1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:03,400 Shabbat! 2 00:00:03,400 –> 00:00:06,940 You are listening to a service from Pastor Colin Smith of Open The Bible. 3 00:00:06,940 –> 00:00:16,400 To contact us call us at 1-877-Open 365 or visit our website openthebible.org. 4 00:00:16,400 –> 00:00:20,799 Let’s get to the message. Here is Pastor Colin. 5 00:00:20,799 –> 00:00:25,100 When we are looking today then at the subject of forgiveness. 6 00:00:25,980 –> 00:00:33,459 A person who may have hurt you deeply, may be the biggest challenge you will ever face in life. 7 00:00:33,459 –> 00:00:39,980 And it may well be the greatest gift that you ever give in all of your life. 8 00:00:39,980 –> 00:00:43,160 We’re here, because we began last week looking at the fifth deactivate attitude. 9 00:00:43,160 –> 00:00:49,119 Blessed are those who are merciful Jesus said, because they shall receive mercy. 10 00:00:49,540 –> 00:00:54,540 And last week we spent our time looking at what that means, and today our purpose is 11 00:00:54,540 –> 00:00:57,299 to see how we can pursue it. 12 00:00:57,299 –> 00:00:59,799 How can I become more merciful? 13 00:00:59,799 –> 00:01:02,900 How can I become a more forgiving person? 14 00:01:02,900 –> 00:01:06,760 How can I cultivate this good fruit in my life? 15 00:01:06,760 –> 00:01:12,080 I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t ultimately want to be able to forgive. 16 00:01:12,080 –> 00:01:17,019 Though I think all of us know something of the struggle, and some of us a great deal 17 00:01:17,160 –> 00:01:21,000 of the struggle of how you actually get there. 18 00:01:21,000 –> 00:01:26,279 Now you’ll notice that I’m using the word forgiveness today, and it is important to 19 00:01:26,279 –> 00:01:31,239 understand the relationship between forgiveness and mercy. 20 00:01:31,239 –> 00:01:36,160 So let me just take a moment on that and describe the distinction this way. 21 00:01:36,160 –> 00:01:43,339 That mercy is broader than forgiveness, but forgiveness goes further than mercy. 22 00:01:43,339 –> 00:01:44,919 So think about it this way. 23 00:01:44,959 –> 00:01:47,180 Mercy is broader than forgiveness. 24 00:01:47,180 –> 00:01:48,959 Not all mercy is forgiveness. 25 00:01:48,959 –> 00:01:53,820 For example, the Good Samaritan had no need to forgive the man who was lying wounded on 26 00:01:53,820 –> 00:01:54,820 the road. 27 00:01:54,820 –> 00:01:59,239 The man who was wounded had done nothing wrong against the Good Samaritan, and yet 28 00:01:59,239 –> 00:02:02,720 the Good Samaritan showed him mercy. 29 00:02:02,720 –> 00:02:10,399 So mercy is broader than forgiveness, but at the same time forgiveness goes further 30 00:02:10,399 –> 00:02:12,300 than mercy. 31 00:02:12,520 –> 00:02:17,479 Suppose someone hurts you, harms you, wrongs you. 32 00:02:17,479 –> 00:02:21,160 To be merciful simply means that you will have compassion on them. 33 00:02:21,160 –> 00:02:23,979 You’ll have a tender heart towards them. 34 00:02:23,979 –> 00:02:28,360 You will make sure that you do not return harm to them, but rather you will seek to 35 00:02:28,360 –> 00:02:29,360 do them good. 36 00:02:29,360 –> 00:02:34,880 You will fulfill what Paul says in Romans, don’t repay evil for evil, but seek to overcome 37 00:02:34,880 –> 00:02:35,880 evil with good. 38 00:02:35,880 –> 00:02:39,419 All of that is an expression of mercy. 39 00:02:39,440 –> 00:02:43,279 And that’s a wonderful thing, but forgiveness goes further. 40 00:02:43,279 –> 00:02:48,600 In other words, what I want to see today is forgiveness is what arises out of mercy. 41 00:02:48,600 –> 00:02:50,919 You pursue mercy and where do you arrive? 42 00:02:50,919 –> 00:02:56,139 You get to the place where you can forgive, which is precisely the issue that some of 43 00:02:56,139 –> 00:02:57,139 us are facing. 44 00:02:57,139 –> 00:02:59,300 How can I get to forgiveness? 45 00:02:59,300 –> 00:03:01,759 That’s the question that’s before us today. 46 00:03:01,759 –> 00:03:05,179 And the answer to it is you follow the path of mercy. 47 00:03:05,179 –> 00:03:10,259 And I want to see as to see where the path leads, and that is why I’ve chosen to use 48 00:03:10,259 –> 00:03:14,619 the word forgiveness today because it goes further. 49 00:03:14,619 –> 00:03:21,500 Now, this is a very practical subject that is before us today, and as I’ve prayed through 50 00:03:21,500 –> 00:03:27,979 this subject over the week it has been much in my mind and in my heart how many people 51 00:03:27,979 –> 00:03:35,639 are really struggling for very understandable reasons over this issue of forgiveness. 52 00:03:35,639 –> 00:03:40,119 And a great wrong has been done to you. 53 00:03:40,119 –> 00:03:48,740 And it is so severe that you may have thought forgiveness would be absolutely impossible. 54 00:03:48,740 –> 00:03:54,339 It seems like an un-climable mountain. 55 00:03:54,339 –> 00:04:03,220 And you may have found yourself saying, I wish that I could forgive, but I have no idea 56 00:04:03,220 –> 00:04:09,940 how in the world I could possibly get there in relation to this. 57 00:04:09,940 –> 00:04:18,059 And what I’m saying to you is follow mercy and you will get to forgiveness because mercy 58 00:04:18,179 –> 00:04:20,640 is the path that takes us there. 59 00:04:20,640 –> 00:04:25,980 This is of huge practical importance for living the Christian life, and we’re going to itemize 60 00:04:25,980 –> 00:04:32,540 the path, step by step, in our time together here today. 61 00:04:32,540 –> 00:04:38,660 Now, two things just to say before we get into exploring that path. 62 00:04:38,660 –> 00:04:39,940 The first is this. 63 00:04:39,940 –> 00:04:48,880 Always remember that forgiveness is a fruit of life in Jesus Christ who forgives. 