Anne's Message: Forgive!

"Oh, that you would bless me indeed,
And enlarge my territory,
That your hand would be with me,
And that you would keep me from evil,
That I may not cause pain."

The light of God surrounds us,
The love of God enfolds us,
The power of God protects us,
The presence of God watches over us,
Where ever we are, God is... and all is well.

Trying to preach on something like forgiveness is a real preacher-trap. It’s one of those words, like love and truth and sweetness, which can so easily get reduced to the level of Hallmark cards.

There’s a story about President Cal Coolidge. He was called ‘Silent Cal’ because he spoke little and seldom. He returned home from church one day and his wife said, “How was church?”

“Fine.”
“What did the preacher talk about?”
“Sin.”
“What did he say?”
“He’s against it.”

Forgiveness is one of those topics and I have this fear that some of you are going to go home today and someone will ask you what did preacher talk about and you’ll say forgiveness, and she’s for it. So if you want to cut to the chase and get a Cliff’ Notes version of the sermon, that’s it. It’s about forgiveness and I’m for it.

Catherine Ponder said: “When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person – or condition – by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free”.

Oscar Wilde said: “Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much!”

…and from Josh Billings: “There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness”.

...one last one: “Love is an act of endless forgiveness” (Peter Ustinov)

You cannot speak about forgiveness without speaking about love.
The Bible speaks about every person needing forgiveness and every person needing to forgive. Why? Because we are all sinners, we have all messed up and we are all in need of God's forgiveness. None of us is perfect. We need God's grace and we need to extend that same mercy to others. This subject is the very essence of true Christianity.

Why do we have to forgive? How can we ourselves be forgiven?

Why do we have to forgive?
First, it is good for you!
There is a story about a Canadian Second World War veteran who had kept a live hand grenade as a memento from a training exercise in Scotland in the early 1940s on a stand at home in Winnipeg – until his nephew suggested he turn it over to the police.
So he arrived at police head quarters one January day in 2003, the keepsake in a brown paper bag, and announced “I got a grenade” – which led, in short order, to much of the main floor to being evacuated, the fire department being put on alert and the bomb squad called in.

This story brings to mind some of what many of us have held on to for too long in the form of grudges, and the damages their lingering resentments can do.
If something isn’t done to de-activate those feelings, there could be a major explosion.
There will be major casualties; Ruined businesses, destroyed marriages, great loss. Grudges can fill our minds and hearts with clutter, with all kinds of negative implications for our spirits and for our health. Work by physician Helen Kaplan Singer shows how blame, anger and hostility – all associated with the holding of grudges – can cause blood pressure to rise, make us more vulnerable to heart disease and lead our immune system to work less efficiently.

Second, it’s in the Bible!

Mark 11:25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that the Father in heaven will forgive you your sins too.

Luke 6:37: Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

We say it together in the beginning of each and every service: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. 1 John 1:8-9

We say it in the Lord’s Prayer: …forgive us our sins (or trespasses) as we forgive those who sin (or trespass) against us. Matthew 6:12

There is no life apart from God's love. Therefore, there is no life apart from forgiveness, for forgiveness is the seal, the mark, and the proof of Love. If we say we have love and cannot walk in forgiveness, we deceive ourselves, and our "love" is only a parody of the real thing.

The psychologist, Freud, accurately determined that the main source of all humanity’s woes is feelings of guilt. He came to this profound truth, but didn't know what to do with it.
Today, we are encouraged by pop psychologists to "feel good about ourselves," and to do away with the troubling guilt that we all have.
The Bible teaches the opposite.
It says we must face our sin and deal with it--and only then can we have the peace that the world craves so badly. It can be a painful thing to face our sin, yet we will never receive healing unless we do. Our guilt will continue to torment us and wreak havoc on our lives until we receive forgiveness for our sins. The key is not to ignore our guilt or try to gloss over it, but to face it and seek God for forgiveness, through the blood of Jesus.

The word sin comes from an ancient Hebrew term that was actually an archery term. It meant, “to miss the mark.” So when we use it in religion, it means that we’ve missed the mark in a bigger way. We’ve missed the mark in that we’ve missed living as the kind of person we should have.

When Jesus died on the cross, He took our punishment upon Himself. He took the guilt of our sins and bore them in our place. He received all the emotional pain of the abuse, betrayal, injustice, and scorn that we ourselves have given and received. In a prophetic portrait of the future Christ, Isaiah wrote, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" Isaiah 53:5.

