For Your Sake Forgive

This message was preached by  Manesh Peter via zoom  Word of Grace Church , on the July 19 2020. For the audio please click here. 

“FOR YOUR SAKE, FORGIVE”

Text – Matthew 18:21-35

Pride is the root cause for all unforgiveness. Humility always precedes Forgiveness. In fact, we are easily offended, when we are proud.

We cannot avoid offences. Bible says offences will come.

Luke 17:1 NKJV - Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offences should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!

The Greek for the word ‘Offenses’ used in this verse also has the meaning ‘Stumbling block’, ‘Trap’.

So, offences are a trap from the enemy. Therefore, we should be quick to forgive. The speed with which we forgive is an indicator of our spiritual level.

In Hosea 6:6, God expresses His desire that we should show Mercy.

What is Mercy and Grace?

Mercy is not giving the punishment which the person deserves.

Grace is giving the blessings which the person doesn’t deserve.

The person who offended you deserves punishment. But you should not desire to punish that person. Instead, you should show the offender Mercy which he/she doesn’t deserve.

Forgive means to release the offender and to set him/her free.

According to Theologian Lewis Smedes – ‘To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that person was you’.

Yes, forgiveness sets us free.

Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the offender to die. It takes us away from God, gives inroads to Satan and causes Sickness.

In parable of Unmerciful Servant, Jesus gives a profound teaching on ‘Why should we forgive?’ and  

‘How should we forgive?’.

1.      Great is God’s Forgiveness.

Matthew 5:24-27 NIV

24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.

 In Greek, the amount which servant actually owed the king is ten thousand talents. If the talents were gold, the current value of this debt would be more than 60,000 crores of Rupees. If the talents were silver, the current value of this debt would be more than 750 crores of Rupees. Either way it’s a huge debt that king forgave.

Similarly, God’s forgiveness is also huge.    

              

Colossians 2:13-14 NIV

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

Great are our sins and yet God forgave all our sins. We were bought at a huge price – The suffering and death of God’s only begotten son Jesus (1Corinthians 6:20).

Some think that they have not done great sins. In jails, murderers hate rapists. They think they are better than rapists. Similarly, the thieves hate the murderers. They think they are better than murderers. One might feel Holy in comparison to another person. But in comparison to the Holy God, we are unholy, and we cannot have relationship with God without the finished work on the cross.

So, this gives us an irrefutable reason to forgive.

Why should we forgive?

#1 We have received great forgiveness.

Matthew 5:33 NIV - Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’

As we have received great forgiveness from God, we don’t have the right to keep unforgiveness.

#2 Unforgiveness has consequences.

Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV - 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 

Unforgiveness is not the will of the Father and hence it gives inroads to the enemy and can cause sickness. However, all sicknesses are not due to unforgiveness.

2.      Forgive others as God forgave us.

Matthew 5:33 NIV - Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’

Ephesians 4:32 NIV - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Our forgiveness should be the way God forgave us.

How was God’s forgiveness?

#1 Free – We have been saved by Grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). It’s a gift and we cannot achieve it through works.

#2 Complete – All our sins (Past, Present and Future) have been forgiven (Colossians 2:13).

So, how should be our forgiveness?

#1. Free – The King didn’t ask anything in return when he cancelled the servant’s debt (Matthew 18:27). So, we should forgive others unconditionally.

#2. Complete – The king cancelled the complete debt (Matthew 18:27). Similarly, we should forgive others completely.

#3. Without limits – Jesus asked Peter to forgive seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22) which means unlimited times.

#4. From our heart – Jesus says we should forgive from our heart (Matthew 18:35).

But, how can we forgive others from our heart?

#1. Ask God’s help – Holy Spirit is with us to help us and He helps us in our weakness. Pour out your heart to Him and seek His help when you are not able to forgive.

#2. Remember – All of us have sinned – Jesus says let the one who has not sinned cast the first stone (John 8:7).

#3. Remember - We have received forgiveness - As God has forgiven all our sins (Colossians 2:13), we don’t have the right to keep unforgiveness.

#4. Know the real enemy – If someone did something wrong to you, it is because he/she was deceived by the enemy. In Matthew 16, when Jesus said He would be killed, Peter replied that this will never happen to Him. Jesus response was ‘Get behind me, Satan’. Jesus was not calling Peter Satan. He knew the real enemy who influenced Peter into speaking against God’s will.

5. Pray for the person - Luke 6:28 says that we should bless and pray for the person who hurts us.  Pray for the person, all that you would pray for yourself.

“Do yourself a favour. For your sake, Forgive.”

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.