The Holy Spirit, Reconciliation, And You

Father thank you for sunday morning. Thank you for resurrection. Sunday that christ is alive and risen from the dead. We thank you for your word. We pray that your spirit would open our eyes and our hearts to your clear revelation.

This morning we pray in christ's name. I'm gonna give you a chance to apply at the outset the message this morning on reconciliation. This is sunday school. So i'm supposed to teach not preach. But because of the subject matter i might get into a preaching mode.

So i'm asking you ahead of time please forgive me. Would you forgive me if i start preaching. Okay good now look if scott can forgive me anybody can forgive me. You see a few weeks ago he told me that i deeply offended him because he was driving by the store i work at and he was stopped at the red light and he was waving to me even though i was looking straight out at him i never said hi but he was gracious enough to forgive me.

So so he's a great example of reconciliation. We're gonna look at some passages together. So i'm gonna read them for the sake of the recording. And uh... So let's turn first at matthew chapter five the greatest sermon ever preached the sermon on the mount by the prince of preachers.

Not spurgeon but christ. Matthew chapter five verses twenty three to twenty four. This morning we're going to look at the issue of reconciliation. When i'm using that term this morning in our sunday school i'm not primarily referring to reconciliation between man and god though we will make reference to that as we go along.

I'm referring specifically to reconciliation amongst ourselves amongst humans. So let's look at the words of christ in matthew chapter five verses twenty three to twenty four. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you continue offering your gift and then go to your brother.

Isn't that what the ESV says. Actually i misread it. I'm sorry. Let's try it again. So if you're offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you because your brother has something against you let him take the initiative to reconcile to you.

That's the original greek. What are you looking at me for. What did jesus say if you remember that. Not you have something against your brother but that your brother has something against you. Leave your gift verse twenty four before the altar and go first.

An issue of priorities. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. We're gonna look at five things that reconciliation affects. Number one reconciliation affects your worship.

Reconciliation with others affects your worship. That is jesus' point here you cannot go before god to worship. And then while you're doing that remember your brother has something against you. Meaning that you have offended them have sinned against them.

Leave the worship and first be reconciled. I remember when i was pastoring one of the elders at our church his son had done something to uh... offend me. So his father went up to him and told his son that he was about twelve at the time that he needed to come and apologize to me.

So his son came up to me and he said to me i'm sorry pastor. And i said about what. What are you sorry about. He just wanted to get away with just i'm sorry. Of course i knew what he had done it but i wanted him to specify exactly what he was sorry about.

And he did do that by the grace of god. A lot of times when it comes to reconciliation when we know our brother has something against us and we go to apologize. Many of you who are married know that this happens.

I'm sure pastor mike has already if he hasn't already discussed this in the IBS class. Sweetie you know i'm sorry i got upset. But if you didn't push my buttons when we go to reconcile if our brother has something against us and we've offended them there's no ifs.

There's no buts. We come humbly before the person and say what i did or said was wrong. Would you forgive me. Because if we don't do that we can try to continue to worship the lord. But it's going to be for not.

But notice you don't have to turn here. But in matthew eighteen the passage where christ gives the church disciplinary passage he says if your brother sins against you you go. So watch this in both instances whether you have offended somebody or somebody else has offended you you have to take the initiative.

Now we greeks love to say well you know as i read earlier the passage from matthew five. Well if he has something against me let him come. Why should i have to go. You see i have two strikes against me.

Not only am i human which means i'm a sinner but i'm also greek which means i'm an extra sinner. But you know i'm not a cretin. I wasn't born in crete. Those cretes are liars and lazy gluttons. Right.

Isn't that what paul tells titus. But i'm actually kind of worse because i was born in athens. And we athenians are more religious about our idolatry. We make altars and worship to an unknown god. So it's even worse.

But we greeks think well if somebody else did something wrong has something against me. We as sinners think that way. No let them come to me. Jesus said no. This is what it means to be a follower of me when we celebrate the lord's supper here that's a form of worship.

There's so much more to worship than just singing a hymn. So as you're here to celebrate the lord's supper. That's why paul gives instruction in chapter eleven of first corinthians. Let a person examine himself then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

How are you going to worship the lord in remembrance of him. Do this in memory of me for what he did on the cross when you're not reconciled with somebody else. So the first reason reconciliation is important because it affects our worship.

