The Lord’s Prayer “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13 Luke 11:1-4
“Your sins are forgiven.” – Luke 5:20
“Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?” – Luke 5:23 Mark 2:5, 9
Romans 3:23-25
Sin – “missing the mark”, the moral consequence of having made mistakes. Separation from God, as a result of sin.
“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
Forgive – to remove the guilt resulting from wrongdoing. Restore the relationship, to give up resentment, to grant relief from payment for restitution.
God’s Forgiveness: a commitment to pardon graciously those who repent & believe so that they are reconciled to Him.
God’s Purpose: Remove Guilt & Restore Relationship
John 3:16-17
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?
Repent – turn around in actions and attitude….to change behavior as a result of a complete change of thinking and attitude.
Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that you died for me. I confess my sins. Forgive me. Come into my life. Be my Lord. Be my Savior. I turn away from my past, and I turn to you. Thank you.
Same word Jesus uses in 1 John 1:9 “faithful… to forgive us our sins,” as in Matthew 6:12 “Father, forgive us as we forgive,”
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
“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
How Should I Go About It? Chapter 9 Chris Brauns Unpacking Forgiveness
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
Glenda Malmin book recommendation: Forgiving What You Can’t Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again
by Lysa TerKeurst
How to respond to unrepentant?
• Resolve to not take revenge.
• Proactively show love.
Remember Jesus: “Love God, love your neighbor,” – Luke 10:25-37 Jesus flips the script on “Who is my neighbor?” to focus on helping others, with his story set in a racialized setting (people you may not like).
“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!” 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
