Humility, Discipline and Forgiveness

Transcript

GRM 577
6/21/1998
Humility, Discipline and Forgiveness
Matthew 18:1-14, 21-35
Gil Rugh

Go to Matthew, chapter 18, is dealing with the right relationships of believers, a proper perspective that we as believers are to have of one another and there were here relating to the world and their dealings with unbelievers as well. The first 14 verses deal with the subject of humility which becomes key. That’s really the background for the section in verses 15-20 that deal with Church discipline. So, you deal with the humility of the believer, then you deal with the correction of the believer. The first 14 verses on the humility of the believer, then verses 15-20 on the correction of the believer. Then verses 21-35 deal with the forgiveness of the believer. So, key elements running through this.

The chapter opens up, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”” Luke chapter 9, verse 46, we don’t need to turn there right now, but that indicates that the disciples were having a discussion. An argument among themselves about which of them was the greatest. That is the context out of which comes the question, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” So, you see they’ve got a distorted perspective here. They’re concerned about themselves and maybe that they are the greatest, they are the most important. Their perspective is not what it needs to be.

Mark, chapter 9, verse 35, says that Jesus began His instruction on this by saying, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Putting in perspective the need to be concerned, not about being first, but being last. Being willing to put others before you by sacrifice, by serving.

What He is going to do now, instead of directly rebuking them, He shows them what true greatness really is. He takes a little child, calls a child to Himself in verse 2, and sets the child before them. And He “said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”” So, two things are dealt with here. Entering the kingdom and greatness in the kingdom.

The disciples, obviously, the context of Christ’s earthly ministry, announcing the coming kingdom over which He will rule and reign on this earth. He says there’s two matters that need to be dealt with. Number 1, entering into the kingdom. And number 2, being greatest in the kingdom. And in both cases humility is the key issue.

So, you take this little child, and first you say, “Unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” That simplicity, that trust, that humility, that could be exemplified in the child. That’s essential. You have to be converted and become like a child. You have to be born again. Involved in that is then is a humility and trust that can be pictured in a child. “And whoever then humbles as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” So, there is honor in true humility, in lowliness, in unimportance, if you will. Become like the little child. There is a lowliness about them, a humility about them.

Then He proceeds on, “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.” I want you to note here, there’s been a transition. Sometimes people get confused in this passage and in related passages. He’s not still talking about the little physical child. We’ve made the transition to becoming like a child, and so whoever receives one such child in My name receives me. The child that you’re receiving is the child of God, the one who has been converted, becoming childlike, if you will? The one who humbles himself. Now, when you receive that child of God, you receive Christ. “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.”

Back up to chapter 10. Matthew, chapter 10, verse 40, Jesus speaking to His disciples says, “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” So, you see the connection. “He who receives you receives Me.” Why? Because you represent Me, even as I represent My Father.

So, over in Matthew, chapter 18, verse 5, “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.” You’re receiving a child of God, one who has been born again, one who belongs to Christ. He’s not particularly focusing on the physical child any longer. The physical child was just the illustration of us becoming children, humility, faith. “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me.” So, you see there He identifies which little ones He’s talking about. The little ones who believe in Me. Those who have become like children. Those who believe in Me. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Since these who believe in Christ are special to Him, belong to Him, then there are special dangers to any who cause them to stumble.

He refers to, that word “stumble.” We get the word scandalized from it. Putting things in their way to cause them to fall into a trap, would be the idea. Luring them into a wrong activity. So, here, those who would cause one of these believers to sin, who would lure them into sin. That doesn’t excuse personal responsibility, but those who would have as their intention to delude and lead the people of God into sin. “Better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned into the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!”

And I take it this is a strong warning here particularly to unbelievers and the danger there. The religious leaders would be particularly in view as well. Look over in Matthew, chapter 23, verse 13. Matthew 23:13, see a similar picture. “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” Those scribes and Pharisees were trying to keep people from Christ, from the salvation that would enable them to go into the kingdom. So, that picture of preventing people, becoming a barrier to people.

