Questions On Forgiveness (pt-3)

Father we Come before you this morning thankful for your word thankful for all that you bless us with thankful for the opportunity we have to come and to Talk about things that your word discusses how we should live how we should think.

Father, would you just work through your word through your Holy Spirit this morning to convict us of any sin? We might have and Lord just conform our minds To your thinking not to our own Lord, would you bless our time in Christ's name?

Amen. Well, we've been Three out of the last four weeks. Hey pretty good. I Decided to take a page at a pastor Mike's book and this is gonna be a 12 part series on forgiveness. No, it's not gonna be. I don't know if we can get through all this today.

I've got 300 pages. Okay Sorry. Been doing this forgiveness quiz and I'm just going to briefly review a quick question because some of you don't have quizzes probably most of you don't so Number one true or false.

The most important thing you can do is to forgive yourself. Well, it's obviously false and we talked about Psalm 51 last week. Psalm 51 for says against you talking about God. You only I have sinned and done.

What is evil in your sight? So It's God's forgiveness. We need not our own because we haven't sinned against ourselves. No matter what we might think. It's God's law That's been broken. Can they have can the sin have?

Impact on us. Absolutely, but I don't have to you know, kind of do this Steve. Will you forgive me? I Don't know. Are you serious? I there's none of that involved. This is Between us and God. Number two true or false.

We can say we forgive someone and really mean it, but it's okay to carry a little grudge. I Just like that one and sometimes I think that's how we actually operate we say I forgive you. But then we think hmm.

Yeah, I forgive him but. Not really first. Corinthians 13 Verse 5 love does not act unbecoming. Lee. It does not seek its own is not provoked does not take into account a wrong suffered. Does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.

Bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things. And this morning I would just ask you are you optimistic? Do you hope for the best? Number three, what is biblical forgiveness?

How are we to forgive other people? We talked about we are to forgive as God forgives us and how does he forgive us? Grudgingly a little bit. He says he forgives us, but he holds a grudge. Psalm 103 verses 10 and 12.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth. So great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him as Far as the East is from the West.

So far has he removed our transgressions from us as far as the East is from the West. That's pretty far he forgives us completely holding nothing back absolutely there's no remaining distance no lasting impact in our relationship, he completely restores the relationship and He Erases as much as is possible.

Well with him, it's completely possible. It doesn't keep track of it. He races it. We talked about it and this is something I'm going to bring up at the end, too. And I really want everybody to get this.

I mentioned this a couple times last week forgiveness is a promise a Promise not to bring it up with the offender. In other words if I say I forgive you I'm not to bring it up the next time we have an argument.

Forgiveness is a Promise not to bring it up with others not to go running around telling people. Well, you know, I've forgiven Steve but here's what he did and It's also a promise not to bring it up with yourself.

We talked about focusing on things Other than our issues with other people so that we don't constantly bring them up with ourselves. Number five or number four is there a difference between I'm sorry and forgive me.

Of course there is I'm sorry just says. Well, actually it's from the idea of apologizing and so it carries with it. There's a reason for what I did. And it's very passive. If I say I'm sorry, what does the other person have to do?

Absolutely, nothing forgive me Puts the onus on the other person. I am saying I've done something wrong. I acknowledge it and I want your forgiveness. So I'm asking that other person to actively forgive me and by doing so they are making those promises.

Number five. Does God distance himself from us when we are in a pattern of sin? Why or why not? Well, if we're one of God's children, of course, he doesn't but he does discipline us. We read from Hebrews 12 how God disciplines those whom he loves.

Number six what happens to a Christian who dies while committing a sin or if he has an unconfessed sin. The answer is of course, he goes straight to heaven. We're not Catholics. We don't believe that Pastor Mike has to get to us Elder Lewis has to get to us right at the last minute and do some kind of special anointing.

Okay, so why this morning as we go into new material and I carefully mark it out on my thing with new so We know that we haven't gotten here before why spend so much time on forgiveness. Anybody have any ideas about that?

