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“FORGIVENESS IN THREE DIRECTIONS”EPHESIANS 4:31-32INTRO: FORGIVENESS it is what every person needs. I want to speak on this subject this morning because it is something that applies to all of us. Romans 3:23 tells us—“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Because we have all sinned, we all need forgiveness. Psalm 53:2-3 tells us—“God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” And Ecclesiastes 7:20 tells us—“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Forgiveness is man's deepest need and highest achievement. --Horace Bushnell (1802-1876) (Bible Illustrator for Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998. Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved). I want to consider this morning FORGIVENESS IN THREE DIRECTIONS. Let us note first…(1) GOD’S FORGIVENESS TOWARD US EPHESIANS 4:32—“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgivenyou.”A. HIS FORGIVENESS IS UNDENIABLE. The central theme of the Bible is God’s forgiveness toward us. He delights in showing mercy and bestowing forgiveness. Exodus 34:7 tells us that our God is a God who practices in “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” He graciously invites all to be forgiven—“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18). Isaiah 55:6-7 invites—“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” God’s forgiveness inspires assurance and awe. We read in Psalm 130:3-4—“If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” Ephesians 1:7 assures us that all we need we find it Jesus—“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” B. HIS FORGIVENESS IS UNBELIEVABLE. It is hard for us to imagine or conceive why Almighty God would offer forgiveness to sinners such as you and I but that is exactly what He did. This is one of the many wonders of GRACE. Ephesians 2:4-5 tells us—“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” The psalmist tells us in Psalm 86:5—“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” The question this morning is, “How does God forgive?” :HE FORGIVES FREELY. There are no charges attached to His forgiveness. “For thou, Lord art…plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” ILLUS: A sign in a convenience store read, "Check Cashing Policy: To err is human. To forgive, $10." It's a funny way to recognize the fact that we make mistakes, but it's also evidence of the way many people think about forgiveness. To forgive is to accept within yourself the consequences of the sins of others. It means to accept the pain, the problems and the burden that comes when someone sins against you. Forgiveness is neither an easy nor a frequent gift. This is what God has done for us: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Pet. 1:18, 19). What did God give for your forgiveness? It wasn't money or anything of wealth or value in worldly terms. He gave His Son. Jesus took upon Himself the burden of our sins. (Bible Illustrator for Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998. Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).HE FORGIVES UNCONDITIONALLY. There are no strings attached to God’s forgiveness. He does not tell us, “I forgive you but…”. He simply says “I forgive!” The story of the prodigal son shows us this so vividly and beautifully. When the son came home the father simply said to Him, “Welcome home son.” He didn’t tell him, “I forgive you son but if you mess up again I will throw you out,” or “I forgive you son but I can never love you as much as I once loved you.” HE FORGIVES COMPLETELY. 1 John 1:9 assures us—“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ILLUS: A soldier was shot and lay dying on the battlefield. He called for the Chaplain. When the Chaplain arrived the soldier said, “I know I will soon be in eternity. I have asked God to forgive me of my sins. But can you tell me if He will forgive me or not?” The Chaplain assured him that God had forgiven him. Then he read to the dying soldier this verse: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The dying man said, “Did that really say ‘all sin’?” The Chaplain read it again to him. The man said, “Does that mean I can go to meet God with every sin forgiven?” “Yes! That is exactly what it means” replied the Chaplain. “Then,” said the dying man, “I am ready to go.”HE FORGIVES ETERNALLY. Friend, once your sins are forgiven, they are gone never to be brought up against you again! In Jeremiah 31:14b the Lord promises—“…For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” In Hebrews 8:12 the Lord assures us—“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.”ILLUS: Hymn, “My Sins Are Gone”FORGIVENESS IN THREE DIRECTIONS we see GOD’S FORGIVENESS TOWARD US but also let us see secondly…(2) OUR FORGIVENESS TOWARD OTHERSEPHESIANS 4:31-32—“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, andclamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”A. RESPONDING TO OUR HURTS. When someone had done you an injustice you can respond in one of three ways:RAGE. You can become angry and bitter and carry hurt feelings around toward that person who has wronged you. That will put you below that person! Someone has said, “Anger is the most impotent passion that accompanies the mind of man. It effects nothing it goes about, and it hurts the man who is possessed by it more than any other against whom it is directed.” — CLARENDON. (Pearls From Many Seas by J. B. McClure, Editor. The Master Christian Library Version 5. Copyright 1997. AGES Software. Albany, OR).REVENGE. You can get revenge, make that person pay dearly, for what they did to you. That makes you even with that person! He who can not forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself. — GEORGE HERBERT. (Pearls From Many Seas by J. B. McClure, Editor. The Master Christian Library Version 5. Copyright 1997. AGES Software. Albany, OR). Forgiveness is better than revenge, for forgiveness is the sign of a gentle nature, but revenge is the sign of a savage nature. – Epictetus (Bible Illustrator for Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998. Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved). RELEASE. You can let that anger, bitterness, and vengeful feelings go and forgive that person. Listen what Ephesians 4:31-32a says—“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another…”. When you release those feeling and forgive that puts you above that person! B. REMEMBERING HELPS. There are three things that will help you to be able to forgive others:REMEMBER HOW GOD FORGAVE YOU. None of us deserve God’s forgiveness. The Bible tells us here in Ephesians 4:32—“forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” If the Lord forgave us for all our sins and trespasses we should forgive others of their sins and trespasses against us. C.S. Lewis had this to say about forgiveness: "I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him." --C.S. Lewis (Bible Illustrator for Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998. Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved). REMEMBER THE TOLL OF UNFORGIVENESS. Friend, an unforgiving attitude will destroy you. It will not only destroy your fellowship with the Lord but it will also destroy your testimony, and rob you of your peace and joy. Unforgiveness will even destroy your health. “Life lived without forgiveness becomes a prison.” --William Arthur Ward (1812-1882) (Bible Illustrator for Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998. Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved). REMEMBER YOUR HELP TO FORGIVE. We cannot forgive through our own strength, but we can forgive with the Lord’s help (Philippians 4:13). We must ask the Lord to help us forgive and see how He changes our attitudes about the wrong we have incurred and about the person who inflicted the wrong upon us.FORGIVENESS IN THREE DIRECTIONS: GOD’S FORGIVENESS TOWARD US, OUR FORGIVENESS TOWARD OTHERS, and thirdly…(3) OUR FORGIVENESS TOWARD OURSELVESJOHN 8:32, 36—“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be freeindeed.”A. RESTING IN OUR FORGIVENESS. Friend, the most difficult person you’ll ever have to forgive is yourself! D. L. Moody confessed the truth about us all: “I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man.” It is at this very point that Satan desires to get the victory over us: God has forgiven us but we cannot forgive ourselves. We act as Judge, jury and the executioner of ourselves. We listen to Satan’s lies and sink deeper and deeper into despair. We allow guilt to overshadow and overwhelm our lives. B. REMEMBERING OUR FREEDOM. Friends, you and I have no right to bring up and judge the sins of our past which God has forgiven and forgotten. We are free! Jesus said—“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” When Satan tries to remind you of your past sins tell him to leave you alone because you are free in Christ. Christians are not perfect, just forgiven. CLOSING: Forgiveness should flow in three directions. We have seen GOD’S FORGIVENESS TOWARD US, OUR FORGIVENESS TOWARD OTHERS, and OUR FORGIVENESS TOWARD OURSELVES. A little boy came to the Washington Monument and noticed a guard standing by it. The little boy looked up at the guard and said, "I want to buy it." The guard stooped down and says, "How much do you have?" The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter. The guard said, "That's not enough." The boy replied, "I thought you would say that." So he pulled out nine cents more. The guard looked down at the boy and said, "You need to understand three things. First, thirty-four cents is not enough. In fact, $34 million is not enough to buy the Washington Monument. Second, the Washington Monument is not for sale. And third, if you are an American citizen, the Washington Monument already belongs to you." We need to understand three things about forgiveness. First, we can not earn it. Second, it is not for sale. And third, if we accept Christ, we already have it. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 218-219). Friends, Christians have been given forgiveness. Because of that we should be willing to forgive others—“forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Are you willing to forgive those who wrong you? Are you willing to forgive yourself? Let us always keep in mind that the first word from the cross was a word of forgiveness! (Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997)). PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OF BEECHMONT BAPTIST CHURCH, BEECHMONT, KY FOR SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 15, 2009. ................
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