In chapter 26, verse 24, “The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom that Son of Man is betrayed! It would good, have been good for that man if he had not been born.” And Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Surely it is not I?” “You have said it yourself.” There is an example. Better he hadn’t been born again. Here’s one who was within the inner circle but really was not a true follower of Christ. So, it would have been better for him had he not been born. There will be stumbling blocks in the world. Things that will be obstacles to God’s people, will lure God’s people into problems, into sin, into trouble. Woe to the person who becomes such an instrument. Their guilt is compounded.

Back in Matthew 18. I think it’s familiar verses. “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off” because it’s better to go into life lame, than “to be cast into eternal fire.” The end of verse 8. “And if your eye causes you to stumble, get rid of it, better to enter into life with one eye than having two eyes be cast into fiery hell.” In other words, the call here for people to deal themselves with anything that becomes an excuse or an obstacle preventing them from entering the kingdom. No, is the problem really my hand? No. But it’s a very graphic way to say get rid of any obstacles. Anything that would keep you from the kingdom.

So, even though we say that verse 7, “Woe to the world because of the stumbling block! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come.” On the other side, every individual has the responsibility to deal with anything that would prevent me from coming to Christ first of all. The first and the number one important thing is how do I get into the kingdom? Verse 3, entering into the kingdom. Well, you know, the alternative is eternal fire, the Gehenna of fire, or fiery hell. Don’t sit back and say, well, you know, I just can’t do it. I just can’t do it. This presents that even something as precious as my own body, a hand, an eye, don’t let it be an obstacle. Ah, that’s the point here. So, there is that dimension that has to be dealt with.

Verse 10 picks up on the overwhelming importance of every believer, in the proper sense and perspective. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven.” Now again, because people don’t follow the transition here, they think this means every little child or baby has its own angel in heaven. Well, the little ones that He’s talking about are the little ones who have come to Him who believe in Him, in verse 6. There angels do always “behold the face of My Father who is in heaven.” I think, the reference probably is the fact that Hebrews 1:14 says “the angels of God are sent forth as ministering spirits on behalf of those who are to be the heirs of salvation,” not saying, particularly, that every believer has a guardian angel. But it is saying that the angels of heaven serve us and serve on our behalf. So, those who stand in the presence of God and behold the face of God in heaven, are those who serve on our behalf according to Hebrews 1:14.

So, you realize that every single believer is exceedingly precious before God. The point being made here, “Do not despise one of these little ones,” means to think little of, regard them as unimportant or nothing. They’re not talking about self-esteem here. It’s talking about the attitude we have toward other believers and a warning, don’t think little of any of these, because they are precious enough to have the angels of heaven, who serve on their behalf.

That’s remarkable! I lose that perspective. You know, even we, as God’s people need to keep a balance here. The disciples do. They were concerned about looking at how much better and greater am I than John, or Matthew, or Thomas. Remember, how precious he is. The angels who serve in the presence of God minister on his behalf. He is precious and loved by God. Rather than looking down on them, I ought to be exalting them and honoring them.

“What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? And if it turns out that he finds it truly I say to you, he rejoices more over the one that he found than the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. Thus, it is not the will of your Father who is heaven that any one of these little ones should perish.”

The point of the illustration is clear. These disciples would appreciate it. He doesn’t say, I have 100 sheep. I lost one. It doesn’t matter, I still have 99. No, the one that was wandering, and straying was precious and important and it’s not God’s intention that any of His sheep perish. And He has so loved us that He has determined that none of us will, according to verse 14.

Now, that naturally leads into verses 15-20 where you deal with the discipline of God’s people, the correction of God’s people. What is it? You’re bringing back the erring, wandering sheep that He had been talking about. I see them as precious as God does.
One of them who sins, one of them who has wandered, what? We become instruments in God’s hands to bring them back. “And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private.” You win him! That’s the goal, to restore him. The rejoicing that comes with that restoration.

