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Learning to Forgive, Part 1 B

Grace To You / John MacArthur
The Truth Network Radio
January 23, 2025 3:00 am

Learning to Forgive, Part 1 B

Grace To You / John MacArthur

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January 23, 2025 3:00 am

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If you don't forgive someone else as a Christian, two things take place. Number one, you cannot know the forgiveness of God in terms of communion, fellowship, joy, all that ought to be there between you and the Lord. And secondly, you will know His chastening. Welcome to Grace to You with John MacArthur.

I'm your host, Phil Johnson. When a member of your church sins, the whole body is affected. It's not just the one who sinned.

And what's more, if you don't confront that person's wrongdoing, you end up sinning yourself. That's the essence of John MacArthur's study here on Grace to You. He calls it My Brother's Keeper, and today John will look at the issue of forgiveness, specifically what it takes to forgive someone who has sinned against you and whether you should forgive that person if he or she never repents and never asks for your forgiveness.

Those are important issues to consider with John MacArthur, and here he is now with a lesson. Now forgiveness is a great, great virtue. I really believe that it is the key to the unity of the church. It's the key to love.

It's the key to meaningful relationships. It's what constantly tears down the barriers that try through sin to be built up to separate us from one another, to wall us off, to make us bitter and angry and vengeful. Forgiveness is a tremendous concept. In fact, in Proverbs 19-11 it says, it is a man's glory to pass over a transgression. In other words, if you want to see man at his best, he is at his best in his ability to forgive, in overlooking a transgression, in forgetting a sin and an evil. So we see then in this passage beginning in verse 21, a transition into the matter of forgiveness.

Let's look at an outline. First of all, in verse 21, the inquiry about forgiveness. The inquiry about forgiveness. Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Seven times.

And Peter really thought he was being generous. Now that leads from the inquiry about forgiveness to the extent of forgiveness. Verse 21 again, Peter says, seven times Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until what?

Seventy times seven. Now the thought here is this, the extent of forgiveness is unending, limitless. So the inquiry about forgiveness leads to Jesus' statement about the extent of forgiveness. Now I want to talk for a few moments about the effect of forgiveness, the effect.

And to do that I want to draw you to Matthew chapter 6. Now we are called to forgive and I'm going to give you several reasons why. First of all, we are called to forgive because of the example of Jesus Christ, Ephesians 4, 32.

We have been forgiven by God for Christ's sake and so we ought to forgive each other. So we are called to forgive because Christ gave us that example. Secondly, we are called to forgive because it is the best of man, as I said, Proverbs 19, 11. Thirdly, we are called to forgive because it is the character of saints to do that.

That's part of Christian virtue. Fourthly, we are called to forgive in order to free our conscience from the root of bitterness that Hebrews talks about. Fifthly, we are to forgive in order to deliver ourselves from Satan. 2 Corinthians 2 says you'll get an advantage of us if we don't do that. And sixthly, we are to forgive in order to deliver ourselves from divine chastening.

And do you get that? Those are very important things. We must forgive because that's the example of Christ. We must forgive because that's the glory of man. We must forgive because that's the character of saints. We must forgive because it frees our conscience from a root of bitterness. We must forgive because it delivers us from Satan's advantage. We must forgive because it frees us from the chastening of God. And one more, we must forgive or else we will not be forgiven.

Did you get that? We must forgive or else we will not be forgiven ourselves. James 2 13, I just read it to you.

The one who shows no mercy will receive none. Look at 6 12 of Matthew. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And then the commentary on that is in verse 14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Now listen, that is a monumental statement about forgiveness. Because if you don't forgive, you don't receive forgiveness. And he says he's talking to Christians?

Yes. This is a believer's prayer. If you're not a believer, you're not even in this prayer. Because you can't say in verse 9, the very address of the prayer which is what?

Our Father. You say in what sense then can a Christian have unforgiven sin? If you don't forgive someone else as a Christian, two things take place. Number one, you cannot know the forgiveness of God in terms of communion, fellowship, joy, all that ought to be there between you and the Lord. And secondly, you will know his chastening. Because God, when there's an outstanding sin account, and he has not parentally forgiven that, is going to bring to bear on your life certain chastening to refine that unrefined area. You understand?

