Slides: Officiating Forgiveness Acts

Officiating Forgiveness Acts

Henry Reyenga

The Role of Ministers in Forgiveness

John 20:22  And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Sermon on the Mount

Luke 6:37-38     “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

In the Lord’s Prayer

Luke 11:4     Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. 

Faith and Forgiveness Connect

Mark 11:23-25  “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

God is serious about forgiveness

Matthew 18:23    “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

Matthew 18:33    Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

Matthew 18:35    “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

Forgive Because You Were forgiven

Colossians 3:13    Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Forgiveness is About Our Need

1 John 1:9    If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Christ Modeled Forgiveness

Luke 23:33    When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Not an Instigator of Sin, But a Forgiver of Wrongs

Luke 17:1-4      Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. ² It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. ³ So watch yourselves.

“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Forgiveness as a Community Act

2 Corinthians 2:6   The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. ⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 

Forgiveness as a Community Act

2 Corinthians 2:10   If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake. 

Removing Bitterness

Hebrews 12:15   See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Signs of Envy

James 3:13-16     Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

Bitterness is a Gateway to Sin Captivity

Acts 8:22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. ²³ For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Help People Unburden Their Souls

Ephesians 4:30-32   And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.