Reconciliation and Assurance of Salvation

Number two it not only affects our worship but it affects our assurance. Reconciliation affects your assurance. Turn with me for that to the epistle of first john. The epistle of first john was written specifically by the closest disciple of our lord.

It's one of the reasons it's my favorite epistle. And he's writing to address a lot of heresies like gnosticism. But he's also writing to address. How can one know that they are saved. First john five thirteen.

He gives his purpose statement. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of god in order that you may know that you have eternal life. We can have assurance of salvation. And throughout the book he gives a bunch of tests.

How can one know that they are truly saved. How can they have assurance. Will jump to chapter four. And in chapter four he makes this astounding statement. First john four twenty. Now mind you this is ran from the apostle whom jesus loved as he refers to himself in the gospel of john and john.

The apostle of love writes in first john four twenty. If anyone says says he does that throughout the epistle. By the way if anyone says i know god but doesn't do what he says he's a liar. If anyone says i love god and hates his brother he is a liar.

For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot not will not cannot love god whom he has not seen. The vertical is demonstrated by the horizontal. That's why early in chapter three when he refers to cain as an illustration from the old testament he makes this astounding statement.

In chapter three verse fifteen of the same epistle everyone who hates his brother is a murderer. He had just finished talking about cain and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. It's consistent with what jesus said on the sermon on the mount.

Everyone who hates his brother the one who says i love god but hates his brother is a liar. He cannot do that john said one of the men i was working with when we lived in new york in our ministry. There he went to visit his mom in greece one summer.

So when he came back i was all excited to hear about his trip because i wasn't able to go to greece. But he was and he seemed kind of dejected. When we were talking about his trip i said p what's the matter.

He said i don't think my mom is saved. I thought she was. What gives you that impression. She is resenting somebody for years now. As i got to talk to her she has a deep-seated bitterness is not willing to love this person and extend forgiveness to them.

She claims that she's been forgiving by god. She claims she loves god but yet she can't love this person. He was concerned about her salvation. Reconciliation with others on the vert on the horizontal level affects our assurance.

It's as pastor mike mentioned last week in quoting george whitfield it's carnal security. You cannot love god say you do. And yet not demonstrate that by loving fellow believers. First john three fourteen.

Actually he said in the verse right before the one i read. By this we know we have passed from death to life using the language of jesus from john five. He who hears my word and believes him who sent me has passed from death to life.

So john picks up on that from by this we know we have passed from death to life. When you pray the sinners prayer when you raise your hand. How do we know. John says that we have passed from death to life when we love brethren.

I don't come to church because it's a building. When jesus said i will build my church i guarantee you. He was not talking of brick and mortar. He was talking about his people those he came to save his elect.

So we come to church because we love the brethren even though some of them might be difficult to get along with especially those greeks. But that's how we know. We've come across from death to life. John says.

So reconciliation does affect a person's assurance of salvation. Number three. It'll also affect the church's unity. The church's unity. Turn with me for that to the upper room discourse. John seventeen.

Christ's high priestly prayer. It'll affect a lack of reconciliation amongst others will affect a church's unity our unity as a body. This is a powerful prayer by the lord jesus. I love. Of course we'll begin in verse eleven.

But i love how he begins this which is a kind of a parenthetical side note. You can do that in sunday school. It's not like when you're preaching a sermon you can go off tangents. So i'm using that liberty.

But jesus said at the beginning of the prayer and this is eternal life that they may know you the only true god in jesus christ whom you sent. And he said i've glorified you with the glory i had with you before the world was created.

What a claim to deity. Jesus had the glory with the father before the world was created. So he prays for the disciples. And this is what he prays. Verse eleven. Follow along if you would. And i am no longer in the world.

But they are in the world. I'm coming to you holy father. Keep them in your name which you have given me. Purpose clause. That they may be one even as we are one. Notice what christ uses as the basis for unity in the church in his elect.

The unity of the trinity. The three members of the godhead father son and holy spirit jesus said as we are one i pray that they would be one. Jump with me to verse twenty. He prays that for the disciples.

But then he doesn't stop there. He expands his prayer. Verse twenty. I do not ask for these only but also for those who will believe in me through their word. Those who would believe the elected those were appointed for eternal life would believe.

Verse twenty one. Why is he praying for them also for us. In essence they may all be one just as father you are in me and i in you that they also may be in us. Verse twenty two. The glory that you have given me i have given to them that they may be one even as we are one.

