The Definition of Forgiveness

 

“The Definition of Forgiveness”

LUKE 7:36-50; 1 JOHN 1:9

 

SUBJECT: FORGIVENESS/ SALVATION

THEME: The Lord wants us to Learn What It Means to Forgive and to Exercise Forgiveness in All Our Relationships.  God Certainly Can Forgive Anyone and Everyone Who Will Receive His Forgiveness. 

RELEVANCY: God Wants You to Experience Complete Forgiveness Today!  Perhaps you are grieving about some sin you have recently committed or many you are struggling with some extra baggage from years ago.  Please allow me to reassure you that God is still very much in the forgiving business.  You must accept the fact that your situation is not unique and the truth that you are not beyond the reach of God’s forgiving power and grace.  You can be set free from the bondage of living in guilt today!

Unforgiveness bares an incredibly high price tag.  Remaining in an unforgiven state can greatly interfere with a person's ability to love and to receive love. It stunts the growth of a marriage and sucks the vitality out of good friendships.  More importantly, it keeps a person from entering into all that the Lord might have for him in ministry or outreach opportunities.  Even more significantly, it keeps a believer from experiencing the full abundant life that Christ promised.   This is why God's desire is for you to enjoy complete forgiveness, which is forgiveness of your sins and a full restoration in your relationship to the Lord God, forgiveness of others who have wronged you, and forgiveness of yourself.

INTRODUCTION:

1.  God Desires for You to Experience Complete Forgiveness!

“Forgive me? How could God ever forgive me? You don't know what I've done.”

“Forgive that person after what she did to me? You've got to be kidding!”

“I can't believe I've done such an awful thing. I can never forgive myself for doing that.”

     a)  These Are Confessions I Have Heard Often as a Pastor.  They are the confessions of people who have godly parents, who have grown up in church, and who have heard sermons about forgiveness all their lives. And yet, they persist in believing that there is something unique about their situation that puts them beyond the realm of God's forgiveness.

     b) The Result Is Bondage.  The bondage of living in guilt and unforgiveness stifles a person's ability to love and to receive love. It stunts the growth of a marriage and friendships. It keeps a person from entering into all that the Lord might have for him in the way of ministry or outreach. It keeps a person from enjoying the full abundant life that Christ promised to those who believe in Him (John 10:10). And bondage, my friend, is never the desire of God for His children.

2.  God's Desire for You Today Is That You Be Free in Your Spirit —free to embrace all the blessings, challenges, and joys that the Lord has for you now and in your future. God's desire is for you to experience complete forgiveness, which is forgiveness of your sins and a full restoration in your relationship to the Lord God, forgiveness of others who have wronged you, and forgiveness of yourself.

3.  Limited Forgiveness Will Never Do. Complete forgiveness is required if you are to know personally and fully that God is your loving heavenly Father, and if you are ever to reach your personal destiny in this life.

I have good news for you today! God will forgive you of your sin. You can be released today from all your sin,  no matter what they are, if you will do what God says to do.

 

MESSAGE:

I.  Understand The Importance of Forgiveness. (Luke 7:36-50)

Luke 7:42-43,  And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? [43] Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

A.  FIRST, CONSIDER SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT FORGIVENESS.

At the outset of this study, we must define forgiveness. It is key to examine first what forgiveness does not mean and eliminate as much confusion from the start.

    1.  Forgiveness Does Not Mean, “It Didn't Matter.”

If you have been hurt by someone, or if you have committed a sin, it does matter.

        A.  There is No Justification for Sin That Stands up in God's Presence.

If you have sinned, you need to recognize that your sin is a blot on your soul, one that you can't and therefore shouldn't attempt to sweep under the rug or ignore. Sin matters.

Romans 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rev. 21:8, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

        B.  Hurt, Pain, Bondage, and Guilt Come in the Aftermath of Sin, and You Are Unwise to Try to Deny Their Reality.  Sin is clearly extremely offense to a perfect, pure, and holy God.  It is a direct hostile attack upon His nature and character.  Beloved, it is extremely evident that sin is a big deal with God.  He will punish all sinners who fail to confess their sin and secure divine forgiveness.  Forgiveness for sin is a very urgent matter then!

    2.  Forgiveness Does Not Mean, “I'll Get Over it in Time.”

The memory of a particular incident or action may fade with time, but it never disappears. If you have committed a sin before God, the effects of that sin remain in your life until you receive God's forgiveness for it.

