Forgiven for Everything – Forgive Everyone
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Forgiven for Everything – Forgive Everyone
Forgiven for Everything – Forgive Everyone
Forgiven for Everything – Forgive Everyone
When our goal is to praise and be aligned with God’s will, our Father very much wants us to ask Him for things. Nothing — not even work, health, or food, — is more fundamental to walking healthily with God and others than forgiveness. Those who have been forgiven much, love much, and freely forgive others.
We all need forgiveness. We all need to be forgiven daily.
What's the worst thing someone has done to you at work?
What's the worst thing you have done to someone at work?
People who follow Jesus have a distinct advantage in forgiving others quickly and completely because they know they have been completely forgiven. Lack of shame and guilt leads to lack of defensiveness. When you don’t need to stick up for yourself you can be more compassionate and forgiving with others — no matter what they have done to you.
“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” - C. S. Lewis
Forgiveness for Life
Jesus teaches His followers how to pray starting with recognizing our Father in heaven — recognizing that God is ultimate and praise worthy (Matthew 6:9).
The purpose of all prayer is to praise God and to align all of our life and work with His will.
When our goal is to praise and be aligned with God’s will, our Father very much wants us to ask Him for things.
Nothing — not even work, health, or food, — is more fundamental to walking healthily with God and others than forgiveness.
“And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” - [.no-reftag]Matthew 6:12-15[.no-reftag]
Jesus is saying to His followers to keep coming to God with their need for forgiveness - not for salvation — but for daily cleanses and rightness with Jesus. This is the very same reason He washes His disciples feet during His last meal with them.
“Material benefits, personal relationships, and life in general mean very little when we do not know what it is to have our guilt assuaged and forgiveness our reality.” - Alistair Begg
Jesus reminds us in teaching us to pray, that part of being forgiven — part of not falling for temptation, and part of being delivered from evil — is to forgive others.
Forgiven for Everything
Jesus wants us to know we are completely forgiven. After all, Jesus came to earth to reconcile all things to God. Jesus came as the exact representation of God (Hebrews 1:3) offering Himself for the joy set before Him, enduring the cross (Hebrews 12:3)— as a perfect and complete payment for our sin.
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” - [.no-reftag]Colossians 1:19-20[.no-reftag]
Are you fully convinced? Let’s look at some of Jesus’s last words on the cross before He died.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” - [.no-reftag]Luke 23:34[.no-reftag]
On the cross as He died for our sins, He even forgave those putting Him to death and stealing His clothes!
This motivated one of the criminals being executed with Him, to say “Don’t you fear God …this man has done nothing wrong.”- [.no-reftag]Luke 23:40-41[.no-reftag]
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” - [.no-reftag]Luke 23:43[.no-reftag]
As Jesus is dying He takes the time to completely forgive and assure the criminal that His life is just starting!
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). - [.no-reftag]Matthew 27:45-46[.no-reftag]
Jesus was completely forsaken by God the Father in order to pay the complete penalty for our sin. He was perfect in every way, without sin, but God put on Him our sin so that we could be righteous before God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” - [.no-reftag]John 19:30[.no-reftag]
This means there was no more penalty left to be paid for sins, for all Jesus’s suffering was “finished” and all of our sins are completely and forever forgiven.
There is no more work to be done to pay for sins.
Forgiveness for Everybody
Our daily prayers remind us that we are completely free from sin and that we must completely forgive everyone who wrongs us. Those who have been forgiven much, love much, and freely forgive others (Luke 7:47-48).
To not forgive others is to not understand what it means to be forgiven. Jesus gives His most severe warning to those who want God’s forgiveness but do not offer it to others (Matthew 18:21-35).
Forgiveness is a choice of the mind oftentimes before its a motive of the heart.
Tim Keller in making comments on his book forgiveness says. “If I have forgiven them I'm not going to bring it up to them. l'm not going to keep bringing it up to other people, the thing they did, and I'm not going to keep bringing it up to myself. I'm not going to be constantly thinking about it. Now, that doesn't mean I won't notice it but then I'm not going to dwell on it.” This is a good start to forgiveness, not dwelling on it.
Forgiveness of others does not mean to forget, and it does not mean to not to confront. Forgiveness is doing what is best for the other person.