64 00:04:48,880 –> 00:04:53,799 Just to touch on this briefly, you know that Jesus says, in Matthew chapter 5, 65 00:04:53,799 –> 00:04:58,380 “‘Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.’” 66 00:04:58,380 –> 00:05:00,239 And someone might say, well, wait a minute. 67 00:05:00,239 –> 00:05:04,279 It sounds like forgiving people is a means to an end. 68 00:05:04,619 –> 00:05:10,220 Is Jesus saying that if we forgive others that, on that condition, God will forgive us? 69 00:05:10,220 –> 00:05:11,859 No, he’s not saying that. 70 00:05:11,859 –> 00:05:15,519 It’s not that our forgiveness is a reward for something that we’ve done. 71 00:05:15,519 –> 00:05:19,459 It cannot be because God forgives freely. 72 00:05:19,459 –> 00:05:21,299 So, how are we to understand these words? 73 00:05:21,299 –> 00:05:23,679 Well, remember what we’ve been saying all the way through. 74 00:05:23,679 –> 00:05:28,079 The Beatitudes are not telling you how to become a Christian. 75 00:05:28,079 –> 00:05:32,660 The Beatitudes are telling us what a true Christian looks like. 76 00:05:32,899 –> 00:05:36,320 In other words, they’re not a map that says, you know, follow this road 77 00:05:36,320 –> 00:05:38,619 and you’ll get to a place where God forgives you. 78 00:05:38,619 –> 00:05:40,779 They’re not a map. They’re a mirror. 79 00:05:40,779 –> 00:05:44,000 And we’ve been seeing in this series, they’re given to us for this purpose 80 00:05:44,000 –> 00:05:47,059 so that we will be able to look at ourselves 81 00:05:47,059 –> 00:05:50,980 to see if, indeed, there are within us the distinguishing marks 82 00:05:50,980 –> 00:05:53,700 of those who are forgiven. 83 00:05:53,700 –> 00:05:55,679 And here’s the mark. 84 00:05:55,760 –> 00:06:02,640 Forgiven people are known by the way they forgive. 85 00:06:02,640 –> 00:06:06,380 This is a distinguishing mark of all who are in Jesus Christ, 86 00:06:06,380 –> 00:06:10,940 which is why our Lord speaks about this especially in the Lord’s prayer 87 00:06:10,940 –> 00:06:12,880 and teaches us to pray this way. 88 00:06:12,880 –> 00:06:20,760 Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. 89 00:06:21,140 –> 00:06:26,200 I want us always to remember that forgiving is the fruit of life in Jesus Christ 90 00:06:26,200 –> 00:06:31,500 who is the One who freely, and wonderfully, and mercifully forgives. 91 00:06:31,500 –> 00:06:34,299 Second thing before we get into this path. 92 00:06:34,299 –> 00:06:38,440 I want you to think with me for a moment—and this is very important— 93 00:06:38,440 –> 00:06:44,720 about how and when God forgives. 94 00:06:44,720 –> 00:06:48,519 I’ll summarise it in this sentence that we’ll take in three simple parts. 95 00:06:48,559 –> 00:06:54,059 God forgives when a wrong has been done, when repentance begins, 96 00:06:54,059 –> 00:06:58,100 because atonement has been made. 97 00:06:58,100 –> 00:07:02,019 Let me just walk you through that so that we have a clear understanding 98 00:07:02,019 –> 00:07:07,519 of God’s forgiveness, so that we’ll have a better understanding of how to pursue ours. 99 00:07:07,519 –> 00:07:11,859 God forgives where a wrong has been done. 100 00:07:11,859 –> 00:07:13,980 That’s just very basic. 101 00:07:13,980 –> 00:07:19,220 If I were to say to you after the service, kind of shake hands after the service in the foyer, 102 00:07:19,220 –> 00:07:21,019 and I say, I forgive you! 103 00:07:21,019 –> 00:07:23,100 You would say, well, what in the world for? 104 00:07:23,100 –> 00:07:25,019 I haven’t done anything wrong against you. 105 00:07:25,019 –> 00:07:27,779 And you would be quite right to say that because forgiveness 106 00:07:27,779 –> 00:07:33,500 is only appropriate, it is only meaningful when a wrong has been done. 107 00:07:33,500 –> 00:07:39,640 So, when God forgives what that means is that we have wronged him and it’s a real thing. 108 00:07:39,679 –> 00:07:45,959 Every sin in your life and in mine is a personal offense against God. 109 00:07:45,959 –> 00:07:51,260 Saul of Tarsus was on a campaign, he was troubling and hurting a lot of other people 110 00:07:51,260 –> 00:07:53,980 and you remember, the risen Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him and said, 111 00:07:53,980 –> 00:07:59,119 Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? 112 00:07:59,119 –> 00:08:03,399 Every sin that has ever been committed is a personal offense against God. 113 00:08:03,399 –> 00:08:06,640 Lewis Smeeds says this, and it’s very perceptive, he says, 114 00:08:06,679 –> 00:08:11,700 forgiveness always comes with claim attached, 115 00:08:11,700 –> 00:08:15,359 forgiveness always comes with blame attached, why? 116 00:08:15,359 –> 00:08:20,839 Because forgiveness, by definition, can only happen when a wrong has been done 117 00:08:20,839 –> 00:08:24,100 and we have wronged God. 118 00:08:24,100 –> 00:08:28,820 And thank God that He forgives. 119 00:08:28,820 –> 00:08:31,899 God forgives when a wrong has been done, and when does He do it? 120 00:08:31,899 –> 00:08:36,460 He does it when repentance begins. 121 00:08:36,460 –> 00:08:39,340 It’s a wonderful word. 122 00:08:39,340 –> 00:08:41,539 The story of The Prodigal Son, of course, makes this clear. 123 00:08:41,539 –> 00:08:46,099 Here is the son and he goes off in rebellion and eventually comes to his senses and what 124 00:08:46,099 –> 00:08:47,099 does he say? 125 00:08:47,099 –> 00:08:48,280 I will go to my father. 126 00:08:48,280 –> 00:08:49,440 The boy has a change of heart. 