So there's two sides. When you don't forgive someone else, you don't experience the full joy of your salvation. And secondly, you will experience divine pressure and chastening. So you examine your life. Are you looking at your life and saying, I don't see the kind of joy I ought to see in my life? I don't have the kind of fulfillment spiritually. I don't seem to have the power of God in my life. On the other hand, it seems as though I'm always being chastened. I'm always struggling.

There's always hassles in my life. I've examined my life. I don't know any moral sins.

I don't know this or that. Then you better backtrack and find out if in fact there isn't somewhere in your heart something for which you have never forgiven a person. Some grudge you hold, some bitterness there, because if you can't forgive, you'll never experience the forgiveness of God, and that's what this is saying. And though you'll die and go to heaven because transactionally your sins are paid for in Christ, they're forgiven on the books, you can't experience the fullness of that because you won't forgive.

Now this is not some isolated truth. You saw it in James 2.13. You hear it again in the disciples' prayer. And in case you're still unconvinced, listen to Mark 11.25, and when you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against any that your Father also who's in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who's in heaven forgive your trespasses.

There it is again. Same thing, Mark 11.25 and 26. So it's a very important truth. In verse 12, we ought to note something. Matthew 6, forgive us our debts. The Greek says, as we forgave our debtors. That's very important because it puts our forgiveness before God's forgiveness. You forgive us, God, as we forgave. When we take care of forgiveness, then God keeps the channel of His own blessed forgiveness flowing. So you're maybe thinking of 1 John 1.9, as we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive and keep on cleansing. You know, that's the life of a Christian who keeps confessing. God keeps forgiving and cleansing, but only when we forgive others.

That puts a wall up if we don't do that. Oswald Sanders said, Jesus deals with us as we deal with others. He measures us by the yardstick we use on others. The prayer is not forgive us because we forgive others, but forgive us even as we have forgiven others. Forgiveness then is basic to being forgiven. So what is the effect of forgiveness? The effect of forgiveness is when you forgive others, what happens? God forgives you. You say, what does it mean when God forgives me?

It means I can experience the fullness of fellowship and I take myself out of the place of chastening into the place of blessing. By the way, forgive us our debts. The debts there are spiritual debts and they refer to sin. And that's because verse 14 says trespass, so we equate the debts and the trespasses. And we know in the other record of this instruction in prayer, the word trespass appears. So it is our sins and we are literally to hurl them away.

That's what the verb means. Hurling away the sins of others against us that ours may be hurled away. Now go back to Matthew chapter 5 in verse 7. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. That's the same principle, isn't it? It's exactly the same principle. If you want mercy when you sin from the Lord, then you better give mercy to other people.

You know something? Think of it this way. I just thought of the this in terms of a concise statement. You're very like God. You're very like God. When you forgive, aren't you?

Very like you. You want to be like God? Everybody say, I want to be godly. Well, can I suggest to you that godliness may not be memorizing a thousand verses as much as it would be forgiving?

I mean, there ought to be the fruit of that memorization. Godliness is forgiving because you're very like God when you do that. That's the stuff of true spirituality. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. I think that's a statement of fact about a believer. I believe that people in God's kingdom are merciful. Believing people are merciful because they've experienced mercy.

So if you're not, you're actually contradicting your own nature. I mean, you're fighting against who you are in Christ. You have been forgiven and you become a forgiver because you understand that forgiveness. But it's very possible as a Christian that you can get into a time of disobedience in your life where you fail to forgive others and you're really violating the very proof of your salvation. If you want to tell a Christian, just look for someone who knows how to forgive because he's been forgiven. True forgiveness of the sinner from God I think breaks the person down. It gives him a heart of forgiveness toward others. If you're really a Christian and you've really been forgiven, then you're going to understand forgiveness.

And if you don't understand that at all, it's questionable whether you've ever really experienced it. Let me take you to another passage. Same chapter, Matthew 5 verse 21. You've heard that it was said by them of old. In other words, she says to the Jews, this is your tradition.

