| Teacher: Rusty Kennedy Series: Forgiveness |
Rusty's Notes
Forgiveness is a promise![1]
- When our God forgives us, He promises that He will not remember our sins against us anymore.[2]
- God can’t forget (like you and I can).
- God can choose not to remember.
- To “not remember” is simply a graphic way of saying, “I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future. I will bury them and not exhume the bones to beat you over the head with them. I will never use these sins against you.”
Luke 17 – 1 He said to His disciples, “Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Questions from series:
1) If we are to forgive unlimited amount of times, are we supposed to just “take it”?
- Abuse
- Boundaries
- Does God believe in “boundaries”?
- What was the first boundary established?
- Physical boundaries vs intangible boundaries.
Cloud & Townsend in their Boundaries book say, “Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom. If I know where my yard begins and ends, I am free to do with it what I like. Taking responsibility for my life opens up many different options. However, if I do not ‘own’ my life, my choices and options become very limited.”
- Who defines your boundaries?
- You do… initially… if you are incapable of establishing safe boundaries they will be established for you.
- Parents, employers, school administrators, police, judges, etc.
But stay focused… we are talking about boundaries inside the realm of forgiveness.
- Proverbs 4:23 - Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.[3]
- Only you can decided these intangible boundaries… be careful to establish healthy boundaries… not walls.
- Love is a risk… trust is a risk…
- The more you can love and trust… the more you will get back in life.
- The more boundaries/walls you build, you will be safe but lonely.
2) What if I just can’t forgive this “one thing/person”?
Ephesians 4:32 - 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Colossians 3:12-13 - 12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.
What are the elements of forgiveness of others?
- The complexity of forgiveness
- Offender
- Offended
- Non-Believer
- Believer
- Nature of the non-believer
- Nature of the believer
- Repentant
- Non-repentant
Difference between sin (God) & offending (people).
- Matthew 18:21 – 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”[4]
- 1 Corinthians 8:12 - 12 Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ.[5]
2 Corinthians 5:16 – 16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him in this way.[6]
You have to deal with forgiveness based upon Maturity Levels:
Expectations – Compliance laws/rules
Maturity levels range from “High Expectations” to “Not focused on behavior” (OK w/ gooberishness)
Spiritual maturity – realizing that forgiveness comes from God.
- God is the one who gives us the ability to forgive.
- We are incapable of forgiving without the Spirit living inside of us.
2 ways to answer the question “What if I cannot forgive?”
1) When someone sins/offends you, is it against your body or your soul/spirit?
- Against your body… emotions get worked up and you respond out of emotion.
– Emotions first… then action… then truth
- Truth first… then action… then emotions
2) You have 2 choices: Walk in the flesh or walk in the Spirit.
– It is not going to be you that forgives. It is going to be Christ in you that forgives.
- If you choose not to forgive you are walking in your flesh. Your own strength. It isn’t gonna happen.
- If you choose to walk in the Spirit, Christ does it for you.
- Allowing you to be free… abundant life.
Ephesians 6:12 – 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.[7]
[1] Adams, J. E. (1989). From forgiven to forgiving (p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Adams, J. E. (1989). From forgiven to forgiving (p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Pr 4:23). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Mt 18:21). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Co 8:11–12). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (2 Co 5:16). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Eph 6:12). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
- When our God forgives us, He promises that He will not remember our sins against us anymore.[2]
- God can’t forget (like you and I can).
- God can choose not to remember.
- To “not remember” is simply a graphic way of saying, “I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future. I will bury them and not exhume the bones to beat you over the head with them. I will never use these sins against you.”
Luke 17 – 1 He said to His disciples, “Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Questions from series:
1) If we are to forgive unlimited amount of times, are we supposed to just “take it”?
- Abuse
- Boundaries
- Does God believe in “boundaries”?
- What was the first boundary established?
- Physical boundaries vs intangible boundaries.
Cloud & Townsend in their Boundaries book say, “Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom. If I know where my yard begins and ends, I am free to do with it what I like. Taking responsibility for my life opens up many different options. However, if I do not ‘own’ my life, my choices and options become very limited.”
- Who defines your boundaries?
- You do… initially… if you are incapable of establishing safe boundaries they will be established for you.
- Parents, employers, school administrators, police, judges, etc.
But stay focused… we are talking about boundaries inside the realm of forgiveness.
- Proverbs 4:23 - Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.[3]
- Only you can decided these intangible boundaries… be careful to establish healthy boundaries… not walls.
- Love is a risk… trust is a risk…
- The more you can love and trust… the more you will get back in life.
- The more boundaries/walls you build, you will be safe but lonely.
2) What if I just can’t forgive this “one thing/person”?
Ephesians 4:32 - 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Colossians 3:12-13 - 12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.
What are the elements of forgiveness of others?
- The complexity of forgiveness
- Offender
- Offended
- Non-Believer
- Believer
- Nature of the non-believer
- Nature of the believer
- Repentant
- Non-repentant
Difference between sin (God) & offending (people).
- Matthew 18:21 – 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”[4]
- 1 Corinthians 8:12 - 12 Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ.[5]
2 Corinthians 5:16 – 16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him in this way.[6]
You have to deal with forgiveness based upon Maturity Levels:
Expectations – Compliance laws/rules
Maturity levels range from “High Expectations” to “Not focused on behavior” (OK w/ gooberishness)
Spiritual maturity – realizing that forgiveness comes from God.
- God is the one who gives us the ability to forgive.
- We are incapable of forgiving without the Spirit living inside of us.
2 ways to answer the question “What if I cannot forgive?”
1) When someone sins/offends you, is it against your body or your soul/spirit?
- Against your body… emotions get worked up and you respond out of emotion.
– Emotions first… then action… then truth
- Truth first… then action… then emotions
2) You have 2 choices: Walk in the flesh or walk in the Spirit.
– It is not going to be you that forgives. It is going to be Christ in you that forgives.
- If you choose not to forgive you are walking in your flesh. Your own strength. It isn’t gonna happen.
- If you choose to walk in the Spirit, Christ does it for you.
- Allowing you to be free… abundant life.
Ephesians 6:12 – 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.[7]
[1] Adams, J. E. (1989). From forgiven to forgiving (p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Adams, J. E. (1989). From forgiven to forgiving (p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Pr 4:23). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Mt 18:21). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Co 8:11–12). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (2 Co 5:16). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Eph 6:12). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
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