You see the flowing of the context. It becomes broad enough to entail believer and unbeliever alike. So, they want, the disciples want to know who’s the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus said, let’s keep two things in mind. Getting into the kingdom and then greatness in the kingdom. Don’t be worried about greatness in the kingdom if you’re not going. Keep in mind, Judas is still part of this inner circle of 12, and he’s not going into the kingdom. He won’t be part of it. Let’s not take anything for granted here. Let’s establish first entering into the kingdom and the child-like faith and humility that must characterize us as we recognize our sin and bow before Him. One of the difficult things about salvation, is it not? It’s humbling. To be humble before God and to step from my arrogance by His grace and my self-confidence and bow before Him. I’m nothing. I’m unworthy. And I deserve hell. I’ve sinned against a holy God and no punishment is too severe. But God, I claim your mercy. I must be converted. So, now I can really be proud and puff myself up because now I’m a child of God, I’m somebody! No because the one who humbles himself as this child, he’s the greatest in the kingdom. Humility is not an initial action that’s over. Let’s get that humility behind us. No, it becomes the characteristic of my life.

So, Peter’s question. Peter comes to Him and says, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive Him?” This naturally flows out of the development here where He’s moved it to the value of every believer and picturing a wandering sheep and we must bring him back. The process of discipline by God’s people is corrective to restore them. The natural question is how many times do you do this? Let’s get personal, “How often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” We’re talking about a sinning believer; a sinning brother and he sins against me.

Now, Peter really has gone far beyond what was required in his day. If we want to look at the culture, the Jews thought you were obligated to forgive three times. Amos chapter 1 was one of their passages, because God said there, “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not forgive them.” For 3 transgressions of and fill in the blank. It keeps going through the cities until He comes to Judah and Israel. For 3 transgressions and for four, I will not forgive. So, the Jews taught, that well, you have to be like God. You have to forgive 3 times, but no more.

Well, now Peter says in light of this and true humility, I better be careful. I always open my mouth and get caught. So, how about, Lord, should I forgive him as many as 7? Now, you stop and think about it, somebody who sins against you grievously. I mean, you know, not just a passing thing [that] you say, I didn’t even notice it. But something that really hurts, that may really be damaging. They do it once. They say, you know, I’m sorry. It was wrong. I need your forgiveness. You say, I forgive you. They do it again! And you go through the process. Okay. They do it again! That’s 3. They do it again! That’s 4, 5. You reach a point. Look, I can’t forgive you. Don’t you understand? I forgave you 4 times. I cannot forgive you again. I don’t know. Peter 7.

“Jesus said, “I don’t say to you seven, but up to seventy times seven.” Now He’s not saying keep track of 490 times. He picks up the number that Peter uses and then just multiplies it. Seven times? No, 70 times 7, Peter. I mean, we’ve got into a realm, you know, we’re not talking about, oh, yeah, I’ve got my book here. We are on 315. Ah, obviously He’s not talking about that. And I don’t believe anybody has ever even suggested that He was.

And then He gives them an illustration. Because you see what still happens. When I’m worried about greatness, I’ve got my eyes on me. How exalted will I get to be? How important am I? And even more than that, how much more important am I than you are important? Now, on forgiveness. Really, the issue is if there is a limit to my forgiveness. How many times do I have to be hurt before I don’t have to take it anymore?

So, Jesus gives this account “For this reason the kingdom of heaven.” verse 23 “may be compared to a certain king who wished to settle account with his slaves. And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him, saying, “have patience with me, and I will repay you everything,” and the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.”

So here He’s talking about, verse 23, the kingdom of heaven. Back to verse 1 of chapter 18, “Who is greatest in the kingdom?” Let’s talk about entrance into the kingdom. Let’s talk about greatness in the kingdom. Let’s talk about the preciousness of each one who will be part of that kingdom. Let’s deal with the character and conduct of those who will be part of the kingdom. Their humility, their child-like humility and trust, and so on.

So, we’re talking about the kingdom of heaven here. The coming earthly kingdom. He’s not particularly, ah, you know, the Church is not the dominate focus here, although the Church was mentioned in verse 17. But the point is the same for true believers. But the disciples, at this point, are familiar with the concept of the kingdom. The concept of the Church is still a strange one to them. And the character and conduct of a believer is unchanging, although that characteristic of a believer whether it was before the crucifixion, as they were talking about the coming earthly kingdom, or it’s after the crucifixion, taking about the Church and the rapture of the Church, the point is the same. The people of God partake of the character of God and manifest certain traits and characteristics as God works in their life.