That little statement you have heard that it was said by them of old which repeats itself in the chapter is an identification of their Jewish tradition. Your tradition says, thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment. In other words, their tradition said don't kill somebody because you might get put in jail. I mean, that was basically it.

Very shallow. Don't kill somebody because if you do, you might be in danger of being put in jail. No moral issue here, just make sure you don't get thrown in jail. So that's why you don't kill. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause, without it being a holy cause, shall be in danger of judgment and whosoever shall say to his brother, raka, that by the way is an untranslatable epithet of malicious verbiage.

You whatever brainless idiot, that kind of thing. It's more than just saying it in jest, it's saying it with venom. When you say that, you're in danger of the counsel for whosoever shall say thou fool. You morass, you mock, it's a mocking abusive calling of someone, a moronic individual, you'll be in danger of hellfire. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, you're going to come worship God and remember that your brother is anything against you. Leave your gift before the altar and go your way and be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.

Why? Because you're not going to know what worship is. You can't commune with God. You can't fellowship with God until you've resolved that forgiveness attitude.

So it's the same thing again. First reconciliation, then worship. First we forgive, then we're forgiven.

And so we need to be called to examine our own lives. Are you like God? Your heart eager to forgive? We all get wronged, directly and indirectly. Is your heart free to forgive no matter how close that wrong may be?

No matter how deeply it penetrates you? For me, just as a personal testimony, for me the deepest pains come when people speak evil against me and want to destroy my reputation. I hear about things that are just unbelievable, that are supposed to be true about me.

Just unbelievable. And those are the things that pain me the most deeply. Untrue criticisms and allegations and accusations. And I find that those become for me the test of a forgiving heart. And I ask God to give me the grace to forgive. I don't want to carry a grudge of bitterness for five seconds.

And so eagerly when I hear that, am I anxious to offer up a prayer? Oh God, put in me the heart of forgiveness so that I may commune with you in the fullness of fellowship and joy and not experience the chasing that comes when you don't forgive me. And may I remember that for everyone who sins against me, I have multiplied times sins against you. And you have always forgiven me. And at no point in time has any of my sin caused me to forfeit my eternal life.

And nor should anyone else's sin cause them to forfeit my love and my mercy toward them. And having done that, then you seek to pursue the restoration on the fellowship level that you may have joy. And having done that, you demonstrate the true heart of forgiveness by giving back to that person something of great value.

And it may be yourself entrusted into their care. Well, let's pray. Our Father, we thank you that we've been able to come to your Word and expose our hearts again to its powerful truth. We all need to be forgiven. We need the people in our house to forgive us, our wives, husbands, our kids. We need the people that we work with every day to forgive us. We need the people in our Bible studies and our church family to forgive us because we are children. We are short of perfection.

We're weak, ignorant, undisciplined in so many ways, prone to disobey, self-willed. It isn't a question of which of us has sinned and need forgiveness. It's only a question of what were our sins.

For we have all sinned even since we embraced Christ. And so the church must be a forgiving assembly, a forgiving people who eagerly give that they may eagerly receive the forgiveness of God. May we know, Lord, that full, rich, joyous fellowship. May we know the blessedness of being spared chastening because we have forgiven others. May we demonstrate our redemption. May we be the living illustrations of blessed are the merciful, for they show that they have obtained mercy.

May we be to others as you are to us. Father, may we never come to worship, to bring a gift with an unforgiving heart to a brother, but first deal with forgiveness and then with worship. And when we have followed the path of discipline and gained a brother, and when we have forgiven and restored the fellowship with that brother or sister and they sin again, the same sin against us, may we forgive them again and again and again, without limit, as you, in grace, forgive us without limit. Never is there a limit to our forgiveness, for never is there a limit to yours. And then we will be like God. Then we will be restored to His character. Then we will walk as Jesus walked, who when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He was mocked and blasphemed and murdered said, Father, forgive them.

