1
00:00:00,891 --> 00:00:04,017
Okay, you can turn in your Bibles

2
00:00:04,017 --> 00:00:05,650
with me this morning

3
00:00:05,650 --> 00:00:12,599
to Ephesians 4.

4
00:00:12,599 --> 00:00:20,902
I'm not skipping the rest of 3.

5
00:00:20,902 --> 00:00:24,553
This is actually not part

6
00:00:24,553 --> 00:00:30,489
of the Ephesians series.

7
00:00:30,489 --> 00:00:37,476
This is one more topical message.

8
00:00:37,476 --> 00:00:42,723
I think next Sunday, Lord willing,

9
00:00:42,723 --> 00:00:47,822
we will resume Ephesians 3.

10
00:00:47,822 --> 00:00:53,045
Let's pray.

11
00:00:53,045 --> 00:00:57,433
Oh Father,

12
00:00:57,433 --> 00:00:58,903
I feel weak.

13
00:00:58,903 --> 00:01:03,485
These songs have expressed it -

14
00:01:03,485 --> 00:01:05,613
our weakness.

15
00:01:05,613 --> 00:01:07,832
Where else would we go, Lord,

16
00:01:07,832 --> 00:01:09,189
but to You?

17
00:01:09,189 --> 00:01:12,572
We know that it is the very 
characteristic of the wicked

18
00:01:12,572 --> 00:01:14,320
that they don't call upon You.

19
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:15,704
But Lord, we call upon You.

20
00:01:15,704 --> 00:01:18,057
We need You.

21
00:01:18,057 --> 00:01:20,749
Lord, we don't want this 
to be an exercise in futility.

22
00:01:20,749 --> 00:01:22,673
We recognize when a man stands up

23
00:01:22,673 --> 00:01:24,655
to open up the Word of God,

24
00:01:24,655 --> 00:01:26,535
what is that?

25
00:01:26,535 --> 00:01:28,953
It's something that You've prescribed.

26
00:01:28,953 --> 00:01:31,074
It's something You've designed.

27
00:01:31,074 --> 00:01:33,076
Something can happen.

28
00:01:33,076 --> 00:01:34,335
It doesn't always happen,

29
00:01:34,335 --> 00:01:35,881
but something can happen.

30
00:01:35,881 --> 00:01:37,748
Something transformative,

31
00:01:37,748 --> 00:01:39,471
something life-changing,

32
00:01:39,471 --> 00:01:42,345
something upbuilding can happen

33
00:01:42,345 --> 00:01:45,649
if You but own it.

34
00:01:45,649 --> 00:01:49,053
Lord, I pray, own this next hour.

35
00:01:49,053 --> 00:01:51,115
Please. I pray in Christ's name.

36
00:01:51,115 --> 00:01:57,136
Amen.

37
00:01:57,136 --> 00:02:07,677
Ephesians 4:32.

38
00:02:07,677 --> 00:02:10,007
I am reading, actually,

39
00:02:10,007 --> 00:02:15,888
the parallel passage; the parallel verse

40
00:02:15,888 --> 00:02:18,956
to the 2nd of the 3 that Craig read

41
00:02:18,956 --> 00:02:22,703
in the first hour.

42
00:02:22,703 --> 00:02:24,508
If you're not already aware,

43
00:02:24,508 --> 00:02:27,170
Ephesians and Colossians

44
00:02:27,170 --> 00:02:29,431
obviously are not identical books.

45
00:02:29,431 --> 00:02:32,119
And there's aspects to them

46
00:02:32,119 --> 00:02:34,897
that are not parallel,

47
00:02:34,897 --> 00:02:36,887
but there is a great parallelism

48
00:02:36,887 --> 00:02:38,750
between the two.

49
00:02:38,750 --> 00:02:41,205
Some of the same thoughts

50
00:02:41,205 --> 00:02:44,155
and same ideas are communicated

51
00:02:44,155 --> 00:02:49,084
in both of them.

52
00:02:49,084 --> 00:02:51,745
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,

53
00:02:51,745 --> 00:02:56,337
forgiving one another as God in Christ

54
00:02:56,337 --> 00:02:59,022
forgave you."

55
00:02:59,022 --> 00:03:01,007
Now when Craig read it,

56
00:03:01,007 --> 00:03:02,703
we weren't conspiring

57
00:03:02,703 --> 00:03:04,671
about what we were going to preach today.

58
00:03:04,671 --> 00:03:08,138
When he read the three verses that he read

59
00:03:08,138 --> 00:03:09,400
I thought, oh no, Craig,

60
00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,833
don't deal with forgiveness.

61
00:03:13,833 --> 00:03:15,694
And he even mentioned Denton I think,

62
00:03:15,694 --> 00:03:19,223
and I thought, oh no, 
where's he going with that?

63
00:03:19,223 --> 00:03:22,012
What did you say about Denton?

64
00:03:22,012 --> 00:03:24,342
Oh, Jesse's - yeah, when 
you mentioned that

65
00:03:24,342 --> 00:03:26,858
I thought, oh no! He's 
going to talk about -

66
00:03:26,858 --> 00:03:30,620
not Jesse's but somebody else's.

67
00:03:30,620 --> 00:03:32,987
Forgiveness.

68
00:03:32,987 --> 00:03:35,973
As many of you are aware,

69
00:03:35,973 --> 00:03:38,299
the topic of forgiveness came up

70
00:03:38,299 --> 00:03:40,174
at this year's Fellowship Conference

71
00:03:40,174 --> 00:03:41,744
in Denton, Texas.

72
00:03:41,744 --> 00:03:44,195
And it not only came up,

73
00:03:44,195 --> 00:03:47,387
but if you were there,

74
00:03:47,387 --> 00:03:49,499
such things happened at the conference

75
00:03:49,499 --> 00:03:52,216
that have not happened in others.

76
00:03:52,216 --> 00:03:59,530
We had a pastoral response immediately

77
00:03:59,530 --> 00:04:02,617
to a sermon that was given.

78
00:04:02,617 --> 00:04:06,755
And I know there was disagreement.

79
00:04:06,755 --> 00:04:12,085
If you weren't there, 
it pertained to forgiveness.

80
00:04:12,085 --> 00:04:14,102
There was lots of discussion.

81
00:04:14,102 --> 00:04:16,924
There's been discussion even here.

82
00:04:16,924 --> 00:04:20,662
I almost just went back 
to my Ephesians study

83
00:04:20,662 --> 00:04:22,528
and got away from this,

84
00:04:22,528 --> 00:04:25,526
but last time two weeks 
ago when I preached,

85
00:04:25,526 --> 00:04:27,745
there were some folks that were saying

86
00:04:27,745 --> 00:04:31,619
we thought you were going 
to touch on forgiveness.

87
00:04:31,619 --> 00:04:34,034
And I think James even 
said something to me

88
00:04:34,034 --> 00:04:39,953
and I thought, well, okay, 
maybe I should do that.

89
00:04:39,953 --> 00:04:44,109
I had some people say they were confused.

90
00:04:44,109 --> 00:04:45,502
I had some people that said,

91
00:04:45,502 --> 00:04:48,161
well, they heard the message 
and they weren't confused,

92
00:04:48,161 --> 00:04:51,170
and then they heard the two 
pastors that responded afterwards

93
00:04:51,170 --> 00:04:52,428
and they were confused.

94
00:04:52,428 --> 00:04:56,777
And it seemed like there 
was a measure of confusion,

95
00:04:56,777 --> 00:04:59,700
and if there's anything that 
I don't want to have happen,

96
00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:02,093
I don't want there to be any confusion

97
00:05:02,093 --> 00:05:05,382
on the subject in our church.

98
00:05:05,382 --> 00:05:07,598
So that's I wanted to visit it again.

99
00:05:07,598 --> 00:05:09,102
Maybe you listened to all that

100
00:05:09,102 --> 00:05:11,674
and you said we don't even 
know what the big deal was.

101
00:05:11,674 --> 00:05:12,835
Maybe you listened to it

102
00:05:12,835 --> 00:05:15,115
and you heard exactly 
what the big deal was

103
00:05:15,115 --> 00:05:20,136
and maybe you came down 
on one side or the other.

104
00:05:20,136 --> 00:05:23,273
Look, quite honestly,

105
00:05:23,273 --> 00:05:26,294
I am not the guy who's out 
there on the Internet

106
00:05:26,294 --> 00:05:27,803
just looking for a debate,

107
00:05:27,803 --> 00:05:29,637
looking for something I disagree with

108
00:05:29,637 --> 00:05:31,473
that I can just engage in.

109
00:05:31,473 --> 00:05:35,442
I'm not doing this just simply

110
00:05:35,442 --> 00:05:39,687
to throw my opinion in 
to an ongoing debate.

111
00:05:39,687 --> 00:05:41,306
That's not it.

112
00:05:41,306 --> 00:05:45,735
And I have no desire

113
00:05:45,735 --> 00:05:49,209
to have anybody ask me 
about the opinions of others,

114
00:05:49,209 --> 00:05:52,474
or what brother so-and-so meant,

115
00:05:52,474 --> 00:05:56,108
or why did he say this,

116
00:05:56,108 --> 00:06:01,581
or why did the other 
pastor respond this way?

117
00:06:01,581 --> 00:06:05,234
I was down in Monterrey one time

118
00:06:05,234 --> 00:06:09,399
and in a Q&A time, somebody said,

119
00:06:09,399 --> 00:06:12,817
"Could you explain how 
Charles Leiter's position

120
00:06:12,817 --> 00:06:15,551
differs from Josef Urban's 
position in this?"

121
00:06:15,551 --> 00:06:17,993
And it's like, "No, I can't do that."

122
00:06:17,993 --> 00:06:20,525
I'm not going to speak for other men.

123
00:06:20,525 --> 00:06:22,249
And I don't want to do that.

124
00:06:22,249 --> 00:06:25,887
And I don't want to be in the position

125
00:06:25,887 --> 00:06:27,974
of trying to tell you what different men

126
00:06:27,974 --> 00:06:29,501
mean by what they said.

127
00:06:29,501 --> 00:06:32,614
That's not my objective here.

128
00:06:32,614 --> 00:06:34,513
What I want to do is simply

129
00:06:34,513 --> 00:06:37,689
have us look at Scripture

130
00:06:37,689 --> 00:06:44,270
and my aim is pastoral.

131
00:06:44,270 --> 00:06:45,970
I'm concerned that we as a church

132
00:06:45,970 --> 00:06:49,063
not be confused about the nature

133
00:06:49,063 --> 00:06:50,619
of biblical forgiveness.

134
00:06:50,619 --> 00:06:52,139
So I'll get right to the point.

135
00:06:52,139 --> 00:06:55,116
Here in Ephesians,

136
00:06:55,116 --> 00:06:58,570
the Apostle Paul exhorts Christians -

137
00:06:58,570 --> 00:07:00,365
you see it.

138
00:07:00,365 --> 00:07:01,890
Look at verse 32:

139
00:07:01,890 --> 00:07:04,609
"Forgiving one another..."

140
00:07:04,609 --> 00:07:08,922
And here's the big term: "as."

141
00:07:08,922 --> 00:07:11,202
And all your Bibles have it.

142
00:07:11,202 --> 00:07:16,956
"...As God in Christ forgave you."

143
00:07:16,956 --> 00:07:21,575
Now some take this verse to mean this:

144
00:07:21,575 --> 00:07:28,255
Well, since we are to 
forgive as God forgives,

145
00:07:28,255 --> 00:07:32,992
let's think, hm, how does God forgive?

146
00:07:32,992 --> 00:07:37,466
Well, since God never forgives anybody

147
00:07:37,466 --> 00:07:40,077
unless they repent,

148
00:07:40,077 --> 00:07:42,181
therefore that's what it means

149
00:07:42,181 --> 00:07:44,908
by "forgiving as God forgives."

150
00:07:44,908 --> 00:07:46,911
That I will not forgive anybody,

151
00:07:46,911 --> 00:07:49,493
or I should not forgive anybody,

152
00:07:49,493 --> 00:07:53,350
unless they repent.

153
00:07:53,350 --> 00:07:56,116
That's basically how the logic goes.

154
00:07:56,116 --> 00:08:00,974
And if in fact we were to 
forgive the unrepentant,

155
00:08:00,974 --> 00:08:03,558
we're not forgiving as God forgives,

156
00:08:03,558 --> 00:08:06,393
because God doesn't forgive 
unless there's repentance.

157
00:08:06,393 --> 00:08:08,754
Now, at first glance,

158
00:08:08,754 --> 00:08:13,337
that might sound like 
tremendous reasoning.

159
00:08:13,337 --> 00:08:14,586
It might sound reasonable.

160
00:08:14,586 --> 00:08:17,870
It might sound like good logic.

161
00:08:17,870 --> 00:08:21,336
But I would propose this to you.

162
00:08:21,336 --> 00:08:26,811
That is a forcing a meaning here

163
00:08:26,811 --> 00:08:30,454
that is not to be found in the context.

164
00:08:30,454 --> 00:08:32,485
And one of the things that I fear

165
00:08:32,485 --> 00:08:34,425
happened at the conference

166
00:08:34,425 --> 00:08:40,843
is this text was brought 
out of its context

167
00:08:40,843 --> 00:08:44,582
and a point that the preacher

168
00:08:44,582 --> 00:08:47,341
was already determined to make,

169
00:08:47,341 --> 00:08:50,048
he found in this text 
and he made it with it

170
00:08:50,048 --> 00:08:53,365
because it kind of lent itself to it.

171
00:08:53,365 --> 00:08:55,715
The problem is that taken in context,

172
00:08:55,715 --> 00:08:59,238
I don't believe it bears 
that meaning at all.

173
00:08:59,238 --> 00:09:01,028
And so that's what I want to do.

174
00:09:01,028 --> 00:09:04,834
Brethren, this has to do 
with proper hermeneutics.