Okay. So, here is a slave in this account, who owes 10,000 talents. I checked there were a variety of estimates. Everywhere from many millions of dollars. One very reliable commentator, usually reliable, but he thought with inflation and everything, it could be a billion dollars today. He did a comparison. So, whatever it is, we’re talking about a large, large sum of money. The debt of this slave is so vast and overwhelming there is no hope that he could ever repay it in multiple lifetimes. How is a slave, who by his very character as a slave, most of all that he does is done for someone else, ever to acquire enough to pay back a debt. He’s already a slave of this man. What is he going to do? Work 100 hours a week to pay him back? He already is the slave of that man and owes him his whole life.

So, the king says [that] the only thing to do is sell him and his family, and whatever we get we get, and we write off the rest as a loss, is what it would take, what would take place. But he begs for mercy. He says, “Have mercy.” “Have patience,” the end of verse 26, “with me, and I will repay you everything.” It’s a hopeless debt couldn’t be done. But the king says, verse 27, “I forgive you.” He forgives him on the basis of compassion. He released him, forgave him the debt. Taken care of, done. Now that servant went out, “found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, “Pay back what you owe.”” So that fellow slave fell down, begged for patience and he said, “I’ll repay you.”

Now this is a repayable debt, but he was unwilling, so had him thrown in prison. Commentators have a great time laying this out. Here’s what one writer said, “The 100 denarii that could be carried in one pocket.” Sounds like a lot, but you could carry what that amounted to in one pocket. “Ten thousand talent debt would take an army of 8,600 carriers each carrying a sack weighing 60 lbs. And they would form, if they each stood a yard apart, a line 5 miles long.” Here’s what you could put in one pocket. Here’s what 8,600 men, each carrying a bag weighing 60 lbs. stretching out for 5 miles. That’s what this servant owed his master. The one servant owed the other servant just what you could carry in one pocket. So, you see, the point is to make a vast contrast. There’s no comparison between the two, um, is the point. The forgiven servant is unwilling to show forgiveness to his fellow slave. So, verse 31, when the other slaves see how this slave has treated the one who asked him for mercy, they go and tell the lord and master what happened.

Verse 32, “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, “You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?” And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.””

Now, the account, you can’t make it walk on all fours in every way as in any parable or illustration, but his point is clear. Those who have been forgiven much should be ready to forgive others. Ought it not to fill your heart with gratitude if you and your foolishness have run up a debt of 2 million dollars and someone walks up to you and says, you know, it’s forgiven. Let’s forget it. You say, why, that was so wonderful. And someone you work with comes up and says, you know, I owe you $25.00, but I can’t pay. And you say, then I’m going to our boss and get you fired and have them arrest you until I’m paid. We say, well that would be horrible. That’s the kind of picture here. That point is that the one who is unforgiving will be dealt with. He’s not really come to grips with the situation.

Now, let me walk through what I think is what is being portrayed here, very simply. To appreciate the magnitude of God’s forgiveness in your life, you must have some grasp of the magnitude of your debt. In other words, I must understand that I am overwhelmed by my sin. And my debt because of my sin, my guilt before God is overwhelming. I am accountable. I am guilty.

There are multiplied references to our guilt. Psalm, chapter 130, to go to the Old Testament, verses 3 and 4, “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who could stand?” If the Lord is going to keep record of iniquities, and that includes us all, even us redeemed, and they were to be held against us, does any of us have a chance? Even since I’ve been forgiven, if God had forgiven me all my sins up until the day I trusted Him, I am overwhelmed with innumerable offenses in thought and action since the day I experienced His wonderful cleansing. So, the point is, if the Lord would hold offenses, there’s no hope. None of us can pay because the wages of sin is death and that includes, as He has talked about in verse 8 and verse 9 at the end of the verse, eternal fire. Well, if the penalty for my sin involves eternal fire, how can I ever pay the debt? So, if I’d say, okay, I’ll pay the 100 billion years, but we realize it’s eternal. 100 billion years is just getting started on the debt that I owe. I am overwhelmed with the magnitude of my indebtedness. That’s the picture.

