THE ACT OF FORGIVENESS

Note: All scripture is New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Jesus said in Mark 11:25-26, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." After 30 years of ministry, we still find “The Act of Forgiveness” one of the hardest things for Christians to do. It is real easy for us to say, “I forgive you,” but is that all we have to do?

How many times have we heard people say, “I have forgiven them, but I will not forget!” Most of the time, the emphasis is on I will not forget. Yet, when we miss it and ask the Lord to forgive us, we want Father God to forget it. In Ps 103:12 it says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” And in Isaiah 43:25, God says, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.”

Then we see in Eph 5:1-2, the Holy Spirit says through the Apostle Paul, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

THE FIRST STEP TO WALKING IN LOVE IS FORGIVENESS!

I further believe that you do not have total forgiveness until there is an action that goes with it. Simply saying, “I forgive” is not enough!

Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 23-24, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” “But Pastor Larry, aren’t you taking this out of context?” No, if you will study all the scriptures pertaining to forgiveness, you will see that the Bible teaches that if we offend someone or someone offends us there needs to be an ACT of FORGIVENESS.

Did you notice what God was truly saying in Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.” Isn’t it amazing that we are the ones who commit sin, but Father God is blotting them out for His “own sake.” When Jesus was hanging on the cross He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." I truly believe with all my heart that Jesus was not just talking about the people there at the time, but He was looking through time and was seeing you and me and He was asking the Father to forgive us for our transgressions. Then the question has to be, “Why would Father God want to forgive us?” You would think it was for our sake! However, when you know the true nature of God - I am not talking about the way the world sees it, I am talking about what the Bible has to say about it - then you will know that Father God’s greatest desire is for us to be in proper fellowship with Him so He can bless us.

Let’s look at a situation involving the church. In 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, it says, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles -- that a man has his father's wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” I think all Christians would agree that this is a bad situation. (As a side note, notice the Apostle Paul did not turn him over to the Lord for the destruction of the flesh, but to Satan because Father God is not in the killing business! If He was, then Father God would have taken us out of this earthly mess when we got saved. Now thank God that when our flesh perishes, Father God is there to take us to heaven.) Again, in my opinion, I believe the Apostle Paul is telling us that sexual immorality should not be allowed to stay in the church. It is like a contagious disease that will flow over to other members if it is not dealt with. I know of a church that a few members became involved in sexual immorality and before it was over 35 couples ended in divorce.

Most theologians agree that the following scripture is in reference to 1 Corinthians 5:1-5. In 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, it says, “But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent -- not to be too severe. This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. For to this end I also wrote that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” Look what the Amplified says in verses 5-8, “But if someone [the one among you who committed incest] has caused [all this] grief and pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure, not to put it too severely, [he has distressed] all of you. For such a one this censure by the majority [which he has received is] sufficient [punishment]. So [instead of further rebuke, now] you should rather turn and [graciously] forgive and comfort and encourage [him], to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow and despair. I therefore beg you to reinstate him in your affections and assure him of your love for him . . .”

Now notice verse 11, “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” There is not much left to say about this verse. However, again, I believe many believers are trying to resist the Devil in every way except through the act of forgiveness.

In 1976 when Beverly and I were in the middle of divorce (there was not another man or woman involved), there were a lot of things that we had to forgive one another about. And forgive we did, not only through our conversations but we made sure that our actions lined up with our words. We know that it worked because today we can talk about some of those things and laugh about them. “But Pastor Larry how can I do that?” You have to go back to Mark 11:22-24, “So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Verse 25 & 26 has to do with forgiveness.

THE ACT OF FORGIVENESS INVOLVES FAITH, SAYING AND PATIENCE!

When we have a problem with unforgiveness it will cause us to be judgmental. Jesus said, in Matt 7:1-5, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”

In closing, each person who has lived on this earth has had someone treat them wrong. It happened to us many times when we were in the golf business. Likewise, during the 30 years of ministry we have had the opportunity to be offended many, many times. Also, over the last 50 years, I’m sure I have offended many people. But I take what the Apostle Paul said in, Philippians 3:13-14 (New Living Translation) very personal, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.”

Satan is not going to take advantage of me and my household! We will walk in forgiveness! BE BLESSED!

Pastor Larry