Why would we want to talk about forgiveness so much? Yes. Because Christ has forgiven us that is a great reason. We we have a lot to be grateful for don't we in light of everything that we've done. The forgiveness of God in Jesus Christ is a great blessing.

So I think we should spend a lot of time on it. Any other reasons Bruce? It helps our relationship with God. Sure, as we think about how much we've been forgiven as we think about the great gift of forgiveness I think that it really does help us to be focused on God Steve.

And I think that's exactly right, you know, if there are two things I could say About that exactly. I think it it we're constantly offending one another if there are two things not at work in the body of Christ.

We're in a world of trouble. One of them is love. Because love does overlook a multitude of sins. The other one is forgiveness because we're constantly Metaphorically speaking elbowing one another kicking one another stepping on one another's toes and if we can't forgive one another We're gonna be in a lot of trouble.

I mean this could if we didn't have Love and forgiveness in the body of Christ. This place would be empty in three weeks. Because we do sin against each other. We say things we ought not say. But can I just tell you That I think one of the reasons it's so important to focus on forgiveness is because it spills out into so many different areas of our lives.

It's important here at church. Absolutely. But let me ask you this. Why do you think and you know without giving you personal examples? Why do you think that people struggle in their marriages? Harboring grudges.

Harboring grudges, you know, I mean if you ask. If you ask the experts they'll tell you it comes down to money but and Usually it does but even in those things themselves. What does that really amount to you know money?

Why do people get mad at money? Well because they never figure they have enough but I think it's also because. Well, you know what you spent all that money on that wonderful tractor-trailer that you're driving around the cost $300 ,000.

So I spent you know, and it's like a war. You know, well, that's a great dress you bought so I bought this motorcycle and Dueling credit cards. Don't ask me how that song goes but that's That there's so much conflict when two sinful people live together.

And if they cannot forgive one another they are going to be constantly at one another's throats and they're going to wind up in the pastor's office or In court or something like that people don't get divorced because they like each other, you know, you hear this.

So they they split amicably yada yada yada. Whatever they split up because they they haven't learned how to forgive one another and they haven't learned what real love is. Now we mentioned relationships within the church.

Not just imagine this. And maybe this even applies to some of you this morning. You come into church. You come here to worship God. You come here to sing songs hear the word and the whole time you're here.

All you can do is think about how somebody in the church has hurt you. How they've said something that really offended you or you're sitting there and you're thinking. Well, I said something I shouldn't have said to somebody else or I did something that I shouldn't have done or something like that.

Well, where is your mind? Your mind isn't on worshiping God your mind is on. I Need to go confront somebody and actually you're probably not even thinking that you're probably just thinking I'm really mad at so-and-so.

Or I need to go ask so-and-so for forgiveness or I think I've really offended them or whatever the situation is. We need to have right relationships within the body of Christ and this all centers around forgiveness.

And I'll talk more about that in just a second. I want to cover one more aspect and I mentioned this before but depression. Why can't you get out of the rut that you're in? Well It could be that you haven't been able to bring yourself to forgive someone and you've chosen a brood over a situation.

It's possible. It could be that you're struggling with something that you've done yourself. And may I say again getting back to forgiveness if we don't properly understand how God forgives. Then our lives are going to be marked by sorrow by depression by problems.

If we think of God as saying, you know, yeah. Yeah, I forgive you. But I can't really be close with you because you did that it's not how God forgives and I. People struggle with issues. But it's because they do not fully realize how God has forgiven them.

Theology is practical. How many times does Mike say that? What you believe your how does he say that your theology Determines your methodology which determines your doxology. What you believe affects how you act and that Impacts your relationship with God.

We're gonna get back to that in a few minutes when we go to Psalm 32, but first I want to go to Number seven on our quiz if we're to forgive others. Why do we do church discipline any any thoughts on that.

Why would we do church discipline if our objective is to forgive people. Brian says it's commanded in the Bible. He's a real stickler about that Bruce. That's right. It's it's we want people to repent.

We want them to be restored to right relationship with God and like Brian says, that's what the Bible says. I mean Forgiveness and church discipline have nothing to do with each other except we want to forgive but someone has to repent.

