Sermon Tone Analysis

Recite John 15:12-23

 

God’s Forgiveness, My Example

 

Introduction – It all starts with God.

Specifically, our understanding of forgiveness must always begin with God’s forgiveness of us.

You remember last week, we found that Paul knew Philemon well enough to be able to say some pretty good things about his character.

He was able to say such things because Philemon consistently lived them out but more importantly he lived in light of God’s forgiveness.

*Read the Letter to Philemon*

 

Let’s look at God’s forgiveness for us.

I.

Let’s define forgiveness – Two main words

a.    Apheimi – to let go, give up a debt, forgive, to remit (from Thayer’s Greek Definitions).

It often refers to a debt being cancelled or paid in full.

i.       Matthew 6:12 - /And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

/Both occurrences of apheimi in this verse are translated with the idea of forgiving a debt.

ii.

In the story of the master and his slave in Matthew 18, the slave is called to account for his astronomical debt, one that he could not repay.

In vs. 27 we read, /And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt./

Again we see the idea of forgiveness in relationship to a debt.

b.    Chorizomai – to grant forgiveness or pardon in an unconditional manner.

It has the sense of grace or unmerited favor.

i.       */Luke 7:40-43 /*/40//And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.”

41“A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

42“When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both.

So which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”/

i.       */Colossians 3:12-13 /*/12//So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you./

II.

What God’s forgiveness is not

a.

It is not forgetting – at least it is not the same as we use the word today.

i.