Matthew 6:12 – You Get What You Give – Bible study

Matthew 6:12 You Get What You Give Matt 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Notice the word "as," in this verse. It connects and associates the last part of the verse to the first. To be more specific, it connects and associates the action in the last half of the verse to the first. If I want to receive the action in the first part of the verse, I must complete the action in the last part of the verse. That means Gods forgiveness to us will be AS our forgiveness to others. If you doubt that, look at two other verses: Matt 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. As precious and valuable as salvation is to us, I doubt that anyone has ever truly appreciated it. Its effect we may begin to comprehend; but the number of elements that go into bringing that effect to pass, will probably forever be a mystery. There is substitution – Christ died for us. There is adoption – We are made to be sons and daughters of God. There is empowerment – To them gave He power to become sons of God. There is joint-heirship – Everything that is Christs became ours. There is reunion with God – Ye are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. One of the treasured elements of our salvation is FORGIVENESS. Forgiveness is a tough element to comprehend. We all know that to have salvation, we must be forgiven by God. Yet, Jesus was telling His disciples that in order to be forgiven, we must forgive. That becomes a great stumbling block for some, because some people are not grudge forgivers but grudge bearers. Lets study the concept of forgiveness tonight. I. What is FORGIVENESS? For several years, I have sought a definition for forgiveness but have not found one. I believe forgiveness is just too big to define. Whatever definition one comes up with, it would have to include several elements: A. It should be a forgiveness with forgetfulness. Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 1. Most of us understand what forgetfulness is when it comes to the forgiveness that we want to receive but not when it comes to the forgiveness we want to give. 2. Forgetfulness is the two-edged sword of forgiveness. It must cut in both directions. a. I know that I want God and everybody else to forget the bad things I have done. (1) The little tract that we give out, "This was your life." has a man being judged as his whole life is replayed on a big screen for all to see. (2) I do not want that. (3) I do not want to create a memory of God and me looking at my sins together! (a) I know He is God and so He saw when I did them. (b) And I know at least some of the sins that I have committed. (c) But I do not have and do not want to have a memory of God and me ever looking at my sins together. (d) Good news – I dont think I ever will. (4) There are some things I look forward to about dying. (a) One is, when I die, my memories of my sins will die with me. (b) I will never remember then again. (c) In death, we will be able to fully forgive and forget our sins just as God has. (5) That is forgiveness I want. b. If that is the forgiveness we want, that is the forgiveness we must give. (1) Some may remember the name Clara Barton. (2) She founded the American Red Cross. (3) One day, a reported asked her about an incident in which a cruel thing had been done to her. She acted as if she did not remember it; whereupon the reporter asked, "Dont you remember?" Her answer was, "No, I distinctly remember forgetting that incident." http://www.preaching.com/sermons/11623207/page-3/ 3. Someone complains, "How can I forget? I am not a machine that can just erase its hard drive." The answer is threefold: a. Dont dwell on it. (1) Too many people entertain bad memories and bad thoughts. (2) The mind was given to us to help us accomplish what God wants us to do. (3) It was not given to us to force us to relive some sorrow or situation until we are bitter, joyless, defeated beings. (4) Learn to control what your mind thinks on. (5) Dont let it rehearse things that you are supposed to forget. b. When you think of it, dont mention it. (1) Have I remembered something I purposed to forget? (2) Sure, but if I am wanting to forget it, the last thing I should be doing is talking about, (a) Not to myself, not to my wife, my children, not even to God. (b) Too many people cannot forget the wrongs done against them because they cant telling everyone about them. (3) Our mind must be treated something like a courtroom. (a) Sometimes the judge says to the lawyers, "That is inadmissible." (b) That means, even though it may have happened, it cannot be used in this trial. (c) Such an event is not only inadmissible in Gods Court of Judgment, but it is also inadmissible in the recesses of our mind. c. When you think of it, make the devil pay for it. (1) I believe most of worst torments are Satans strongest battlefields. (2) I dont know how, but I believe the devil drudges up those memories and then dumbs guilt all over us, and I believe he does that because he figures he cannot lose. (a) He wants to pull us down and these kinds of memories do just that. (b) And even if they dont, it didnt cost him anything to try. (3) We have to change that. (4) When we audibly start praising God for the forgiveness God has given us, and even more, go tell someone who they can be forgiven, it starts to cost the devil something. (5) If an act that the devil does consistently starts costing him, he will stop it. B. It should be a forgiveness with no condemnation. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 1. Condemnation means judgment. 2. The thing we most want removed by forgiveness is the judgment. 