Third time he mentions it. Verse twenty three. I in them and you in me that they may become perfectly one no less than four times. In this high priestly prayer jesus talks about church unity in the gospels.

By the way there is only two times that christ the head of the church ever uses the term for church the greek term ecclesia. I mean there's a lot more in the epistles. We find out about how the church ought to function the pastoral epistles and some of the others.

But i find it interesting that the head of the church jesus only twice recorded in his earthly ministry does he mention the term ecclesia. The first time is in matthew sixteen when he tells peter i will build my church and i'm thankful for that that christ is the one building the church not ourselves.

The second time he uses the church ecclesia is in matthew eighteen in the church disciplinary process when we get to the final and he says then bring it before the whole church ecclesia. The only times he never mentions the church in terms of evangelism he never mentioned the term the church in terms of worship.

He mentions the church in terms of unity because it affects so many things. And that's what he prays for here in the basis of that unity is the unity of the trinity. You don't have to turn there but listen to what some of paul's letters say in first corinthians chapter one.

Pastor mice been taken us through that book. But one of his key statements as we've learned is first corinthians one. Verse ten paul says i have to yield to use strong term. I have to yield to you brothers by the name of our lord jesus christ that all of you agree that there'd be no divisions among you but that you'd be united in the same line in the same judgment.

And we know from corinth it was one of the most divisive churches. There were factions going on. I'm of apollo so i'm of cfs this christ divided. Paul says i appeal to you that there'd be no divisions among you but that you'd be united.

In philippians he says the same thing chapter two. So if there is any encouragement in christ any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy complete my joy by being of the same mind having the same love being in full accord and of one mind because later philippians he addresses a specific situation that there was a reconciliation in chapter four.

Verse two he says of two ladies who administered in the gospel. I am treat ever via and i'm treating dc to agree in the lord. He tells the church in philippi i wanted to be unity. Therefore i want you to help the sisters to agree in the lord to reconcile.

Reconciliation affects the unity of the church. By number four doesn't stop there. Reconciliation amongst ourselves affects the testimony of the gospel the testimony of the gospel. And we're still in john seventeen.

This is what jesus is saying there he prays for the church's unity. But notice why he does that. Verse twenty. I do not ask for these only again we should we said this earlier but also for those who will believe in me through their word that they may be all be one just as you father are in me and i in you.

Why. That they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. Verse twenty three. I in them in you and me that they may become perfectly one. Why. Purpose clause. So that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you love me so that the world may know what jesus said that the father sent christ and that the father loved his own with that special love from eternity past.

Isn't that awesome. In my short experience in my christian life unfortunately i've come to this conclusion. The rampant disunity that exists in the evangelical churches today is killing the testimony of the gospel.

The rampant disunity in evangelical churches today is killing the testimony of the gospel. And i can see a story after story which i don't have time with. And i'll give you one. A few years ago we sat down with three couples husband and wife with their prospective in-laws and there was family feuding and nobody will put down their sword.

Nobody would humble themselves enough to confess any offense. And nobody would humble themselves enough to forgive any offense to say the least they're still at that stage. Ten years later reconciliation affects your personal worship.

You can't come and worship whether it's church in your personal time of worship. If you're not reconciled it affects your assurance. You can't continue to claim carnal security if you continue to hate somebody adamantly and say yeah i love god.

Now mind you there is a difference. If somebody has truly offended you you don't go say praise the lord. I've been offended. It's one thing to have this stance father it really hurt me what that person did to me what they said to me.

But because you forgave me i'm willing to forgive them. Versus there is no way i will ever grant forgiveness. Reconciliation affects the unity of the body and it affects our testimony the gospel's testimony to the world.

And climatically. So to speak reconciliation affects this number five. And i'm going to camp on this a little bit. It affects the holy spirit. You mean the spirit of god. I thought god was eternal and unchanging.

He's affected by this turn to ephesians four. Ephesians chapter four. Beginning in verse twenty nine to the end of the chapter in here paul is talking about the third member of the trinity the holy spirit.

It's not god manifesting himself in a different form. Verse twenty nine. Follow along. As i read paul writes to the church in ephesus. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth. But only such as is good for what.

For building up as fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear it. Let's stop there for a moment. When you come to church on sunday you get these. Bbc announces somebody's going through a difficult time or there's something happening.