127 00:08:49,440 –> 00:08:50,900 He begins the long journey home. 128 00:08:50,900 –> 00:08:53,460 He is not expecting very much, at all. 129 00:08:53,460 –> 00:08:58,539 He hopes that perhaps his father will take him on as one of the hired servants at the 130 00:08:58,539 –> 00:08:59,539 farm. 131 00:08:59,539 –> 00:09:00,539 And remember what happens. 132 00:09:00,719 –> 00:09:04,580 The father sees him from a distance. 133 00:09:04,580 –> 00:09:09,539 And rather than wait, the father goes running towards him. 134 00:09:09,539 –> 00:09:10,539 Why? 135 00:09:10,539 –> 00:09:16,419 Because repentance has begun and forgiveness is released at the first turnings of repentance 136 00:09:16,419 –> 00:09:23,020 This is the heart of God and it is one of the most wonderful, wonderful gifts of the 137 00:09:23,020 –> 00:09:24,020 gospel. 138 00:09:24,020 –> 00:09:26,780 What a marvelous truth this is. 139 00:09:26,780 –> 00:09:29,580 Because friends, repenting is a process. 140 00:09:29,700 –> 00:09:36,859 That every believer begins, but no believer completes in this life. 141 00:09:36,859 –> 00:09:43,659 It don’t care how far you have advanced in your Christian life or how holy you may think 142 00:09:43,659 –> 00:09:45,020 you are. 143 00:09:45,020 –> 00:09:50,619 Our repentance towards God is at best only a small part of what it should be and what 144 00:09:50,619 –> 00:09:51,820 it could be. 145 00:09:52,580 –> 00:10:00,380 So thank God that he forgives when repentance has begun, not when it is complete, because 146 00:10:00,380 –> 00:10:03,940 if he waited until it was complete, there would be not a single person who would ever 147 00:10:03,940 –> 00:10:06,359 be forgiven in this world. 148 00:10:06,359 –> 00:10:10,780 Not you, not me, because we all have more repenting to do. 149 00:10:10,780 –> 00:10:16,539 As Luther said so clearly, when Christ says, repent, he calls a man, a woman, to a life 150 00:10:16,539 –> 00:10:26,280 of repentance, turning towards him, and seeking more fully to live for him than we have yet 151 00:10:26,280 –> 00:10:29,500 done. 152 00:10:29,500 –> 00:10:34,400 But friends, remember this as we rejoice in this wonderful truth, that God forgives when 153 00:10:34,400 –> 00:10:37,380 repentance begins. 154 00:10:37,380 –> 00:10:41,900 He forgives when repentance begins. 155 00:10:41,919 –> 00:10:48,000 There is, in the Scripture, no forgiveness from God without repentance. 156 00:10:48,000 –> 00:10:52,340 The people who rejected Jesus, he said to them on one occasion, I’m quoting from John 157 00:10:52,340 –> 00:10:58,900 8, this is to people who rejected him, he said, I’m going away, and you will seek me 158 00:10:58,900 –> 00:11:03,940 and you will not find me, and you will die in your sins. 159 00:11:03,940 –> 00:11:06,940 You will die in your sins, why? 160 00:11:06,940 –> 00:11:10,940 Because you’ve rejected the Son of God. 161 00:11:10,979 –> 00:11:17,200 So the Bible never suggests what some people today want sentimentally to say, that somehow, 162 00:11:17,200 –> 00:11:20,080 whatever we do, it will all be alright for everybody in the end. 163 00:11:20,080 –> 00:11:21,280 Jesus never says that. 164 00:11:21,280 –> 00:11:27,260 No, he says without repentance, you will die in your sins, why? 165 00:11:27,260 –> 00:11:32,299 Because there is no forgiveness apart from repentance. 166 00:11:32,299 –> 00:11:38,640 Now, the convergence of these two things in the marvelous grace of God, the joining of 167 00:11:38,780 –> 00:11:44,820 these two together, that he forgives at the very beginning of repentance, this is of huge 168 00:11:44,820 –> 00:11:46,059 importance. 169 00:11:46,059 –> 00:11:52,679 Remember this, forgiveness is a priceless gift. 170 00:11:52,679 –> 00:11:59,679 It should always be placed by the one who forgives directly into the hands of the one 171 00:12:00,080 –> 00:12:03,739 who needs to be forgiven. 172 00:12:03,799 –> 00:12:12,799 It should be released wherever hands are open to receive it, but it should never be allowed 173 00:12:13,280 –> 00:12:17,000 to fall to the ground. 174 00:12:17,000 –> 00:12:23,059 It is a priceless gift, and you do not cast a priceless gift on the ground. 175 00:12:23,059 –> 00:12:26,000 Remember what Jesus said in this regard. 176 00:12:26,280 –> 00:12:34,400 He said, do not throw your perils in front of swine, pigs, lest they trample them underfoot 177 00:12:34,400 –> 00:12:36,039 and then turn and attack you. 178 00:12:36,039 –> 00:12:39,599 That speaks directly to the situation, as to many others. 179 00:12:39,599 –> 00:12:48,479 Now, this is of huge practical importance, for every person who asks this question, how 180 00:12:48,479 –> 00:12:55,599 can I forgive someone who is not even sorry for what they have done? 181 00:12:55,599 –> 00:12:58,960 They don’t even recognised what they have done, they have no idea the wounds that they 182 00:12:58,960 –> 00:13:02,960 have caused, they have no ownership, they have taken no responsibility. 183 00:13:02,960 –> 00:13:07,179 How can I forgive someone who isn’t even sorry for what they’ve done? 184 00:13:07,179 –> 00:13:10,979 And I want to say to you this from the Bible, when I think about this. 185 00:13:10,979 –> 00:13:16,460 God Himself does not forgive unrepentant sinners. 186 00:13:16,460 –> 00:13:19,179 What does He do? 187 00:13:19,179 –> 00:13:20,780 Answer? 188 00:13:20,780 –> 00:13:24,219 He Loves them! 189 00:13:24,299 –> 00:13:28,900 He loves them and that is what He calls you to do. 190 00:13:28,900 –> 00:13:31,979 What does He say in relation to the unrepentant person? 191 00:13:31,979 –> 00:13:36,020 He says this, He says, Love your enemies. 192 00:13:36,020 –> 00:13:39,479 Your enemies, he said, the unrepentant person. 