Forgive As I Forgive
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 6/10/2018 AM |
Text: | Matthew 18; Lord's Day 51 |
Psalters: | 51, 331, 349, 277 |
- Forgiveness.
- Because every sin and all sinfulness is committed against God it is He Who forgives.
- Forgiveness is God not imputing our sins and sinfulness to our account, i.e., not holding us responsible to pay for them.
- The holy Judge declares that the sin and sinfulness is so covered that it is as if it has never been committed.
- More He declares us to be perfectly righteous, as if we did everything right and are worthy of eternal life.
- Forgiveness is great in quantity: “all sin” (I John 1:7) and quality: though they be as scarlet (Isa. 1:18).
- Why and how is it that God forgives.
- The ground of forgiveness is NOT found in us in any way, as if we paid our debt to God.
- The only ground for forgiveness is “for Christ’s sake” (Eph. 4:32) - His work and righteousness (Col. 1:14; Acts 13:38).
- Because every sin and all sinfulness is committed against God it is He Who forgives.
- The way forgiveness is known and experienced is through godly sorrow and a forsaking of the sin.
- Godly sorrow is sincere admission of guilt for offending God.
- Sincere confession freely admits the sins we know and also admits those which are unknown, hidden and secret.
- And the way to experience forgiveness includes the forsaking (Proverbs 28:13) of the wrong.
- Godly sorrow is sincere admission of guilt for offending God.
- Three marks of experiencing forgiveness.
- Forgiven souls love God and Jesus. They render grateful returns of ardent love to Him.
- Forgiven souls are humble (Eph. 3:8; I Tim. 1:15).
- And those who know they are forgiven are of a forgiving spirit (Matt. 18:23ff).
- Forgiving one another is a “firm resolution from the heart” - a decision, not a feeling.
- If we refuse to forgive, and instead dwell on the sins against us, and retain hatred, then we are sinning.
- Our focus is to be on how God for Christ’s sake forgave us (10,000 talents), and then we strive to reflect God.