3. Everyone has done wrong, but not everyone is punished for the wrong they have done. 4. Some would say it was because they never got caught. I would say it was because God was merciful to you. 5. Everyone in this room understands what it is to receive the mercy of God for the wrong we have done, but we sometimes stumble at the fact that God demands we give mercy for the wrongs done against us. a. When we are forgiven by God, God erases the slate. b. It is as if we have never done the wrong at all. c. God holds nothing over our heads. d. In our text, Jesus was saying that if we are to receive that kind of forgiveness from Him, we must give that kind of forgiveness for the wrongs done to us. e. We must forgive them as if they had never done anything wrong to us at all. 6. If that is the forgiveness we want, that is the forgiveness we must give. C. It should be a forgiveness with no limits. 1. Not only does God NOT punish us, but neither does He limit us. a. After forgiving us, God does not curtail our friendship. b. After forgiving us, God does not limit our service. c. After forgiving us, God does not restrict our opportunity. 2. When God forgives us, God opens Himself to being hurt all over again. 3. If that is the forgiveness we want, that is the forgiveness we must give. 4. I understand that in dealing with people who have done wrong, we must be wise simply because we do not have the foreknowledge and unlimited abilities that God has. a. One does not put a former thief in charge of the treasury. b. One does not put a former child molester over the day care. c. One does not put a former drug addict in charge of the pharmacy. 5. Even so, when we have been hurt by a friend or relative, we cannot close our hearts to them and refuse to let them hurt us again. 6. If that is all of the forgiveness we can give, I fear we will one day learn that that was all the forgiveness we receivedand it was not enough to get us into heaven. II. Why did Jesus tie the forgiveness we receive to the forgiveness we receive? A. The Bible does not say. B. However, I believe it is because the blood of Jesus Christ is both the payment for the sins we have done and the payment for the sins done against us. Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: C. All forgiveness, both that which we need and that which we are to give, was paid for by Jesus death on the cross. D. Let me see if I can explain this by asking and answering a few questions. 1. Can God forgive everyone of everything? YES. 2. How can God forgive everyone of everything? The only way is Jesus had to pay for every sin, even the ones done against me. 3. How can I hold a grudge against someone who wronged me when the same blood that paid for my wrongs against God paid for his wrongs against me? a. The answer is, "I cant." That wrong has already been paid for. b. If anyone has the right to hold the grudge it would be the one who paid for the wrong, but God wont because He forgave the sin. E. I might talk on this point for another twenty minutes, but either you can see this or you cant. 1. I hear some people speaking of their inability to forgive. 2. They say they cannot forgive so and so. 3. I hope that is not true. a. I hope that it is that you will not forgive not that you cannot. b. If you will not, you can change your mind, and I hope you will tonight. c. However, if you cannot find it in your heart to forgive someone of the wrong paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, it is likely because you have never repented of your sins and let God come inside of you. III. What can giving forgiveness do for us? A. Forgiveness is the counterweight to anger. 1. Some people are very short tempered. There are many causes for short-tempered. a. Pride. When we think we are so special that no has the right to disagree with us, let alone wrong us, we will often find ourselves angry. b. Lack of self-control is one. Some just never learned how to make themselves behave. c. There are others. 2. However, a common reason for being angry is that you never learned to forgive. a. A perfect standard is a hard standard for your friends and family to live up to. b. Since no one is perfect, we have only three alternatives in dealing with people. (1) We can isolate ourselves from everyone. (2) We can learn how to forgive those who have wronged you. (3) Or we can be angry. c. The first is not practical, the second is not always easy, so many people settle for the third. d. If you are tired of being an out-of-control, short- tempered, lonely person, try forgiveness. B. Forgiveness is the antidote to bitterness. 1. I heard a speaker on Christian radio retelling a tale that must be many years old by now. 2. He was a Christian counselor and was relating, without using names, a situation that he was close to. 3. A lady had a real problem with bitterness. She had a unforgiving spirit and had held onto some wrongs for years. It had ruined her life in so many ways. Now, it was taking her health. Her doctor told her that if she did not deal with it, he was certain it would eventually take her life. So she turned to a Christian counselor. He meet with her for some time and encouraged her regularly to make an effort to forgive, but she either would not or could not. The counselor had little else he could do for her. Finally, as a last act, he asked her, "Why wont you give up this wrong?" She moved to the window and with tears running down her face answered, "If I let it go, I wont have anything else." 4. Sadly, some people are like that. a. The only thing they have to keep them going is bitterness and anger. b. Their angry, bitter life is choking out all of the people and things that could give you any joy. 5. However, forgiveness is cure for the weed of bitterness. a. If you will start spreading it around liberally, you will find it kills bitterness. b. Now, if you have been practicing bitterness for a long time, it may take a while before new friends blossom and love starts to sprout in your garden again; but give it some time, and you will find it will. C. Forgiveness will gain you forgiveness. 1. Please understand. a. It takes more than being a forgiving person to go to heaven. b. One still has to repent of sins and believe on Jesus. 2. I believe what Jesus was doing here was telling us that if we will not forgive, we have not repented. 3. Lets complete the requirements. a. Lets believe what Jesus did for us. b. And lets completely repent of our stubborn and rebellious heart. Will you do that tonight?