Forgiveness Is Full of Grace and Love
Stephen, the first martyr on record after Jesus died, gives us a shining example of how we can forgive while being treated unjustifiably — no matter how much they meant to harm us — even while confronting them with their wrongdoing.
“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.” [.no-reftag]Acts 6:8[.no-reftag]
Yet, opposition rose up against Stephen, and they stirred up other people and elders and teachers of the law, and they produced false testimony against him because he was persuading others to know Jesus.
“All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” [.no-reftag]Acts 6:15[.no-reftag]
Forgiveness Confronts Wrong in Love
In response to their interrogation, Stephen went on to tell them exactly how the way of God had worked since the beginning of history, and how even the leaders and the great prophets had missed the point of what God was doing and how we as humans should respond to God‘s patience and forgiveness. He ended his lengthy remarks this way:
“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” - [.no-reftag]Acts 7:51-53[.no-reftag]
This is a perfect example of how to talk to religious leaders who are leading people in the wrong direction. This example of confrontation is a great example of forgiving love, that starts with patience, but ensures full clarity of the truth.
Forgiveness Rejected Forgives in Love
“When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.” - [.no-reftag]Acts 7:54-58[.no-reftag]
Stephen was not just rejected for confronting the church leaders in love, he was murdered! He told them the way of Jesus and they killed him for it.
So how does he respond? Just like Jesus! Stephen was so full of love and grace He was able to forgive self-righteous leaders trying to kill him.
How could he do this? He saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. This is the key: We must see and receive Jesus and what He has done for us to love and forgive others well.
Now what about you? Your best work may be the forgiveness of your coworkers.
Do you know how much you are loved and forgiven? Do you still need to be reminded of all that's been done for you to forgive others?
Keep going to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ — praising them for all they have done for you and asking them for help to love and forgive others.
Resources:
Article: The Highest and Purest Love | Howard Graham
Article: Worth Billions – Forgiveness At Work | Howard Graham
Article: Forgiveness Is Hard Work | Howard Graham
Article: Making the Most Powerful Connection Possible | Howard Graham
Article: Forgive Me and Help Me Forgive | Marshall Segal
Podcast: The Major Obstacle in Forgiving Others | John Piper
Sermon: Forgive Us Our Sins | Alistair Begg
Video: Why You Must Forgive | Tim Keller
Book: Forgive:Why should I and how can I? | Tim Keller
We all need forgiveness. We all need to be forgiven daily.
What's the worst thing someone has done to you at work?
What's the worst thing you have done to someone at work?
People who follow Jesus have a distinct advantage in forgiving others quickly and completely because they know they have been completely forgiven. Lack of shame and guilt leads to lack of defensiveness. When you don’t need to stick up for yourself you can be more compassionate and forgiving with others — no matter what they have done to you.
“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” - C. S. Lewis
Forgiveness for Life
Jesus teaches His followers how to pray starting with recognizing our Father in heaven — recognizing that God is ultimate and praise worthy (Matthew 6:9).
The purpose of all prayer is to praise God and to align all of our life and work with His will.
When our goal is to praise and be aligned with God’s will, our Father very much wants us to ask Him for things.
Nothing — not even work, health, or food, — is more fundamental to walking healthily with God and others than forgiveness.
“And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” - [.no-reftag]Matthew 6:12-15[.no-reftag]
Jesus is saying to His followers to keep coming to God with their need for forgiveness - not for salvation — but for daily cleanses and rightness with Jesus. This is the very same reason He washes His disciples feet during His last meal with them.
“Material benefits, personal relationships, and life in general mean very little when we do not know what it is to have our guilt assuaged and forgiveness our reality.” - Alistair Begg
Jesus reminds us in teaching us to pray, that part of being forgiven — part of not falling for temptation, and part of being delivered from evil — is to forgive others.
Forgiven for Everything
Jesus wants us to know we are completely forgiven. After all, Jesus came to earth to reconcile all things to God. Jesus came as the exact representation of God (Hebrews 1:3) offering Himself for the joy set before Him, enduring the cross (Hebrews 12:3)— as a perfect and complete payment for our sin.
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” - [.no-reftag]Colossians 1:19-20[.no-reftag]
Are you fully convinced? Let’s look at some of Jesus’s last words on the cross before He died.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” - [.no-reftag]Luke 23:34[.no-reftag]
On the cross as He died for our sins, He even forgave those putting Him to death and stealing His clothes!
