Forgiveness!

                                                             FORGIVENESS!

Introduction: "Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us…." Where does this come from? If raised in a Catholic family, you would quickly say it comes from the Lord's Prayer. We all need forgiveness, but to be forgiven, we must forgive those who have offended us. We realize it is easier said than done. For instance, if someone commits a minor offense, let's say, lied to you, it may be easier to forgive. But what if someone killed your husband and two of your sons? Could you forgive such a heartless criminal?

That was what Glady's Staines, an Australian missionary, did. On January 22, 1999, on the way back from visiting a tribal site, Graham Staines and his two young sons, Philip and Timothy, stopped to rest. During the night, as Graham and his sons slept soundly in their vehicle, a group of 50 Hindu radicals converged upon the camp, setting fire to the van.

Graham and his sons tried to escape the burning car but were prevented by the mob. Graham, Philip, and Timothy were all killed. The murders were widely condemned, but Gladys chose to forgive her husband and sons' killers stating in an affidavit, "It is far from my mind to punish the persons who were responsible for the death of my husband Graham and my two children. But it is my desire and hope that they would repent and be reformed."

"Forgiveness and the consequences of our wrongdoing should not be mixed up." "Because of forgiveness, I hold no bitterness towards the persons who killed my family. Forgiveness brought healing which is needed everywhere, from hatred and violence."

What a powerful example of forgiveness. In our passage, Paul shared a painful experience and urged the Corinthian believers to extend forgiveness and offer restoration to the offender. We will look at why we are to forgive those who offend us. What happens when we don't forgive? How is forgiveness tied to our mental health? II Corinthians 2:1-11

 

Verses 1-2 explain why Paul only made one trip to Corinth instead of two. Paul had already had a painful confrontation at Corinth and was sensitive to the pain and sadness caused to the Corinthian believers from that visit. He wanted to spare them from that by a second visit.

Verses 3-4 explain that Paul's reason for writing was that those in sin would repent—there could be mutual joy when the apostle came. He also wanted to tell them that he wrote a severe letter with much pain and tears. His motive always was one of love for the Corinthians.

In verses 5-11, we see a particular "man" several times. You may wonder who this man was? One view is that a particular person has committed a severe offense in the Corinthian Church. The Church disciplined him, and it was time to restore him to the fellowship.

Another view is that Paul refers to the man living in sin with his stepmother (I Cor 5:1-6). Whoever that man may have been, this passage is one of the best texts in all of Scripture on the goldy motivation and rationale for forgiveness. I will explore several principles regarding forgiveness, its impact on believers, and the effects of unforgiveness.

 

I. What is forgiveness concerning salvation?

Nothing weighs on a person more than the guilt of doing something wrong. The shame of sin weighs even heavier on our lives if we care to acknowledge it. The good news is that we no longer have to carry the guilt of sin because God has promised to forgive all our sins. God, out of his love for us, will deliver us from the power and the penalty of our sin.

The Scripture tells us we all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. The wages of sin is death. But thank God, in Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven. Forgiveness in the Bible is a "release" or a "dismissal" of something.

When we come to Christ in faith, he releases us from or cancels all our sins. In other words, all charges against us are dropped, and we are acquitted. Forgiveness is integral to salvation; we cannot be saved without it and cannot be forgiven.

When Jesus forgives us, our sins, trespasses, wrongs, and offenses are erased and wiped off the record. Forgiveness of sin is comparable to the financial debt being erased. When Jesus said, "It is finished," from the cross (John 19:30), He was saying, "It is paid in full."

Jesus took the punishment we deserved, so we are free when God forgives us of our sins; we no longer live under that debt. Our sins are wiped out. God will never hold that sin against us. "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west." Psalm 103:12.

The Amplified version of the Bible captures this cancellation of our debts. Colossians 1:14, "In whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins' penalty]. Thank God, our sins are forgiven, and what now?

 

II. What is forgiveness of others?

Forgiveness is one of the hallmarks of a Christian. Forgiveness is not an option but a command. Ephesians 4:30-32: "Do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live…Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, and forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." When we don't forgive others, it grieves the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 3:13, "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." The key in both passages is that we are to forgive others as God has forgiven us. Why do we forgive? Because we have been forgiven! What happens when we don't forgive others?

 

III. Unforgiveness is a bait of Satan.

II Corinthians 2:10-11, " When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your benefit, 11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your benefit so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes."

In his book, "The Bait of Satan," John Bevere exposes one of Satan's schemes, a bait of unforgiveness. The enemy whispers in our minds not to let go of the offense and withhold forgiveness from the offender. It is a trap! We can be imprisoned in the prison of unforgiveness.

Paul urged the Roman believers, "Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable." Romans 12:17. The most honorable thing we can do is forgive those who have offended us and not keep track of their offenses. Through unforgiveness, we open a door for anger, hatred, vengeance, and bitterness in our hearts.

Paul showed one of the ways we can free ourselves from the trap of unforgiveness is by loving the person who offended us. 1 Corinthians 13:5 "that love is not easily provoked or offended." It is unloving to be easily offended and un-Christ-like not to forgive the offender.

We live in a society where people offend people all the time. If everybody reacts and avenges the offenders, we have no one left. We will kill each other. So what is the solution for us to live amicably and peacefully? We have to "work at living in peace with everyone and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." Hebrews 12:14-15,

Unforgiveness robs us of the wholesome life God intends for us and disturbs the peace. Living in harmony with others doesn't come easily. We have to work at it, and it's worth it.

IV. Who deserves forgiveness, and what are the benefits?

We cry and beg for it when it comes to receiving pardon for our sins, but when forgiving others, we might hold back and say they don't deserve it. Really? Who deserves forgiveness? When God so lovingly and graciously forgave our sins, how can we not then forgive others? It is not a feeling but an act of choice. What happens when we forgive others?

Here are some benefits of forgiveness. When we forgive others' offenses, God forgives our offenses and heals our body, mind, and soul. Psalm 103:3 "He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies."

James 5:16, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." If you have chronic sickness, you may want to check; maybe you withhold forgiveness from someone. Even secular people recognize the connection between forgiveness and healing.

According to Harvard Medical School, not forgiving someone can impact both physical and mental health. It can feel like the person has gone through a significant traumatic event.

Forgiveness, on the other hand, can lead to lowered blood pressure and a healthier heart. It decreases anxiety and depression and improves your relationships. Forgiveness and healing have an emotional and physical bond. Having one without the other is impossible."

When we forgive others as Christ has forgiven us, we love others as Christ has loved us. You may ask me, is forgiveness sought? How many times should I forgive someone who has offended me? We don't have to wait for people to ask us to forgive them.

Jesus prayed to God to forgive those who were killing Him. How many times should I forgive my offender? Jesus answered a question Peter raised: "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven! God forgives us as we come to Him and confess our sins.

"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." I John 1:9. Is there, someone you need to be forgiving today? Set yourself free from the prison of unforgiveness by being merciful to them as God has shown mercy and forgiven many of your sins. Amen!