175
00:09:04,834 --> 00:09:07,507
If you are going to interpret a verse,

176
00:09:07,507 --> 00:09:12,055
don't take the verse by itself.

177
00:09:12,055 --> 00:09:14,574
You can come up with a lot of meanings

178
00:09:14,574 --> 00:09:15,975
for certain verses

179
00:09:15,975 --> 00:09:19,648
if you wrench it out of its context.

180
00:09:19,648 --> 00:09:22,778
But if you read the material around it,

181
00:09:22,778 --> 00:09:24,523
if you get a feel, especially if you

182
00:09:24,523 --> 00:09:26,607
read the whole epistle,

183
00:09:26,607 --> 00:09:28,237
and you just get the feeling -

184
00:09:28,237 --> 00:09:29,809
what does Paul have in mind here?

185
00:09:29,809 --> 00:09:32,372
In this case, I don't believe we have to

186
00:09:32,372 --> 00:09:33,804
read the whole epistle at all.

187
00:09:33,804 --> 00:09:36,262
All we have to do is go back up to v. 17

188
00:09:36,262 --> 00:09:39,980
and start to capture the feel

189
00:09:39,980 --> 00:09:46,322
of the argument that Paul is making here.

190
00:09:46,322 --> 00:09:52,233
Now, before we go back up 
to v. 17 and begin reading,

191
00:09:52,233 --> 00:09:58,214
I want to suggest another meaning.

192
00:09:58,214 --> 00:10:00,556
Yes, it means what it says.

193
00:10:00,556 --> 00:10:02,437
We are to forgive one another

194
00:10:02,437 --> 00:10:05,833
as God forgives us,

195
00:10:05,833 --> 00:10:08,364
but when Paul says that we're 
to forgive one another

196
00:10:08,364 --> 00:10:10,345
as God forgives us,

197
00:10:10,345 --> 00:10:13,148
the meaning is not

198
00:10:13,148 --> 00:10:15,062
that we're only supposed to forgive

199
00:10:15,062 --> 00:10:17,949
those who repent.

200
00:10:17,949 --> 00:10:20,775
Rather, the meaning is

201
00:10:20,775 --> 00:10:25,771
that I am to freely bestow my forgiveness

202
00:10:25,771 --> 00:10:29,411
to those who do not deserve it,

203
00:10:29,411 --> 00:10:35,152
just like God bestows His forgiveness

204
00:10:35,152 --> 00:10:37,942
to those who do not deserve it.

205
00:10:37,942 --> 00:10:39,655
That's the issue.

206
00:10:39,655 --> 00:10:43,742
And I'll prove that to 
you from the context.

207
00:10:43,742 --> 00:10:46,240
My point is this:

208
00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,278
Paul isn't even dealing with 
the terms of forgiveness.

209
00:10:50,278 --> 00:10:52,150
Like: The person I'm forgiving,

210
00:10:52,150 --> 00:10:54,031
do they need to have repented or not?

211
00:10:54,031 --> 00:10:56,735
He's not dealing with the terms.

212
00:10:56,735 --> 00:10:58,784
He's dealing with the heart.

213
00:10:58,784 --> 00:11:01,099
He's dealing with the individual.

214
00:11:01,099 --> 00:11:02,939
He's not even concerned about

215
00:11:02,939 --> 00:11:05,006
whether the other person is repentant

216
00:11:05,006 --> 00:11:08,397
or non-repentant - 
that's not the issue here.

217
00:11:08,397 --> 00:11:11,181
And I hope to convince you.

218
00:11:11,181 --> 00:11:12,937
The idea that Paul is teaching here

219
00:11:12,937 --> 00:11:14,964
that God only forgives those who repent,

220
00:11:14,964 --> 00:11:17,090
so we're only to forgive 
those who repent -

221
00:11:17,090 --> 00:11:19,641
that seems to miss the 
whole point of the passage.

222
00:11:19,641 --> 00:11:23,719
Now, let's look at it.
Ephesians 4:17,

223
00:11:23,729 --> 00:11:27,301
"For this I say and testify in the Lord

224
00:11:27,301 --> 00:11:30,582
that you must no longer 
walk as the Gentiles do."

225
00:11:30,582 --> 00:11:33,721
Now, you probably should stop right there

226
00:11:33,721 --> 00:11:35,395
because that's the context.

227
00:11:35,395 --> 00:11:38,182
The context is:

228
00:11:38,182 --> 00:11:43,153
Gentile conduct versus the conduct

229
00:11:43,153 --> 00:11:45,258
of those who have learned of Christ.

230
00:11:45,258 --> 00:11:50,791
Old man conduct versus new man conduct.

231
00:11:50,791 --> 00:11:54,383
Listen, the problem with the Gentiles

232
00:11:54,383 --> 00:11:59,368
is not that they indiscriminately 
forgive everybody.

233
00:11:59,368 --> 00:12:03,309
Over against, contrasted 
with the Christian

234
00:12:03,309 --> 00:12:06,316
who properly does it just like God does

235
00:12:06,316 --> 00:12:08,271
and only forgives those who repent.

236
00:12:08,271 --> 00:12:10,384
See, that's not the 
problem of the Gentile.

237
00:12:10,384 --> 00:12:12,839
The Gentile problem is not

238
00:12:12,839 --> 00:12:16,693
that they forgive everybody;

239
00:12:16,693 --> 00:12:19,282
that they forgive even 
people that aren't repentant.

240
00:12:19,282 --> 00:12:23,856
That's not even the thought here.

241
00:12:23,856 --> 00:12:27,467
"We must no longer walk 
as the Gentiles do..."

242
00:12:27,467 --> 00:12:30,076
How do they walk?
"...In the futility of their minds,

243
00:12:30,076 --> 00:12:33,783
they're darknened in their understanding,

244
00:12:33,783 --> 00:12:36,588
they're alienated from the life of God."

245
00:12:36,588 --> 00:12:38,544
That's the issue.

246
00:12:38,544 --> 00:12:40,228
You know, the new man is created

247
00:12:40,228 --> 00:12:43,099
in the likeness of God.

248
00:12:43,099 --> 00:12:48,655
The old man, the lost man, the Gentile -

249
00:12:48,655 --> 00:12:51,320
totally disconnected from God

250
00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:53,355
"because of the ignorance that is in them

251
00:12:53,355 --> 00:12:54,965
due to their hardness of heart.

252
00:12:54,965 --> 00:12:56,301
They have become calloused

253
00:12:56,301 --> 00:12:58,860
and have given themselves 
up to sensuality,

254
00:12:58,860 --> 00:13:02,072
greedy to practice 
every kind of impurity."

255
00:13:02,072 --> 00:13:04,414
But notice this - here's the contrast.

256
00:13:04,414 --> 00:13:07,924
"But that is not the 
way you learned Christ."

257
00:13:07,924 --> 00:13:10,665
I love that. I can't 
wait till we get to that.

258
00:13:10,665 --> 00:13:14,746
Because that is Paul looking at

259
00:13:14,746 --> 00:13:17,834
what is it that makes a true Christian

260
00:13:17,834 --> 00:13:19,655
who is no longer a Gentile?

261
00:13:19,655 --> 00:13:21,731
He's looked at Christ

262
00:13:21,731 --> 00:13:24,074
and he's learned of Christ.

263
00:13:24,074 --> 00:13:25,711
And you can tell.

264
00:13:25,711 --> 00:13:29,000
Paul means that if you've learned Him,

265
00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,988
your conduct, your action, your behavior,

266
00:13:31,988 --> 00:13:37,921
your character is stamped by that image.

267
00:13:37,921 --> 00:13:40,768
Now, he says this:

268
00:13:40,768 --> 00:13:45,348
v. 21, "...assuming that 
you have heard about Him."

269
00:13:45,348 --> 00:13:48,003
He doesn't look at everybody 
that's listening to him

270
00:13:48,003 --> 00:13:50,381
and think, oh yeah, 
they've got to be Christians

271
00:13:50,381 --> 00:13:52,153
because they're sitting in the church

272
00:13:52,153 --> 00:13:54,804
or because they're hearing 
this epistle read to them.

273
00:13:54,804 --> 00:13:57,549
He says, of course, assuming

274
00:13:57,549 --> 00:13:59,543
that you did hear about Him

275
00:13:59,543 --> 00:14:00,878
"...and were taught in Him

276
00:14:00,878 --> 00:14:02,888
as the truth is in Jesus."

277
00:14:02,888 --> 00:14:04,672
And what is this truth in Jesus?

278
00:14:04,672 --> 00:14:07,746
"To put off your old man."

279
00:14:07,746 --> 00:14:09,937
I know the ESV says "self."
The word is "man."

280
00:14:09,937 --> 00:14:11,841
The old man.

281
00:14:11,841 --> 00:14:12,980
The old you.

282
00:14:12,980 --> 00:14:17,916
"...Which belongs to your 
former manner of life

283
00:14:17,916 --> 00:14:24,778
and is corrupt through deceitful desires."

284
00:14:24,778 --> 00:14:28,895
And to be received, or renewed,

285
00:14:28,895 --> 00:14:33,103
"...in the spirit of your minds."

286
00:14:33,103 --> 00:14:36,849
So you see that, a renewing of the mind.

287
00:14:36,849 --> 00:14:39,457
You put off the old man.

288
00:14:39,457 --> 00:14:40,911
You see this comparsion.

289
00:14:40,911 --> 00:14:45,652
Gentile - you learn Christ.

290
00:14:45,652 --> 00:14:51,188
New man over against old man.

291
00:14:51,188 --> 00:14:55,601
The mind.

292
00:14:55,601 --> 00:14:58,590
V. 24, "to put on the new self

293
00:14:58,590 --> 00:15:00,460
created after the likeness of God

294
00:15:00,460 --> 00:15:04,787
in true righteousness and holiness."

295
00:15:04,787 --> 00:15:07,679
What's Paul's point here?

296
00:15:07,679 --> 00:15:10,822
Look, you cannot possibly continue to live

297
00:15:10,822 --> 00:15:12,220
the old kind of life.

298
00:15:12,220 --> 00:15:13,520
That's what he's saying.

299
00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:15,617
Not if you've learned Christ - you can't.

300
00:15:15,617 --> 00:15:18,264
It's not possible. Not if 
you've really learned Christ,

301
00:15:18,264 --> 00:15:21,019
and you really do know 
the truth as it is in Jesus.

302
00:15:21,019 --> 00:15:23,526
That's what he's saying.
It's an impossibility.

303
00:15:23,526 --> 00:15:25,722
This is not the way you've learned Christ.

304
00:15:25,722 --> 00:15:29,098
Assuming you have.

305
00:15:29,098 --> 00:15:29,930
That's the issue.

306
00:15:29,930 --> 00:15:31,809
You're no longer what you once were.

307
00:15:31,809 --> 00:15:34,059
You're a new man.
You're not the old man -

308
00:15:34,059 --> 00:15:36,300
carried about by all 
those deceitful passions.

309
00:15:36,300 --> 00:15:38,987
This is the comparison here.

310
00:15:38,987 --> 00:15:41,544
This is the back and forth.

311
00:15:41,544 --> 00:15:43,861
So what happens?

312
00:15:43,861 --> 00:15:45,656
Well, you put off the old man.

313
00:15:45,656 --> 00:15:47,237
You put on the new.

314
00:15:47,237 --> 00:15:50,822
You know what happens in v. 25?

315
00:15:50,822 --> 00:15:56,039
In v. 25, Paul begins to touch

316
00:15:56,039 --> 00:16:01,473
specific realities.

317
00:16:01,473 --> 00:16:03,846
He begins to touch on specifics.

318
00:16:03,846 --> 00:16:06,707
Notice this, v. 25,

319
00:16:06,707 --> 00:16:09,881
"Put away falsehood."

320
00:16:09,881 --> 00:16:12,145
You see, he generally says

321
00:16:12,145 --> 00:16:15,396
you put away the old man.

322
00:16:15,396 --> 00:16:18,681
You put it off. You put on the new.

323
00:16:18,681 --> 00:16:21,211
In v. 25, what he does is he breaks out

324
00:16:21,211 --> 00:16:22,873
in some very particulars

325
00:16:22,873 --> 00:16:26,048
about how that manifests 
itself in real life.

326
00:16:26,048 --> 00:16:29,276
And you see the contrast here

327
00:16:29,276 --> 00:16:30,808
back and forth.

328
00:16:30,808 --> 00:16:33,108
You have "put away falsehood."

329
00:16:33,108 --> 00:16:34,888
So what do you put on?

330
00:16:34,888 --> 00:16:39,067
Well, "let each of you speak 
the truth with his neighbor."

331
00:16:39,067 --> 00:16:40,661
And we could pull stuff out,

332
00:16:40,661 --> 00:16:43,393
but it's very obvious in verses like 25.

333
00:16:43,393 --> 00:16:46,469
V. 28, "Let the thief no longer steal."

334
00:16:46,469 --> 00:16:47,897
That's what you put off.

335
00:16:47,897 --> 00:16:49,211
But what do you put on?

336
00:16:49,211 --> 00:16:51,335
You labor, but not only labor,

337
00:16:51,335 --> 00:16:54,052
you do honest work with your hands.

338
00:16:54,052 --> 00:16:54,960
But not only that,

339
00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,005
so that you might have something to give.

340
00:16:57,005 --> 00:16:59,233
You see, the old manner of life -

341
00:16:59,233 --> 00:17:00,413
the new manner of life.

342
00:17:00,413 --> 00:17:03,323
There's these contrasts 
going back and forth.

343
00:17:03,323 --> 00:17:06,222
Well, the reality is, v. 31 and 32

344
00:17:06,222 --> 00:17:08,029
are a contrast.

345
00:17:08,029 --> 00:17:09,758
And you need to capture that.