This motivated one of the criminals being executed with Him, to say “Don’t you fear God …this man has done nothing wrong.”- [.no-reftag]Luke 23:40-41[.no-reftag]
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” - [.no-reftag]Luke 23:43[.no-reftag]
As Jesus is dying He takes the time to completely forgive and assure the criminal that His life is just starting!
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). - [.no-reftag]Matthew 27:45-46[.no-reftag]
Jesus was completely forsaken by God the Father in order to pay the complete penalty for our sin. He was perfect in every way, without sin, but God put on Him our sin so that we could be righteous before God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” - [.no-reftag]John 19:30[.no-reftag]
This means there was no more penalty left to be paid for sins, for all Jesus’s suffering was “finished” and all of our sins are completely and forever forgiven.
There is no more work to be done to pay for sins.
Forgiveness for Everybody
Our daily prayers remind us that we are completely free from sin and that we must completely forgive everyone who wrongs us. Those who have been forgiven much, love much, and freely forgive others (Luke 7:47-48).
To not forgive others is to not understand what it means to be forgiven. Jesus gives His most severe warning to those who want God’s forgiveness but do not offer it to others (Matthew 18:21-35).
Forgiveness is a choice of the mind oftentimes before its a motive of the heart.
Tim Keller in making comments on his book forgiveness says. “If I have forgiven them I'm not going to bring it up to them. l'm not going to keep bringing it up to other people, the thing they did, and I'm not going to keep bringing it up to myself. I'm not going to be constantly thinking about it. Now, that doesn't mean I won't notice it but then I'm not going to dwell on it.” This is a good start to forgiveness, not dwelling on it.
Forgiveness of others does not mean to forget, and it does not mean to not to confront. Forgiveness is doing what is best for the other person.
Forgiveness Is Full of Grace and Love
Stephen, the first martyr on record after Jesus died, gives us a shining example of how we can forgive while being treated unjustifiably — no matter how much they meant to harm us — even while confronting them with their wrongdoing.
“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.” [.no-reftag]Acts 6:8[.no-reftag]
Yet, opposition rose up against Stephen, and they stirred up other people and elders and teachers of the law, and they produced false testimony against him because he was persuading others to know Jesus.
“All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” [.no-reftag]Acts 6:15[.no-reftag]
Forgiveness Confronts Wrong in Love
In response to their interrogation, Stephen went on to tell them exactly how the way of God had worked since the beginning of history, and how even the leaders and the great prophets had missed the point of what God was doing and how we as humans should respond to God‘s patience and forgiveness. He ended his lengthy remarks this way:
“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” - [.no-reftag]Acts 7:51-53[.no-reftag]
This is a perfect example of how to talk to religious leaders who are leading people in the wrong direction. This example of confrontation is a great example of forgiving love, that starts with patience, but ensures full clarity of the truth.
Forgiveness Rejected Forgives in Love
“When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.” - [.no-reftag]Acts 7:54-58[.no-reftag]
Stephen was not just rejected for confronting the church leaders in love, he was murdered! He told them the way of Jesus and they killed him for it.
So how does he respond? Just like Jesus! Stephen was so full of love and grace He was able to forgive self-righteous leaders trying to kill him.
How could he do this? He saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. This is the key: We must see and receive Jesus and what He has done for us to love and forgive others well.
Now what about you? Your best work may be the forgiveness of your coworkers.
Do you know how much you are loved and forgiven? Do you still need to be reminded of all that's been done for you to forgive others?
Keep going to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ — praising them for all they have done for you and asking them for help to love and forgive others.
Resources:
Article: The Highest and Purest Love | Howard Graham
Article: Worth Billions – Forgiveness At Work | Howard Graham
Article: Forgiveness Is Hard Work | Howard Graham
Article: Making the Most Powerful Connection Possible | Howard Graham
Article: Forgive Me and Help Me Forgive | Marshall Segal
Podcast: The Major Obstacle in Forgiving Others | John Piper
Sermon: Forgive Us Our Sins | Alistair Begg
Video: Why You Must Forgive | Tim Keller
Book: Forgive:Why should I and how can I? | Tim Keller