Loving the Lord, Part 3
Loving through Forgiving Others
Introduction
In your bibles, go with me to the book of Ephesians, Chapter 4.
Last week, we began the series on love with a message titles “Loving our Enemies”, then on Sunday we continued with discussing “Loving one Another” without reservation or without any added conditions – just as Christ loved us.
Remember that the life of the believer is to be lived in servitude to God, with love for one another.
Anything less is allowing our own flesh to rise up and control us – which is in direct disobedience to the commandment Jesus, given to us in John 9:12, which says, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
The sacrifice of the cross that Jesus made was worth more than any of us could ever pay, and so his example of surrender is what we have to follow.
Tonight, we continue focused on ourselves, in the forgiveness of others through the expression of our love for God.
Ephesians 4:32 is our focal verse for the evening which says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.”
Pray
Point 1 - Do not look for revenge
By a show of hands, how many have had things go wrong in their lives at the hand of someone else?
Now, consider in your minds how many times have you desperately wanted to grab the nearest blunt object and take them to the woodshed.
I realize this may be extreme, but revenge is something that all humans deal with because of the war of the flesh against right and wrong.
Remember John 15:19 (from Sunday) which says, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
This verse gives us a foundation that once we belong to the King; we no longer belong to ourselves.
Once we have given our lives to Him in submission and in service, from that moment on a believer is called to live a life that truly honors God.
Paul writes in Romans 12:19, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.”
Forgiveness however, means understanding our own emotions as well.
We get angry, things get under our skin and make us annoyed, mad, or even furious – however (here is the life application): Have you ever considered when someone hurts you, to pray for that person?
Have you ever considered looking into your own heart and asking God to remove the anger so that it will not consume you?
Matthew 5:44 says, “"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
Another verse spoken directly to me in prayer time on Tuesday morning was 1 Peter 3:9 which says, “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and he will bless you for it."
Application: The greatest weapon the enemy has to use against us is our own willingness to take control of a situation – to lash out due to emotion – and because of that we have to rise above it.
Go to Romans 2
Forgiveness means not taking action against another, even when you want too.
Let me show you a perfect example of what happens in the Spiritual realm when we do not forgive, but we continue to hold onto anger and allow it to build and consume us.
This is Paul writing and telling us what judgment through revenge does – Romans 2:1 says, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
(Expound on this verse)
“You” – very specific
“Have no excuse” – nothing you say will justify what you are about to do
“You who pass judgment” – if you do it right now
“For at whatever point” – or whenever you take the action (catch-all)
“You are condemning yourself” – warning to the believer
“Do the same things” – because we are just as big a sinner
The high and mighty attitude will not do for the believer – the proud, arrogant, “I am better than you” will destroy a believer faster than you could ever imagine.
Consider for a moment, the forgiveness we have received (through Jesus at Calvary) came at a price (His life) that none of us has ever had to pay (no one has ever asked you to give your life willingly).
Understanding this very important concept is the key to living a life of love through forgiveness of others.
Point 2 – Our forgiveness carries a price
As we have previously discussed, the blood shed by Jesus Christ the key to salvation and repentance for the believer.
It is the reason He was sent to this world, so that the Law of the Old Testament could be fulfilled.
Hebrews 9:22 says, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Of course, Paul is writing of the Law of the Covenant placed on man by God for our sins before the gift of His Son.
The price that Jesus had to pay was more than any of us could ever bear.
Farmer and the Pig story ... Animals appreciated the love and care of the farmer, so they wanted to repay him. Chicken gave the best eggs; cows gave the best milk; but the pig had to give it "all".
Jesus had to give it all, in order for us to be forgiven.
This same forgiveness that he offers is to be exemplified and demonstrated in the life of the believer.
Psalm 130:3-4 says, “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”
Psalm 103:10-12 gives us further pause to understand that when we ask for forgiveness through Christ, we are truly forgiven.
Remember this is being written by David. A man who had an affair with his best friend’s wife, she got pregnant; David then sent his friend to his death on the front lines of the war; all in an attempt to cover up his sin. Some time later the prophet Nathan called him out, and he began to understand his need for forgiveness.
Truly, I think David got it.
Psalm 103:10-12, “he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. “
This is the same forgiveness we are called to bestow on others.
Remember that through our forgiveness we are able to love one another.
Ephesians 4:32 is our focal verse for the evening which says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.”
Tonight, if you are harboring anger against someone you already know it, and I want to encourage you to deal with it, with the only one who can take it away – Our Father in Heaven.
Conclusion
Allow me to give you one story of forgiveness in the face of adversity.
Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch, Christian woman who was sent to a concentration camp for helping Jewish people under Nazi occupation. She had many reasons to hate the Nazis, and yet, she spent most of her time trying to convert them to Christianity.
She once said, “Forgiveness is not an emotion. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” God’s heart burned with anger against our sin, but he forgave and forgot anyway because he loves you that much.
Can you forgive that much? We are called to do so.
Pray