346
00:17:09,758 --> 00:17:11,490
Because if you capture the contrast

347
00:17:11,490 --> 00:17:12,599
of these two verses,

348
00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:14,882
you recognize right away,

349
00:17:14,882 --> 00:17:18,379
Paul is not contrasting Gentiles

350
00:17:18,379 --> 00:17:20,636
who indiscriminately forgive everybody,

351
00:17:20,636 --> 00:17:22,756
and saying, "oh no, we shouldn't do that.

352
00:17:22,756 --> 00:17:24,701
You need to put that off.

353
00:17:24,701 --> 00:17:28,230
And you need to put on forgiving people

354
00:17:28,230 --> 00:17:30,152
the way God forgives,

355
00:17:30,152 --> 00:17:32,190
and He only forgives the repentant."

356
00:17:32,190 --> 00:17:35,657
That's not even here, folks.

357
00:17:35,657 --> 00:17:41,416
Look at the contrast.

358
00:17:41,416 --> 00:17:43,573
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger

359
00:17:43,573 --> 00:17:45,783
and clamor and slander be put away."

360
00:17:45,783 --> 00:17:47,937
You see again: put away, put away.

361
00:17:47,937 --> 00:17:50,578
What is it that we put off?

362
00:17:50,578 --> 00:17:51,943
"...Along with all malice."

363
00:17:51,943 --> 00:17:53,479
And then what do we put on?

364
00:17:53,479 --> 00:17:55,562
Kindness: "Be kind to one another,

365
00:17:55,562 --> 00:17:59,132
tenderhearted, forgiving one another

366
00:17:59,132 --> 00:18:04,754
as God in Christ forgave you."

367
00:18:04,754 --> 00:18:06,181
Do you see it?

368
00:18:06,181 --> 00:18:07,743
The "put away."

369
00:18:07,743 --> 00:18:10,300
You know how contrast works?

370
00:18:10,300 --> 00:18:12,748
You have opposites.

371
00:18:12,748 --> 00:18:20,057
And the opposite of 
kind, tender, forgiving,

372
00:18:20,057 --> 00:18:28,639
is not undiscerning 
and forgiving everybody.

373
00:18:28,639 --> 00:18:31,809
The opposite is being bitter

374
00:18:31,809 --> 00:18:34,060
and not forgiving at all.

375
00:18:34,060 --> 00:18:35,057
That's the issue.

376
00:18:35,057 --> 00:18:39,880
Angry, wrathful, clamorous, slanderous.

377
00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:42,420
Paul isn't even thinking

378
00:18:42,420 --> 00:18:44,214
about the person who offends me

379
00:18:44,214 --> 00:18:46,334
and whether they've repented or not.

380
00:18:46,334 --> 00:18:49,874
That's not even on his radar.

381
00:18:49,874 --> 00:18:51,426
The conduct of that person -

382
00:18:51,426 --> 00:18:53,073
he isn't thinking that.

383
00:18:53,073 --> 00:18:56,259
Paul is concerned that we put on

384
00:18:56,259 --> 00:18:59,897
an expression of the conduct of those

385
00:18:59,897 --> 00:19:03,213
who are new men - no longer Gentiles.

386
00:19:03,213 --> 00:19:04,555
The expression of those

387
00:19:04,555 --> 00:19:07,034
who have learned of Christ.

388
00:19:07,034 --> 00:19:10,651
What he's concerned with is the new man

389
00:19:10,651 --> 00:19:12,532
that's in the likeness of God.

390
00:19:12,532 --> 00:19:14,607
And what is God like?

391
00:19:14,607 --> 00:19:16,571
God is a forgiving God.

392
00:19:16,571 --> 00:19:18,861
God is rich in mercy.

393
00:19:18,861 --> 00:19:20,835
We read that here in this epistle.

394
00:19:20,835 --> 00:19:22,835
"Rich in mercy because of the great love

395
00:19:22,835 --> 00:19:24,130
with which He loved us."

396
00:19:24,130 --> 00:19:26,146
Mercy, grace.

397
00:19:26,146 --> 00:19:27,074
And the thing is,

398
00:19:27,074 --> 00:19:29,931
we don't deserve any of it.

399
00:19:29,931 --> 00:19:32,381
And yet He freely bestowed - 
yes, we repented,

400
00:19:32,381 --> 00:19:33,797
but that's not the issue.

401
00:19:33,797 --> 00:19:36,840
The issue is you didn't 
deserve any of it at all.

402
00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:38,975
That's the issue.

403
00:19:38,975 --> 00:19:44,312
Notice, the companions here.

404
00:19:44,312 --> 00:19:47,920
It's not that he's pointing out:

405
00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:49,863
you need to be discerning

406
00:19:49,863 --> 00:19:52,053
as to who's repented or not.

407
00:19:52,053 --> 00:19:55,414
That isn't the companions 
of forgiveness here.

408
00:19:55,414 --> 00:19:58,006
The companions are kindness

409
00:19:58,006 --> 00:20:01,366
and tenderheartedness.

410
00:20:01,366 --> 00:20:03,874
Do you see what the issue is?

411
00:20:03,874 --> 00:20:12,824
He's not concerned about the conditions.

412
00:20:12,824 --> 00:20:15,600
He's not concerned about the shape

413
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,310
of the person that has offended us.

414
00:20:18,310 --> 00:20:21,680
He's concerned about 
what's coming out of us.

415
00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,396
He's concerned about what that looks like.

416
00:20:24,396 --> 00:20:26,967
Kindness, tenderheartedness.

417
00:20:26,967 --> 00:20:29,570
These are the companions of forgiveness.

418
00:20:29,570 --> 00:20:34,073
Just as the companion 
of bitterness is what?

419
00:20:34,073 --> 00:20:35,324
It's wrath.

420
00:20:35,324 --> 00:20:37,336
It's anger. It's being hateful.

421
00:20:37,336 --> 00:20:38,975
It's being unforgiving.

422
00:20:38,975 --> 00:20:40,422
Bitterness.

423
00:20:40,422 --> 00:20:42,363
What is bitterness?

424
00:20:42,363 --> 00:20:43,837
You know bitter people -

425
00:20:43,837 --> 00:20:46,225
doesn't the word "sour"?

426
00:20:46,225 --> 00:20:49,743
Just sour people.

427
00:20:49,743 --> 00:20:51,487
They're bitter.

428
00:20:51,487 --> 00:20:53,391
They're unloving. They're unkind.

429
00:20:53,391 --> 00:20:55,194
They never find good in anything.

430
00:20:55,194 --> 00:20:59,611
They just seem to relish holding a grudge.

431
00:20:59,611 --> 00:21:01,135
I mean, sometimes it's amazing,

432
00:21:01,135 --> 00:21:02,593
you sit down with some people,

433
00:21:02,593 --> 00:21:06,602
and they will bring up 
something from the past -

434
00:21:06,602 --> 00:21:08,345
it could have happened years ago -

435
00:21:08,345 --> 00:21:10,683
like it happened yesterday.

436
00:21:10,683 --> 00:21:13,999
Just not forgiving, never forgetting.

437
00:21:13,999 --> 00:21:16,567
And then slanderous.
That's a companion there too.

438
00:21:16,567 --> 00:21:19,797
Because they just can't 
speak well of people.

439
00:21:19,797 --> 00:21:22,374
That's the idea.

440
00:21:22,374 --> 00:21:24,907
But that's not the way 
we've learned Christ.

441
00:21:24,907 --> 00:21:29,626
This is what it is to still walk

442
00:21:29,626 --> 00:21:31,775
as the Gentiles do

443
00:21:31,775 --> 00:21:34,557
in all that bitterness and ugliness.

444
00:21:34,557 --> 00:21:37,346
You see, that's what 
it is to be the old man.

445
00:21:37,346 --> 00:21:40,534
When Paul's unwrapping all of this,

446
00:21:40,534 --> 00:21:42,681
he's not even interested in the terms

447
00:21:42,681 --> 00:21:43,923
of repentance.

448
00:21:43,923 --> 00:21:49,221
He's interested in a God-likeness

449
00:21:49,221 --> 00:21:53,254
being reflected by us.

450
00:21:53,254 --> 00:21:55,567
A tenderness, a kindness,

451
00:21:55,567 --> 00:21:58,217
a disposition to forgive.

452
00:21:58,217 --> 00:22:00,258
The renewing of the mind -

453
00:22:00,258 --> 00:22:02,109
we saw that there - verse 23.

454
00:22:02,109 --> 00:22:05,541
"Be renewed in the spirit of your minds."

455
00:22:05,541 --> 00:22:08,124
You see, is this not the issue

456
00:22:08,124 --> 00:22:10,162
behind forgiveness?

457
00:22:10,162 --> 00:22:12,049
It's that there's a change in the mind.

458
00:22:12,049 --> 00:22:13,519
And we might go over there -

459
00:22:13,519 --> 00:22:15,048
we're not going to take 
the time right now -

460
00:22:15,048 --> 00:22:16,988
but we might go to that extended parable

461
00:22:16,988 --> 00:22:18,454
there in Matthew 18

462
00:22:18,454 --> 00:22:20,731
because it just gives such the mindset.

463
00:22:20,731 --> 00:22:22,125
What happens?

464
00:22:22,125 --> 00:22:26,404
I'm saved! I freely forgive!

465
00:22:26,404 --> 00:22:27,944
Why?

466
00:22:27,944 --> 00:22:29,466
Well, yes, I'm changed.

467
00:22:29,466 --> 00:22:30,678
Yes, I'm a new man.

468
00:22:30,678 --> 00:22:32,311
Yes, I'm no longer a Gentile.

469
00:22:32,311 --> 00:22:35,065
But I'm renewed in the spirit of my mind.

470
00:22:35,065 --> 00:22:36,410
In my mind!

471
00:22:36,410 --> 00:22:41,551
Something has happened in my thinking.

472
00:22:41,551 --> 00:22:44,122
Look, it's not that I don't realize

473
00:22:44,122 --> 00:22:45,589
that there are people who have

474
00:22:45,589 --> 00:22:47,886
sinned against me or offended me.

475
00:22:47,886 --> 00:22:50,012
But you know what you begin to realize?

476
00:22:50,012 --> 00:22:51,635
I've offended other people

477
00:22:51,635 --> 00:22:53,460
and I've sinned against other people,

478
00:22:53,460 --> 00:22:55,609
but more than that, 
I have sinned against God

479
00:22:55,609 --> 00:22:57,018
and I have done such things

480
00:22:57,018 --> 00:22:59,457
to despise His glory.

481
00:22:59,457 --> 00:23:01,786
I realize how kind He's been to me

482
00:23:01,786 --> 00:23:03,750
when I did not deserve it,

483
00:23:03,750 --> 00:23:07,332
and to be gripped by the fact

484
00:23:07,332 --> 00:23:10,033
of what God has done for 
you if you're a Christian!

485
00:23:10,033 --> 00:23:12,033
I mean, that's the thing.

486
00:23:12,033 --> 00:23:14,419
How can you hold a grudge?

487
00:23:14,419 --> 00:23:16,084
How can you be bitter

488
00:23:16,084 --> 00:23:17,658
when all you have to do

489
00:23:17,658 --> 00:23:19,492
is look at yourself in the mirror

490
00:23:19,492 --> 00:23:21,374
and recognize...

491
00:23:21,374 --> 00:23:25,142
you know, just start to list your crimes

492
00:23:25,142 --> 00:23:29,791
and imagine people that have done

493
00:23:29,791 --> 00:23:31,713
half your crimes

494
00:23:31,713 --> 00:23:36,418
and they've been in hell...

495
00:23:36,418 --> 00:23:40,435
You've sinned against light

496
00:23:40,435 --> 00:23:44,008
that people back killed in the flood,

497
00:23:44,008 --> 00:23:45,441
they never had.

498
00:23:45,441 --> 00:23:47,469
And if it's going to be more tolerable

499
00:23:47,469 --> 00:23:50,734
for people in Sodom and Gomorrah

500
00:23:50,734 --> 00:23:53,150
than for people in this 
age who've heard that,

501
00:23:53,150 --> 00:23:54,505
you know what it tells me?

502
00:23:54,505 --> 00:23:56,083
It tells me that there are people

503
00:23:56,083 --> 00:23:57,141
who died in that flood

504
00:23:57,141 --> 00:24:02,355
that are far less guilty because 
they had far less light than you.

505
00:24:02,355 --> 00:24:07,625
They've been in hell for millennia

506
00:24:07,625 --> 00:24:13,274
suffering, weeping, wailing - and justly,

507
00:24:13,274 --> 00:24:14,854
because their crimes demanded it.

508
00:24:14,854 --> 00:24:17,091
You look at God.

509
00:24:17,091 --> 00:24:20,068
Remember back to chapter 2.

510
00:24:20,068 --> 00:24:22,872
"While you were still dead

511
00:24:22,872 --> 00:24:25,475
in your trespasses," what happened?

512
00:24:25,475 --> 00:24:27,656
God had mercy because of His great love

513
00:24:27,656 --> 00:24:29,184
with which He loved you.

514
00:24:29,184 --> 00:24:31,409
He made you alive in Christ

515
00:24:31,409 --> 00:24:33,643
even when you were 
dead in your trespasses.

516
00:24:33,643 --> 00:24:36,422
Remember what God did for you 
when you were unrepentant.

517
00:24:36,422 --> 00:24:37,432
What happened?

518
00:24:37,432 --> 00:24:39,736
When you were yet sinners, 
Christ died for you.

519
00:24:39,736 --> 00:24:43,265
Unrepentant - before your repentance.

520
00:24:43,265 --> 00:24:45,873
Remember, God grants repentance

521
00:24:45,873 --> 00:24:46,997
to the Gentiles.

522
00:24:46,997 --> 00:24:48,588
Have you ever read that?

523
00:24:48,588 --> 00:24:50,604
Just think about how God is moving,

524
00:24:50,604 --> 00:24:52,265
what God is doing.