In other words part of forgiveness. The first part of forgiveness is what the first part of forgiveness is repentance. You know somebody has to confess repent want to turn away want to be restored to that right relationship and Church discipline only starts when someone doesn't want to do that.

Let's turn to Matthew 18. You know, this is a just reading again through this passage. I just thought you know. It's how many have done computer programming any kind of computer programming? Have you ever done anything called if then else?

Statements. Sure, because if you've done any kind of print because I'm it's not like I'm a major programmer. You know if you ever done any kind of programming if then else and it's like a flowchart if this condition applies.

Then this. But if it doesn't apply in all other cases this and That's I mean I was reading this and I just thought this is and if then else this is a flowchart. Matthew 18 15 through 17. Listen to all the ifs as I'm reading this if your brother sins.

Go and show him his fault in private if he listens to you. You have one your brother but if He does not listen to you take one or two more with you. So that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed if he refuses to listen to them tell it to the church and if He refuses to listen to the church let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector at every step.

Jesus says if this happens Basically good if not. Then continue on through the process. Until at the end if every single step is no no no no. Then you're to put this person out of the church. But the objective is never you know people think church discipline.

You just want to kick people out of the church. That's not the point of this at all. Again if your brother sins. What do we do we go to them privately why. Because we want to show them up. What's the hardest thing to do?

You're probably many weeks. Sitting here thinking I have something against someone or I know that somebody's done something wrong and the Bible says the Lord says Your brother's sinned. Go and talk to him in private.

Go talk to him apart from everybody else. Confront him in other words. Now how do we do that this isn't Joe Friday how many of you remember Joe Friday? Thank you for being as old as me Joe Friday would just go in and I understand that just the facts man.

We can't do that. Why. Because we know we you know what do we have to do before we go talk to anybody about their sin? Jesus says we need to check her own eyes, you know remove. Remove the beam from our own eye before we worry about somebody else's spec, but if our motors are right.

We go and we talk to them and we talk to them we confront them in Private if he listens to you presuming that you're even right that you even have the facts, correct. And he listens to you, which means what if he stands there and hears you.

No, if he acknowledges his his faults and repents. You have won your brother in other words. That's the end of the problem right there done finished over none of the others. Conditional statements apply.

You're done with it. He's turned from his sin. He's repented from it. It's over. But if he does not listen to you if he does not heed what you have to say if he does not Repent if he doesn't see his wrongdoing.

Then you're to go and take one or two persons with him with you. Why. Well because that was the Old Testament custom. But it also emphasizes to this person that it is a problem that it's not going to go away that he needs to repent.

And it might be a little embarrassing every one of these things is embarrassing A to the person who sinned and B. Maybe most of all you're sitting there thinking yourself to the person who has to go confront him.

It's hard. It's never fun. Verse 17, but if he refuses to listen to them in other words if he does not Repent at that point then you tell it to the church. Which usually has been interpreted to the church leadership leadership confronts and.

Then we would announce it to the whole church. Why at. Every step of the way the point is to get the person to repent. Not to put them out not to embarrass them not to shame them not for any other reason than to say Your direction is wrong.

You need to humble yourself and come back to right fellowship with God and with the body of Christ. So this has this is a red herring. When people say you aren't loving you're not forgiving. Why can't you just let things go because we're not the world and Christ demands that his bride be holy sinless.

Number eight. Aren't there times when it is appropriate for the person who wronged you to suffer punishments. In other words is it okay? For me to forgive someone, but there to still be some kind of punishment for them and.

And there absolutely can be consequences for sin, I mean, that's. That's what I did for a living before I got out here. Let's make sure that people suffer the consequences for their sin now. What about turning the other cheek?

You know if a classic example if your husband beats you should you turn the other cheek? If your wife beats you Matthew 5 39. But I say to you do not resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek turn the other to him also now pastor Mike didn't he just teach on this wasn't it?

For He did and what did he say? Yeah, there are limits and and I think it's important to note too that. You know because what do unbelievers do they love to? They love to sue. They also like to take passages out of Context and throw them at you and this is one you know how can you support this?

