The Spirit of Forgiveness Authentic Christianity Matthew Goode

“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven times.” -Matthew 18:21-22 THE SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS  SOURCE MATERIAL: Hayford, Jack. Living the Spirit-Formed Life. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001. If any single truth should become dominant in our understanding of Christian living, it's the breadth of the implications Jesus teaches regarding forgiveness. Verses 21-22 21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven times

Matthew 18 The Rabbis taught that God didn’t forgive more than three times. Amos 1:3-13; 2:1-6 They thought that they had no obligation to be more patient than God, so seven times seemed generous to Peter. Jesus is calling us to live a lifestyle of forgiveness without keeping count to justify any retaliation or rejection. The setting for Jesus' lesson is a follow-up question Peter asked immediately after the Master had talked about forgiving people who violate you or have fault that offends you. (Matt. 18:15-20) So Peter, feeling generous in the wake of Jesus' call to graciousness, asks, "Then, Lord, shall I forgive seven times?" We need to realize that to Peter's understanding, seven times is more than twice  anything he's ever been taught, as the rabbis of the day taught that God Himself didn't forgive more than three times. This teaching comes from their interpretation of Amos' prophecy, in which God would judge the nations "for three transgressions...and for four." (Amos 1:3-13; 2:1-6) The ancient teachers concluded that if God Himself comes down heavy on the fourth violation, the teachers of the Law had no obligation to be anymore patient than that, so seven times seemed very generous to Peter. Jesus' response of seventy times seven or 490 times is not to be interpreted in the literal sense, but instead Jesus is calling us to live a lifestyle of forgiveness without keeping count to justify any retaliation or rejection.

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.” -Matthew 18:23-27 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

Forgiveness We’re called to a lifestyle of forgiveness as a principle of discipleship. We have all been greatly forgiven, so we should forgive greatly. This story (v. 23-27) is equivalent to us being lost in sin apart from God’s forgiveness through the cross of Jesus. Jesus' disciples are called to a lifestyle of forgiveness as a principle of discipleship. This principle is rooted in the lesson in that because we have all been so greatly forgiven, we are logically obligated to be forgiving toward others. When Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is like this," He is invoking this principle upon all of us who have been born again into that domain - His Kingdom of LOVE. (John 3:3) The parable in verses 23-27 shows the amount of money owed by the first servant to be an unpayable debt - at least $100 million in today's wages. This is the story equivalent of our being absolutely lost in sin apart from God's forgiveness through the cross of Jesus.

Forgiveness The master’s initial decision illustrates the binding, destructive potential of human helplessness outside of God’s grace. Like our own freedom in Christ, the servant’s freedom is complete, undeserved, and restorative. The master's initial decision to sell the man and his family into servitude and liquidate his assets (v. 25) is not intended to be a picture of God's style in handling our indebtedness, but instead illustrates the binding, destructive potential of human helplessness outside of God's grace. The total and complete wiping away of all indebtedness, the freeing of the man in response to his cry and by reason of his master's compassion - this is as dramatic a statement as we'll ever find of God's forgiveness through Christ. Like our own freedom in Christ, the servant's freedom is complete, undeserved, and restorative.

“But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.” -Matthew 18:28-30 Verses 28-30 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.

Matthew 18:28-30 Here Jesus illustrates the way unforgiveness freezes the relational possibilities between us and those we do not forgive. Our free-will to forgive or not can bring either freedom or bondage. The stark contrast which follows is meant to shock us. The man who was forgiven a fortune virtually races to claim a mere pittance from a fellow servant - a debt that could have very easily been paid if compassion would have been shown to him. The unforgiving servant not only shows himself to be uncompassionate, but stupidly illogical in throwing his fellow servant into the debtor's prison where he cannot work to change the financial facts of his circumstance. Here Jesus illustrates the way unforgiveness freezes the relational possibilities between us and those we do not forgive. So much power is given to us with our free-will choice to forgive or not, and the decision we make can bring either freedom or bondage.