525
00:24:52,265 --> 00:24:56,200
We love Him because He first loved us.

526
00:24:56,201 --> 00:24:58,886
You just have to stop sometimes and think.

527
00:24:58,886 --> 00:25:01,756
Be blown away by what God has done for you

528
00:25:01,756 --> 00:25:04,398
because if you have that change of mind;

529
00:25:04,398 --> 00:25:05,406
if that goes on;

530
00:25:05,406 --> 00:25:06,927
if that's the renewing of mind

531
00:25:06,927 --> 00:25:09,005
where you're grateful and you're thankful,

532
00:25:09,005 --> 00:25:10,707
how can you look at somebody else

533
00:25:10,707 --> 00:25:13,128
who's committed so much less?

534
00:25:13,128 --> 00:25:15,761
Isn't that the parable 
there in Matthew 18?

535
00:25:15,761 --> 00:25:21,196
My debt was huge!

536
00:25:21,196 --> 00:25:23,570
It makes it really difficult.

537
00:25:23,570 --> 00:25:28,102
That's the issue in all of this.

538
00:25:28,102 --> 00:25:32,282
All the undeserved love and sacrifice -

539
00:25:32,282 --> 00:25:42,529
He spared not His only Son!

540
00:25:42,529 --> 00:25:45,869
When you get gripped by this reality

541
00:25:45,869 --> 00:25:49,440
you're suddenly freed from 
the power of bitterness.

542
00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:55,162
You show me a bitter Christian,

543
00:25:55,162 --> 00:25:56,979
a bitter and unforgiving Christian,

544
00:25:56,979 --> 00:25:58,663
and I'm going to show you somebody

545
00:25:58,663 --> 00:26:02,517
that is deceived.

546
00:26:02,517 --> 00:26:04,262
They're not a Christian.

547
00:26:04,262 --> 00:26:07,956
I can say that on biblical grounds.

548
00:26:07,956 --> 00:26:12,867
They're not a Christian.

549
00:26:12,867 --> 00:26:16,087
You see, it's in this way

550
00:26:16,087 --> 00:26:18,684
that God just sets us free

551
00:26:18,684 --> 00:26:21,668
to be kind to those who don't deserve.

552
00:26:21,668 --> 00:26:23,079
Do you recognize this?

553
00:26:23,079 --> 00:26:26,058
When somebody sins against you,

554
00:26:26,058 --> 00:26:30,714
that sin is a capital offense before God.

555
00:26:30,714 --> 00:26:34,504
They don't deserve to be pardoned.

556
00:26:34,504 --> 00:26:38,312
They deserve to be damned.

557
00:26:38,312 --> 00:26:40,116
But when you forgive them,

558
00:26:40,116 --> 00:26:42,228
you're being God-like.

559
00:26:42,228 --> 00:26:44,507
That's the issue. That's the issue.

560
00:26:44,507 --> 00:26:46,909
It's not terms of forgiveness.

561
00:26:46,909 --> 00:26:51,430
It's the fact that you're forgiving those

562
00:26:51,430 --> 00:26:53,829
who don't deserve your forgiveness.

563
00:26:53,829 --> 00:26:55,219
You're pardoning those

564
00:26:55,219 --> 00:26:57,753
who don't in any way deserve it.

565
00:26:57,753 --> 00:26:59,335
Just like you didn't deserve it.

566
00:26:59,335 --> 00:27:01,286
See, that's the issue.

567
00:27:01,286 --> 00:27:05,737
That's what we really need to focus on.

568
00:27:05,737 --> 00:27:09,190
You get people - I know there are people

569
00:27:09,190 --> 00:27:14,717
who have been horribly wounded by others.

570
00:27:14,717 --> 00:27:19,145
But we're able to forgive those things.

571
00:27:19,145 --> 00:27:21,259
They don't deserve to be forgiven.

572
00:27:21,259 --> 00:27:26,247
Why? Because God has forgiven you.

573
00:27:26,247 --> 00:27:29,231
He's forgiven me.

574
00:27:29,231 --> 00:27:32,683
Paul doesn't even remotely have in mind

575
00:27:32,683 --> 00:27:34,202
terms of forgiveness.

576
00:27:34,202 --> 00:27:35,415
That's not it.

577
00:27:35,415 --> 00:27:37,109
This is all about your attitude,

578
00:27:37,109 --> 00:27:40,257
about your disposition as a new man

579
00:27:40,257 --> 00:27:42,972
forgiving out of love, kindness,

580
00:27:42,972 --> 00:27:46,491
tenderness towards others.

581
00:27:46,494 --> 00:27:50,513
So, okay, you might say,

582
00:27:50,513 --> 00:27:53,247
okay, brother, we see that.

583
00:27:53,247 --> 00:27:55,457
That is the contrast.

584
00:27:55,457 --> 00:27:57,392
Contrasts are opposites.

585
00:27:57,392 --> 00:28:03,770
The opposite to forgiving as God forgives

586
00:28:03,770 --> 00:28:06,063
is bitterness.

587
00:28:06,066 --> 00:28:07,457
It's wrath, it's anger,

588
00:28:07,457 --> 00:28:10,322
it's obviously unforgiveness.

589
00:28:10,322 --> 00:28:11,344
That's the issue.

590
00:28:11,344 --> 00:28:13,887
The opposite Paul was bringing out

591
00:28:13,887 --> 00:28:16,991
is not: you're not of a discerning spirit

592
00:28:16,991 --> 00:28:19,669
and you need to figure out 
who's repentant and who's not

593
00:28:19,669 --> 00:28:21,143
and only forgive the repentant.

594
00:28:21,143 --> 00:28:23,300
That's not the issue.

595
00:28:23,300 --> 00:28:29,007
But you say, okay, even if Ephesians 4:32

596
00:28:29,007 --> 00:28:32,430
isn't specifically saying that,

597
00:28:32,430 --> 00:28:36,573
you haven't really proven that

598
00:28:36,573 --> 00:28:38,314
that nevertheless is the case

599
00:28:38,314 --> 00:28:40,585
because maybe it's taught somewhere else.

600
00:28:40,585 --> 00:28:44,173
And I would say, that's right.

601
00:28:44,173 --> 00:28:46,668
That's right, but because this

602
00:28:46,668 --> 00:28:51,257
is a foundational text to 
holding that position,

603
00:28:51,257 --> 00:28:53,200
I wanted to show you that

604
00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,111
that's not what it's teaching.

605
00:28:55,111 --> 00:28:57,975
But here's what I want to show you next.

606
00:28:57,975 --> 00:29:05,665
If you possess this heart of the new man,

607
00:29:05,665 --> 00:29:08,935
this God-likeness,

608
00:29:08,935 --> 00:29:11,264
true righteousness and holiness,

609
00:29:11,264 --> 00:29:13,398
if this characterizes you,

610
00:29:13,398 --> 00:29:17,871
you're one who's learned of Christ.

611
00:29:17,871 --> 00:29:21,830
That is going to manifest itself

612
00:29:21,830 --> 00:29:24,015
in at least three ways

613
00:29:24,015 --> 00:29:26,699
that I want to show you from Scripture,

614
00:29:26,699 --> 00:29:32,264
that I think just destroys 
this whole mindset.

615
00:29:32,264 --> 00:29:39,038
The first one, brethren, is 1 Peter 4:8.

616
00:29:39,038 --> 00:29:40,588
And you need to turn there,

617
00:29:40,588 --> 00:29:42,365
and you need to see this.

618
00:29:42,365 --> 00:29:51,659
"Love covers a multitude of sin."

619
00:29:51,659 --> 00:29:58,217
You know, if you look 
at the text in Scripture

620
00:29:58,217 --> 00:30:00,480
like Craig looked at this morning,

621
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:05,605
that give like this "above all,"

622
00:30:05,605 --> 00:30:10,026
or, you've got that word here.

623
00:30:10,026 --> 00:30:11,906
Love.

624
00:30:11,906 --> 00:30:16,269
There's lots of Scriptures 
in the New Testament -

625
00:30:16,269 --> 00:30:19,702
this is the pinnacle; this is the sum

626
00:30:19,702 --> 00:30:26,998
of what it means to reflect Christ.

627
00:30:26,998 --> 00:30:33,362
"Above all, keep loving 
one another earnestly

628
00:30:33,362 --> 00:30:35,946
since love covers a multitude of sins."

629
00:30:35,946 --> 00:30:39,832
Now, if you take that text -

630
00:30:39,832 --> 00:30:42,845
before I say what I'm going to say -

631
00:30:42,845 --> 00:30:44,437
let me just point something out.

632
00:30:44,437 --> 00:30:50,592
The word "cover" - that 
is a synonym for forgive.

633
00:30:50,592 --> 00:30:53,727
If you say, hey, I'm not buying it.

634
00:30:53,727 --> 00:30:56,369
The word forgive isn't here.

635
00:30:56,369 --> 00:30:59,462
I don't think "cover" 
means the same thing.

636
00:30:59,462 --> 00:31:01,157
What does "cover" mean?

637
00:31:01,157 --> 00:31:07,056
Cover basically means to hide or to bury.

638
00:31:07,056 --> 00:31:10,129
And Scripture definitely uses

639
00:31:10,129 --> 00:31:14,461
these two terms side by side

640
00:31:14,461 --> 00:31:17,414
to express the forgiveness of sins.

641
00:31:17,414 --> 00:31:19,467
And we can look at different places,

642
00:31:19,467 --> 00:31:22,178
but the classic text would be this one.

643
00:31:22,178 --> 00:31:24,635
You don't need to turn 
there, but listen to it.

644
00:31:24,635 --> 00:31:25,818
Psalm 32:1,

645
00:31:25,818 --> 00:31:28,534
"Blessed is the one

646
00:31:28,534 --> 00:31:31,499
whose transgression is forgiven,

647
00:31:31,499 --> 00:31:33,870
whose sin is covered."

648
00:31:33,870 --> 00:31:37,062
That is a Hebrew parallelism

649
00:31:37,062 --> 00:31:40,468
where you basically have the same thing

650
00:31:40,468 --> 00:31:44,968
stated back-to-back in different terms.

651
00:31:44,968 --> 00:31:48,822
Covering sin is the same 
thing as forgiving sin.

652
00:31:48,822 --> 00:31:51,628
Covering sin is at the 
heart of what it means.

653
00:31:51,628 --> 00:31:54,426
It's the essence of what forgiveness is.

654
00:31:54,426 --> 00:31:56,271
It's to cover it over.

655
00:31:56,271 --> 00:31:58,894
It's to bury it. It's to hide it.

656
00:31:58,894 --> 00:32:04,191
That's the idea.

657
00:32:04,191 --> 00:32:07,369
What I want to show you is this,

658
00:32:07,369 --> 00:32:13,538
"Above all, keep loving 
one another earnestly."

659
00:32:13,538 --> 00:32:15,226
And you see, here's the thing.

660
00:32:15,226 --> 00:32:19,185
Here's what Peter sees.

661
00:32:19,185 --> 00:32:23,320
As the love increases,

662
00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:28,008
that church's ability 
to cover sin increases.

663
00:32:28,008 --> 00:32:30,095
Earnestly. Be earnest. Why?

664
00:32:30,095 --> 00:32:32,067
Because where there's much love,

665
00:32:32,067 --> 00:32:34,344
there's much covering.

666
00:32:34,344 --> 00:32:37,194
Where there's lovelessness,

667
00:32:37,194 --> 00:32:38,636
people become suspicious,

668
00:32:38,636 --> 00:32:40,500
they become critical,

669
00:32:40,500 --> 00:32:41,549
there's criticism.

670
00:32:41,549 --> 00:32:44,784
They put the worst spin on things.

671
00:32:44,784 --> 00:32:46,555
That's what happens.

672
00:32:46,555 --> 00:32:50,182
And it's like, if for no other reason,

673
00:32:50,182 --> 00:32:55,960
Peter goes right to this point that love

674
00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:57,951
is going to produce that kind of fruit.

675
00:32:57,951 --> 00:33:02,951
It's going to produce that kind of

676
00:33:02,951 --> 00:33:04,952
looking past small offenses

677
00:33:04,952 --> 00:33:07,171
and maybe even some larger ones.

678
00:33:07,171 --> 00:33:08,663
Lovelessness. Lovelessness.

679
00:33:08,663 --> 00:33:11,853
What happens then?
People are easily provoked.

680
00:33:11,853 --> 00:33:14,231
You know, we talk about 
being thin-skinned.

681
00:33:14,231 --> 00:33:16,442
Thin-skinned churches

682
00:33:16,442 --> 00:33:20,061
where people - it takes very little

683
00:33:20,061 --> 00:33:23,186
to provoke somebody.

684
00:33:23,186 --> 00:33:30,231
They're always easily offended.

685
00:33:30,231 --> 00:33:32,508
Always magnifying the wrongs

686
00:33:32,508 --> 00:33:38,084
committed against us.

687
00:33:38,084 --> 00:33:40,168
But love...

688
00:33:40,168 --> 00:33:42,840
Where love abounds,

689
00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,901
love is going to look past.

690
00:33:45,901 --> 00:33:47,668
Love is going to cover over.

691
00:33:47,668 --> 00:33:52,102
Love covers a multitude of sins.

692
00:33:52,102 --> 00:33:55,352
Many of the small and even 
some of the larger ones,

693
00:33:55,352 --> 00:33:56,822
they're readily overlooked.

694
00:33:56,822 --> 00:33:58,085
They're readily forgotten.

695
00:33:58,085 --> 00:34:00,402
The New American Standard -

696
00:34:00,402 --> 00:34:02,223
Craig quoted this earlier -

697
00:34:02,223 --> 00:34:05,159
but 1 Corinthians 13:5 (don't turn there),

698
00:34:05,159 --> 00:34:07,560
but the New American 
Standard says it this way:

699
00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:09,621
"Love does not take into account

700
00:34:09,621 --> 00:34:12,218
a wrong suffered."