That’s why there are tremendous flaws in Gospel presentations that don’t clarify the issue of sin. I think the Puritans over did it, but you know, in their day, they discouraged people from responding to the Gospel. They believed you really needed to get under conviction until your misery was so great you couldn’t stand it, and you were begging for forgiveness and God’s grace in your life. Well, I think that may be carrying it too far, but the idea is there. If there is no real sense of sin, the conviction of the Holy Spirit in the life, convicting of sin, of unrighteousness, then really there is not a proper concept of salvation and forgiveness.

So, we understand the depth of our sin and the debt can only be paid with an eternal punishment. God in Christ does not deal with us according to our sins, but in love and mercy. He dealt with Christ and His wrath was poured upon Christ. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross.” That “in Christ” we are given, what? The “free gift” of life. I’m forgiven. All of my multiplied sins and how do I number them? They are innumerable. My offenses and sins against God have all been forgiven. Now do I really have any concept of that? Well, whether I do or not, will be evidenced by how I treat others.

Now don’t get it turned around. I can’t be saved by being nice to you. Only the Lord can forgive me. That’s true in this account that Christ told. Only the master is in the place to do the forgiving. Remember when David sinned with Bathsheba and then murdered her husband? What did he say in Psalm 51? “Against You,” referring to, speaking of God, “and You only have I sinned.” He sinned against Uriah. He sinned against Bathsheba. But in reality ultimately the sin was against God. David is overwhelmed by the magnitude of that sin and that only God’s forgiveness holds any hope.

Now that being the case, if I have been forgiven, there’s nothing so contradictory as an unforgiving Christian. It is like having two contradictory terms. An unforgiving Christian. No.

Look over in the New Testament to Colossians, chapter 3. Colossians, chapter 3, verse 13. Verse 12 tells us, “As those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; being with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

What could you do in sinning against me, that I would say, that! Now that is unforgivable. Or, you did that so many times I cannot forgive you again. Now, wait a minute. Where did God draw the line for me? You know where the real problem comes? When I begin to lose the perspective that I’m not really that bad. I never did that to anyone. I would never have treated anyone like that. I’ve never done that to anyone. I would have never said that. What am I saying? I’m not such a bad sinner, so I didn’t need as much forgiveness as someone else.

All of a sudden things begin to get blurry here. Wait a minute, Gil. You need to back up. Upon what are you basing your salvation? Your righteousness plus God’s goodness together got you saved? I think, there really does become a question here. For true believers the standard here is, “Just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Back up a couple of books to Ephesians, chapter 4. Verse 30, we are told not to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” There are things that would grieve the Holy Spirit. Do not, “let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you.” The measure is what God has done for me in Christ.

Back up in Matthew to chapter 6. Jesus has addressed this subject, Matthew, chapter 6, in the Lord’s prayer, verse 12, ““Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.”” Verse 14 He elaborates on this point, ““For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.””

I take it the same thing is being stated. He’s not saying your saved by your works. So, go around and tell people, “Your forgiven, I forgive you. I forgive you, and therefore you’ve earned your salvation. That would be contrary to everything about salvation in the Old and New Testament alike. But the point is, don’t think you’re going to experience God’s forgiveness when you have an unforgiving heart and attitude in dealing with others. That’s a mark of a lost person.

Come back to Matthew 18, verse 35. Verse 34 said, “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers.” So, this slave, that he was initially willing to forgive, now is turned “over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, each one of you, if each one of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.””

Now, this has been taken in 2 ways. Some take it to mean the chastening of the Lord in the life of a believer. And that is biblically correct in the sense that there is chastening in the life of the believer. We talked about this in the context of Church discipline. Hebrews, chapter 12, verses 5-10, says [that] God disciplines every one of His children. He scourges them. That’s a strong word. Scourging was a severe punishment. So, we do experience severe punishment at the hands of God if we’re not functioning as He said. That could be in view here. The other view, and the one that I personally favor in the context, is that, He’s talking about an unforgiving spirit being an indication that one does not belong to God. So, we’re really describing the character and conduct of a believer. And one who is unwilling to forgive is revealing he is an unregenerate person.

Now that doesn’t mean that there are not times that I don’t sin by not forgiving someone. In the general, overall pattern, though, an unforgiving person. That doesn’t mean that I can never be guilty of not being forgiving as I should in a given case. But generally, as a believer, if a believer, a person’s been truly forgiven, is truly a believer, they have experienced something of God’s grace, that manifests itself in the follow through.
So, both of these are biblically true. The point is, which one is Jesus driving home here, since in the context He is talked in both ways? How you get into the kingdom, which would be about salvation, and then position in the kingdom, which would have to do with those who are God’s children.