        A.  You May Not Immediately Feel the Consequences of Your Sin.

                 i) Which can cause you to think that God has overlooked your sin or that it has been resolved in some way.

                ii) But the consequences of sin will manifest themselves. They lie as dormant “bad seeds” in your life.   James 1:14-15,  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. [15] Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

        B.  The Same Holds True for a Wrong That Another Person Commits Against You.

                  i)   You may think that time will heal. Time by itself doesn't heal anything.

                  ii)  Only the Lord Jesus Christ and His Forgiveness Working in and Through You Can Heal the Hurt You Have Felt.

                 iii)  A Wrong That You Attempt to Bury Will Only Rot in Your Heart and Very Easily Can Turn into Bitterness, Anger, and Hatred —all of which are not only destructive emotions to the person who harbors them, but the root of destructive behavior that may affect others.

Hebrews 12:15    Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 

    3.  Forgiveness Does Not Mean, “There Will Be No Penalty.”

        A.  Some People Believe That God Skips over Certain Sins When He Surveys the Hearts of People. This is usually the response of people who hope that God will make a detour around their sin and that they'll get away with their sin.  Someone is always convinced that they are the exception.

 Eccles. 12:14,  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Romans 2:16,  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. 

Jude 1:14-15,  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, [15] To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Rev. 20:12, And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.    (See also Ephes. 5:4-6)

        B.  There Are Other Times, However, When We Are Fearful That God Will Forget to Punish Those Who Have Wronged Us. 

                    i)  Some Will Even Say, “I’m going to tell God on you and He’ll take care of you for me.”  

                   ii)  They May Even Seem to Be Prospering, and We Feel a Need to Hold on to Our Unforgiveness until We Are Certain That the Other People Are Punished in Some Way.

                  iii)  We Hold on to the Prerogative of Vengeance Just in Case God Has Forgotten about the Incident or in Case He Intends to Do Nothing about It.  It’s the attitude that says, “If God doesn’t do something about it, then I will!”

Romans 12:19-21,  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. [20] Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. [21] Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.  

        C.  At Still Other Times, We Know We Deserve to Be Punished, but God Doesn't Seem to Be Taking Any Negative Action Against Us, So We Refuse to Forgive Ourselves as a Form of Self-punishment.

        D.  These Definitions Don't Hold Water When They Are Subjected to the Truth of God's Word.

                  i) Sin matters. It always matters.

                 ii) Sin and the effects of sin don't disappear over time of their own natural accord. Sin must be forgiven, or it remains unforgiven.

             iii) Sin always has consequences. It always bears with it the ultimate penalty of death.

Romans 6:23,  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Ezekiel 18:4,  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Isaiah 3:11, Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

Psalm 9:17,  The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

B.  THEN CONSIDER THE DEFINITION OF FORGIVENESS.  What Forgiveness Does Mean?

    1.  What, Then, Is Forgiveness?   Luke 7:39-43

Forgiveness is “the act of setting someone free from an obligation to you that is a result of a wrong done against you.”

           A.  Forgiveness Involves Identifying Our Sinfulness.    Luke 7:39 & 44 (Contrasted)

Simon's real problem was blindness: he could not see himself, the woman, or the Lord Jesus. It was easy for him to say, "She is a sinner!" but impossible for him to say, "I am also a sinner!" (see Luke 18:9-14) Jesus Proved that He was indeed a prophet by reading Simon's thoughts and revealing his needs.

           B.  Forgiveness Involves Awareness of Sin in the Heart.

                 1.  Not the Amount but Awareness.

The parable does not deal with the amount of sin in a person's life but the awareness of that sin in his heart.

                 2.  How Much Sin must a Person Commit to Be a Sinner?

Simon and the woman were both sinners. Simon was guilty of sins of the spirit especially pride, while the woman was guilty of sins of the flesh (see 2 Cor 7:1). Her sins were known, while Simon's sins were hidden to everyone except God.

            C.  Forgiveness Involves Christ Paying Our Sin Debt.

Ephes. 1:7,  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

1 Peter 1:18-19,  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Forgiveness is a gift of God's grace; the debt was paid in full by Jesus Christ. The word “frankly” means "graciously and freely." The woman accepted God's free offer of salvation and expressed her love openly. Simon rejected that offer and remained unforgiven. He was not only blind to himself, but he was blind to the woman and to his honored guest!

    2.  Forgiveness Involves Three Elements:

Luke 7:40-43,  And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. [41] There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence (500 days wages for a Laborer), and the other fifty (50 days wages for a Laborer). [42] And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? [43] Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

        A.  An Injury.   “they had nothing to pay”

A wrong is committed.  Both Simon and the woman were bankrupt and could not pay their debt to God. Simon was just as spiritually bankrupt as the woman, only he did not realize it.  In an injury pain, hurt, suffering, or guilt is experienced (consciously or subconsciously).