That or the other thing because. Didn't Jesus say turn your other cheek? What happened to that? Well? He's not teaching universal pacifism. Now some have suggested this section of the Sermon on the Mount Rules out the use of force or violence in every situation.

Is that true or false? How do we know that it's false. Because we'd have anarchy and One of my another one of my favorite passages to use while I was in the Bible is Romans 13. Because I would frequently have inmates who were going to disciplinary areas of the jail.

And they would have Bibles and it was my job to go interview them. And I would say I see that you have a Bible there. Do you read it? And they'd say yes, and I'd say well. I also noticed that here you're going for you know arguing with the staff or whatever.

Well. Yeah, he disrespected me, and I said you know what while you're in the hole while you're in discipline. You need to review Romans 13. Because it talks about what God's appointed means for. Avoiding anarchy is which is government Romans 13 for expressly assigned civil authorities.

Like police officers the government the right and duty to bear the sword. Meaning what? To use force including deadly force when necessary in the capacity of Quote an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.

So if a policeman Shoots a criminal in order to stop the commission of a dangerous crime. Or if someone is executed by the government for a capital offense. That person or that government agency is acting with an explicit mandate from God.

God has ordained government. He's ordained Police officers the army all that kind of thing. Why. Because without it we'd have anarchy. God gave us government so that we would not have anarchy. Second talking about Matthew 5 again the passage does not rule out self-defense in wantonly criminal attacks.

Jesus's teaching is how we should respond to insults and affronts against our personal dignity and not criminal threats to life and limb. There's nothing here about accepting force against a spouse anything like that.

So yes, there are times when it when those who are who wrong us will have to face some kind of punishment. Even if we forgive them we can forgive someone but there may still be consequences for their actions.

Number nine if God forgives us. And he does what's the point in confessing our sins? We have to acknowledge him first. John 1 9 says what if we confess our sins. He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So when was your last confession? What is confession? It's agreeing with God that we are fallen and sinful that our way of doing and thinking is Not a conformity with God's way of doing and thinking. It's not just like yeah, yeah.

Sorry about that. When we say we confess things we don't inform God. We don't inform the priest here on Saturday. We change our minds. We confess we agree with God. You know what? It's not just an intellectual agreement.

I don't just think to myself. You know what? I was wrong. I'm really sorry. That was a bad move on my part. We change our minds about the way we're thinking. Why why is it important to change our minds about it?

Because I'm here to tell you that at the moment you were sinning. You weren't thinking. I know this is an affront to God against his holiness against his commands, but I'm gonna do it. Anyway, I don't think we think like that.

We're not thinking about. I am in the presence of Holy God and I am going to sin anyway in your face God. We don't think that way. How do we think we don't think or we think. I Mean certainly I used to kind of joke about this.

That when we sin we kind of in our minds. We're not sitting there going Lord, would you help me to think rightly about this? We send the Holy Spirit on vacation. Right, just kind of don't bother me for a minute.

I don't want to be convicted. I don't want to think about that. We don't think about God. We change our minds about it we agree with God that what we did what we thought what we were what we were doing was completely wrong against God.

The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and Then what we grieve? We agree with God we confess our sins to him we talk to him and it's kind of like I would say it's much like Going to our father confessing that we've done something wrong.

Only this father Says every single time, of course, I forgive you. I've already forgiven you. He cleanses he removes our guiltiness shame and replaces it with the joy of forgiveness as we talked about last week.

Confession though we talk about first John 1 9. We must confess we must agree with God but confession is also owed to whomever our sin has Injured. In other words if I'm gossiping about someone is it enough to go to God and say Lord?

I've been gossiping. I Need to seek forgiveness from that's exactly right the one we gossip to and the one we gossiped about. If we insult someone do we need to go and ask their forgiveness, you know, sometimes.

That's not easy to do. Because we say something the spur of the moment. Later on we think about it. We're ashamed. We feel guilty. We're convicted by the Spirit and Then we have to go and humble ourselves and ask for their forgiveness.

