Matlock
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/354059/episodes/19307008-matlock-07-06-26-forgiveness-dave-watmore.mp3
Dave spoke about the power of forgiveness.
Justice and forgiveness
I have been stirred over the last few months about the culture around us in this country. My youngest son spoke with us about various news items and is angry about the injustice that is in our face day after day. Not a week goes by when we don’t have a good example of injustice but what do we do when we face injustice on a small scale or we feel we have been wronged.
When I stand here and say I’m going to tell you about the good news of Jesus and his forgiveness of your sins, you should all sit on the edge of your seats and wait in expectation for a life affirming experience. When I say to you that involves you having to forgive people who have hurt you or wronged you, you can’t wait for me to finish and you can flee to the Fuel Stop for a coffee or go and get your children from the children’s work even if they are now 30 years old.
So I’m addressing a difficult subject but if we are serious about living a holy life and a healthy life it is something we must grasp and where necessary deal with.
I will do my best to be as gracious as I can be.
All forgiveness has merit but biblical forgiveness has significant and far reaching power outside of yourself and into families and even to societies.
Let’s look at a couple of examples of forgiveness that are secular but not biblical.
Therapeutic forgiveness.
I will call this the Frozen forgiveness. The song famously says “Let it go , let it go”
It is fine as far as it goes. It only impacts you and does not deal with the other person or people. It only focuses on you.
Merit forgiveness
You will forgive someone when you see they are suffering as much as you are.This is somehow that you hope it pays you back but this is you seeking revenge and it is not for you to do this.
Putting the two together looks like forgiveness but it puts forgiveness in opposition to justice.
The cross shows us God’s forgiveness and fulfilment of God’s justice.
At the moment people are raging for justice but say that forgiveness can only be achieved when they see the person or people grovelling. It’s a recipe for hate, bitterness and anger.
Let’s look at some scriptures
““Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.””
Mark 11:23-25 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.11.23-25.NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.17.1-4.NIV
