Unforgiveable

Goodmorning and welcome in everyone.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to ask you something.

Have you ever had somebody stop by your house, because they needed to get pulled out of the ditch in the winter time?  You got some warm clothes on, grabbed a few tow straps from the garage and fired up your truck to go help them.  A few years later you did the same thing and slid into the ditch.  But when you called them up for assistance, they refused to help.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

Can you imagine being merciful and forgiving with others, but in your time of need, they refused to be merciful with you?  How would that make you feel?  Those who ask God for forgiveness, and refuse to show forgiveness to others, stir up God’s wrath.  Because of their bitter and unmerciful heart, they will receive no mercy from Him, and will receive to themselves damnation.

James 2:12-13  So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Forgiveness is one of the most integral parts of the Christian Life.  We are taught that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and this is the same way that we want to treat one another in the church.  We must be good stewards of the riches of God’s grace.  When someone sins against you and confesses fault, we must extend mercy and forgiveness to them so that reconciliation can take place.  

Luke 17:3-4  Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Notice that this is a commandment of the Lord.  He commands “thou shalt forgive”.  Genuine forgiveness will completely forget about wrongs that have been committed against you.  This is the way that God treats us, because our sins and iniquities He remembers no more.  This will result in immediate reconciliation with others. If someone refuses to forgive a confessor, it is because their heart has become defiled, unloving, cold and bitter.  When they treat others in this manner, they are shutting themselves off from receiving God’s grace. This activity stirs up God’s wrath, because He showed them mercy in their time of need, but they won’t show mercy to others who request it from them.  Those who partake of Holy Communion and refuse to forgive a confessor, drink damnation unto themselves because they reject everything that communion stands for, remission of sins.

Matthew 6:14-15  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.

Oh, I am sure that there will be many people who will really believe that they are going to be in paradise, but will be turned away from God because of iniquity.  Their iniquity is that they refused to forgive and reconcile with others while they had the opportunity to do so here upon the Earth.  Because of their cold and unforgiving heart, God will treat them the same way.

Matthew 18:21-35  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Forgiving sin, as illustrated in this parable, is to completely cancel a debt that is owed.  When we sin against God or others we accrue a sin debt.  When people apologize and confess fault, we need to cancel their debt against us.

Matthew 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Someone who is unforgiving is cruel, heartless, pitiless and remorseless. They aren’t the servant of Christ, they are the servant of wickedness. The unforgivable sin is a refusal to forgive a confessor.  If you have already apologized, there is really nothing else that you can do in the matter.  If they refuse to forgive you, and to rejoin the relationship that they had with you in the past, the sin is on them, an unforgivable sin.  As I’ve said many times before, if you apologize and they refuse to forgive you, the burden is off of your shoulders.  The one that they are actually condemning is themselves.   Only the merciful will receive mercy from God. If there is only one thing that we learn from the gospel, it is that we need to be forgiving with each other as God is with us.  Those who deny that, deny everything that the Christian life stands for.  Unforgiveness and non-reconciliation is caused by pride and arrogance.

 Matthew 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Colossians 3:12-13  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

The only way that you can show mercy to someone else, is if they apologize and confess fault.  The only way that we can receive mercy with God, is to confess our sins to him.  Once you confess fault to somebody that you have sinned against, they must forgive and reconcile with you.  This is commanded in scripture, otherwise they will lose forgiveness with God and miss out on eternal life.  To show mercy, is to extend compassion and forgiveness towards somebody, whom it is within one’s power to punish or to harm.  God wants reconciliation before you bring a gift to the church.  

Matthew 5:23-24  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

There’s no way that you can forgive somebody from your heart, and not be reconciled to them.  True forgiveness from the heart wants to be with the other person once again. That’s called charity.  Those who cannot forgive and reconcile are completely void of love, which in the sight of God is completely…

……Unforgiveable

Let’s think about these things for today, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow.  Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

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