CHRIST’S PRAYER AND FORGIVENESS! Christlike Forgiveness Part 4

Matthew 6:9-15 (NIV) “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS Luke 11:4 (NIV) “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? Ecclesiastes 7:20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. 1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CHRISTS”S PRAYER? 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin”. Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 1 John 1:6 “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth”.

WE NEED TO FORGIVE PEOPLE LIKE CHRIST… –WHEN PEOPLE DON’T MEAN TO HURT US –WHEN HURT IS CAUSED BY INSENSITIVITY Matthew 12:20 “A bruised reed he will not break”. –WHEN HURT IS CAUSED BY SINS KNOWINGLY COMMITTED Proverbs 19:11 (NIV) “A mans wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense”.

CHRISTLIKE FORGIVENESS IS A CHOSEN PRIVILEGE –Why should you want to forgive? Because you prize intimacy and fellowship with the Father more than you desire to see your enemy being punished. Matthew 6:15 (NIV) “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”).

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DON’T FORGIVE? –1. SALVATION IS UNCONDITIONAL; FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER IS CONDITIONAL –2. JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD IS UNCONDITIONAL; THE ANOINTING OF THE SPIRIT IS CONDITIONAL (Romans 4:4, 5) –3. OUR STATUS IN THE FAMILY OF GOD IS UNCONDITIONAL; OUR INTIMACY WITH CHRIST IS CONDITIONAL (Ephesians 1:5.) –4. OUR ETERNAL DESTINY (WHETHER WE GO TO HEAVEN OR TO HELL IS FIXED); BUT RECEIVING AN ADDITIONAL REWARD IS CONDITIONAL. (1 Corinthians 2:14, 15)

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER CONDEMNS AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT Matthew 6:15 (NIV) “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”). –1. IT SHOWS AN INDIFFERENCE TO THE GREATEST THING GOD DID.

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER CONDEMNS AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT –1. IT SHOWS AN INDIFFERENCE TO THE GREATEST THING GOD DID. –2. WE INTERRUPT GOD’S PURPOSE IN THE WORLD: RECONCILIATION. 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER CONDEMNS AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT –1. IT SHOWS AN INDIFFERENCE TO THE GREATEST THING GOD DID. –2. WE INTERRUPT GOD’S PURPOSE IN THE WORLD: RECONCILIATION. –3. GOD HATES INGRATITUDE. Matthew 18:35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart”.

HOW DOES UNFORGIVENESS MANIFEST ITSELF? –RESENTMENT –SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS –NOT VALUING OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER 1 John 1:3 “And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ”.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT? Matthew 6:15 “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”! –1. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GRIEVED. Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption”. Ephesians 4:31, 32 (NIV) Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger; brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT? –1. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GRIEVED. –2. YOU ARE LEFT TO YOURSELF The backslider is “filled with his own ways” (Proverbs 14:14 KJV) 2 Corinthians 2:11 (NIV) In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT? –1. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GRIEVED. –2. YOU ARE LEFT TO YOURSELF –3. YOU FORCE GOD TO BECOME YOUR ENEMY

James 4:1-4 (NIV) What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT? –1. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GRIEVED. –2. YOU ARE LEFT TO YOURSELF –3. YOU FORCE GOD TO BECOME YOUR ENEMY –4. NO AUTHENTIC FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER 1 John 1:6 “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth”.

Let’s Pray…