To be forgiven of our sins we must confess. We must recognize where we have gone wrong, and hurt God by our actions. When confessing our sins to God, we need to be as specific as possible. General confessions do very little to convict of sin, or to convince God of our seriousness, or to bring healing in those areas. Isaiah 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Ezekiel 18:21, "But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die."

Our next step in receiving forgiveness is to turn from our wicked ways and change them. We may struggle with a certain sin, but if our intent is truly to change our ways and overcome that sin, God will give us the grace to do it.
A Sunday school teacher asked her class what the word repentance meant. One little boy said: "It is being sorry for your sins." Immediately a little girl's hand shot up. "No, I think it’s being sorry enough to quit."
Many want to receive forgiveness from God without changing their ways. God knows the difference between those who are sincere and those who are using Him to temporarily ease their conscience. He is not mocked or deceived. If one comes to him in sorrow, humility and sincerity, His grace is abundant. However, He has little patience for those who would abuse His mercy. Search your heart and ask God to give you the grace for true repentance, and the power of the Holy Spirit to make the changes you need to do. His greatest joy is to help those who repent in sincerity.

Romans 13:7 "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor" (NIV).

If we are sincere in our repentance we must be willing to pay the penalty for our crimes against others. This could include restoration of any goods, monies, or services that were taken wrongfully, (or never given at all, if we owed them). The Lord says to "agree with our adversary." If we are in dispute with someone, that means we must admit to what we have done and quit trying to defend ourselves. If we are in the wrong (even partially) it is better to take responsibility for it, than to argue for our rights. When we receive God's forgiveness, it is our duty to forgive those who have wronged us. The two are inseparable. Jesus said plainly that God will not forgive us, if we do not forgive others. Many Christians are full of condemnation and guilt because they still feel the weight of their sins, even though they've asked God to forgive them. Could it be that they have not been able to receive God's forgiveness because they still have bitterness in their own hearts toward others? Sometimes, we may carry bitterness and hurt so long, that we no longer even recognize it as a problem. It becomes a part of our very nature. We may not scheme for revenge, but our souls are clouded with a quiet, persistent bitterness.

Some of us have been betrayed in devastating ways, and have suffered profoundly at the hand of abusive people. Others have been horribly mistreated by those of other races, nations, and religions. If you are suffering with deep unhealed wounds, know the Lord has also been hurt with your pain. He loves you and wants to heal you. It is because of His great love for you that He is calling you to forgive. It is your only release from the emotional prison that you are now in.
You do not have to live in a continual state of submission to evil emotions. You can be free of them, through the power of the cross. "Behold, I make all things new" says the Lord. You can be made new on the inside, and no longer staggering under a load of bitterness, hatred, pain, and depression. God wants to set you free right now!

Forgiveness in practice:
If you have been hurt, God will take even this frustration and pain of rejection in your life and work it for something good so you can be a vessel of healing to His people--if you let Him.

"...But what if they don't even see how bad they've hurt me?" Whether they see it or not is between them and the Lord. Your responsibility is simply to forgive them.

"...I'm afraid if I forgive, I'll only get hurt again." If you call on the Lord for wisdom He will help you in your situation. If you are in an abusive relationship you need to pray about whether you should stay in it. You can still forgive them, but it doesn't mean that you have to live with, or be closely associated with them. There is a difference.

"...If I forgive them, they'll only go on hurting others." If the person who hurt you has done it in an illegal way such as sexual abuse, theft, murder, etc., you have a responsibility to do all you can to stop others from being hurt in the same way. However, you can still forgive them, in the sense that you do not actively hate them, and can pray for God's mercy on them.

When God forgives us, He no longer holds our sins against us. Therefore, we don't have the right to hold others' sins against them.

You want to experience God? Forgive!
You want to feel His presence and power curse through your body? Forgive!

The cross is a symbol of God’s supreme love, sacrifice and forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is the anchor that holds the entire Gospel message together. As a believer, it means that God has forgiven all of our sins – past, present, and even those we commit in the future.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for Your grace and mercy to us. Forgive us for the hardness of heart, which we have displayed to others as well as to You. Cleanse us of self-absorption, self-pity, anger, hatred, bitterness, vengefulness, hopelessness and resentment. Help us to walk in Your love and to know Your love in our own hearts.
We are calling on You for forgiveness and the strength to believe your word and to follow it. Please send us the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us so we can follow through with all You have put in our hearts. Help us not to stumble back into our old ways and help us to show others the kind of love and forgiveness You have shown us. Do this in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.