West Willow Community Church

The Blessings Of Forgiveness from Don Tines on Vimeo.

The Blessings Of Forgiveness

TEXT: II Corinthians 2:5-11

THESIS: Seven motives to forgive enriches the New Testament teaching on forgiveness.

INTRODUCTION: We live in a culture that views forgiveness not as a virtue, but as a sign of weakness. Our heroes are the vengeful, who challenge their enemies to give them an opportunity to strike; those who proudly see themselves as their enemies’ “worst nightmare.” Some even argue that forgiveness is unhealthy. Self-help books boldly assert that people should cultivate self-esteem and blame others for causing their problems. The victim mentality reigns supreme, and as a result of these and other perspectives, vengeance and retaliation are exalted, not the noble and Christlike virtues of forgiveness and restoration.
But the price of refusing to forgive is high. Unforgiveness produces hatred, bitterness, animosity, anger, and retribution. It not only clogs up the arteries but also the courts with thousands of vengeful lawsuits. Refusing to forgive imprisons people in their past. Unforgiving people keep their pain alive by constantly picking at the open wound and keeping it from healing. Bitterness takes root in their hearts and defiles them. Anger rages out of control and negative emotions run unchecked. Life is filled with turmoil and strife instead of joy and peace.
The apostle Paul understood the importance of forgiveness. In this passage he urged the Corinthians to forgive one of their number. This individual (his identity hidden by the terms “any” in verse 5 and “such a one” in verse 6) had apparently verbally and publicly assaulted Paul during the apostle’s “painful visit” to Corinth. Following Paul’s instructions, the Corinthian church disciplined the sinning member and put him out of the fellowship. He had since repented, and now not only did Paul forgive him, but he also instructed the Corinthians to do so too. From this passage seven motives emerge that enrich the New Testament teaching on forgiveness.

SCRIPTURE READING: PRAYER:

I. We Are To Forgive One Another To Deflect Pride Vs. 5
If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent — not to put it too severely.

A. One of the biggest reasons people don’t forgiven one another is pride.

1. The clause if any has caused sorrow assumes the condition to be true. Paul acknowledged the reality of the offense and its impact on the church.
2. A prideful reaction to an offense can run the gamut from wallowing in self-pity to violent retaliation, and everything in between.
3. There was no place in Paul’s heart for self-glory, self-protection, self-pity, a wounded ego, or retaliation.
a. Paul acknowledged that the offender who assaulted him had caused sorrow, but he refused to take it personally.
b. By refusing to make an issue out of his personal injury, the apostle intended to soften the animosity toward the repentant offender.
c. The church would deal with him apart from any consideration of Paul.

B. Back in I Cor. 1:12; 3:4 we learn that The members of the “Paul party” at Corinth were deeply offended when Paul was publicly insulted.

1. They perhaps felt that the sinning individual needed more discipline and penance before being restored to fellowship.
2. Paul, however, defused the situation by insisting that the offender had not really caused sorrow to him.
a. He was not bitterly resentful, nor did he seek vengeance on the one who had insulted him.
b. He dismissed the grief and embarrassment the individual had caused him and urged the church to deal with him objectively.
c. They had no right to carry out a vendetta on the apostle’s behalf.
3. Paul humbly rose above the offense and forgave the offender, refusing to see himself as a victim or to carry a grudge against the one who offended him.
a. There was no place in Paul’s mind for pride or bitter resentment, because how people judged him was inconsequential.
b. He was not concerned about the offense as it related to him, Paul was concerned about its ramifications in the Corinthian congregation.
c. The man’s offense did cause the Corinthians some sorrow, since he had caused strife in the congregation.
C. While acknowledging to the Corinthians that the offender had caused sorrow, Paul added two disclaimers to minimize the impact of the offense.

1. The sorrow was limited in extent; it had only affected the Corinthian church in some degree.
a. Paul also did not want to say too much about the offense; he did not want to exaggerate it.
b. Instead, he downplayed the incident and cautioned the Corinthians not to blow it up out of proportion.
2. The man had repented; the incident was closed; and it was time to move on.
a. Paul had nothing but love and forgiveness in his heart toward the person who had wronged him.
b. He was not about to let that individual steal his joy, impair his usefulness, or become the dominating issue in the Corinthian church.
3. Paul exemplified the forgiveness Jesus commanded. Responding to Peter’s question, “‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ (Matt 18:21) Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven’” (v. 22).

D. Forgiveness breaks the bitter chains of pride, self-pity, and vengeance that lead to despair, alienation, broken relationships, and loss of joy.