193 00:13:39,479 –> 00:13:44,919 Pray for those who persecute you, why does he say that? 194 00:13:44,919 –> 00:13:50,799 Because loving enemies is what God does, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and 195 00:13:50,820 –> 00:13:56,280 in this way the love of Christ is shown towards us. 196 00:13:56,280 –> 00:14:00,780 Now, you may say, wait a minute, this sounds like a kind of sophistry, you’re just arguing 197 00:14:00,780 –> 00:14:02,239 about words. 198 00:14:02,239 –> 00:14:03,359 No! 199 00:14:03,359 –> 00:14:05,219 Here’s why. 200 00:14:05,219 –> 00:14:17,539 I’m wanting to protect the sacred truth that where there is forgiveness, a relationship 201 00:14:17,539 –> 00:14:19,159 is restored. 202 00:14:19,679 –> 00:14:24,719 There is no such thing in God as forgiveness without restoration of relationship. 203 00:14:24,719 –> 00:14:29,179 This is a strange, modern notion that has crept into our culture, that forgiveness is 204 00:14:29,179 –> 00:14:34,799 a feeling of the heart that can leave a relationship fundamentally as divided as ever it was. 205 00:14:34,799 –> 00:14:37,179 You never find anything like that in God. 206 00:14:37,179 –> 00:14:40,099 That’s a redefinition in our culture of forgiveness. 207 00:14:40,099 –> 00:14:45,140 It’s a lowering of it, it’s an emaciating of it, and it’s a tragic thing. 208 00:14:46,140 –> 00:14:49,880 Many Christians speak about forgiving the unrepentant person. 209 00:14:49,880 –> 00:14:55,780 What is often said is something like this—well, you know, you must do it for your own sake. 210 00:14:55,799 –> 00:15:00,099 You must do it so that the person who has offended against you, so that that person 211 00:15:00,099 –> 00:15:01,900 doesn’t have control over your life. 212 00:15:01,900 –> 00:15:06,140 I mean, they may never repent, and so you mustn’t let that be controlling over you 213 00:15:06,140 –> 00:15:08,200 and so forth. 214 00:15:08,200 –> 00:15:12,200 But do you see the problem that I am trying to draw your attention to in asking you to 215 00:15:12,200 –> 00:15:14,979 forgive the unrepentant person? 216 00:15:15,559 –> 00:15:20,539 They are asking you to do something that God Himself never does. 217 00:15:20,539 –> 00:15:29,320 And in so doing, are changing the very nature of what repentance in the Bible is. 218 00:15:29,320 –> 00:15:34,960 And so I want us to keep this clear in our minds and in our hearts that God’s forgiveness 219 00:15:34,960 –> 00:15:44,140 always effects a restored relationship because forgiveness involves the reconciling of two 220 00:15:44,140 –> 00:15:45,140 people. 221 00:15:45,140 –> 00:15:46,479 One of whom is repenting. 222 00:15:46,479 –> 00:15:48,059 One of whom is forgiving. 223 00:15:48,059 –> 00:15:50,679 And in the grace and the mercy of God the two are brought together. 224 00:15:50,679 –> 00:15:53,320 It’s a wonderful thing. 225 00:15:53,320 –> 00:15:59,859 So I believe as a Pastor that it is indeed a mistake and as you try to have influence 226 00:15:59,859 –> 00:16:03,960 in helping others, you might like to consider this, you may come to different conclusions. 227 00:16:03,960 –> 00:16:11,000 But as best I understand the scripture, I believe it is a great mistake to tell people 228 00:16:11,179 –> 00:16:16,679 that they must forgive where there is no repentance. 229 00:16:16,679 –> 00:16:20,900 God forgives at the first sign of repentance. 230 00:16:20,900 –> 00:16:27,580 And where repentance and forgiveness meet what happens…a relationship is restored. 231 00:16:27,580 –> 00:16:30,280 He does not say to us, forgive your enemies. 232 00:16:30,280 –> 00:16:37,200 He says to us, love your enemies. 233 00:16:37,200 –> 00:16:42,520 Because that is what he does, and I want to show you today that if you will follow that 234 00:16:42,520 –> 00:16:53,179 path, you will be in a place where you are wonderfully, God honoringly, ready to release 235 00:16:53,179 –> 00:17:02,179 forgiveness and place that precious gift into the hand of a person who at long last repents 236 00:17:02,280 –> 00:17:09,280 and trusts that priceless gift that is not cast on the ground, but is sacredly received 237 00:17:09,780 –> 00:17:18,180 in a bond that brings reconciliation and peace, that’s how God forgives, and we are to be 238 00:17:18,180 –> 00:17:22,560 imitators of God. 239 00:17:22,560 –> 00:17:25,660 One more part of this sentence and we’ll get to the path. 240 00:17:25,660 –> 00:17:30,819 God forgives where wrong has been done, where repentance begins… and how does he do it? 241 00:17:30,819 –> 00:17:36,780 He does it because atonement has been made. 242 00:17:36,780 –> 00:17:39,380 Think about this. 243 00:17:39,380 –> 00:17:46,699 There is a sense in which God is the only being in the universe who can not forgive… 244 00:17:46,699 –> 00:17:49,199 and you heard me right. 245 00:17:49,199 –> 00:17:58,160 There is a sense in which God is the only being in the universe who cannot forgive… 246 00:17:59,040 –> 00:18:03,160 ..And here is what I mean by that. 247 00:18:03,160 –> 00:18:11,119 You see, for us who are sinners it is very reasonable for us to be indulgent, for us 248 00:18:11,119 –> 00:18:16,640 to be lenient, for us to be forgiving toward others, whose wrongs may frankly not be very 249 00:18:16,640 –> 00:18:19,439 different from our own. 250 00:18:19,439 –> 00:18:23,959 But God is holy. 251 00:18:24,800 –> 00:18:37,540 When God sees sin in all the ugliness that it is, God is light and in Him is no darkness 252 00:18:37,540 –> 00:18:38,540 at all. 253 00:18:38,540 –> 00:18:42,979 Every time I hear someone say, oh I know God’s forgiven me, but I can’t forgive myself. 