701
00:34:12,218 --> 00:34:14,203
The ESV says "resentful."

702
00:34:14,203 --> 00:34:17,233
The old King James says, 
"thinketh no evil."

703
00:34:17,233 --> 00:34:20,823
But it's the idea of imputing evil.

704
00:34:20,823 --> 00:34:23,545
You see, where there's no love,

705
00:34:23,545 --> 00:34:25,811
people read things as evil.

706
00:34:25,811 --> 00:34:27,214
They put that spin on it.

707
00:34:27,214 --> 00:34:30,528
"Oh, you know why they did that."

708
00:34:30,528 --> 00:34:32,116
"I'm offended."

709
00:34:32,116 --> 00:34:33,686
There's always this suspicion,

710
00:34:33,686 --> 00:34:36,477
looking at people through those lenses.

711
00:34:36,477 --> 00:34:38,079
But where love is there,

712
00:34:38,079 --> 00:34:40,647
it's like I love that brother.

713
00:34:40,647 --> 00:34:43,166
And it's like John MacArthur says.

714
00:34:43,166 --> 00:34:44,676
He just views people based on

715
00:34:44,676 --> 00:34:46,185
what they're going to become

716
00:34:46,185 --> 00:34:48,629
and what they'll be in Heaven.

717
00:34:48,629 --> 00:34:51,808
That helps him.

718
00:34:51,808 --> 00:34:55,699
Now look, I know that there's

719
00:34:55,699 --> 00:35:01,547
two classic exceptions to this.

720
00:35:01,547 --> 00:35:03,893
There's two places in Scripture

721
00:35:03,893 --> 00:35:05,827
that clearly indicate

722
00:35:05,827 --> 00:35:11,148
that it's impossible to 
give a full expression

723
00:35:11,148 --> 00:35:13,876
of forgiveness unless there is a full,

724
00:35:13,876 --> 00:35:16,079
two-way transaction

725
00:35:16,079 --> 00:35:19,558
in the forgiveness process.

726
00:35:19,558 --> 00:35:21,563
And it's those cases spelled out

727
00:35:21,563 --> 00:35:23,849
in Luke 17 and Matthew 18.

728
00:35:23,849 --> 00:35:27,456
Now again, don't turn there please.

729
00:35:27,456 --> 00:35:30,857
But it's those texts that basically,

730
00:35:30,857 --> 00:35:32,920
and here's the thing,

731
00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:36,806
if you look at Luke 17.

732
00:35:36,806 --> 00:35:38,820
Let me read it to you. Don't turn there.

733
00:35:38,820 --> 00:35:42,043
Luke 17 says this, 
"Pay attention to yourselves.

734
00:35:42,043 --> 00:35:44,269
If your brother sins, rebuke him.

735
00:35:44,269 --> 00:35:46,919
If he repents..." there's repentance.

736
00:35:46,919 --> 00:35:48,823
"If he repents..." that's conditional.

737
00:35:48,823 --> 00:35:49,986
"...forgive him.

738
00:35:49,986 --> 00:35:52,226
If he sins against you 
seven times in the day,

739
00:35:52,226 --> 00:35:54,376
turns to you seven 
times saying, 'I repent,'

740
00:35:54,376 --> 00:35:55,520
you must forgive him."

741
00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:57,253
Now, the interesting thing is if you

742
00:35:57,253 --> 00:35:58,794
look at the context of that,

743
00:35:58,794 --> 00:36:01,631
that is basically Luke's account

744
00:36:01,631 --> 00:36:03,986
of what you find in Matthew 18

745
00:36:03,986 --> 00:36:06,717
where you get the fuller expression.

746
00:36:06,717 --> 00:36:08,544
"If your brother sins against you,

747
00:36:08,544 --> 00:36:10,044
go and tell him his fault

748
00:36:10,044 --> 00:36:11,336
between you and him alone.

749
00:36:11,336 --> 00:36:12,756
If he listens to you..."

750
00:36:12,756 --> 00:36:14,892
Now, the word repentance isn't used there,

751
00:36:14,892 --> 00:36:18,103
but if he listens to you - 
it's the same idea.

752
00:36:18,103 --> 00:36:19,932
"...You've gained your brother,

753
00:36:19,932 --> 00:36:22,823
but if he does not listen..." 
and it goes on.

754
00:36:22,823 --> 00:36:27,366
So obviously there repentance is mandatory

755
00:36:27,366 --> 00:36:34,368
or you actually put the 
person out of the church.

756
00:36:34,368 --> 00:36:37,437
But here's the thing,

757
00:36:37,437 --> 00:36:41,852
that approach is clearly

758
00:36:41,852 --> 00:36:45,031
from what Peter is teaching us

759
00:36:45,031 --> 00:36:50,614
not the way to deal with everything.

760
00:36:50,614 --> 00:36:52,471
There are times when forgiveness

761
00:36:52,471 --> 00:36:58,744
should be the unconditional 
response of love.

762
00:36:58,744 --> 00:37:00,841
That is what Peter is teaching us.

763
00:37:00,841 --> 00:37:03,559
Are there times when something 
is aggravated enough

764
00:37:03,559 --> 00:37:07,032
or are there times when somebody's 
sin is hurting other people

765
00:37:07,032 --> 00:37:09,956
and we need, out of love for them,

766
00:37:09,956 --> 00:37:11,575
out of love for the whole church,

767
00:37:11,575 --> 00:37:13,087
out of the love for the church

768
00:37:13,087 --> 00:37:15,474
and not allowing leaven to 
leaven the whole lump,

769
00:37:15,474 --> 00:37:17,780
are there times when love demands

770
00:37:17,780 --> 00:37:20,813
that we do pursue the sin? Absolutely.

771
00:37:20,813 --> 00:37:22,781
Are there times that love demands

772
00:37:22,781 --> 00:37:25,898
that we do pursue repentance? Absolutely.

773
00:37:25,898 --> 00:37:29,302
But what Peter is teaching us

774
00:37:29,302 --> 00:37:33,875
is that love will often

775
00:37:33,875 --> 00:37:39,270
manifest itself exactly like this

776
00:37:39,270 --> 00:37:43,038
where forgiveness is rendered to people

777
00:37:43,038 --> 00:37:44,862
as an unconditional response of love.

778
00:37:44,862 --> 00:37:46,547
Which is much to say that there are

779
00:37:46,547 --> 00:37:49,834
many times where we are 
going to deal with sin

780
00:37:49,834 --> 00:37:53,420
simply by covering it over

781
00:37:53,420 --> 00:37:55,805
and sweeping it under the rug.

782
00:37:55,805 --> 00:37:57,262
That's what he's teaching.

783
00:37:57,262 --> 00:37:59,175
You say, "(Gasp!) We can't do that!"

784
00:37:59,175 --> 00:38:01,288
That's not the way God does it.

785
00:38:01,288 --> 00:38:05,136
Well see, if you put that 
meaning on forgiveness

786
00:38:05,136 --> 00:38:07,961
then you come to that conclusion.

787
00:38:07,961 --> 00:38:09,472
But again, I want to emphasize,

788
00:38:09,472 --> 00:38:13,311
the heart of this is kindness

789
00:38:13,311 --> 00:38:15,292
and it's tenderness.

790
00:38:15,292 --> 00:38:16,550
And when you have a church

791
00:38:16,550 --> 00:38:19,676
full of those kinds of people...

792
00:38:19,676 --> 00:38:21,251
let me just ask you.

793
00:38:21,251 --> 00:38:25,860
How do you want to be treated?

794
00:38:25,860 --> 00:38:28,642
Do you want to be in a church

795
00:38:28,642 --> 00:38:33,249
where every single offense,

796
00:38:33,249 --> 00:38:34,418
somebody's right there?

797
00:38:34,418 --> 00:38:37,498
That's grounds for confrontation!

798
00:38:37,498 --> 00:38:40,266
Matthew 18! Did you see him?

799
00:38:40,266 --> 00:38:44,002
He didn't say hi! Confront him!

800
00:38:44,002 --> 00:38:45,495
He wasn't loving!

801
00:38:45,495 --> 00:38:47,837
That wasn't loving!

802
00:38:47,837 --> 00:38:52,739
He wasn't smiling!

803
00:38:52,739 --> 00:38:54,747
Have you ever been around people

804
00:38:54,747 --> 00:38:59,664
that want to attack you for everything?

805
00:38:59,664 --> 00:39:02,975
You don't want to be 
in a church like that.

806
00:39:02,975 --> 00:39:04,736
(incomplete thought)

807
00:39:04,736 --> 00:39:06,852
You know what it is to be around people

808
00:39:06,852 --> 00:39:08,609
that are kind and tenderhearted

809
00:39:08,609 --> 00:39:14,181
and how they deal with your rough edges

810
00:39:14,181 --> 00:39:17,564
and inconsiderateness and impoliteness

811
00:39:17,564 --> 00:39:20,520
and immaturities and the too often,

812
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:26,640
frequent, petty infractions... right?

813
00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:29,227
We're not a perfect people.

814
00:39:29,227 --> 00:39:32,838
And we come in here with 
all of our rough edges.

815
00:39:32,838 --> 00:39:34,536
Do you want somebody right there?

816
00:39:34,536 --> 00:39:37,988
"Matthew 18! Matthew 18! I saw it!"

817
00:39:37,988 --> 00:39:39,806
No, you don't want to be in that.

818
00:39:39,806 --> 00:39:41,530
But you do want to be in a church

819
00:39:41,530 --> 00:39:44,082
where if sin has a grip on you in a way

820
00:39:44,082 --> 00:39:46,239
that's harming the church or harming you,

821
00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:51,107
you want somebody to deal with it.

822
00:39:51,107 --> 00:39:52,616
If it's the kind of leaven

823
00:39:52,616 --> 00:39:54,897
that's really destructive to the church,

824
00:39:54,897 --> 00:39:57,410
then out of love for all the church,

825
00:39:57,410 --> 00:40:00,449
we definitely want to deal with it.

826
00:40:00,449 --> 00:40:04,562
You know, there's just a feel.

827
00:40:04,562 --> 00:40:06,645
Like Paul said to the Corinthians.

828
00:40:06,645 --> 00:40:09,669
I think it has somewhat 
of the feel of this.

829
00:40:09,669 --> 00:40:13,320
You had Christians that 
were suing each other.

830
00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:18,077
And he said it's better to be wronged.

831
00:40:18,077 --> 00:40:19,911
In other words, you would do better

832
00:40:19,911 --> 00:40:22,338
to drop the court case 
against your brother.

833
00:40:22,338 --> 00:40:24,595
Just accept being wronged. Let it go.

834
00:40:24,595 --> 00:40:27,194
Forgive and go on your way.

835
00:40:27,194 --> 00:40:30,722
Better to be defrauded 
than do what you're doing.

836
00:40:30,722 --> 00:40:38,652
I think that has something 
of the spirit of that.

837
00:40:38,652 --> 00:40:40,184
So that's the first thing.

838
00:40:40,184 --> 00:40:42,412
Brethren, you can't get away from it.

839
00:40:42,412 --> 00:40:45,996
You cannot get away from it

840
00:40:45,996 --> 00:40:49,396
that Peter is teaching

841
00:40:49,396 --> 00:40:52,548
that there are many sins

842
00:40:52,548 --> 00:40:58,877
that love covers without any condition

843
00:40:58,877 --> 00:41:01,068
on the part of the offender.

844
00:41:01,068 --> 00:41:03,568
That is the reality.

845
00:41:03,568 --> 00:41:06,594
He sees the church, in fact,

846
00:41:06,594 --> 00:41:10,400
the higher the love is,

847
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,228
the more we are going to

848
00:41:13,228 --> 00:41:16,220
unilaterally, unconditionally,

849
00:41:16,220 --> 00:41:19,455
without requiring 
repentance of the individual

850
00:41:19,455 --> 00:41:21,466
going to sweep it under the rug.

851
00:41:21,466 --> 00:41:23,342
That's what he sees and that's why

852
00:41:23,342 --> 00:41:29,339
he wants that kind of fervent love here.

853
00:41:29,339 --> 00:41:32,863
He's not looking for a holy church.

854
00:41:32,863 --> 00:41:34,410
That's not the issue.

855
00:41:34,410 --> 00:41:36,925
The issue is kindness,

856
00:41:36,925 --> 00:41:40,429
tenderness, forgiving.

857
00:41:40,429 --> 00:41:46,013
That is entirely the opposite of unholy.

858
00:41:46,013 --> 00:41:48,342
But here's the next thing.

859
00:41:48,342 --> 00:41:49,651
Here's the next thing

860
00:41:49,651 --> 00:41:53,773
that the spirit that Paul 
is wanting us to reflect

861
00:41:53,773 --> 00:41:55,146
of the new man,

862
00:41:55,146 --> 00:41:57,858
here's another way 
that it manifests itself.

863
00:41:57,858 --> 00:42:03,986
It manifests itself in our prayer life.

864
00:42:03,986 --> 00:42:08,318
Every place where Jesus talks

865
00:42:08,318 --> 00:42:12,548
about forgiving when we pray -

866
00:42:12,548 --> 00:42:14,519
unconditional.

867
00:42:14,519 --> 00:42:15,848
And I want you to see it.

868
00:42:15,848 --> 00:42:17,639
First one, Sermon on the Mount.

869
00:42:17,639 --> 00:42:19,674
Go to Matthew 6.

870
00:42:19,674 --> 00:42:26,145
I do want you to turn to these.

871
00:42:26,145 --> 00:42:28,972
Here is another 
manifestation of the new man

872
00:42:28,972 --> 00:42:31,667
who's robed with kindness

873
00:42:31,667 --> 00:42:33,689
and tenderness and forgiveness.