        B.  A Debt Resulting from the Injury. “a certain creditor which had two debtors:”

There is a consequence that is always detrimental and puts someone into a deficit state of some kind.  You are obligated because of your failure, offensive activities, or actions against someone.

        C.  A Cancellation of the Debt.    “he frankly forgave them both.”

Luke 7:47-48,  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. [48] And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

We'll be looking at each of these elements in greater depth in this series. All three elements are involved in forgiveness of all types—forgiveness by God, forgiveness of others, and forgiveness of self.

ILLUSTRATION: When Jesus Christ died on the Cross of Calvary, He paid for all of our sins.  He did not and does not require us to pay for any of our sins.  When He paid the entire debt for sin the matter was settled forever. When we realize that we have nothing for which to pay for our sins then He will forgive the sinner and cancel his obligations to a Holy God in regard to sins and our offenses against Him. 

APPLICATION: We as Believer should be forgiving much like our Savior has forgiven us.  He has completely released us from any obligation to Him concerning our offensive sins against Him.  Likewise, we should release others from any obligation to ourselves when they have hurt us.  We are to forgive, release them, literally set them free.  We should no longer require anything of them!  No even an apology from them, and certainly not begging and pleading to return to our good graces!  We don’t hold the violation over their heads, and we certainly don’t try to increase their pain or cause them to suffer in anyway because they have hurt us. This will greatly help any of our relationships.

C. FORGIVENESS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT SETS US FREE.

Luke 7:37,  And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

Luke 7:41,  There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.     

The World Is Filled with Unforgiven People.

   1.  Forgiveness Frees Us From Suffering.

People Who Haven't Received God's Forgiveness Are Suffering Greatly.  There is a festering wound in the soul. There is a wall in the spirit that keeps them imprisoned. They may not recognize that they are in a state of unforgiveness. But in many cases, people who feel frustrated, upset, burdened, impatient, out of control, angry, jealous, bitter, agitated, uptight, in turmoil, are suffering from unforgiveness.

   2. Forgiveness Brings Freedom to Walk in the Spirit.

Ephes. 4:30-32,   And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: [32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

It brings with it the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance (Gal. 5:22–23).  You see unforgiving spirit stifles a person's ability to love and to receive love. It stunts the growth of a marriage and friendships.

Galatians 5:22-23,  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  

APPLICATION:  Today you can be set free from the bondage of living in guilt because you know in your heart that you are far away from him in rebellion.  An Unforgiving attitude keeps a person from entering into all that the Lord might have for him in the way of ministry or outreach. It keeps a person from enjoying the full abundant life that Christ promised.   God's desire is for you to experience complete forgiveness, which is forgiveness of your sins and a full restoration in your relationship to the Lord God, forgiveness of others who have wronged you, and forgiveness of yourself.

APPLICATION:  Knowing Jesus is knowing real freedom. Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free. John 8:36,  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.  He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from the consequences of sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan. He shows us clearly the way to eternal life with God. Jesus does not give us freedom to do what we want, but freedom to follow God. As we seek to serve God, Jesus' perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.

Knowing Jesus is freedom from the power of sin. Sin has a way of enslaving us, controlling us, dominating us, and dictating our actions. Jesus can free you from this slavery that keeps you from becoming the person God created you to be. If sin is restraining, mastering, or enslaving you, Jesus can break its power over your life.

    3.  Forgiveness Bring us Freedom to Serve Our Lord.

Galatians 5:1,  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:13,  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Freedom in Christ is the freedom to serve. Christ died to set us free from sin and from a long list of laws and regulations. Christ came to set us free -- not free to do whatever we want because that would lead back into slavery to our selfish desires. Rather, thanks to Christ, we are now free and able to do what was impossible before -- to live unselfishly. Those who appeal to their freedom so that they can have their own way or indulge their desires are falling back into sin. But it is also wrong to put a burden of law keeping on Christians. We must stand against those who would enslave us with extra biblical rules, methods, or special conditions for being saved or growing in Christ.

Loving others has to do with valuing them, respecting them, being merciful toward them, wanting good things for them, being concerned for their welfare, caring about them. It is part of our growth and healing that we learn to value and respect ourselves so we can more fully value and respect others.

The principles of the Twelve Steps teach us (1) that we need help from God to live our lives and (2) that we need to stop blaming others and begin taking responsibility for our own behaviors. Both the Twelve Steps and the wisdom of “loving your neighbor” imply responsibility to act in loving ways toward others and when we do not, to acknowledge our shortcomings, to seek God's help to change and to make amends to the people we have harmed.

II.  Receive God’s Forgiveness for Sins Today.

Luke 7:47-50,  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. [48] And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. [49] And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? [50] And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Clearly Forgiveness Is God’s Personal Desire for You and Those You Love.