254 00:18:42,979 –> 00:18:45,939 Have you ever said that? 255 00:18:45,939 –> 00:18:51,540 Be very careful about that, are you implying that somehow it’s easier for God to forgive 256 00:18:51,599 –> 00:18:53,380 than for you? 257 00:18:53,380 –> 00:19:00,380 James Deney, the Scottish preacher of an earlier generation who writes so wonderfully on the 258 00:19:00,780 –> 00:19:03,939 subject of the atonement, he says this. 259 00:19:03,939 –> 00:19:10,420 If there should turn out after all to be such a thing as divine forgiveness of sins, which 260 00:19:10,420 –> 00:19:17,420 of course there is, we may be sure, he says, that it will be such a forgiveness as carries 261 00:19:17,880 –> 00:19:24,199 the divine condemnation and destruction of sin at the heart of it. 262 00:19:24,199 –> 00:19:28,680 And that, friends, is precisely what we find at the cross. 263 00:19:28,680 –> 00:19:35,680 God’s forgiveness flows out of his own condemnation and his own destruction of all that sin is 264 00:19:38,859 –> 00:19:45,859 in the atoning death of Jesus Christ, God-made man, bearing our sins at Calvary. 265 00:19:47,959 –> 00:19:54,420 That’s what it takes for there to be divine forgiveness. 266 00:19:54,420 –> 00:19:58,599 And it’s of huge importance because whenever there is a real injury, a deep hurt, there 267 00:19:58,599 –> 00:20:05,599 will always be within the human spirit something that cries out, Yes, but where is justice? 268 00:20:05,660 –> 00:20:10,439 And you know that from your heart as I’ve known it in mine. 269 00:20:10,439 –> 00:20:17,439 The Christian answer is justice has been poured out on jesus and it is the cross that makes 270 00:20:17,800 –> 00:20:21,719 forgiveness possible. 271 00:20:21,719 –> 00:20:25,760 So here’s what we need to understand about God’s forgiveness so that we can pursue 272 00:20:25,760 –> 00:20:28,760 ours in the light of it. 273 00:20:28,760 –> 00:20:38,680 God forgives where wrong has been done, when repentance begins because atonement has been 274 00:20:38,719 –> 00:20:45,719 made. It’s amazing. Never belittle the forgiveness of God. Never make it out that it’s 275 00:20:45,800 –> 00:20:51,479 less for God to forgive you than it is for you to forgive yourself. That completely misses 276 00:20:51,479 –> 00:20:54,719 all that Calvary is about. 277 00:20:54,719 –> 00:21:03,719 And that leads to the central question here today and it’s this, how can I get to forgiveness? 278 00:21:04,000 –> 00:21:07,040 How can I get to forgiveness? 279 00:21:07,040 –> 00:21:13,400 And I want you to imagine here that you are standing right next to a hurdle on a race 280 00:21:13,400 –> 00:21:20,400 track and you’re right up against it and you cannot possibly jump that hurdle from 281 00:21:21,219 –> 00:21:26,780 the position in which you find yourself. You can’t jump a hurdle from a standing start 282 00:21:26,780 –> 00:21:31,579 right next to the thing in front of you. It’s impossible, it can’t be done. What 283 00:21:31,579 –> 00:21:32,439 do you have to do? 284 00:21:32,560 –> 00:21:36,099 You have to take a run at it. You have to take a run at it. 285 00:21:37,219 –> 00:21:42,680 Now friends, that image really get to what has been to me one of the most important 286 00:21:42,680 –> 00:21:46,939 things I have learned about the Christian life and of course it’s at the heart of our 287 00:21:46,939 –> 00:21:53,800 series that all progress in the Christian life is made out of the momentum of spiritual 288 00:21:53,800 –> 00:21:55,380 health. 289 00:21:55,380 –> 00:22:01,140 And one of the reasons that some Christians get into difficulties is that Satan can often 290 00:22:01,140 –> 00:22:08,140 get us so focused on that one sin, that one constant feeling, that one problem, that one 291 00:22:10,420 –> 00:22:15,300 issue that we can’t seem to get over and we’re right up against it like the person stuck 292 00:22:15,300 –> 00:22:18,880 still standing next to the hurdle. 293 00:22:18,880 –> 00:22:23,359 And you just can’t get over it from that position you have to get away from it in some degree 294 00:22:23,359 –> 00:22:28,160 and you have to gain some momentum to take a run at it in order to get over the thing, 295 00:22:29,079 –> 00:22:33,920 to some momentum and that momentum will carry you over. 296 00:22:33,920 –> 00:22:37,359 Now we have been learning this principle from the Beatitudes haven’t we? Wait, we’ve been 297 00:22:37,359 –> 00:22:41,439 saying it’s like rings using a different picture, swinging from one to the other, you can’t 298 00:22:41,439 –> 00:22:46,079 begin on the fifth Beatitude, you can’t begin with saying well I’ve gotta forgive now. Hey, 299 00:22:46,079 –> 00:22:49,680 what leads to forgiveness, well you’ve got to start with this blessed are the poor in 300 00:22:49,680 –> 00:22:55,560 spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven how’s that relevant because the very beginning 301 00:22:55,719 –> 00:23:02,459 is seeing my own need for forgiveness and therefore mourning my own sins. 302 00:23:02,459 –> 00:23:06,959 That’s gonna give you some momentum that moves forward. So this is a very important principle 303 00:23:06,959 –> 00:23:11,979 and it runs right throughout the Christian life. So often, the best way to help a person 304 00:23:11,979 –> 00:23:17,280 who’s struggling with one particular issue is to look more broadly at what’s in place 305 00:23:17,280 –> 00:23:21,339 in their Christian life. Are you at worship, are you part of a life group, are you praying 306 00:23:21,339 –> 00:23:25,579 with other people, are you in the word? What are the things that are cultivating your general 307 00:23:25,579 –> 00:23:30,640 spiritual health that are gonna give you a run at gaining victory as it were over this 308 00:23:30,640 –> 00:23:36,540 thing that so troubles you? So I’ve been meditating, now what are they, 309 00:23:36,540 –> 00:23:43,959 what are the things really that are important in gaining momentum to overcome this big hurdle 310 00:23:43,959 –> 00:23:51,260 of forgiveness? And folks as I have meditated on that this week, it has struck me in a way 311 00:23:51,260 –> 00:23:59,680 that I never saw this before, that everything you need to know about how to get to forgiveness 312 00:23:59,680 –> 00:24:06,000 is gathered together in God’s grace in one place in the bible and it is Ephesians in 313 00:24:06,000 –> 00:24:13,359 Chapter 4 and I’d love you to turn with me to that in these last moments. I just wanna 314 00:24:13,359 –> 00:24:20,640 show you the path because as soon as you see it, you’ll see that is a path that I can follow. 