874
00:42:33,689 --> 00:42:38,081
His prayer life is a constant witness

875
00:42:38,081 --> 00:42:40,838
to his forgiving spirit.

876
00:42:40,838 --> 00:42:44,293
If you don't know about this,

877
00:42:44,293 --> 00:42:46,285
I want to challenge you.

878
00:42:46,285 --> 00:42:48,746
Obviously, Jesus is not giving us

879
00:42:48,746 --> 00:42:50,592
in any of these accounts

880
00:42:50,592 --> 00:42:53,100
an exact formula for how we should pray.

881
00:42:53,100 --> 00:42:54,673
When He says, "pray like this:

882
00:42:54,673 --> 00:42:56,092
Our Father Who art in Heaven,

883
00:42:56,092 --> 00:42:57,330
hallowed be Thy name..."

884
00:42:57,330 --> 00:42:59,034
He certainly isn't saying that you

885
00:42:59,034 --> 00:43:01,468
need to articulate that verbatim.

886
00:43:01,468 --> 00:43:02,952
When He says pray like this,

887
00:43:02,952 --> 00:43:05,485
He's meaning capture the essence

888
00:43:05,485 --> 00:43:07,535
of His prayer.

889
00:43:07,535 --> 00:43:09,927
Those should be areas of emphasis

890
00:43:09,927 --> 00:43:12,301
in your own prayer life.

891
00:43:12,301 --> 00:43:15,262
Matthew 6:9,

892
00:43:15,262 --> 00:43:18,360
"Pray then like this,

893
00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:21,804
'Our Father in Heaven,
hallowed be Your name.

894
00:43:21,804 --> 00:43:23,879
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done

895
00:43:23,879 --> 00:43:25,376
on earth as it is in Heaven.

896
00:43:25,376 --> 00:43:27,240
Give us this day our daily bread...'"

897
00:43:27,240 --> 00:43:28,737
Now notice this.

898
00:43:28,737 --> 00:43:30,455
It doesn't speak of transgressions.

899
00:43:30,455 --> 00:43:33,225
It doesn't speak of sins specifically,

900
00:43:33,225 --> 00:43:37,284
but the idea here is our debts.

901
00:43:37,284 --> 00:43:40,208
"Forgive us our debts

902
00:43:40,208 --> 00:43:43,459
as we also have forgiven our debtors."

903
00:43:43,459 --> 00:43:45,506
Now if you define a debtor,

904
00:43:45,506 --> 00:43:48,696
what is a debtor?

905
00:43:48,696 --> 00:43:51,279
Somebody who owes you something.

906
00:43:51,279 --> 00:43:52,532
They owe.

907
00:43:52,532 --> 00:43:56,041
That's the idea behind a debtor.

908
00:43:56,041 --> 00:43:58,210
The idea here is you have debtors,

909
00:43:58,210 --> 00:43:59,695
which means what?

910
00:43:59,695 --> 00:44:01,257
When somebody sins against you,

911
00:44:01,257 --> 00:44:03,471
they owe you something.

912
00:44:03,471 --> 00:44:05,977
That's the issue of hell.

913
00:44:05,977 --> 00:44:09,154
You see, this is the problem with sin.

914
00:44:09,154 --> 00:44:12,370
We incur a debt with God

915
00:44:12,370 --> 00:44:14,449
that we just simply can't pay.

916
00:44:14,449 --> 00:44:18,574
And Jesus paid it. All of it.

917
00:44:18,574 --> 00:44:20,115
But here's the idea,

918
00:44:20,115 --> 00:44:24,695
this says "our debtors."

919
00:44:24,695 --> 00:44:28,976
There's no distinguishing

920
00:44:28,976 --> 00:44:31,547
or delineating between

921
00:44:31,547 --> 00:44:32,752
the debtor who repents

922
00:44:32,752 --> 00:44:35,444
and the debtor who doesn't repent.

923
00:44:35,444 --> 00:44:40,785
None of that.

924
00:44:40,785 --> 00:44:43,692
"Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil."

925
00:44:43,692 --> 00:44:47,669
V. 14, "For if you forgive 
others their trespasses,

926
00:44:47,669 --> 00:44:50,376
your heavenly Father 
will also forgive you.

927
00:44:50,376 --> 00:44:53,031
But if you do not forgive 
others their trespasses,

928
00:44:53,031 --> 00:44:55,952
neither will your Father 
forgive your trespasses."

929
00:44:55,952 --> 00:44:58,509
Nothing to do with whether 
they've repented or not.

930
00:44:58,509 --> 00:45:00,814
I want you to see this 
again in Mark's Gospel.

931
00:45:00,814 --> 00:45:05,151
Mark 11:25.

932
00:45:05,151 --> 00:45:09,148
Because Mark and Luke bring this out

933
00:45:09,148 --> 00:45:13,789
in especially helpful terms.

934
00:45:13,789 --> 00:45:16,657
Mark and Luke.

935
00:45:16,657 --> 00:45:24,354
Mark 11:25,

936
00:45:24,354 --> 00:45:29,248
"Whenever you stand praying, forgive

937
00:45:29,248 --> 00:45:38,987
if you have anything against anyone."

938
00:45:38,987 --> 00:45:41,245
What are you going to say about that?

939
00:45:41,245 --> 00:45:47,814
That is entirely inclusive.

940
00:45:47,814 --> 00:45:50,057
There's no exceptions there.

941
00:45:50,057 --> 00:45:52,277
"So that your Father 
also who is in Heaven

942
00:45:52,277 --> 00:45:53,864
may forgive you your trespasses."

943
00:45:53,864 --> 00:45:55,423
Now go over to Luke 11.

944
00:45:55,423 --> 00:45:57,930
Because we see it again.

945
00:45:57,930 --> 00:46:06,870
And again we have this superlative.

946
00:46:06,870 --> 00:46:09,267
I mean, just a word 
that's all-encompassing.

947
00:46:09,267 --> 00:46:12,903
It's big. It's vast.

948
00:46:12,903 --> 00:46:14,829
Luke 11:2, "He said to them,

949
00:46:14,829 --> 00:46:18,119
when you pray, say,

950
00:46:18,119 --> 00:46:20,207
'Father, hallowed be Your name,

951
00:46:20,207 --> 00:46:21,361
Your kindgom come.

952
00:46:21,361 --> 00:46:22,935
Give us each day our daily bread

953
00:46:22,935 --> 00:46:25,922
and forgive us our sins,

954
00:46:25,922 --> 00:46:28,202
for we ourselves forgive

955
00:46:28,202 --> 00:46:32,069
everyone who is indebted to us,

956
00:46:32,069 --> 00:46:35,103
and lead us not into temptation...'"

957
00:46:35,103 --> 00:46:36,885
Here's the thing.

958
00:46:36,885 --> 00:46:39,041
Here's the thing about the new man

959
00:46:39,041 --> 00:46:42,091
who's put on Christ;

960
00:46:42,091 --> 00:46:45,136
who's being transformed more and more

961
00:46:45,136 --> 00:46:47,761
into the likeness of God.

962
00:46:47,761 --> 00:46:51,376
True righteousness. True holiness.

963
00:46:51,376 --> 00:46:53,804
He is able to go before God in prayer,

964
00:46:53,804 --> 00:46:56,822
and you can see, Jesus wants us

965
00:46:56,822 --> 00:47:05,283
talking to God about forgiveness.

966
00:47:05,283 --> 00:47:07,699
Now isn't that interesting?

967
00:47:07,699 --> 00:47:11,012
Let's just stop right there.

968
00:47:11,012 --> 00:47:14,085
Why?

969
00:47:14,085 --> 00:47:17,221
This is how a Christian is to pray.

970
00:47:17,221 --> 00:47:20,092
Why should I be asking 
God for forgiveness?

971
00:47:20,092 --> 00:47:21,309
Let me ask you this.

972
00:47:21,309 --> 00:47:24,799
Do you believe in the doctrine 
of justification by faith?

973
00:47:24,799 --> 00:47:27,773
Do you believe that the day 
that you first genuinely believed

974
00:47:27,773 --> 00:47:31,542
that all your sins were washed away?

975
00:47:31,542 --> 00:47:36,180
Then why are you still 
praying for forgiveness?

976
00:47:36,180 --> 00:47:37,940
However you answer that question,

977
00:47:37,940 --> 00:47:39,337
let me ask you something.

978
00:47:39,337 --> 00:47:47,616
Has God already forgiven 
you before you repent?

979
00:47:47,616 --> 00:47:51,197
I'm hoping so!

980
00:47:51,197 --> 00:47:54,490
You see, the argument even

981
00:47:54,490 --> 00:47:57,776
concerning God and how He forgives sin

982
00:47:57,776 --> 00:47:59,759
doesn't really stand

983
00:47:59,759 --> 00:48:01,823
because there's a myriad of examples

984
00:48:01,823 --> 00:48:07,963
of God forgiving sinners of their sin

985
00:48:07,963 --> 00:48:11,088
before that sin was even committed.

986
00:48:11,088 --> 00:48:12,515
I mean, if we really believe

987
00:48:12,515 --> 00:48:14,767
in the doctrine of justification by faith,

988
00:48:14,767 --> 00:48:20,676
and we really believe that all 
of our sins are pardoned,

989
00:48:20,676 --> 00:48:23,385
at a previous time we're 
declared righteous

990
00:48:23,385 --> 00:48:26,355
in the courtroom of God -

991
00:48:26,355 --> 00:48:28,703
and yet, Jesus is teaching us

992
00:48:28,703 --> 00:48:32,438
as Christians we should still be

993
00:48:32,438 --> 00:48:36,260
confessing our sins.

994
00:48:36,260 --> 00:48:39,575
That's part of being a Christian.

995
00:48:39,575 --> 00:48:42,077
Why? Well, if we do sin,

996
00:48:42,077 --> 00:48:44,084
we have an Advocate with the Father,

997
00:48:44,084 --> 00:48:45,567
Jesus Christ the Righteous.

998
00:48:45,567 --> 00:48:49,195
If we confess our sins, He's 
faithful and just to forgive them.

999
00:48:49,195 --> 00:48:52,421
There is no question that in 
our relationship with God

1000
00:48:52,421 --> 00:48:54,988
in an ongoing fashion,

1001
00:48:54,988 --> 00:48:58,837
there's a place for bearing our souls

1002
00:48:58,837 --> 00:49:01,109
and confessing our sins to God.

1003
00:49:01,109 --> 00:49:03,541
What Jesus is teaching us

1004
00:49:03,541 --> 00:49:06,738
is when you do,

1005
00:49:06,738 --> 00:49:10,408
you should specifically refer

1006
00:49:10,408 --> 00:49:14,560
to how you forgive other people.

1007
00:49:14,560 --> 00:49:16,726
Isn't that clear from all of these texts?

1008
00:49:16,726 --> 00:49:19,647
He wants us mindful of that.

1009
00:49:19,647 --> 00:49:24,169
The reality is that the new man

1010
00:49:24,169 --> 00:49:28,087
who's convinced that God has saved him

1011
00:49:28,087 --> 00:49:31,200
of all these sins that he didn't 
deserve to be forgiven of,

1012
00:49:31,200 --> 00:49:33,434
he can go before God in his prayer life

1013
00:49:33,434 --> 00:49:34,863
and he can look up

1014
00:49:34,863 --> 00:49:37,257
and he can lookinto the very face of God,

1015
00:49:37,257 --> 00:49:41,723
and he can say, "Father, forgive me,

1016
00:49:41,723 --> 00:49:43,839
because I know I haven't been perfect.

1017
00:49:43,839 --> 00:49:45,050
I know I haven't,

1018
00:49:45,050 --> 00:49:47,724
but forgive me as I forgive others."

1019
00:49:47,724 --> 00:49:51,272
And not just a put on like 
Craig was talking about.

1020
00:49:51,272 --> 00:49:52,910
This isn't just something you say.

1021
00:49:52,910 --> 00:49:54,607
This isn't just lip service.

1022
00:49:54,607 --> 00:49:56,853
This isn't some hypocritical statement

1023
00:49:56,853 --> 00:49:59,712
that you lift up to God 
and there's no reality in it.

1024
00:49:59,712 --> 00:50:02,006
You don't say it unless you mean it.

1025
00:50:02,006 --> 00:50:05,046
Which means, you ought 
to be able to do inventory

1026
00:50:05,046 --> 00:50:08,202
every time you pray.

1027
00:50:08,202 --> 00:50:12,603
And ask yourself is there anybody -

1028
00:50:12,603 --> 00:50:14,149
do you do that?

1029
00:50:14,149 --> 00:50:16,947
I find that absolutely necessary.

1030
00:50:16,947 --> 00:50:19,668
I want a clear way to the Lord.

1031
00:50:19,668 --> 00:50:21,434
And it's like I can't go to the Lord

1032
00:50:21,434 --> 00:50:24,091
if there's something on my conscience.

1033
00:50:24,091 --> 00:50:29,703
I consider that to be a prayer-stopper.

1034
00:50:29,703 --> 00:50:32,020
It's more serious than that.

1035
00:50:32,020 --> 00:50:34,364
You can tell from these texts.

1036
00:50:34,364 --> 00:50:36,450
But I consider that to be a prayer-stopper

1037
00:50:36,450 --> 00:50:38,175
if there's any kind of bitterness,

1038
00:50:38,175 --> 00:50:40,278
any kind of separation.

1039
00:50:40,278 --> 00:50:43,603
If I feel like I know 
somebody in the church

1040
00:50:43,603 --> 00:50:45,735
has this thing against me

1041
00:50:45,735 --> 00:50:47,759
and I have not yet tried to resolve that -

1042
00:50:47,759 --> 00:50:49,665
it's one thing if you try to resolve it

1043
00:50:49,665 --> 00:50:51,012
and as much as possible,

1044
00:50:51,012 --> 00:50:53,545
you're seeking to be 
at peace with all men

1045
00:50:53,545 --> 00:50:55,965
and you've done what's 
possible in your power.