When you come you should think this is why i'm coming. I don't want to just get. I want to give. I want to find that person and do just that and say something to build them up. You come to church for that purpose.

So paul says what only should come out of your mouth is for building up others up as it fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear. Verse thirty continues. And do not grieve the holy spirit of god by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice. Be kind to one another tender-hearted forgiving one another as god in christ forgave you. Couple of notes.

Here in verse thirty paul is not giving in suggestion a piece of godly wisdom or advice. It's an imperative. It's a direct command. Do not grieve the holy spirit. The term grief is a powerful greek term.

Let me give you some examples so you understand the weight of what happens when there is this kind of lack of reconciliation in god's body. What happens when we grieve the holy spirit. It was used in matthew seventeen when jesus one of the first times he predicted to the disciples that he was going to go and be crucified.

They were so bothered by it. This is the same term it used, they were grieved, they were sad, they were sorrowful when jesus told them at the last supper one of you is going to betray me. I love how the scripture puts it, it says immediately they were grieved and then they went, is it i?

It was used of the rich young ruler who came to christ. If you recall what must i do to inherit eternal life. And christ confronted him with the law. I've kept all this since my young days. Okay then go sell your possessions give to the poor.

You'll have treasure in heaven and come follow me. Did the rich young ruler do that? Scripture says in matthew nineteen he left saddened sorrowful, grieved because he was a man of great wealth. And another time this term is used is when jesus was in gestimony here is at his most crucial time with the three peter james and john who fell asleep on him.

And the scripture says the words of christ. My soul is greatly sorrowful. That's the same word, grieved. Just to give you a little weight of what happens when we grieve the holy spirit. He is a person he is the third member of the trinity.

But i want you to note also in verse thirty what description does paul use of the holy spirit by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. So paul is saying look don't grieve the holy spirit the one who sealed you for the day of redemption.

He is highlighting the role of the holy spirit in our salvation. Jump with me to chapter one if you will. As you know ephesians is split right down the middle, ephesians chapter one to three are the indicatives of what christ has done for us.

Chapters four through six are the imperatives. Therefore chapter four verse one begins based on what christ has done. Therefore you are to live like this. What we're reading about in chapter four here.

But in chapter one you will see paul highlights the role of each member of the trinity. This is kind of review. Because we went through this last week. Didn't you love hearing a resurrection message about election.

I bet you were one of few churches that ever did that. That's great ephesians one. The role of each member of the trinity. Blessed be the god and father. Verse three of our lord jesus christ who has blessed us in christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Even as he who the father chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He the father predestined us. For what. For our adoption as sons through jesus christ according to the purpose of his will.

To the praise of man's glory. Oh i'm sorry to the praise of his glorious grace can't be about man's glory. It's the glory of god. So the role of the father in salvation. He chose us from eternity past.

He predestined us. That's his eternal decree not based upon because he looked down the quarters of time and said that greek guy harry over there. He's a handsome guy. He what's so funny. There we go. That was an elect answer.

There we go. Because if he did do that it wouldn't be for the glory of god. But what's the role of the son verse seven in him in christ. Because he says verse six. To the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved in him we have redemption through his blood.

The forgiveness of our trespasses. That's the role of the son in salvation. The father's role election. The son's role redemption. The forgiveness of sins. Interestingly enough. Because that's what he exhorts us in ephesians chapter 4 at the end.

And we will camp on that a little bit at the end. The forgiveness of sins. And what's the spirit's role. Look at verse 13 of ephesians 1 in him. You also when you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and believed in him we're sealed with the promised holy spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory.

Paul uses a term that was used back in those days when people with a letter or a document would seal something with their seal and they would have their stamp on it. It was an insignia that signified that it was coming from an authoritative figure that this was theirs.

When the holy spirit seals us he is saying the spirit of god we are his until he finally redeems us in glory. We have full security of our salvation because of what he's done. So that's what paul is highlighting in ephesians 4.

When you grieve the holy spirit. Let me remind you who you're grieving. The one who sealed you for your redemption. The one whose salvific work in our lives is glorious. When do we grieve the holy spirit.

Well you saw that in the context we grieve the holy spirit when we speak words that tear others down rather than build them up. Verse 29. We grieve the holy spirit when we harbor bitterness in our hearts.