315 00:24:20,640 –> 00:24:27,280 There are 6 strides here to use the hurdle analogy toward forgiveness. Six strides towards 316 00:24:27,280 –> 00:24:30,280 forgiveness. You’ll notice if you just open the bible 317 00:24:30,280 –> 00:24:36,239 that the forgiveness is in verse 32 forgiving each other as God in Christ forgave you. And 318 00:24:36,239 –> 00:24:41,939 how you get there which is our question begins in verse 30. 319 00:24:41,939 –> 00:24:47,520 Let me just show you briefly then these six strides towards forgiveness, number 1 you 320 00:24:48,040 –> 00:24:55,040 want to forgive? You want to get there? Remember that the Holy Spirit lives within you. 321 00:24:58,500 –> 00:25:05,500 Verse 30 The holy spirit by whom you were sealed. This is where progress towards being 322 00:25:08,579 –> 00:25:15,579 able to forgive will begin for you today. You’re a Christian believer? The Holy Spirit 323 00:25:16,420 –> 00:25:23,420 of God lives within you. Now you may have experienced hurts that are incredibly hard 324 00:25:26,300 –> 00:25:31,260 to forgive, hurts that I know nothing about. Hurts that are deeper than anything I’ve ever 325 00:25:31,260 –> 00:25:38,260 experienced in my entire life. But here’s what you need to know. Nobody, and I’ll say 326 00:25:39,140 –> 00:25:46,140 it again, nobody, nobody has ever had more to forgive than God. Think about that. Every 327 00:25:51,140 –> 00:25:57,020 sin that you have ever committed is a personal offense against Him. That’s a lot of forgiving 328 00:25:57,020 –> 00:26:04,020 He’s had to do just in relation to you. And it’s more than that, isn’t it? Because every 329 00:26:04,160 –> 00:26:10,920 sin that has ever been committed by every believer who has ever lived was a personal 330 00:26:10,920 –> 00:26:17,020 offense again him, and contributes to the agonies that were endured on Calvary by His 331 00:26:17,020 –> 00:26:24,020 Son. You’ve got a part in that, and so do I. So think how much God has to forgive. It’s 332 00:26:25,180 –> 00:26:32,180 unimaginable. And He’s done it, and His Spirit lives. 333 00:26:34,020 –> 00:26:41,020 Live in you. You think about that? Here’s where you need to begin if you’re going to 334 00:26:41,060 –> 00:26:46,540 take a run at forgiveness. You look at this offense that seems so impossible for you to 335 00:26:46,540 –> 00:26:53,540 forgive. Here’s stride one. Remember the Spirit of the forgiving God lives in you. His Spirit 336 00:26:54,119 –> 00:26:54,859 lives. 337 00:26:54,859 –> 00:27:01,859 Number two. Don’t dwell on the injury. Don’t dwell on the injury. That’s what He says in 338 00:27:02,260 –> 00:27:09,260 verse 31, Let all bitterness and wrath and anger be put away from you. This is very practical. 339 00:27:11,099 –> 00:27:18,099 Bitterness, wrath, and anger all come from one source, nursing a grievance. Someone’s 340 00:27:18,479 –> 00:27:25,459 wronged you, and your mind keeps going over it and over it again. You think about it at 341 00:27:25,459 –> 00:27:30,300 night. You think about it during the day. You think about it in the car. You keep thinking 342 00:27:30,300 –> 00:27:34,880 about it, how wrong it was and how hurtful it is, and every time you think about it you’re 343 00:27:34,880 –> 00:27:41,880 stoking a fire within your soul that’s increasing bitterness and it’s increasing anger. Bitterness, 344 00:27:43,060 –> 00:27:50,060 anger, and wrath are fires that need to be fed. So stop giving them fuel by nursing the 345 00:27:53,339 –> 00:27:59,219 grievance. When your mind goes back to this stuff, and we all know what this is like sometimes 346 00:27:59,219 –> 00:28:04,180 in smaller things and sometimes in bigger things, say to yourself, there are better 347 00:28:04,180 –> 00:28:11,180 things for your mind to be filled with than this. And then by the power of the Holy spirit 348 00:28:11,760 –> 00:28:18,119 who lives within you, set your mind on something else. You can do that, because the Holy spirit 349 00:28:18,119 –> 00:28:22,180 lives within you. The Bible says you can set your mind on things above. You can set your 350 00:28:22,180 –> 00:28:27,060 mind on other things. You can choose to think about the things that are good and pure and 351 00:28:27,400 –> 00:28:30,920 funny and lovely. Philippians 4 and so forth and so on. 352 00:28:30,920 –> 00:28:37,920 Now I’m saying to you, if you will add the second stride of refusing to dwell on it to 353 00:28:39,699 –> 00:28:44,680 the first stride of knowing that the spirit of the forgiving God lives within you, you 354 00:28:44,680 –> 00:28:50,219 will already be on the move towards the place where you will be able to forgive. You’re 355 00:28:50,219 –> 00:28:56,280 not there yet, but you’re moving towards it, and you’ve gained momentum. You’re not standing 356 00:28:56,280 –> 00:29:01,079 right up against the hurdle absolutely stuck anymore. 