1046
00:50:55,965 --> 00:50:58,715
There's some things that 
no matter how hard you try...

1047
00:50:58,715 --> 00:51:01,365
but we ought to be able to say that.

1048
00:51:01,365 --> 00:51:04,020
Even people who have never repented.

1049
00:51:04,020 --> 00:51:07,653
It's like, Lord, I have forgiven them.

1050
00:51:07,653 --> 00:51:09,547
I'm not holding anything.

1051
00:51:09,547 --> 00:51:12,309
I don't know of any grudge 
that I have against anybody.

1052
00:51:12,309 --> 00:51:13,557
There's no bitterness.

1053
00:51:13,557 --> 00:51:14,815
You want that!

1054
00:51:14,815 --> 00:51:17,142
That's clearly what Jesus is saying.

1055
00:51:17,142 --> 00:51:23,168
Your prayer life.

1056
00:51:23,168 --> 00:51:26,003
And you can see,

1057
00:51:26,003 --> 00:51:27,890
there's not a word here

1058
00:51:27,890 --> 00:51:29,953
in any of these verses about repentance.

1059
00:51:29,953 --> 00:51:31,221
It's not the issue.

1060
00:51:31,221 --> 00:51:38,605
Forgiveness here - it doesn't come in.

1061
00:51:38,605 --> 00:51:40,410
The man who knows that he's forgiven

1062
00:51:40,410 --> 00:51:45,434
only in and through the 
shed blood of Jesus Christ,

1063
00:51:45,434 --> 00:51:48,235
he's a man who's constrained 
to forgive others.

1064
00:51:48,235 --> 00:51:52,282
It really should be easy.

1065
00:51:52,282 --> 00:51:53,735
I mean, I'm telling you,

1066
00:51:53,735 --> 00:51:58,868
if I had some four billion 
dollar debt with the bank,

1067
00:51:58,868 --> 00:52:00,951
and they forgave it,

1068
00:52:00,951 --> 00:52:03,457
and then somebody that owes me $40

1069
00:52:03,457 --> 00:52:05,143
comes and says they can't pay,

1070
00:52:05,143 --> 00:52:08,912
it's like seriously? Am I going 
to have the guy strung up?

1071
00:52:08,912 --> 00:52:12,579
It's like God has forgiven me for so much!

1072
00:52:12,579 --> 00:52:16,082
Don't worry about it, brother!

1073
00:52:16,082 --> 00:52:18,147
But it's debt. And we feel it different.

1074
00:52:18,147 --> 00:52:20,943
We feel it more than just 
financial because it's personal,

1075
00:52:20,943 --> 00:52:22,678
and it's insult, and it's offensive

1076
00:52:22,678 --> 00:52:24,280
because we're talking about sins;

1077
00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:26,048
we're talking about people wrong us.

1078
00:52:26,048 --> 00:52:27,522
Just having a debt against us

1079
00:52:27,522 --> 00:52:29,042
isn't necessarily wrong.

1080
00:52:29,042 --> 00:52:30,641
Maybe not being able to pay it,

1081
00:52:30,641 --> 00:52:32,174
there's some wrongness in that,

1082
00:52:32,174 --> 00:52:33,662
so we can take it personally.

1083
00:52:33,662 --> 00:52:35,849
But we don't have to take it personally

1084
00:52:35,849 --> 00:52:38,460
because God hasn't taken it so personally

1085
00:52:38,460 --> 00:52:40,081
that He's cast us into hell.

1086
00:52:40,081 --> 00:52:41,382
He so loved the world

1087
00:52:41,382 --> 00:52:43,261
that He put His own Son on that cross

1088
00:52:43,261 --> 00:52:45,508
and He allowed Him to 
suffer what He suffered.

1089
00:52:45,508 --> 00:52:47,182
He crushed Him under His wrath.

1090
00:52:47,182 --> 00:52:48,830
He put that cup to His lips.

1091
00:52:48,830 --> 00:52:50,513
He poured His soul out like water.

1092
00:52:50,513 --> 00:52:51,869
And what are we going to do?

1093
00:52:51,869 --> 00:52:54,338
Look at this Son of God -

1094
00:52:54,338 --> 00:52:57,308
(incomplete thought)

1095
00:52:57,308 --> 00:52:59,468
among the sons of men -

1096
00:52:59,468 --> 00:53:01,530
here you've got John the Baptist,

1097
00:53:01,530 --> 00:53:05,732
and Jesus says the things 
He says about him,

1098
00:53:05,732 --> 00:53:09,057
and he says I'm not worthy to touch

1099
00:53:09,057 --> 00:53:11,366
the latchet on his sandal.

1100
00:53:11,366 --> 00:53:12,975
We have One worth that much

1101
00:53:12,975 --> 00:53:15,778
and God did not spare Him, 
but gave Him up for us,

1102
00:53:15,778 --> 00:53:17,717
who were what? Useless, worthless,

1103
00:53:17,717 --> 00:53:20,874
weak, wretched, hell-deserving.

1104
00:53:20,874 --> 00:53:23,907
We were children of wrath 
like the rest of mankind.

1105
00:53:23,907 --> 00:53:25,737
And we're going to look at that

1106
00:53:25,737 --> 00:53:30,323
and after everything that 
God has done for us?

1107
00:53:30,323 --> 00:53:32,583
In our prayer, there ought to be

1108
00:53:32,583 --> 00:53:34,759
such gratitude and thankfulness

1109
00:53:34,759 --> 00:53:37,755
and a realization - this is 
the renewing of the mind.

1110
00:53:37,755 --> 00:53:39,229
Not always going before God

1111
00:53:39,229 --> 00:53:40,971
where you feel insulted,

1112
00:53:40,971 --> 00:53:44,558
like I haven't gotten 
out of life what I deserve.

1113
00:53:44,558 --> 00:53:47,604
God, give me, give me, give me!

1114
00:53:47,604 --> 00:53:50,239
(Incomplete thought)

1115
00:53:50,239 --> 00:53:52,347
When you go before the Lord

1116
00:53:52,347 --> 00:53:53,960
and there's gratitude, like,

1117
00:53:53,960 --> 00:53:57,140
"Lord, I cannot believe You saved me."

1118
00:53:57,140 --> 00:53:59,166
It's really hard to look at somebody else

1119
00:53:59,166 --> 00:54:02,290
and say, "I'm not forgiving you."

1120
00:54:02,290 --> 00:54:04,600
I'm going to harbor this grudge,

1121
00:54:04,600 --> 00:54:08,131
so just deal with it.

1122
00:54:08,131 --> 00:54:09,896
So our prayer life,

1123
00:54:09,896 --> 00:54:12,597
clearly this prayer life,

1124
00:54:12,597 --> 00:54:17,624
there's no aspect here

1125
00:54:17,624 --> 00:54:19,519
of whether they've repented or not.

1126
00:54:19,519 --> 00:54:21,233
The prayer life is it should be one

1127
00:54:21,233 --> 00:54:24,921
where it's all covered; it's all released.

1128
00:54:24,921 --> 00:54:26,188
I'm not harboring it.

1129
00:54:26,188 --> 00:54:29,642
Yes, I know that some individuals

1130
00:54:29,642 --> 00:54:32,452
may need to repent in order

1131
00:54:32,452 --> 00:54:34,333
for there to be reconciliation

1132
00:54:34,333 --> 00:54:36,531
and for relationships to be restored

1133
00:54:36,531 --> 00:54:41,462
the way that would be best.

1134
00:54:41,462 --> 00:54:43,734
But that isn't the issue.

1135
00:54:43,734 --> 00:54:47,821
And the last one that I 
want to bring up here is this:

1136
00:54:47,821 --> 00:54:50,406
Paul specifically mentions

1137
00:54:50,406 --> 00:54:52,759
learning Jesus.

1138
00:54:52,759 --> 00:54:54,715
Assuming that you have heard of Him

1139
00:54:54,715 --> 00:54:56,204
and have been taught the truth

1140
00:54:56,204 --> 00:54:57,696
as it is in Jesus.

1141
00:54:57,696 --> 00:55:06,954
But he assumes that 
we've learned of Christ.

1142
00:55:06,954 --> 00:55:11,189
Brethren, we do not want to minimize

1143
00:55:11,189 --> 00:55:15,068
or dismiss or explain away

1144
00:55:15,068 --> 00:55:18,475
our Lord Jesus Christ on that cross

1145
00:55:18,475 --> 00:55:20,302
saying "Father, forgive them,

1146
00:55:20,302 --> 00:55:23,037
for they know not what they do."

1147
00:55:23,037 --> 00:55:24,906
If you look at that,

1148
00:55:24,906 --> 00:55:26,223
and you tear that apart

1149
00:55:26,223 --> 00:55:31,674
to where He was praying 
for their forgiveness,

1150
00:55:31,674 --> 00:55:34,425
but it doesn't say Jesus forgave them -

1151
00:55:34,425 --> 00:55:36,691
if you want to try to 
make that distinction,

1152
00:55:36,691 --> 00:55:38,334
I think you are trying to separate

1153
00:55:38,334 --> 00:55:41,016
what God never meant to be separated.

1154
00:55:41,016 --> 00:55:45,321
Let's look at that. Luke 23:33.

1155
00:55:45,321 --> 00:55:47,401
Have you learned Christ?

1156
00:55:47,401 --> 00:55:48,874
Here's the classroom.

1157
00:55:48,874 --> 00:55:56,005
Let us come and sit at His feet and learn.

1158
00:55:56,005 --> 00:55:59,327
The new man is a man who's learned Christ.

1159
00:55:59,327 --> 00:56:00,958
Let us learn.

1160
00:56:00,958 --> 00:56:05,829
Luke 23:33.

1161
00:56:05,829 --> 00:56:09,106
"When they came to the 
place that is called the Skull,

1162
00:56:09,106 --> 00:56:11,458
there they crucified Him 
and the criminals,

1163
00:56:11,458 --> 00:56:13,653
one on His right hand 
and one on His left.

1164
00:56:13,653 --> 00:56:15,786
And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them,

1165
00:56:15,786 --> 00:56:17,438
for they know not what they do.'"

1166
00:56:17,438 --> 00:56:19,410
Now, here's one thing we know for a fact.

1167
00:56:19,410 --> 00:56:20,624
They're crucifying Him -

1168
00:56:20,624 --> 00:56:23,717
no evidence that they've repented.

1169
00:56:23,717 --> 00:56:25,749
No evidence of that at all.

1170
00:56:25,749 --> 00:56:27,738
There's no reason to assume it.

1171
00:56:27,738 --> 00:56:29,056
Who is He speaking about?

1172
00:56:29,056 --> 00:56:31,039
Probably both Jews and Romans.

1173
00:56:31,039 --> 00:56:32,838
They're both killing Him.

1174
00:56:32,838 --> 00:56:36,439
(Incomplete thought)

1175
00:56:36,439 --> 00:56:40,466
Jesus specifically said to Pilate,

1176
00:56:40,466 --> 00:56:42,749
(the Jews) crime, their sin is greater,

1177
00:56:42,749 --> 00:56:44,741
but He wasn't saying therefore

1178
00:56:44,741 --> 00:56:47,317
you have no crime in this.

1179
00:56:47,317 --> 00:56:50,621
He's praying for them.

1180
00:56:50,621 --> 00:56:52,507
"Father, forgive them,

1181
00:56:52,507 --> 00:56:54,793
for they know not what they do."

1182
00:56:54,793 --> 00:56:55,775
I say this again.

1183
00:56:55,775 --> 00:56:58,566
We dare not try to explain this away

1184
00:56:58,566 --> 00:57:01,189
by saying that there's 
no actual forgiveness

1185
00:57:01,189 --> 00:57:02,840
taking place in this text.

1186
00:57:02,840 --> 00:57:05,413
Or, that Jesus is only praying 
for their forgiveness,

1187
00:57:05,413 --> 00:57:07,335
but since no repentance has taken place,

1188
00:57:07,335 --> 00:57:09,251
there's no forgiveness of any sort here.

1189
00:57:09,251 --> 00:57:11,307
Now look, I recognize they need to repent

1190
00:57:11,307 --> 00:57:14,694
if His Father is going to forgive them.

1191
00:57:14,694 --> 00:57:18,928
But I'm not talking about what God does,

1192
00:57:18,928 --> 00:57:23,029
I'm talking about the 
heart of Christ in this.

1193
00:57:23,029 --> 00:57:25,757
That's the issue.

1194
00:57:25,757 --> 00:57:27,795
Answer me this.

1195
00:57:27,795 --> 00:57:32,994
What is forgiveness?

1196
00:57:32,994 --> 00:57:36,668
Forgiveness means -

1197
00:57:36,668 --> 00:57:40,003
you can look it up in your lexicons -

1198
00:57:40,003 --> 00:57:42,717
it means to let go.

1199
00:57:42,717 --> 00:57:44,641
That's good right?

1200
00:57:44,641 --> 00:57:46,566
Even if we're talking about a debt.

1201
00:57:46,566 --> 00:57:48,616
You let go.

1202
00:57:48,616 --> 00:57:50,526
We could use "cover."

1203
00:57:50,526 --> 00:57:53,170
That's good imagery as well.

1204
00:57:53,170 --> 00:57:58,247
It means to let go.

1205
00:57:58,247 --> 00:58:04,609
Jesus - notice - has He let go?

1206
00:58:04,609 --> 00:58:08,085
Is He bitter? Wrathful?

1207
00:58:08,085 --> 00:58:11,311
Angry? Clamorous? Slanderous?

1208
00:58:11,311 --> 00:58:14,432
All those things that Paul was describing?

1209
00:58:14,432 --> 00:58:19,163
Or has He let go?