Hebrews chapter 12. Verse 14 talks about a root of bitterness that causes trouble and can defile many. We grieve the holy spirit verse 31 when we slander others. And finally we grieve the holy spirit when we withhold forgiveness.

When we withhold forgiveness the holy spirit who sealed us for the day of redemption is grieved the same way jesus was grieved at the garden of gethsemane. Forgiveness. Matthew 5. Jesus said if your brother has something against you in other words that you've offended them go and be reconciled.

Ask for forgiveness. Now it's the other side of the coin. Grant forgiveness paul says spurgeon put it this way. To be forgiven is such sweetness that honey is tasteless in comparison with it. But yet there is one thing sweeter still and that is to forgive.

How are we to forgive. Paul says it very clearly in verse 32 as god in christ forgave you. That's consistent with the new testament epistles. No christ said even the gospel as christ said in john 13 34.

Love one another even as i have loved you. A new commandment i give you husbands. In ephesians 5. Later on paul says husbands love your wives as christ loved the church. Romans 15 7. Welcome or accept one another as christ has welcomed and accepted you.

Anything we do towards one another is based upon what christ has already done towards us. So we forgive as god in christ has forgiven us. Well the normal question arises how has god forgiven us. Let me give you three old testament illustrations quickly to highlight the depth and the completeness of the forgiveness of god.

You don't have to turn to them. I'll just highlight them for you. One of the things god describes in the old testament is that he has put our sins behind his back. Isaiah 38 17. That's a reference to king hezekiah.

But it's a beautiful word picture description of god's forgiveness. He has put cast all our sins behind his back. Now it's an anthropomorphism. It's giving physical features to god to help us understand.

It's not that god has a back but the idea is that when god casts all our sins behind his back he doesn't do what we might do. Sometimes oh there it is. Yeah i forgive you. But yeah it's over there. It's behind his back.

Another word picture that he gives of his forgiveness from isaiah 43 25 and jeremiah 31 34 he remembers our sins no more. Jeremiah 31 is the new covenant that the prophet jeremiah highlights of the new covenant that's coming and he says i will remember their sins no more.

Now there is a difference between forgetting and remembering. We talk a lot about this with my beloved wife because sometimes we forget what one says to the other. I think my wife has a better long-term memory and i better be careful because she's here.

I could step on the toe or two. But i have a better short-term memory. So she i might say something to her and five minutes later she's forgotten. But because she has a long-term memory i told her i'll ask you next week and then you'll remember what i said with me.

It's the reverse. I have a good short-term memory but you tell me next week i won't remember. But what is the difference between remembering and forgetting. Jay adams in his book from forgiven to forgiving says the following to describe this difference.

Forgetting is passive and it's something that we as human beings not being omniscient do not. Remembering is active. It is a promise whereby one person in this case god himself determines not to remember the sins of another against him.

To not remember is simply a graphic way of saying watch this. I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future. Brother eric could you pray for me. Scott really offended me the other day.

It's just a prayer request. That's all. It's not gossip. That's to remember your sins no more. We're to forgive as god's forgiven us. So when you tell somebody you forgive him you don't bring it up to them or to somebody else for the sake of prayer.

That's just spiritual hogwash. How else has god forgiven us. And how else are we to forgive others. He's put our sins behind his back. That's how we're to forgive others. He remembers our sins no more intentionally.

And thirdly he has hurled them into the depths of the sea. Micah 7 19. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. I want you to note that they didn't just happen to accidentally oops fall over the imagery that he was intentional about it.

God was with our sins and it says he cast all our sins not just some of them all of them. And they're not just floating on the top of the water. They're cast into the depths of the sea. And you might say well i forgave that person.

I cast them overboard. But they're still floating. So you're always looking at them. That's not forgiveness as god in christ forgave us. That's how we are to forgive one another. As god in christ forgave us.

Martin lloyd jones says the following about forgiveness i say to the glory of god and in utter humility that whenever i see myself before god and realize even something of what my blessed lord has done for me i'm ready to forgive anybody.

Anything forgive as god in christ has forgiven you have you realized the depth of god's forgiveness. The question arises as to what is forgiveness. What is forgiveness. If we're to forgive we're to forgive.

So we don't grieve the holy spirit. We're to forgive as god in christ forgave us. But what does it mean to forgive. Let's think of the parable of the unmerciful servant. Do not turn there. It's in matthew 18.