357 00:29:01,079 –> 00:29:08,079 Here’s the third thing. Don’t fight and quarrel. Verse 31. Let clamor and slander be put away 358 00:29:09,900 –> 00:29:16,900 from you along with all malice. Now you know what it’s like. We’ve all seen this. We’ve 359 00:29:18,099 –> 00:29:24,300 experienced it. When a relationship is in trouble then arguments over who did what 360 00:29:25,119 –> 00:29:29,959 and all the rest of it so often make it worse. What the scripture is saying to us here is 361 00:29:29,959 –> 00:29:36,780 quite simply don’t do that. Don’t do it. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 24. The lord’s servant 362 00:29:36,780 –> 00:29:43,540 must not quarrel period. That’s not something that I am to do. Fighting and quabbling are 363 00:29:43,540 –> 00:29:48,900 going to do what? They’re going to stoke these old fires of bitterness and of anger and that’s 364 00:29:48,900 –> 00:29:53,180 going to put me further from forgiveness which is the very thing I’m trying to move towards. 365 00:29:53,180 –> 00:29:59,760 So I must not do this. Do not let glamour or slander occupy your mind or your heart. 366 00:29:59,760 –> 00:30:03,479 Slander, what does that mean? It means when I’m sitting at breakfast, when I’m sitting 367 00:30:03,479 –> 00:30:08,859 at lunch, I’m to quit the habit of going on and on about that person and what he did, 368 00:30:08,859 –> 00:30:14,800 what a wretched person she is or whatever that is. And you know how easily that can 369 00:30:14,800 –> 00:30:18,459 creep into us when we feel hurt and when we’re wounded and what we’re doing is we’re stoking 370 00:30:18,459 –> 00:30:24,859 the fires and we’re making it harder and harder and harder to forgive. And put away 371 00:30:24,859 –> 00:30:30,280 all malice that is the desire that that person should get what they deserve. That’s what 372 00:30:30,280 –> 00:30:36,160 malice is. So there are a couple of negatives here. They are very, very important. There 373 00:30:36,160 –> 00:30:42,380 are certain things that always make forgiveness further away and if you keep doing them you 374 00:30:42,380 –> 00:30:48,119 will not be able to forgive. You want to forgive, here’s what’s important, knowing the power 375 00:30:48,119 –> 00:30:53,640 of the Holy Spirit who lives within you, the Spirit of the forgiving God. Verse 31, let 376 00:30:53,640 –> 00:30:59,760 all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with 377 00:30:59,760 –> 00:31:10,260 all malice, all desiring that he or she will get what they deserve. And step four, have 378 00:31:10,400 –> 00:31:20,520 compassion on the one who has hurt you. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, verse 379 00:31:20,520 –> 00:31:29,479 32. Now, here’s something that’s very important in that hardest of situations, the person 380 00:31:29,479 –> 00:31:34,560 who is completely unrepentant. They have hurt you more than they can begin to imagine, they 381 00:31:34,560 –> 00:31:38,319 have no sense of responsibility about it, they don’t think they’ve done anything wrong, 382 00:31:38,319 –> 00:31:42,479 and they’re probably going on and doing something similar to some other person and the whole 383 00:31:42,479 –> 00:31:50,280 thing is tragic. Absolutely tragic! No ownership, no responsibility, they’re completely blind 384 00:31:50,280 –> 00:31:58,760 to what they have been doing, and perhaps what they’re doing still! Think about this, 385 00:31:58,760 –> 00:32:03,439 if you see in the street a person who is physically blind, do you want to kick their stick away 386 00:32:03,439 –> 00:32:11,020 and get angry with them? No, when someone’s blind, you have compassionate, you have pity. 387 00:32:11,020 –> 00:32:18,819 Now if you know that this person is blind, it’s evident, can’t see what he’s done, 388 00:32:18,819 –> 00:32:27,540 use that to help you in what Christ is calling you to hear, and do you have pain? Or you 389 00:32:27,540 –> 00:32:31,219 say, oh you’ve no idea how much pain I have, that’s what makes it so difficult, oh you 390 00:32:31,219 –> 00:32:39,459 have lots of pain, here’s an opportunity. It says of Jesus, that He became the merciful 391 00:32:39,459 –> 00:32:48,699 and tender high priest that He is through what He suffered. Pain made Him the kind of 392 00:32:48,699 –> 00:32:54,380 high priest that someone can come to because He knows it from the inside. Now pain always 393 00:32:54,380 –> 00:33:00,719 has the potential to make a very hard hearted person, but pain also has the potential to 394 00:33:00,719 –> 00:33:06,339 make a very soft Hearted person and where the Spirit of Christ is operating within a 395 00:33:06,339 –> 00:33:14,719 soul. That may be something that you may look for. Let me put it this way. Use your pain 396 00:33:14,719 –> 00:33:23,979 as fuel for compassion. If something can hurt this much, then I must seek to be a more compassionate 397 00:33:23,979 –> 00:33:31,180 tender-hearted person. When Christ saw the crowd, you remember what? He had compassion 398 00:33:31,180 — 00:33:34,699 on them. Why because they were sheep without a shepherd. They didn’t even know they were 399 00:33:34,699 –> 00:33:41,500 lost. They had no clue. And the person who sinned against you may still be like that 400 00:33:42,500 –> 00:33:49,500 today. Kind, tender-hearted. Number 5, 5th stride, realize that you will need the forgiveness 401 00:33:52,859 –> 00:33:54,719 of others. 402 00:33:54,719 –> 00:33:59,420 Notice what it says. Just looking at it. It’s remarkable how God gives us all this together. 403 00:33:59,420 –> 00:34:06,260 Verse 32. Forgiving one another. Now notice it’s never one direction here. God does not 404 00:34:06,339 –> 00:34:13,080 say you should forgive someone who has hurt you, he says here, we should be forgiving 405 00:34:13,080 –> 00:34:20,080 each other. What does that say? It says very clearly this. There may be things that you 406 00:34:20,100 –> 00:34:27,000 need to forgive in others, but you can be absolutely certain that there will also be 407 00:34:27,000 –> 00:34:31,760 things that others need to forgive in you. 408 00:34:31,760 –> 00:34:37,760 So here’s something that you will find to be true. It is just not possible to at the 409 00:34:37,760 –> 00:34:44,760 same time be asking God for mercy and to be refusing in your heart that same mercy towards 410 00:34:47,760 –> 00:34:53,520 someone who has wronged you, realizing your own continued need of forgiveness both from 411 00:34:53,520 –> 00:34:59,320 God and from others. I will be very glad for things that others will forgive me for that 412 00:34:59,320 –> 00:35:03,679 I do not know anything about, at this point. But we are all sinners and we are all in need, 413 00:35:03,679 –> 00:35:09,020 and that is very important to remember as a stride towards forgiveness. It is forgiving 414 00:35:09,020 –> 00:35:15,040 one another. It is not just me that’s forgiving. I also am one who needs to be forgiven. 415 00:35:15,040 –> 00:35:22,040 And here’s the last. Savannah your forgiveness in Christ. Notice what he says. By forgiving 416 00:35:22,040 –> 00:35:31,040 one another as God in Christ has forgiven you. In other words, God’s forgiveness is 417 00:35:31,040 –> 00:35:36,399 both the model of our forgiving and it is the motive of our forgiving. We’re to forgive 418 00:35:36,399 –> 00:35:42,820 one another how as God in Christ has forgiven you, which is why we spent time on looking 419 00:35:42,820 –> 00:35:48,899 at how He did this, how He does this. And what he’s saying here is if you’re wanting 420 00:35:49,399 –> 00:35:53,919 to get to the place where you can forgive, here you’ve been gaining some momentum with 421 00:35:53,919 –> 00:35:57,699 each of these strides. Now you’re moving. You’re advancing and here’s how you’ll 422 00:35:57,699 –> 00:36:01,760 get to the point where you’re ready to take off as you draw near to the hurdle. Now, 423 00:36:01,760 –> 00:36:08,040 you just fill your mind with what it means for God to forgive you. Turn that over in 424 00:36:08,040 –> 00:36:15,040 your mind. How has Christ forgiven me? He’s done it freely. He’s done it gladly. He’s 425 00:36:16,040 –> 00:36:21,760 done it fully. He’s done it in a way that was undeserved. He’s done it in a way that 426 00:36:21,760 –> 00:36:26,600 is irreversible. He’s done it in a way that is eternal and will never be withdrawn. He’s 427 00:36:26,600 –> 00:36:31,459 done it in love and he’s done it in mercy and he’s done it out of an agony of heart 428 00:36:31,459 –> 00:36:38,459 that was shrouded in darkness at Calvary and for all eternity I will never be able to understand 429 00:36:38,620 –> 00:36:45,620 the fullness of that pain. Savor your forgiveness in Christ. Get your heart up there. Appreciate 430 00:36:47,719 –> 00:36:53,719 it. Enjoy it. Get yourself lost in wonder and love and praise in what God has done for 431 00:36:53,719 –> 00:36:58,159 you in Jesus Christ and what he’s doing for you now and what he will do for you forever 432 00:36:58,159 –> 00:37:05,159 and then forgive one another as God in Christ forgave you. 433 00:37:05,639 –> 00:37:12,639 See here are six strides toward forgiveness. And what I’m saying to you is you practice 434 00:37:15,239 –> 00:37:22,239 these six strides and the seventh will take you over the hurdle. And you will find that 435 00:37:25,540 –> 00:37:32,540 you have the ability to forgive. Friends for those of you, and this is the very last word, 436 00:37:32,780 –> 00:37:39,780 struggle with a person who has hurt you so badly. And they are in this position that 437 00:37:41,219 –> 00:37:46,379 we spoken of today of being completely unaware of what they have done no sense of responsibility. 438 00:37:46,379 –> 00:37:53,379 I’m saying to you take these six strides on the path of mercy and you will be ready 439 00:37:53,459 –> 00:38:00,459 at any moment to forgive. Forgiveness will already be in your freed heart, ready to be 440 00:38:02,699 –> 00:38:09,699 released, placed into the hands of one who has wronged you and yet in God’s mercy may 441 00:38:14,300 –> 00:38:19,280 one day be restored. 442 00:38:19,800 –> 00:38:26,800 And that is how Jesus Christ is towards you today. He is kind, he is tender-hearted, he 443 00:38:31,399 –> 00:38:38,399 has compassion on you. His nail-pierced hands are reaching out to you today so that whatever 444 00:38:39,800 –> 00:38:46,800 in your life needs to be forgiven, he’s ready to forgive that for you, but he’s not going 445 00:38:49,399 –> 00:38:54,300 to let that priceless, blood-bought pearl fall to the ground, he’s going to place it 446 00:38:54,300 –> 00:39:00,340 right in your hands, which means you’ve got to draw near to him. And that’s what faith 447 00:39:00,340 –> 00:39:07,340 and what repentance does. And he’s ready to do that. However much you have wounded him, 448 00:39:08,219 –> 00:39:14,080 he’s ready to do that for you today. And if you believe this, why would you not then come 449 00:39:14,080 –> 00:39:21,080 to Him in repentance and in faith today? Father, please use your word as oil and wine 450 00:39:25,879 –> 00:39:32,879 poured into the wounds of hurting hearts that we may take great strides on the path of mercy 451 00:39:37,000 –> 00:39:43,919 that leads to forgiveness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name we pray. 452 00:39:44,320 –> 00:39:49,479 Thanks for joining us this week, we’ve been listening to a sermon with scholar Pastor 453 00:39:49,479 –> 00:39:53,520 Colin Smith of Open The Bible, to contact us call the number brisbaneaplindung 211-371-TALK 454 00:39:53,520 –> 00:39:55,820 or visit our website openthebible.org