Whatever the sin is it has to be made right with God and with the people that we sinned against. The arena of confession in other words where the confession takes place or how we make things, right? Should be as large as the audience of the original offense.

Public transgressions call for public confession. Private sins should be confessed to God and God alone. Number ten. When should you not seek forgiveness from the person you've sinned against? It's a trick question.

How can that be. Okay, when you've offended someone for the truth, I'll go. I'll go with that except for you. Haven't really sinned against them. So you wouldn't seek their forgiveness. Boy, did you read my notes?

When doing so would cause further sin and. And there's an end no one else knows about the situation so going back to the gossip thing if you sit if you've gossiped about someone seek forgiveness now. Listen this carefully if you've had a bad thought about someone and you never said anything.

Keep it between you and the Lord. Here's one. I Have to tell you I sinned against you. I thought about. How much you know, I dislike. Whatever you do or whatever you say or whatever, you know. And I just want to come and confess and let you know, I don't think I don't think that's really gonna help.

Sanctified Bible approved way to criticize someone. I agree I mean things, you know, and let me say this is especially true in a marriage relationship. I mean we think our spouse needs to know everything.

Love covers a multitude of sins and if you can avoid saying something and you can get it right with Between you and God and move on then just do it. If it stays as an issue then you need to talk to your spouse, but Sometimes I mean I've heard I've actually heard people say.

Well, I felt like I was just so convicted that I had to go tell them that I'm just like you did what? Well, then she got all mad at me. Well, of course she did. What did you think was gonna happen? You know next time you're gonna do something that dopey.

Give me a call first. Will ya so Number 11. I Don't even know if we had a number 11 I may we did is the unpardonable sin talking about forgiveness things that you cannot be forgiven for. Is the unpardonable the unforgivable sin saying I deny the existence of the Holy Spirit.

No. Now there's actually a website. And I don't really encourage you to go to this, but there's a website that I want to give you the www address. There is a website that encourages especially kids interesting how they would go after teenagers.

To say I deny the existence of the Holy Spirit why. Because they look at Matthew 12 and They believe Matthew 12 31. And they believe that by saying that that they are damning themselves to hell and that you know.

It's their way of saying there is no God and just to show you that I believe there's no God I deny the existence of the Holy Spirit. And so if there is a God I'm going to hell. Okay Matthew 12 31 this is what Jesus said.

Therefore I say to you any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Well, what is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? I guess that would be the issue and if blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is saying I deny the existence of the Holy Spirit.

Then they're right. But is that what the context says? It's like a Matthew 12 verses 22 to 24. Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus and he healed him. So the mute man spoke and saw all the crowds were amazed and were saying This man cannot be the son of David.

Can he? But when the Pharisees heard this they said this man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of demons. So, what were they doing? I'm sorry. They were saying that Jesus did the miracles by the power of Demons and so they were attributing to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit and that's the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit that he's talking about and so You know, is it possible to commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit these days?

I would say the answer is no. Because Jesus isn't currently walking around doing miracles. And so we can't attribute those miracles to the work of demons so another one of those forgiveness issues Number 12.

I know I just added it on is is forgiveness a part of love. It's forgiving someone. Does it fall under the category of love? I think so. I Think so and you know cutting and pasting Bible verses out of context seems to back me up.

John John 13 34 Says it's a new commandment. I give to you that you love one another. Even as I have loved you that you also love one another. Jesus told us to do that now Peter. Amplifying that not really cutting and pasting same thing.

First Peter 4 8 above all keep fervent in your love for one another. Because love covers a multitude of sins. Peter knew when he gave us really an application of what Jesus was teaching. He says look if you guys really love one another you'll be forbearing with one another you'll cover one another's sins and Implied you'll be forgiving.

Let's turn to Psalm 32. Psalm 32 and we don't have much much time. Although you know it's gonna be interesting as brother Pradeep preaches to us this morning. There is no clock in the back this morning, so it'll be interesting to see how long he goes.

