God Values Forgiveness
“Your sins are forgiven.” – Luke 5:20 Reading Luke 5:18-20 “Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?” – Luke 5:23 Mark 2:5, 9
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous, He did this through Jesus Christ when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.” – Romans 3:23-25
“If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” – 1 John 1:9
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:16-17
Same word Jesus uses in Matthew 6:12 “Father, forgive us as we forgive,”
Sin – “missing the mark”, the moral consequence of having sinned. Separation from God, as a result of sin.
Forgive – to remove the guilt resulting from wrongdoing. Restore the relationship, to give up resentment, to grant relief from payment for restitution.
Forgiveness – a commitment by the offended to pardon graciously the repentant from moral liability and to be reconciled to that person, although not all consequences are necessarily eliminated.” – Chris Brauns Unpacking Forgiveness
Illustration: holding the key to their jail cell, the right to see them punished.
Illustration: not letting go, resentment, like drinking poison while hoping they die.
God’s Forgiveness: a commitment to pardon graciously those who repent & believe so that they are reconciled to Him.
Repent – turn around in actions and attitude….to change behavior as a result of a complete change of thinking and attitude.
God’s Purpose: Remove Guilt & Restore Relationship
Apology – this is what I did that was wrong ___, this is the harm it caused ___, I am sorry, I make a commitment to never do it again, please forgive me. How can I make this right?
“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” – Jesus in Matthew 18:15-35
We’re saying, “I will not dwell on this incident, bring up this incident again and use it against you, talk to others about this incident, let this incident stand between us or hinder, our personal relationship.” – Ken Sande The Peacemaker
Why? “By making and keeping these promises, you can tear down the walls that stand between you and your offender. You promise not to dwell on or brood over the problem or to punish by holding the person at a distance. You clear the way for your relationship to develop unhindered by memories of past wrongs. This is exactly what God does for us, and it is what He calls us to do for others.” – Ken Sande The Peacemaker
How to respond to unrepentant?
- Resolve to not take revenge.
- Proactively show love.
“Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.” – Luke 6:27
“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!” – Luke 6:32
Peter learned about God’s value system from Jesus directly. He said, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” – 2 Peter 3:9