Forgiveness

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“From that time on, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed, and on the third day be raised to life.” Matthew 16:21

“They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” He said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, He fell to the ground, and prayed that if possible, the hour might pass from Him. “Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:32-36

The Cup is the cup of God’s wrath and Judgement of sin.

“Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him whipped. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They clothed him in a purple robe, and went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped Him in the face. Once more, Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.” When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Finally, Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So, the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying His own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others— one on each side, and Jesus in the middle. Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:1,6,16-18,28-30

“He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried - it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” Isaiah 53:3-6

“…and forgive us our debts, as we also, have forgiven our debtors.”

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14,15

What is Trespassing?

God has set boundaries in how we’re to behave in our relationships. When you choose to step over those boundaries you trespass against them.

What is Debt?

When we trespass against God, we violate His Holiness, and we owe Him a debt, that we can never pay on our own.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he was not able to pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children - and all that he had, and repay the debt.” Matthew 18:23-25

“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s Master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.” Matthew 18:26,27

Why should we ask God for forgiveness?

Because sin Separates us from God.

Isaiah 59:1,2, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

1 Peter 1:18,19 “There is only one thing that can pay for our debt of sin… the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

Ephesians 2:1-3, “…by our very nature we were subject to God’s anger… But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!”

Ephesians 2:4-9, “…even when we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ… For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

When does God Forgive our Debts?

The very moment we confess

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Acts 2:37-41, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit… With many other words he warned them – and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”