Psalm 32 I was reading this week. This was Augustine's favorite psalm in Fact he inscribed it on the wall next to his bed before he died in order to meditate on it. He said of this psalm Augustine did that the beginning of knowledge is?

To know oneself to be a sinner. I like that Psalm 32. Psalm of David a maskeel. How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered? What is a maskeel a contemplation? It's a contemplative poem.

Even right here. What does he say how blessed you are? When your sins are forgiven why would he say that right off the bat how blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven. Salvation I may be and you know I think it just gets down to merit.

You know how could he say how blessed how positionally blessed is someone whose sin is forgiven? Because he knows he doesn't deserve it. Nobody deserves that. Boyce notes that a transgression is Going away a departure or in this case a rebellion against God and his authority.

When we think about this in terms of. You know more reflective. Keep in mind the Psalms were not written in the order in which they are presented to us in the Bible. Most believe that this is after Psalm 51.

So David writes this and Did he have a Departure of the way from God's path did he have a rebellion against God and his authority. Absolutely the word here translated forgiven. Is the Hebrew word for to have something lifted off?

So what does that give us a picture of of our sin our? Transgressions a burden a weight. Something we carry around and again. You know I just think back even Psalm 51 last week when we think about the burdens of life.

You know when we're going through before salvation. We're going through life, and we don't realize. Fully maybe sometimes we're hit with sorrow and things like that. We don't realize what a burden we are racking up.

And how really we're just getting crushed a little bit at a time by all of our sin, and then when we get saved I Have to tell you there is just a you. You know to quote a dopey movie from years ago. It's like walking on air because you just you cannot believe That all the burdens of life all the sins everything that you've ever done against God have been taken off you you are literally flying.

Well metaphorically flying back to verse 1. Where he says whose sin is covered again. These are different Hebrew words. Transgression different in the Hebrew from sin and sin is our classic definition falling short of the mark.

In other words you know I I remember going to a Boy Scout camp I was 12 or 13, and I was the first person to get the archery merit badge. That was the good news. The bad news was you know not everyone had to go right in the center of the target.

Not everyone Had to be a bullseye. But with God you know hitting one of the nine ring it's fine an archery, but Not when we're talking about God's law perfection is a standard. Everyone has to be dead center.

And when we're not right on the mark That's sin and again. I I just think you know try going to an unbeliever. Just right off the bat saying you know God demands perfection. That's a good conversation start now.

Also in verse 1 sin is covered. How is sin covered? One dictionary puts it this way covered in respect of Sin is the verb and it says by God God covers. Which he thus puts out of sight? God no longer looks at it.

Ultimately this is a picture of Propitiation of God's wrath of his righteous anger being turned aside from our sin. Verse 2 Psalm 32. How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit?

Iniquity another different word for sin means to be corrupt. Twisted crooked. In other words our actions are Wrong. Twisted distorted you know what sin has that result on our thinking. What does it do a life devoted to sin ends up in twisted perverted?

Distorted thinking. Now it's interesting here because this this negative verb here this idea of not imputed means that God does not Account our iniquity to us as we deserve. We look at Romans 4 verses 1 to 8.

That'll be one of the places we go in the New Testament, we'll just kind of Wrap things up here Romans 4. What then shall we say that Abraham our forefather according to the flesh has found. For if Abraham was justified by works in other words if he was declared righteous because of what he did.

Then Paul writes he has something to boast about. Because he did it. But not before God. Why not? Because that's not what the Bible says verse 3 for what does the scripture say. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Not Abraham obeyed perfectly and therefore it was righteousness but he believed God and it was credited or accounted or imputed or put on the side of the ledger as righteousness. Belief equals righteousness not action equals righteousness.

Now to the one who works his wage is not credited as a favor but as what is due. In other words if you're obeying and you're doing everything perfectly then God isn't doing you any favors when he rewards you.

He's just giving you what you've earned and if you want what you've earned I Pray you'll repent. But to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly. This is what separates every single religion on the face of the planet from Christianity but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, not the godly not the righteous.

The ungodly his faith is credited as righteousness. Just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man. See if this sounds familiar whom God credits righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered.