Forgiveness

There is no one who is saved who has not been forgiven.

Colossians 2:13-14
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

And what do we learn here about what forgiveness is?
The forgiveness we enjoy is one in which we had been guilty of a "trespass".
Not just an accusation. Guilty of a trespass.
But now we are forgiven. What does that mean? Colossians 2:14 says the requirement to pay back was "wiped out" and taken out of the way "...having nailed it to the cross".

According to God’s word this what forgiveness is. This is what we have when we were “made alive” from being dead in sin.

And so I bring up the subject of what we, in turn, are saved to do…

Matthew 6:12
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

As we grow in our eternal lives into the image of Christ (Rom 8:29) we must be sure to notice that forgiveness is one of the characteristics we are to imitate.

Matthew 6:14-15
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

We forgive because we’ve been forgiven.
If you’re not forgiving, perhaps you’re not a person that’s been forgiven.

God considers this a serious matter.
We’re not just told that it’s a good idea to forgive or that we’ll “feel better” if we forgive. We’re ordered to forgive and it is a sin when we do not.

Jesus put it like this…

Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Why should we forgive?
Because we have been forgiven.

Matthew 18:32-33
32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

This is good to know for any lesson. We must get it into our heads the reality that we are sinners and we are not innocent ourselves.
Even if you can think of no human being what-so-ever that you need to call to ask for forgiveness, you cannot get out of the supreme truth that we have all trespassed against God.

Psalm 51:3-4
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned and done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak and blameless when You judge.

We have not just transgressed against a co-worker, family member or fellow church member. We have sinned against God (Rom 3:23). And yet we are forgiven (Col 2:13). That being the case the Lord expects His followers to do likewise….

Matthew 18:33
Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

Now, I have personally heard people say, “Yeah, but you don’t know what they did to me.”

Did they kill your child?
You killed God’s child.

Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Your sins did. Mine too.
Perhaps you think you didn’t have anything to do with Jesus’ death for sins.
You better. Or you’re not saved. Unless Jesus died for YOUR sins, you’re not His.

So let’s get this nonsense out of our heads that we’re not obligated to forgive everyone.
We are.
What if we don’t? Jesus’ story goes on…

Matthew 18:31
So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

You run the risk of having the Church pray to God about your un-confessed sin.
And, listen, if you’re not forgiving others then you are living in un-repentant sin.
If you were to have your heart convict you of a sin; anger, lust, harm to another, etc. Would you come to God in prayer without immediately confessing and dealing with it? Would you even say grace for your food before confessing it?

Mark 11:25
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

Our prayers can be hindered by not forgiving.
Even worse, God might deal with us for our stubbornness…

Matthew 18:32-33
32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

And this forgiveness must be sincere. I have seen plenty of people say they have forgiven but they have not really.
No one is fooling God when they make lip service in this.

Matthew 18:35
So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

The commandment is clear and disobeying it is sin.
If this is a hard pill to swallow perhaps we have do not consider our own sin as such a great offense and God’s forgiveness of us as profound as we should.
I suggest we all re-consider who is forgiving whom.