,’for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,”says the Lord. “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will rememberno more.” (Jer 31:34)
3. Eph. 1:7-12.
4. “But if we walk in the light asHe is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood ofJesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John. 1:7)
5. Heb. 10:19-22.
B. God totally forgives, yet he cannot erase the memoryof our sins. He is the almighty and final Judge who will bringevery act and every even careless word to judgment whether good or evil.
1. For believers: “For we mustall appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receivethe things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether goodor bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10)
2. “And if you call on the Father,who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselvesthroughout the time of your sojourning here in fear” (1 Peter 1:17)
3. Folks forgetting is not requiredin order to forgive. Because the memory of sin remainsit does not mean that there is not total and complete forgiveness.
C. God knows we have sinned and has the memory of itbut God does not hold sin against the believer after God forgives him.
1. “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted,forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32)
2. Our responsibility is to forgiveas others as God has forgiven us. It means we are not to holdanother’s sin against him.
You are to commit it to God. God is the judge. “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Fatherwith His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Matt. 16:27)
“Grudge (grumble) not one against another,brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” (James 5:9)
D. The term “not to remember”means “not to mention or to bring to mind.”
It means you do not keep an account.
You to not keep score.
E. The Bible uses the term “forget”in the sense of “escaping notice.” For example, the Apostle Paul couldremember his earlier sins, yet he boldly proclaimed “to forget” (not takenotice of those things) that were behind in order to press on toward thegoal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
1. Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do,forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those thingswhich are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward callof God in Christ Jesus.”
2. 1 Timothy 1:12-15. Paul was formallya persecutor and blasphemer…yet he found mercy in the Lord.
F. Some folks try very hard to forgetand fail! Because it is next to impossible to forget things thathappen.
1. Yet, we can and should not to havethem effect our relationship to others.
2. Memory plays a good function inthat we can remember what we before God saved us. It helps us appreciateand be thankful to God for saving us from that life style and sin.
3. We are to forgive and not let thememory of past sins against us effect our love for the brethren.
II. IS IT POSSIBLE OR NECESSARY FOR YOU TO FORGIVE YOURSELF?”
A. Man’s wisdom teaches that “forgiving self” is aprerequisite for experiencing peace and joy.
1. We hear statements: ” I justcan’t forgive myself for what I have done.” OR “You mustlearn to forgive yourself to get rid of your guilt.”
One might even say, “I know God forgives me, but I needto forgive myself.”
2. What does the Bible say!!???
B. Any teaching that emphasizes a need to forgive oneselfis in fact trusting and exalting SELF instead of relying solely on the promisesof God.
1. God says it we believe and trustHim, He totally forgives us our sins for all time.
2. That is a promise of God.
3. If you then believe that youmust forgive yourself to get peace and joy, in addition to God’s Plan ofForgiveness, your are saying God’s plan is not adequate.
C. How do you go about forgiving yourself?
1. Do you make yourself forget youdid the act?
2. Or do you deny you did it.
3. Question: Can you forgive yourselfof your sin? Who is the only one who can forgive sin!?
4. Suppose you are able to force yourselfto accept that you have forgiven yourself…..all you have in fact done isforce yourself to feel forgiven!
BUT IF YOU ARE FORGIVEN WHO REALLY FORGAVE YOU?
GOD DID…ONLY HE CAN FORGIVE YOU.
5. Folks if you could forgive yourselfthen why do we need God?
D. 1 John 1:9, says it is God who forgives and who”cleanses” for all unrighteousness!
E. Instead of trying to forgive yourself in additionto God’s forgiveness, you should go on with your life in Christ.
1. God forgave the matter is settled!!
2. Phil. 3:13-14!!!
III. WILL THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR SIN BE REMOVED WHEN YOURECEIVE FORGIVENESS?
A. “Most assuredly, I say to you,he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life,and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John5:24)
1. The ultimate judgment for your sinis removed.
Rom. 6:23.
2. Roman 8:1, “{There is} thereforenow no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk accordingto the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:1)
B. However, receiving God’s forgivenessdoes not guarantee all the consequences of your sin will be removed.
1. A friend of mine while incollege before he was saved he took LSD. Was worried if it would effecthis children.
2. Alcoholic: Years destroyinghis body. Saved yet still has a diseased body.
3. The thief on the cross believedin Christ Jesus and was saved…yet he still died for his sin. Hissoul was saved yet His body was not.
C. You can receive God’s forgivenessfor your sin against someone else, but you are responsible to go the personagainst you have sinned and seek reconciliation!
Matthew 5:23-24 gives the action we must take: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that yourbrother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar,and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offeryour gift.”
IV. WHAT ABOUT NOT FEELING LIKE FORGIVING ANOTHER OR NOT FEELING LIKEYOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN?
A. Even if you do not feel likeforgiving another, you can and you must obey God and forgive as God has forgivenyou.
1. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselvesto think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is fromGod.” (2 Cor. 3:5)
2. Phil. 2:12-15.
3. Your forgiving is not to be basedon how you FEEL about the matter, but out of obedience to God.
4. God will not bring up your pastsins against you…you must not bring up past sins against another.
B. As a child of God, even if youdo not “feel” forgiven after sincerely confessing your sins, the fact isthat God has promised to forgive you and you are forgiven.
1. It is a matter of trusting God. God said to repent of your sin and ask forgiveness. If you trulyrepent…then God forgives. BELIEVE IT…GOD WILL NOT LIE.
2. Nothing can take away your salvation. ROMANS 8:31-34.
3. What are you to do? At Paul said, let the past take care of itself….you press on to the highmark of your calling to God. (PHIL. 3:12-14)
CONCLUSION:
Sir Walter Scott had difficulty with the idea of “turning the other cheek.” But Jesus’ words took on special meaning one day when Scott threw a rock at a stray dog to chase it away. His aim was straighter and his delivery stronger than he had intended, for he hit the animal and broke its leg. Instead of running off, the dog limped over to him and licked his hand. Sir Walter never forgot that touching response. He said, “Thatdog preached the Sermon on the Mount to me as few ministers have everpresented it.” Scott said he had not found human beings so readyto forgive their enemies.
TO THE LOST: RECEIVE GOD’S PROMISES AND FORGIVENESS FROMSIN.
TO THE SAVED: BELIEVE AND TRUST GOD….LIVE FOR GOD ANDFORGIVE OTHERS! As Jesus told the woman caught in adultery…”goand sin no more.”