And in this series we'll explore not only what it means to be forgiven, but what we need to do to experience God's complete forgiveness in our lives.

A.  GOD’S FORGIVENESS MUST ONLY BE RECEIVED BY FAITH!   Luke 7:44-50

Ephes. 1:7,  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

    1.  Not Faith in Works and Personal Performance.

There are two errors we must avoid as we interpret our Lord's words.

        A.  The Woman Was Not Saved by Her Tears Nor Her Gift.

First we must not conclude that this woman was saved by her tears and her gift. Jesus made it clear that it was her faith alone that saved her (Luke 7:50), for no amount of good works can pay for salvation (Titus 3:4-7).

        B.  The Woman Was Not Saved By Her Love.

Nor should we think that lost sinners are saved by love, either God's love for them or their love for God. God loves the whole world (John 3:16), yet the whole world is not saved.

Ephes. 2:8-9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 Grace is love that pays a price, and that price was the death of the Son of God on the cross.

Jesus did not reject either the woman's tears or her gift of ointment, because her works were the evidence of her faith. "Faith without works is dead" ( James 2:14-26). We are not saved by faith plus works; we are saved by a faith that leads to works. This anonymous woman illustrates the truth of Gal 5:6, "but faith which worketh by love. " Galatians 5:6, For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

         C.   How Did the Woman Know That Her Sins Were Forgiven?

Jesus told her. How do we know today that we have been forgiven? God tells us so in His Word Here are just a few verses to consider. Isa 1:18; 43:25-26; 55:6-7; Acts 13:38-39; Rom 4:7-8; Eph 4:32; and Heb 8:12. Once you understand the meaning of God's grace you have no trouble receiving His free and full forgiveness and rejoicing in it.

   2.  Faith in The Cross of Jesus Christ.

Have you made a decision to accept and receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord? To “accept and receive”—that's all that's required for you to be forgiven by God, regardless of the nature, magnitude, or deep entrenchment of your sins.

To “accept” is to believe with your mind that what the Bible says about Jesus and His death on the cross is true—that Jesus died for your sins and He rose to give you new life in Him. To “receive” is to say, “I don't merely accept what Jesus did on the cross as a fact of history or as a statement of sound theology, but I accept His sacrificial death on the cross as being for me personally and individually—the sacrifice that was made for my sins. I invite the Holy Spirit to indwell me, to cleanse me of all my past transgressions, iniquities, evil, and sin, and to make me a new person in God's eyes. I receive the work of the Holy Spirit in me that gives me a completely restored relationship with my heavenly Father.”

    3.  Faith in the Merciful Character of God as Savior.

Titus 3:5-7,  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; [6] Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; [7] That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Exodus 34:5-7,  And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him [Moses] there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. [6] And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, [7] Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 

B.  GOD DESIRES TO FORGIVE YOU TODAY.

Have you taken Him up on His offer? If not, will you accept and receive Jesus Christ today? Will you receive God's forgiveness?

1 John 1:9,  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

APPLICATION:  Freedom in Christ is the freedom to obey.

Romans 5:21,  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

As a sinner, separated from God, you see his law from below, as a ladder to be climbed to get to God. Perhaps you have repeatedly tried to climb it, only to fall to the ground every time you have advanced one or two rungs. Or perhaps the sheer height of the ladder seems so overwhelming that you have never even started up. In either case, what relief you should feel to see Jesus offering with open arms to lift you above the ladder of the law, to take you directly to God! Once Jesus lifts you into God's presence, you are free to obey -- out of love, not necessity; through God's power, not your own. You know that if you stumble, you will not fall back to the ground. Instead, you will be caught and held in Christ's loving arms.

CONCLUSION: 

The Lord wants us to Learn What It Means to Forgive and to Exercise Forgiveness in All Our Relationships.  God Certainly Can Forgive Anyone and Everyone Who Will Receive His Forgiveness.                                                                            

God Wants You to Experience Complete Forgiveness Today!  You have been grieving about some sin you have committed recently or even years ago, let God forgive you and release you today.  Your situation is not unique, and you are not beyond the scope of God’s forgiving power and grace.  Today you can be set free from the bondage of living in guilt. 

Refuse to continue on in unforgiveness which stifles a person's ability to love and to receive love. It will stunt the growth of your marriage and friendships. It will keep you from entering into all that the Lord might have for you in the way of ministry or outreach. It will keep you from enjoying the full abundant life that Christ promised.  

God's desire is for you to experience complete forgiveness, which is forgiveness of your sins and a full restoration in your relationship to the Lord God, forgiveness of others who have wronged you, and forgiveness of yourself.