THE ACT OF FORGIVENESS IN CHRISTIAN LIFE
By Ebenezer Korsah


INTRODUCTION:

1. The command to forgive one another is very urgent in the sense that God demands from Christians the practice of forgiveness. How can one claim to be a good Christian (Christ – like) and neglect forgiveness. The command from our Lord Jesus Christ is obvious (Matthew 5:38-42). God cares for our spiritual growth in Christianity, and truly when Christians fail to work on forgiveness it results in retardation of their spiritual growth.

2. We are God’s people (1 Pet 2:9); we belong to God, and God’s people ought to live by the word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4). Therefore, unforgiveness, as Christians are rather practicing has its source from INGNORANCE, NEGLIGENCE, and MISUNDERSTANDING of the word itself.

DEFINITION
1. ETYMOLOGY: Rom 3:25 – Paul uses “paresis” instead of the usual “aphesis”.
a. “paresis”= putting aside, disregarding; it was that God had treated sins as though He had forgiven them.
b. “aphesis”= putting away completely and unreservedly. (ISBE)

2. Forgiveness in Greek = APHESIS, Literally means dismissed, release, remission
of sins – VINES EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT WORDS IN GREEK.

3. Pardon or Remission usually based on one’s repenting and being willing to make reparation. It results in the parties involved being returned to their former relationship. To restore God’s favour to man after the fall required his forgiving man.

4. Forgiveness means, to say or feel that one is no longer angry about and, or wishing to give punishment to (someone) for something.

5. God’s forgiveness= kaphar (Deut 21:8).
6. Human forgiveness= nasa (Gen 50:17; Exd 10:16-17.
7. “Kapha”r and “nasa” are synonyms of forgiveness, and to understand it fully such words are SAVE, JUSTIFY, RECONCILE, and ATONEMENT.




I. FORGIVENESS CANNOT JUST COME UNLESS
1. An offence has been committed (sin).
2. Someone has committed sin (Man)
3. Someone has seen offended (God).

II. THE NEED OF FORGIVENESS IS UNIVERSAL (Rom 3:23, Eccl 7:20; I John 1:10).
1. When we forgive we do so for two reasons:
a. We are obeying God’s command.
b. We forgive to be happy because we are the ones who gain most from our forgiving actions.
c. Many times rather than truly forgiving we habour grudges, bitterness, and self-pity until we have an appetite for little else. Our ability to handle these hostile feelings are our keys to good mental health.

III. FORGIVING AS GOD FORGIVES (Matt 18:23-27)
1. God is a God who delights in forgiving sinners who truly repent – c/f Neh 9:17, Dan 9:9; Exd 34:6-7. As citizens of the Kingdom of heaven (vr 23), we have entered an entirely new realm of unlimited mercy and forgiveness.

2. God’s forgiveness is just and no priest can forgive sins against God. The debtor (vr 24) had been forgiven 10,000 talents of silver = $ 16,425,000. The debtor is to be sold into slavery with his entire family. Instead, in an act of compassion, the Lord removed the debt. The debtor left that meeting a free man.

3. A simple comparison can be drawn between what the Lord did for his servant and what God did for us in His own costly act of compassion in Jesus. We too had an unpayable debt of sin. Our ability to forgive is a direct result of our being forgiven. When we find it hard to forgive someone it may indicate our own need to experience God’s forgiveness more deeply.

IV. FORGIVING AS THE WORLD FORGIVES (Mat 18:28-30)

1. Christians are in this world but not of this world. Christians are to portray the image of Christ to the world for them to know see Christ and WHY He came down on this earth.

2. The servant found a fellow servant who owed him 100 pence (denarius) =
$ 17.00, he refused to forgive him and cast him into prison, by not bordering his defense of asking him for a time to pay the debt.

3. Instead of compassion, he was meet with ruthlessness and was cast into prison.

4. The first servants actions towards the second are the same one’s we use to justify our continued hard feelings towards those who has wronged us. You have forgiven the person often, but offenses continue. A worldly person would feel absurd, and say it is enough. The worlds approach to matters of forgiveness has limits.

5. Citizens of the Kingdom must accept a new standard of forgiveness, one without limits. No thoughtful Christians can fail to feel the strain of this teaching, for we are all inclined to say ‘’Enough’’. But God has a way of disturbing us, thereby leading us to a higher standard of mercy from which we can forgive that person who were previously thought unforgivable.




V. FORGIVING AS WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN ( Mat 18:31-35, Col 3:13; Eph 4:32)

1. We certainly should not imagine that our unwillingness to forgive limits God’s ability to forgive.

2. Forgiveness means forgetting – Heb 8:12

3. Perfect forgiveness needs great faith – Lk 17:4-5
a. It has no limit - The number ‘’7’’
b. We should stand ready at all times to forgive our offenders

4. Holding on to and nurture an offense, give that offense and the offender power over as.

5. Remaining unforgivable, allows little room for maturing.

6. There should be evidence of your forgiveness.
a. How would a prisoner know if a governor pardoned him of a crime/
b. Let us underscore the importance of praying for someone who has offended us, like praying for our enemies.

CONCLUSION

1. God is in His business of forgiving fallible men & women 2 Pt 3:9
2. We must desire and practice forgiveness
3. He will forgive you now if you will comply with terms of forgiveness.