1210
00:58:19,163 --> 00:58:24,563
Jesus unconditionally is showing them

1211
00:58:24,563 --> 00:58:27,850
kindness and tenderness here.

1212
00:58:27,850 --> 00:58:30,334
He's let go.

1213
00:58:30,334 --> 00:58:33,890
If this isn't forgiveness,

1214
00:58:33,890 --> 00:58:35,827
how else would you define it?

1215
00:58:35,827 --> 00:58:37,244
I mean, the attitude -

1216
00:58:37,244 --> 00:58:39,540
because that's what 
Paul's concerned about.

1217
00:58:39,540 --> 00:58:41,034
It's the attitude.

1218
00:58:41,034 --> 00:58:43,228
It's the kind attitude.

1219
00:58:43,228 --> 00:58:46,463
It's the tender attitude.

1220
00:58:46,463 --> 00:58:49,975
It's the God-like attitude

1221
00:58:49,975 --> 00:58:52,399
of not holding our crimes against us

1222
00:58:52,399 --> 00:58:55,924
and forgiving us when we don't deserve it.

1223
00:58:55,924 --> 00:58:59,511
Is that not what's 
flowing from Christ here?

1224
00:58:59,511 --> 00:59:03,009
Kindness and tenderness.

1225
00:59:03,009 --> 00:59:04,949
What did they deserve?

1226
00:59:04,949 --> 00:59:07,552
They're killing the Son of God!

1227
00:59:07,552 --> 00:59:10,498
One of the greatest crimes ever committed.

1228
00:59:10,498 --> 00:59:12,139
He's not holding on to it.

1229
00:59:12,139 --> 00:59:14,383
There's no grudge. There's no bitterness.

1230
00:59:14,383 --> 00:59:15,560
He's let go.

1231
00:59:15,560 --> 00:59:17,992
You can call that, you can define that

1232
00:59:17,992 --> 00:59:21,115
by whatever terminology you want,

1233
00:59:21,115 --> 00:59:23,517
but you need to learn of Christ.

1234
00:59:23,517 --> 00:59:25,166
Put the term on it you want,

1235
00:59:25,166 --> 00:59:30,436
but that's the spirit of the new man.

1236
00:59:30,436 --> 00:59:31,668
And you see it.

1237
00:59:31,668 --> 00:59:34,302
You see it projected right onto Stephen.

1238
00:59:34,302 --> 00:59:36,986
Acts 7:58 - just one last place

1239
00:59:36,986 --> 00:59:38,246
I want you to turn.

1240
00:59:38,246 --> 00:59:40,834
Acts 7:58.

1241
00:59:40,834 --> 00:59:47,113
Because here comes a disciple of Christ.

1242
00:59:47,113 --> 00:59:49,904
The martyr Stephen.

1243
00:59:49,904 --> 00:59:51,518
And we know -

1244
00:59:51,518 --> 00:59:55,710
we know that the Spirit 
that was so pervasive

1245
00:59:55,710 --> 00:59:58,580
in the life of Christ

1246
00:59:58,580 --> 01:00:04,194
is shining forth from Stephen as well.

1247
01:00:04,194 --> 01:00:07,445
In Acts 7:58, "then they cast him

1248
01:00:07,445 --> 01:00:13,498
out of the city and stoned him."

1249
01:00:13,498 --> 01:00:18,175
You should probably think about stoning

1250
01:00:18,175 --> 01:00:22,293
before you just read over it too quickly.

1251
01:00:22,293 --> 01:00:24,397
In fact, probably if you 
looked on YouTube,

1252
01:00:24,397 --> 01:00:26,641
I imagine with everything out there today

1253
01:00:26,641 --> 01:00:28,118
you can probably find pictures,

1254
01:00:28,118 --> 01:00:31,894
because there's enough women usually

1255
01:00:31,894 --> 01:00:37,498
who have been stoned in the Middle East.

1256
01:00:37,498 --> 01:00:39,475
"The witnesses laid down their garments

1257
01:00:39,475 --> 01:00:41,335
at the feet of a young man named Saul,

1258
01:00:41,335 --> 01:00:43,337
and as they were stoning Stephen,

1259
01:00:43,337 --> 01:00:46,027
he called out..."

1260
01:00:46,027 --> 01:00:49,096
You imagine - a rock hits you.

1261
01:00:49,096 --> 01:00:53,333
I mean, bang - concussion.
Bang - your teeth are out.

1262
01:00:53,333 --> 01:00:56,590
Bang - your rib is broken.

1263
01:00:56,590 --> 01:00:57,797
And what's happening?

1264
01:00:57,797 --> 01:00:59,196
He's not just covering up

1265
01:00:59,196 --> 01:01:01,614
and thinking about defending himself.

1266
01:01:01,614 --> 01:01:03,500
"'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,'

1267
01:01:03,500 --> 01:01:05,947
falling to his knees, he cried out

1268
01:01:05,947 --> 01:01:08,750
with a loud voice,

1269
01:01:08,750 --> 01:01:12,767
'Lord, do not hold this 
sin against them.'"

1270
01:01:12,767 --> 01:01:14,346
There's the spirit of it.

1271
01:01:14,346 --> 01:01:16,509
Stephen's prayers for 
those who stoned him.

1272
01:01:16,509 --> 01:01:18,965
Another example. Example of what?

1273
01:01:18,965 --> 01:01:22,704
They're not repenting - 
they're killing him.

1274
01:01:22,704 --> 01:01:25,844
Obviously there's no repentance.

1275
01:01:25,844 --> 01:01:26,966
But the issue is this,

1276
01:01:26,966 --> 01:01:28,864
unilateral - you know what that means?

1277
01:01:28,864 --> 01:01:30,645
That's the opposite of bilateral -

1278
01:01:30,645 --> 01:01:32,293
well, not the opposite,

1279
01:01:32,293 --> 01:01:35,902
because you could have trilateral.

1280
01:01:35,902 --> 01:01:38,474
But it's the idea of: all by yourself.

1281
01:01:38,474 --> 01:01:39,667
Unconditional.

1282
01:01:39,667 --> 01:01:42,709
You're not requiring anything of them.

1283
01:01:42,709 --> 01:01:46,286
You just unilaterally, 
unconditionally let it go.

1284
01:01:46,286 --> 01:01:47,526
You're forgiving them.

1285
01:01:47,526 --> 01:01:49,649
The fact that Stephen 
prayed for God's mercy

1286
01:01:49,649 --> 01:01:51,483
on his murderers shows

1287
01:01:51,483 --> 01:01:53,742
that he has already forgiven them.

1288
01:01:53,742 --> 01:01:57,077
Now it's true, God's forgiveness

1289
01:01:57,077 --> 01:01:58,699
is not going to be granted to them

1290
01:01:58,699 --> 01:02:00,085
apart from their repentance.

1291
01:02:00,085 --> 01:02:01,734
That is absolutely true.

1292
01:02:01,734 --> 01:02:04,757
But Stephen himself - what has he done?

1293
01:02:04,757 --> 01:02:08,588
He's already made a deliberate,

1294
01:02:08,588 --> 01:02:11,949
conscious choice to relinquish

1295
01:02:11,949 --> 01:02:13,850
his right to vengeance,

1296
01:02:13,850 --> 01:02:15,270
to retribution.

1297
01:02:15,270 --> 01:02:17,220
He's let it go.

1298
01:02:17,220 --> 01:02:18,992
He's forgiven them from his heart.

1299
01:02:18,992 --> 01:02:24,779
Again, if you don't 
like the term forgiveness,

1300
01:02:24,779 --> 01:02:26,937
what in the world is forgiveness

1301
01:02:26,937 --> 01:02:29,649
if it's not that?

1302
01:02:29,649 --> 01:02:31,473
That's what we want in the church.

1303
01:02:31,473 --> 01:02:35,423
That's the kind of reaction 
to people that we want.

1304
01:02:35,423 --> 01:02:38,820
If somebody had suffered such things

1305
01:02:38,820 --> 01:02:41,189
as Christ and Stephen have suffered

1306
01:02:41,189 --> 01:02:42,649
and they came into this church

1307
01:02:42,649 --> 01:02:44,163
and yet they were manifesting

1308
01:02:44,163 --> 01:02:46,270
tenderness and kindness

1309
01:02:46,270 --> 01:02:48,878
and a willingness to 
let go like these men,

1310
01:02:48,878 --> 01:02:52,579
we wouldn't be scrambling for terms.

1311
01:02:52,579 --> 01:02:55,011
We would say, wow, 
that's a forgiving person.

1312
01:02:55,011 --> 01:02:57,230
Why? Because that's the 
way we use the term,

1313
01:02:57,230 --> 01:02:58,841
and that's what it means.

1314
01:02:58,841 --> 01:03:01,614
It means to let go of things like that.

1315
01:03:01,614 --> 01:03:03,152
Call this what you will.

1316
01:03:03,152 --> 01:03:07,450
You may argue that it doesn't say

1317
01:03:07,450 --> 01:03:08,827
Jesus forgave them.

1318
01:03:08,827 --> 01:03:10,812
It doesn't say Stephen forgave them

1319
01:03:10,812 --> 01:03:12,813
in either of these passages.

1320
01:03:12,813 --> 01:03:15,043
But I would just appeal to this,

1321
01:03:15,043 --> 01:03:18,483
what does it mean to forgive?

1322
01:03:18,483 --> 01:03:21,169
Because if it doesn't mean 
what these guys are doing,

1323
01:03:21,169 --> 01:03:24,667
I have no clue what it means.

1324
01:03:24,667 --> 01:03:28,152
To me, that's... well, you say, to you?

1325
01:03:28,152 --> 01:03:30,373
That's your opinion.

1326
01:03:30,373 --> 01:03:34,592
This is what the term means.

1327
01:03:34,592 --> 01:03:38,037
It means to let go.

1328
01:03:38,037 --> 01:03:40,866
What's the point in all of this?

1329
01:03:40,866 --> 01:03:44,485
My point is this:

1330
01:03:44,485 --> 01:03:47,759
there's not a time -

1331
01:03:47,759 --> 01:03:51,130
whether people have repented or not -

1332
01:03:51,130 --> 01:03:53,889
there's not a time to hold 
grudges or bitterness.

1333
01:03:53,889 --> 01:03:57,875
There's not a time that 
we shouldn't let go.

1334
01:03:57,875 --> 01:04:00,065
Now, I recognize,

1335
01:04:00,065 --> 01:04:02,104
I recognize there's times

1336
01:04:02,104 --> 01:04:03,923
when to have reconciliation

1337
01:04:03,923 --> 01:04:06,690
and have the relationship restored,

1338
01:04:06,690 --> 01:04:09,849
we need repentance from the other person.

1339
01:04:09,849 --> 01:04:11,861
And I recognize there's times

1340
01:04:11,861 --> 01:04:13,628
to say to people in the church,

1341
01:04:13,628 --> 01:04:17,583
unless you repent, we're putting you out.

1342
01:04:17,583 --> 01:04:20,955
But you know what, even 
when we have to do that,

1343
01:04:20,955 --> 01:04:24,850
we can let go.

1344
01:04:24,850 --> 01:04:27,053
Even when we have to do that,

1345
01:04:27,053 --> 01:04:29,838
love can be dictating - not selfishness;

1346
01:04:29,838 --> 01:04:33,583
not this self-bitterness.

1347
01:04:33,583 --> 01:04:35,239
This is the attitude.

1348
01:04:35,239 --> 01:04:37,553
Even when we have to discipline people,

1349
01:04:37,553 --> 01:04:43,054
we can manifest a disposition

1350
01:04:43,054 --> 01:04:46,788
like Stephen, like Christ.

1351
01:04:46,788 --> 01:04:48,749
"Father, forgive them."

1352
01:04:48,749 --> 01:04:50,170
I mean, we fear for them.

1353
01:04:50,170 --> 01:04:52,772
You know when we discipline 
people out of the church,

1354
01:04:52,772 --> 01:04:54,887
I think where their path is going to lead

1355
01:04:54,887 --> 01:04:56,572
if they don't repent.

1356
01:04:56,572 --> 01:04:59,384
I say, Lord, please -

1357
01:04:59,384 --> 01:05:01,396
especially after coming under the truth

1358
01:05:01,396 --> 01:05:02,813
and experiencing the light -

1359
01:05:02,813 --> 01:05:07,327
their hell is going to be greater.

1360
01:05:07,327 --> 01:05:09,058
I fear for people.

1361
01:05:09,058 --> 01:05:13,840
You tremble for them.

1362
01:05:13,840 --> 01:05:16,139
But this is the heart.

1363
01:05:16,139 --> 01:05:17,389
This is the heart.

1364
01:05:17,389 --> 01:05:20,069
Kindness, tenderness, forgiving

1365
01:05:20,069 --> 01:05:25,364
as God in Christ forgave you.

1366
01:05:25,364 --> 01:05:28,851
The issue isn't the terms of repentance.

1367
01:05:28,851 --> 01:05:32,742
The issue is: you didn't deserve it,

1368
01:05:32,742 --> 01:05:35,422
and God forgave you

1369
01:05:35,422 --> 01:05:36,831
beyond your wildest dreams!

1370
01:05:36,831 --> 01:05:38,725
Hasn't He done things for you that are

1371
01:05:38,725 --> 01:05:43,110
so out there you can't hardly believe it?

1372
01:05:43,110 --> 01:05:45,154
Then, in the light of that

1373
01:05:45,154 --> 01:05:48,932
and that mindset,

1374
01:05:48,932 --> 01:05:52,032
let go.

1375
01:05:52,032 --> 01:05:54,074
Father, I pray, give us this spirit.

1376
01:05:54,074 --> 01:05:57,722
May it be pervasive here.

1377
01:05:57,722 --> 01:06:00,417
I ask this in the name of 
our Lord Jesus Christ,

1378
01:06:00,417 --> 01:06:01,358
Amen.