So, a recognition, number 1, of the value of these who are God’s children, the importance that God places upon them, and my recognizing and honoring them, being concerned for them, desiring to restore them. And that as one who has been forgiven, to realize that God expects and demands of me a forgiving spirit. That solves a lot of difficulty.

Romans, chapter 1, verse 31, describes those who are not merciful. That’s a characteristic of an unregenerate person, a lost person, in Romans, chapter 1, verse 31. James, chapter 2, verse 13, one final verse. James 2:13, “Judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy.” So, I take it, the same kind of context here. We’re showing sin and revealing our character. Churches have been shattered by people who have been offended, who are unwilling to forgive wrongs that have been done, who carry grudges for years. I really think we’re seeing them evidencing the fact that they are not the children of God. If they are they are in for severe, severe chastening from God. We need to back up here and find out what is really the condition of the people we are dealing with. I’ve been forgiven overwhelming amount. Well, people will take advantage of you. They just keep saying, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It's in God’s hands, isn’t it?

Imagine the angels could have said to God, You forgive Gil. He’s going to do it again. You know that guy, he’s got a history. 55 years! You know, we angels, we’ve been tracking him. He hasn’t gone through a day, not a day! And Lord, he’s a preacher, he went to Bible school and seminary. Not a day when he didn’t sin! Lord, if you forgive him, you know what’s going to happen. He’s going to do it again. You just know it. Yeah, and the Lord forgives me, doesn’t He? Past, present and future.

So, what’s to be my attitude toward someone who sins against me? Carry a grudge. I can’t wait until they get there. Of course, I’ve forgiven them. Now I’m waiting. They’ll get theirs. No, then I haven’t forgiven them. Why? Because when I’ve forgiven them, it’s done. The Lord forgave me. Am I waiting for Him to dump it on me now? No! Praise God, I’m forgiven.

Now, there’s discipline if I persist in resistance and rebellion, and I need it in my life. But the character of God’s people is clear. So, do I manifest humility? Child-like humility? That’s turning my attention from me to you, appreciating what God has done in your life, your preciousness to God, concerned about your walk with God and enabling you to be all that God wants you to be, turns from me, doing whatever I can to help you. And you get into sin, how to restore you. If I get into sin, you’re concerned how to restore me. This whole area of forgiveness, in one sense for us as believers, it’s not an issue, because we’re the people who sense that we have been overwhelmingly forgiven.

Keep in mind, this would be true of the unbelieving world around us. What did Jesus say as He hung on the cross? And probably not one of us here who haven’t thought, if I was on the cross, I think I would have called down those legions of angels and wiped them out. What did He say? “Father, forgive them! They really don’t know what they’re doing.” I mean, they are crucifying the Son of God! “Father, forgive them!”

Well, I am going to be so small, one who has been forgiven all of his sins and will be forgiven for time and eternity, that it’s just more. What happens in marriages? Well, I just can’t forgive him anymore. I can’t forgive her anymore. What do you mean? What do you mean? Ah, who, what, what? There’s no comparison. And, I should be embarrassed when I don’t. And, I have to admit, sometimes I am. But by God’s grace we continue to grow and mature.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for what You’ve done for us in Christ. It’s easy for us to forget the forgiveness that we have received. And, Lord, it’s hard to say that we would forget the amount that we have been forgiven. Lord, that we who owed You a hopelessly overwhelming debt, as again and again and again we have sinned against You, the holy and righteous God. There is no excuse. Lord, there is no hope of us paying our debt. But You, with a mercy and grace beyond understanding, have forgiven us. Lord, we need to be careful to be sure that our attitude truly reflects Your grace in our lives. True genuine humility and appreciation of Your work in the lives of others, a gladness and a joy in forgiving whatever wrongs and offenses, no matter how many times they’re repeated, that it’s our privilege to reflect Your character in forgiving others. May that be true in our personal walk. May it be true of us in our life as a Church. And may You be honored by our lives. We pray in Christ’s name, amen.