THE WORD


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THE WORD

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The Preaching Ministry of Ashley River Baptist Church

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God’s Family Values, Part 7 God Values Forgiveness Forgiveness is rooted in the nature and Grace of God. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?“ Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. ~Matthew 18:21-22 Matthew 18:23-35 The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant OUR DEBT = Moral and Spiritual debt to God Sins of Commission & Omission Matthew 12:36 The Rewards of Forgiveness There are benefits to the one who forgives! “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” ~Matthew 6:12 To pray this prayer without forgiving others is to ask God not to forgive our sins! Forgiveness in the Christian life……no virtue is more central... no practice more necessary Christians have been forgiven by God and therefore must forgive others! It is to His Glory and our benefit. Definition - Forgiveness: send off or away, abandon, leave behind, leave in peace, pardon, cancel “To Let Go” Forgiveness is ALWAYS the responsibility of the one offended! No apology necessary… (Luke 23:34, Mark 11:25) The Bible never makes apology a prerequisite to forgiveness! Luke 17:3 The Bible instructs us to forgive when asked… It does not say we should never forgive UNLESS we are asked. ~Ephesians 4:31-32 Forgiveness is ALWAYS the responsibility of the one offended…regardless!

Restitution: Making it right! Restitution: restoring something to its previous condition or state; return something to its rightful owner or make equivalent compensation for loss damage or injury To make every effort to put things back the way they were before harm was done or to compensate for the wrong as much as is humanly possible. Numbers 5:5-7 Restitution: Making it right! Exodus 22:3 Restitution: to make peace with, to cause to be at peace, to be complete, to make whole or good, restore, make compensation New Testament Example: Zacchaeus the tax collector gave back half of his fortune to those he cheated…four times as much as he had taken. Luke 19 Forgiveness: The responsibility and choice of the offended! Restitution: The responsibility of the offender! The offended Christian forgives regardless of repentance, apology or restitution! The Christian offender should repent and make every effort at restitution whether forgiven or not. Reinstatement Forgiveness does not necessarily require reinstatement to a former position, privilege, or responsibility. Reinstatement always affects more than just the offender. Not Reinstated: Adam & Eve, Moses, King David Reinstated: Samson, The Prodigal Son, Eleven Disciples No legalistic or arbitrary rules can determine for every person or situation when reinstatement is appropriate. Circumstances require different responses. The Lord will provide guidance through prayer, His Word and His Holy Spirit as we seek it. Christianity is a religion of grace and growth that values the principle, “always forgive and always try to restore” Conclusion: Never doubt, restrict or limit what God can do to transform someone or something for good! The Grace and Power of God overrule the devastation of human sin. Forgiveness, restitution and reinstatement restore former relationships fractured by Sin. God values forgiveness and the restoration it brings! It is His nature to restore that which He loves. The very purpose of Christ coming at Christmas was that those who deserved no forgiveness and could not save themselves might be forgiven and restored to their eternal purpose through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and the perfect forgiveness He gives.