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The Lord’s prayer ends there in v13 and we move to vv 14-15 this morning as Jesus brings a point of clarification of the fifth petition that reads, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
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so Jesus tacks on this clarification of vv14-15 which are read as conditions.
This is the only conditions laid out in Scripture for salvation.
Repentance and faith are also conditions as well.
The glorious salvation that comes to us through our merciful Father is that He (Himself) supplies all the conditions.
He supplies all the conditions through the new birth, or regeneration.
All these graces come to the regenerate.
He that relents towards his brother in Christ shows that he repents towards his God.
Big Idea
By God’s help today we see God’s Commending Promise to those that have His forgiveness as well as the Condemning Peril to those that do not have God’s forgiveness.
Let’s look first to the:
Commending PROMISE (v14)
"“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.”
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We absolutely know that salvation doesn’t rest upon any human accomplishments but solely upon the grace & mercy of God!
All of the seemingly conditional language used in scripture is met and supplied by our God who saves and rescues.
He supplies all the conditions.
So only believers are saved!
He gives the faith.
Unless you repent, you will perish, God gives the gifts of repentance to His people.
Here is another condition, if you don’t forgive, you won’t be forgiven!
WOW.
So included in the package of regeneration is a heart that now becomes eager to forgive!
Those that sit here today that don’t have critical spirits and are quick to forgive have the greatest comfort.
They have the greatest assurance!
Their faith is strengthened as they extend forgiveness to others and gain great assurance that their sins are forgiven!
Forgiveness is NOT:
the same as Dismissing (forgetting).
We’re told that to forgive is to forget.
But forgiveness isn’t just dismissing offences.
Dismissing is passive.
Forgiveness is active.
Does God just be passive when we sin?
Does God forget that we sin?
God does not forget.
How could He forget?
He’s all-knowing and doesn’t struggle with memory problems as we do.
the same as Diminishing what’s been done.
Forgiving doesn’t mean that we diminish any offense, excuse or accept the wrong.
Being called to forgive someone then, by definition, that means the offender has sinned against God and against you.
There was a real wrong and a real injury.
It is tempting to want to delay forgiveness out of the concern that
forgiving this person will somehow miscommunicate that it is “not that big of a deal” to me or to God.
Truly, forgiveness does not communicate to the person that it is okay to continue sinning or to perpetuate the same behavior.
the same as just Disclosing that you’re “sorry”.
Forgiveness isn’t just disclosing that you’ve sinned and hurt the person and saying, “I’m sorry”.
It is important to differentiate between saying “I’m sorry,” and “Please forgive me.”
Is there a difference?
Ask the victim.
When we say we are sorry, we communicate that we feel bad about something.
We sadly realize that we have been the cause of another’s pain.
This grief is a crucial part of repentance but merely feeling sorry falls short of taking full responsibility for having done wrong.
It may only communicate that I regret that the other person has been hurt.
Far too often, saying “I’m sorry” is motivated by wanting to get off the hook rather than
fully acknowledging and accepting responsibility for a real wrong committed.
When we ask for forgiveness, we go beyond communicating sorrow or regret.
We see ourselves and our indebtedness accurately.
And we ask for mercy.
So when then is this forgiveness that Jesus speaks of?
Forgiveness IS:
Streams forth from a relationship with God.
Forgiving others is a crucial aspect of our new life in Christ.
It is a natural and daily token of our gratitude for his salvation.
dForgiving others is a crucial aspect of our new life in Christ.
It is a natural and daily token of our gratitude for his salvation.
Rather than being an extraordinary manifestation of faith, it is an expected attribute of all Christ-followers who have been forgiven by Christ himself and who now seek to imitate him.
Rather than being an extraordinary manifestation of faith, it is an expected attribute that streams out of all Christ-followers
who have been forgiven by Christ himself and who now seek to imitate him.
If I say “I’m saved” but don’t forgive others, then my status with God is called into question by v14.
The stakes are high.
And the results of refusing to forgive could not be more devastating.
Forgiveness therefore, is less about emotional peace and moving forward
than it is about our relationship with God.
a Symbol of your heart attitude towards God and the person who sinned.
Symbolizes your heart attitude towards God and the person who sinned.
Think of this statement: "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.””
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Here, to be praying for God’s intervention is to be accompanied by extending God’s mercy!
You can forgive, even while you stand praying.
Before we approach the person who has sinned against us,
we must approach God and battle to have a forgiving and merciful heart.
Aiming for a forgiving attitude means working to forgive those who sin against us in our hearts,
Sironi, A. (2012).
From Your Heart … Forgive.
The Journal of Biblical Counseling, 26(3), 48.
being prepared to offer mercy to the offender
if and when asked, and being ready to forgive
even if reconciliation may not happen at this time.
More than a feeling, it’s Submission.
Forgiving is not something we wait to do until we “feel ready” (which often feels intuitive for us to do).
Forgiveness is without exception or exclusion: anything against anyone.
We’re also taught that forgiveness has less to do with an enormous amount of Daniel-like spirituality
than it has to do with submissive, servant-like humility and meekness.
Forgiveness is obedience, and we should cry out to God for help as we
wrestle with a lack of desire to obey.
And if we make the decision to forgive, our feelings most often follow our lead.
The forgiveness that streams out of a person in relationship with God, whose heart (symbolized by forgiveness) is ready to forgive
even as they they wrestle to forgive, that is a heart that is submitted to Christ!
Having the Spirit-wrought disposition of forgiveness not only bears no malice and hatred, nor seeks revenge, but then don’t
upbraid their brothers and sisters with the injuries done to them.
Nor rejoice in any hurt that might come upon others.
But they are ready to help others.
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