They know not what they do. Like Stephen, when he was mistreated, abused, stoned to death, all undeservedly, may we say, don't blame them for this. Give us the heart of forgiveness so that every wound is instantly reviled, every barrier instantly removed, every wall instantly torn down, that not only are we aggressively reproving and rebuking sin, but equally as aggressive in forgiving it.

Thank you for what you'll accomplish in and through us when we're obedient to this. Would you pray a personal prayer for just a silent moment that God would make you a forgiving person? And now would you identify a person in your heart that's been hard for you to forgive? And would you be like God and forgive? Just say, Lord, and whisper the name in silence. I forgive that person.

And maybe there's more than one. And then would you say, Lord, maybe because of some unforgiveness in my life, I have been chastened and never experienced the fullness of your forgiveness. If it's true, I confess that sin.

Point it out to me that it may be made right. And having begun with heart forgiveness, go to your brother or your sister and seek restoration and give something of value, maybe yourself. Father, thank you for what you're accomplishing through your word these days.

These are so important. These truths make us a forgiving people who carry no grudges, let no wounds fester, but whose hearts are so filled with grace and mercy from the gracious, merciful Spirit who lives there that we have more than enough for all who offend us so that we could forgive 490 times a day and never exhaust the heart of forgiveness. We who have been forgiven so much. In Jesus' name, amen. You're listening to Grace to You with John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University and Seminary, helping you learn how to forgive those who have sinned and restore them to Christian fellowship.

John calls this study my brother's keeper. Now, today John talked about the reasons Christians must forgive each other. And yet, despite all the remarkable benefits of forgiveness, putting it into practice can be difficult.

John, why is that? And what makes us reluctant to forgive when the benefits of forgiveness are so profound? What makes it hard to forgive is because you feel the pain of the transgression and human pride and sort of a human protectiveness says, I'm not going to let that happen to me.

You can't do that to me. And that kind of pride restrains you from forgiveness. I think it's important for all of us to understand that we must freely forgive all those who have sinned against us, even those who don't ask for it.

Now, the relationship can never be restored until they come and seek that reconciliation. But never are you more like God than when you forgive. So this important issue of forgiveness is really part of life at a very, very intimate level from the family extending through all our relationships. And I want to remind you again about the book, The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness. I've just hinted at some of the important realities regarding forgiveness.

This book will give you detail. The book addresses issues like, should the forgiveness we extend be unconditional? How should we individually and as a part of a church respond when someone who claims to be a Christian gets involved in sin? How do the modern ways of handling guilt and blame line up with what the Bible says?

Is it ever appropriate to withhold forgiveness from someone for a wrong committed? These and other questions, helpful discussions of the atonement and the unpardonable sin. And in addition, a Q&A section to guide you through the tough questions regarding forgiveness. All of that is packed into the book, The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness. Full length, soft cover book available from Grace to you.

Thanks, Jon. And friend, once you've read this book, you'll not only better understand God's forgiveness for you, but also how you can strengthen your marriage or improve your relationships with your children, even help unify your church when you practice forgiveness. Order your copy of The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness when you contact us today. You can call us weekdays from 730 a.m. to 4 o'clock p.m. Pacific time at 800-55-GRACE, or you can order from our website anytime, GTY.org. The price for The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness is $13 and shipping is free.

Learn how to experience the relationship healing effects of forgiveness. Dial 800-55-GRACE or go to GTY.org to order your copy of The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness. And while you're at GTY.org, take advantage of all the free Bible study tools that you'll find there. Our blog has a wide range of articles on subjects like true worship, overcoming anxiety, spiritual growth, and much more. And our website has several daily devotionals that you can read and more than 3,600 of Jon's sermons that you can download for free, both audio and transcripts.

Our web address one more time, GTY.org. Now for John MacArthur and our entire staff, I'm Phil Johnson, and here's an important question for you. Is your sin as vile to you as it is to God? Find out why an accurate understanding of your sin is crucial for every relationship you have when John returns with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time, on Grace To You.
Whisper: medium.en / 2025-01-23 05:42:07 / 2025-01-23 05:51:10 / 9

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