“When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the Torturers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” -Matthew 18:31-35 Verses 31-35 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the Torturers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Matthew 18:31-35 Jesus uses the actions taken to indicate both what unforgiveness does and doesn’t do. The man will forever be tortured by debt collectors who WILL continuously be collecting the debt. Torturers: Greek for “a jailer who elicits information by the use of the rack” These descriptions bring to light the reality of the bondage that unforgiveness brings upon yourself. In contrast, forgiveness brings liberty & freedom! Jesus uses the action taken by the master of the servants to indicate both what unforgiveness does and does not do. When the merciful master learns what the forgiven servant has done, he is enraged and delivers the man to be tortured until he should pay all of the original debt. Note that the master does not revert to his original judgment, that the man and his family be sold into slavery and endless poverty, but instead this man will forever be tortured by debt collectors who WILL continuously be collecting the debt in all ways imaginable for the rest of this man's life. The Greek term for torturers here is Basanistes, meaning: a jailer who elicits information by the use of the rack (an instrument of torture). This descriptions should vividly bring to light the reality of the bondage that unforgiveness brings upon yourself and those who you do not forgive and contrast a life of forgiveness that brings liberty and freedom to all parties involved.

There is freedom in being forgiven and in being a person who forgives. Conclusion There is freedom in being forgiven and in being a person who forgives. The spirit of forgiveness releases “givingness,” which releases life in its fullest dimensions. We never learn how to forgive until we learn how greatly we’ve been forgiven. Conclusion The forgiveness of sin, given to us freely in Christ through His atoning death and justifying work, opens a fountainhead of grace that flows without measure. That same measure of graciousness is a summons to every believer, saying, “Freely you have received, freely give” – a call which cannot remain unanswered except at the expense of blockage, bondage, and withering of soul.  A. There is freedom in being forgiven and in being a person who forgives.  B. The spirit of forgiveness releases “givingness,” which releases life in its fullest dimensions.  We never learn to live until we have learned how to give.  We never learn how to give until we learn how to forgive. ​  We never learn how to forgive until we learn how greatly we’ve been forgiven. 

The Juneteenth Analogy Emancipation of slaves: January 1, 1863 Union soldiers informed: June 19, 1865 These slaves, who were legally free, continued to be enslaved for 2.5 years because the information of freedom was not reached. Think about the ramifications of continuing to live in slavery when in reality you should be free. It was on June 19th, 1865 that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. The sad and horrific reality was that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. These slaves, who were legally free as of January 1, 1863, continued to be enslaved for two-and-a-half additional years simply because word of the Emancipation Proclamation had not reached Texas until then. Take a moment and think about the ramifications of continuing to live in slavery when in reality you should be free.

The Juneteenth Analogy Apply this example to acts of forgiveness we face: Many people are willing to forgive your transgression, so why not ask for forgiveness and be set free If you’ve forgiven someone for something they’ve done to you, but have not told them, they may still be living under the bondage of that act—perhaps you should set them free. Take a moment and think about the ramifications of continuing to live in slavery when in reality you should be free. Now apply the example of Juneteenth to acts of forgiveness we face: 1. Many people are willing to forgive your transgression, so why not ask for forgiveness and be set free ​ 2. If you've forgiven someone for something they've done to you, but have not told them, they may still be living under the bondage of that act - Perhaps you should set them free

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” -Matthew 6:14-15 There is a reason Jesus said these words: "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:14-15

Do you want more freedom in your life? You hold the power in your free-will choices. Its time to set people free through our acts of forgiveness. Do you want more freedom in your life?  You hold the power ​in your free-will choices. Its time to set people free ​through our acts of forgiveness.

Challenge Think about a person you hold bitterness toward. Maybe you know of someone who holds bitterness against you. Maybe you've been hurt...maybe you've hurt someone else.  Perhaps this is the day to ask forgiveness or release forgiveness. With the understanding of today's lesson, forgive someone or ask forgiveness from someone today, and then enter into the freedom of no longer having to drag that baggage with you any longer Think about a person you hold bitterness toward. Maybe you know of someone who holds bitterness against you. Maybe you've been hurt...maybe you've hurt someone else.  Perhaps this is the day to ask forgiveness or release forgiveness. With the understanding of today's lesson, forgive someone or ask forgiveness from someone today, and then enter into the freedom of no longer having to drag that baggage with you any longer