Dr. Annamma Abraham
Forgiveness is an act of pardon. Synonyms of forgiveness are
Blot out
Isaiah 43: 25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for my own
sake; and I will not remember your sins.”
Remission
Mathew 26: 28 for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Pardon
Isaiah 55: 7 Let the wicked forsake the way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon
Remember no more
Jeremiah 31: 34 “No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying , know the Lord, for they shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Healed
2 Chronicles 30: 18-20
18. For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim and Manasseh,
Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone.
19. “Who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.”
20. And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
If we have experienced the wonder of God’s forgiveness, we will
forgive others as He has forgiven us through Christ.
Ephesians 4: 32.
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Matthew 18: 21-32 (Read )
It may require an agonizing emotional struggle and fervent prayer
on our part. Full restoration of the relationship may not occur. But with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit we can forgive -because we are forgiven.
Paul gave us the basis on which forgiveness rests
Colossians 1:14 we have the redemption, Christ secured through His death on the cross.
James 4:8 cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts you double-minded.
In the tabernacle of meeting – between the bronze altar of sacrifice and bronze wash basin where priest of God cleansed his hands and his feet before going to the holy place (Exodus 30: 17-21 Read). Germs were not the issue-sin was. God was teaching His people that after he had provided a sacrifice at the altar, a continued self-judging and cleansing from personal defilement was necessary.
This principle still applies today. Only the cleansed person can
move into the holy place of worship, fellowship, and service. Believers are priests.
Revelation 1: 6 He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
We must be careful to wash our hands and our hearts daily. The road to worship begins at the cross.
A Christian Lifestyle is Christ living his life through us. Jesus said
Mathew 20: 28 the Son of Man did not come, to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
He taught His disciples to forgive.
Matthew 18: 21-22
21. Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?
22. Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Jesus became the supreme example of his own teaching, when on the cross He prayed for His executioners.
Luke 23: 34 Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
He longs to hear us praying “Father forgive”
“God, let me live to serve”
“O God, make me like Christ”
When someone mistreats you, do what comes supernaturally- Love him.
1 Corinthians 13: 5 Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, and thinks no evil.
This gives us a guide for dealing with problems in our
relationships. Love is not easily provoked to anger. It “thinks no evil” by refusing to keep a record of wrongs.
Let us see some of the basis of forgiveness
Forgiveness is God’s nature
Psalm 86: 5 For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in loving kindness to all who call upon Thee
God’s Grace
Luke 7: 42 When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both,which of them therefore will love him more.
Shedding of Blood
Hebrews 9:22 and according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Christ’s Death
Colossians 1: 14 In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Son’s power
Luke 5: 21- 24
21. And the scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone”.
22. But Jesus aware of their reasoning answered and said to them “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
23. “Which is easier, to say, your sins have been forgiven you, or to say, Rise and walk?
24. “But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”- He said to the paralytic- “I say to you, rise and take up your stretches and go home.”
Man’s repentance Acts 2: 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Our forgiveness
Matthew 6: 12-14
12. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
14. For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Faith in Christ
Acts 10: 43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins
Significance of Forgiveness
Shows God’s righteousness
Romans 3: 25-26
25. Whom God displayed publicly as propitiation in the blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
26. for the demonstration, I say , of his righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and justifies of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Makes salvation real
Luke 1: 77 To give to people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins
Must be preached
Luke 24: 47 and the repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Forgiving one another
The measures of – seventy times seven
Mathew 18:21-22
21. Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?
22. Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy time seven.”
Unlimited
Luke 17: 3-4
3. “Be on guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents forgive him.
4. And if he sins against you seven times a day and returns to you seven times, saying, I repent, forgive him. As God forgave.
Ephesians 4: 32 and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Benefits of forgiveness
Means of our forgiveness
Mark 11: 25-26
25 “and whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any
one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.
26. “But if you do not forgive, neither will your father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
Restored Christian Fellowship
2 Corinthians 2:5-10
5. But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow to me, but in some
degree- in order not to say too much- to all of you.
6. Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the
majority,
7. So that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow such a one be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
8. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for Him.
9. For to this end also I wrote that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.
10. But when you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ.
Spiritual cleansing
James 5: 15-16
15. and the prayers offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the
Lord will raise him up, an if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
16. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Examples of Forgiveness
Esau and Jacob
Genesis 33: 4-15 (Read) Jacob makes peace with Esau. They forgave each other.
Joseph
Genesis 45: 8-15 (Read) Joseph forgave his brothers, kissed them and wept over them and after that his brothers talked with him.
Moses
Numbers 12: 1-13 (Read) Aaron and Miriam rebelled and talked against Moses. God became very angry and she became leprous. Moses forgave her and interceded for her and she is restored.
David
2 Samuel 19: 18-23 (Read) Shimei sinned against David. David forgave and showed kindness.
Solomon
1King 1: 52-53
52. And Solomon said “If he (Adonijah) will be a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.”
53. So King Solomon sent and brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “go to your house.”
Solomon forgave Adonijah and sent him home.
Jesus
Luke 23: 34 But Jesus was saying “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
Stephen
Acts 7: 59 -60
59. And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said,
“Lord Jesus receive my spirit!”
60. And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord do not hold this sin against them!” And having said this, he fell asleep.
Paul
2 Timothy 4: 16 At my first defence no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.
A clear conscience is a soft pillow. No matter who you are or what you have done, Jesus Christ can give you a clear conscience. Why not confess your sins and make things right with your Maker. It may seem strange to speak of blood as a cleansing agent, but that is how the Bible connects the death of Jesus on the cross to our standing before God.
Hebrews 10: 19 since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus. Christ shed His blood so that we might be forgiven and made clean inside. Because of what He has done, we can have a clear conscience and draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water.
No matter how vile my sin or the sin of others may be, no sin is too great for Calvary. God knows all about it and that is why Jesus
died. The cross displays a loving God who gave Jesus Christ, so that our sin could be atoned for. The cross speaks louder than our sin. The author Jim McGuiggan says, “When sin shouts, the cross thunders—where sin whispers its lies and confuses us, the cross heralds its truth and drives away the darkness.”
Is God soft on sin? The cross shouts “No.” Is God soft on sinners? The Bible says, “Yes.” God pities us.
Psalm 103: 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins. Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. He knows how we are formed and that we are dust.
Psalm 103: 14 For He himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
Because of the cross, He does not have to treat us as our sin deserves. The cross is greater than any sin you have committed.
The Bible calls our inner garbage “sin.” God’s disposal system is outlined in 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Confession means calling our sins what God calls them. When we confess our sins to God, we agree with Him about our sins, our
need to be cleansed, and our need to forgive others, who have wronged us.
Matthew 6: 15 But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
The moment you confess your sins to the Lord, He casts them into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7: 19
He will again have compassion on us;
He will tread our iniquities under foot.
Yes, Thou will cast all their sins
Into the depths of the sea.
The best eraser of sin the world is an honest
confession to God. Confession is the key that opens the door to forgiveness.
When it seems you can’t forgive, remember how much you have been forgiven.
Romans 5: 8 God demonstrate His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
God loves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is. It is true! We cherished sin, protected it, and denied its wrongdoing. Yet He loved us enough to forgive us and set us free. When God
forgives us, it is time for us to forget.
Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.
Have you humbly acknowledged your guilt and received the gift of forgiveness Jesus offers? Guilt is a burden our heavenly Father never intended his children to bear. Jesus died on the Cross for all your sins, not just some of them. The only unforgivable sin is to continually and willfully rejects the witness of the Holy Spirit that Jesus is the Savior. He graciously forgives all who come to Him.
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