490 TIMES !!

1. 490 TIMES !! − a study on the grace of forgiveness by – Ken Chant

2. introduction • There is a peculiar formula, repeated 8 times, in the early chapters of Amos – “For three transgressions and for four,” says the Lord, “I will not revoke their punishment”(1:3,6,9,11,13; 2:1,4,6).

3. Because of that Amos formula, the Jewish rabbis in the time of Jesus argued that it was enough to forgive your neighbour three times.

4. So Peter probably felt pleased with himself when he said to Jesus – “Lord, how often do I have to forgive someone who offends me? Seven times?”(Matthew 18:21)

5. But Christ scorned Peter's offer of seven-fold forgiveness – “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy times seven!” (vs. 22) “The Tears of Peter” – El Greco

6. Yet we should not be too quick to judge Peter! • I have met many Christians who refuse to forgive even one offence!

7. The “Forgiveness” Rose • But Christ declared that our willingness to forgive must be limitless.

8. Such limitless forgiveness seems to impose upon our frail humanity an intolerable burden. • Yet it is refusing pardon, not giving it, that makes life arduous … Honoré Daumier, “The Burden”

9. The High Cost of Limiting Forgiveness

10. To limit forgiveness places you under the tyranny of hate • Those who refuse to forgive, no matter how they try to disguise it or to justify it, are actually living by a law of hatred.

11. We Christians are obliged to live by the royal law of love. But we cannot love and yet not truly forgive • 1 Jn 2:9-11; 3:14-18; 4:19-21

12. If you refuse to forgive, then you are saying that the other person does not deserve God's forgiveness, which means that you think he deserves to suffer the torments of hell forever. • The most virulent hatred could not wish any greater pain upon an enemy.

13. To limit forgiveness places you under the tyranny of selfishness • those who limit forgiveness will no longer see any virtue in the offender, nor will they see any fault in themselves.

14. If the offender is a believer, unforgiveness prevents us from seeing Christ in them. • If the offender is an unbeliever, unforgiveness prevents us from bringing Christ to them.

15. To limit forgiveness places you under the tyranny of the past • Do you really want to enter each tomorrow under the shadow of yesterday?

16. Paul's advice is wiser: "Do not let the sun go down on your anger"(Ephesians 4:26)

17. Can you afford to jeopardise the wonderful future God has planned for you by stubbornly clinging to the faults of yesterday?

18. So this is why Christ insisted upon forgiveness without limit − the cost of limiting forgiveness is absurdly too high.

19. Nonetheless, let us not make the mistake of thinking that forgiveness is always easy. • You may leave an impression that you think the offence is trivial.

20. Don’t demand the impossible, either from yourself or others. • It may take time and much prayer before one can truly forgive.

21. Yet, difficult as it may be, the high cost of holding back our pardon makes it imperative that we find a way fully to forgive any and every offence.

22. What is the Nature of this Forgiveness?

23. True forgiveness demands a threefold renunciation - • Renounce the right of revenge • God reserves to himself the right of vengeance against those who have wronged you.

24. But two qualifications need to be added to this – • Don't pretend that you have forgiven the offender just because you are not actively seeking to extract some penalty from him or her.

25. If the offence involves some crime, you may be entitled (or even obliged) to initiate legal action against the offender.

26. In other words, Christian forgiveness does not require you to put yourself or others into the hands of cruel, irresponsible, or criminal people.

27. Renounce the right of resentment • What is your reaction when you look at, or think about, the offender: love or loathing?

28. Resentment is a luxury no one can afford; it is a crippling poison; it will dwarf your soul; it will stunt your spirit; it will bring disease to your very flesh!

29. Renounce the right of estrangement • A true Christian cannot say, "I forgive you, but I never want to see you again!" Malo, “Indifference”

30. But do not confuse forgiveness with trust, supposing that forgiveness is proved by offering to trust the offender. • That is not so. I cannot deny pardon to any person; but my trust must be earned.

31. God’s Right to Make this Demand

32. Jesus told a parable about two men. One owed his king ten thousand talents, which was equivalent to the wages of 15,000 soldiers for ten years …

33. By contrast, the second owed the first man 100 denarii, equal to the wages of a labourer for about three months. (Matthew 18:21-35)

34. The first debt, absurdly vast, represents our indebtedness to God − which he has fully and freely forgiven us for Christ's sake.

35. The second debt represents the worst that any other person can do to us. • The point is, nothing that anyone can do to me can be compared with the enormous injury I have done God.

36. Jesus said that the merciless man was "delivered into the hands of the torturers till he should pay all his debt". • Then he added the stark warning: "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."