II. We Are To Forgiven One Another To Show Mercy Vs. 6
The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him.

A. The punishment that had already been inflicted on the sinning individual by the church was sufficient.

1. He had suffered enough, and it was time to show him mercy and restore him to fellowship. ‎
2. The term “punishment” appears only here in the New Testament.
a. Both its use in extrabiblical Greek writings and the context of this passage suggest that “punishment” ‎refers to an official disciplinary act by the majority: excommunication or disfellowshipping.
b. The New Testament teaches that the church is to discipline sinning believers.
c. Jesus outlined that process in Matt 18:15-18:
1) If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
2) But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.
3) If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
4) Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

B. Paul had written to both the church at Corinth and The Church at Thessalonian dealing with sinning members of their congregations:

1. I Cor. 5:4-5 & vs. 11:
In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. . . . But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. (1 Cor 5:4-5,11)
2. To the Thessalonians Paul wrote,
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. . . . If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. (2 Thess 3:6,14-15)

C. The Corinthian congregation had officially acted and put the sinning individual out of the church.

1. Apparently that discipline had had its desired effect, and the man had repented. It was time to forgive and restore him.
2. In Gal 6:1 Paul commanded, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”
3. He told the Ephesians, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Eph 4:32).
4. In Col 3:13 he wrote that believers are to be characterized by “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone.”

D. Believers are never more like God than when they show forgiving mercy to a repentant sinner.
III. We Are To Forgiven One Another To Restore Joy Vs. 7
Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

A. David acknowledged the sad reality that sin steals joy.

1. In Ps 51 he begged God, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” “Deliver me O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness”
2. Confession and repentance restores the joy that God desires all Christians to have.

B. Some believed that the individual who had insulted Paul needed to suffer further before being restored.

1. Paul disagreed, and insisted that on the contrary the Corinthians should rather forgive and comfort him.
2. His pain had brought him to repentance, and now it was time to restore his joy.
3. The church cannot set arbitrary limits on grace and mercy; it cannot reject a truly penitent individual, no matter how serious the sin was.

C. Not to forgive the repentant person Is sin within itself and steals joy.

1. It would, in fact, bring God’s chastening on them.
2. Unforgiveness would also render them unfit for worship.
3. Positively, the Corinthian congregation needed to comfort him.
a. Comfort translates the familiar New Testament word which means, “to come alongside,” “to strengthen,” or “to encourage.”
b. The Corinthians were to “restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness”; to come alongside him, lift him up, and help him to walk in obedience.
4. Paul feared that otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow, not only the sorrow of his punishment, but also the sorrow caused by the Corinthians’ continued rejection of him.
a. To be “overwhelmed” is often translated in the New Testament as “swallow”, “drown”; and “devour”.
b. God does not want believers be totally consumed by the grief caused by their sin.
c. Later in this epistle Paul wrote, “The sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10).

D. After sorrow has done its convicting work, it is to be replaced by joy.
IV. We Are To Forgiven One Another To Affirm Love Vs. 8 “I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”

A. Paul’s love for the repentant individual caused him to urge the Corinthians to reaffirm their love for him.

1. In its only other New Testament appearance, this term “reaffirm” speaks of formally ratifying a covenant (Gal 3:15).
2. The Corinthians had officially and publicly disciplined the offender (v. 6). Now they needed to conclude the matter by publicly and lovingly restoring him to the fellowship.
3. By so doing they would display their collective as well as individual affection for him.
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B. When Paul used the term “love” he was saying that this love is the love of choice, of will, of humble service to others.

1. It is the love not of sentimental feelings but of action.
2. This kind of Love is essential in the life of the church.
3. On the night before His death Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
4. The greatest demonstration of love, both by individual believers and the church collectively, is forgiving others.

V. We Are To Forgiven One Another To Prove Obedience Vs. 9
The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.

A. To Forgive shows humility, mercy, joy, and love which are the characteristics of a godly believer.

1. One reason Paul wrote the severe letter between 1st and 2nd Corinthians was so that he might put the Corinthians to the test and see whether they would be obedient in all things.
2. Would they be willing to forgive would be a real test of the Corinthians’ hearts.
3. As human history shows man does not readily forgive.
a. Repeated wars, longtime feuds, centuries of deadly retaliation between racial and religious groups, and personal vengeance have marred human history since the Fall.
b. Sinful, prideful humanity sees forgiveness as weakness and vengeance as strength.
c. The Corinthians had proven themselves obedient by disciplining the offender.
d. Forgiving him and receiving him back into the fellowship would also be proof of their obedience.

B. Jesus commanded, “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3).

1. By disciplining the sinning member, the Corinthians had obeyed the first part of that admonition; by fully forgiving him, they would obey the latter.
2. Paul put the Corinthian church to the test to see if they would both discipline and forgive.
3. Unlike most churches today, the Corinthian church passed both tests.
4. They did the hard work of confronting sin; they also obeyed Paul’s command to graciously forgive and restore the sinning individual.
5. It was Titus discovered and reported to Paul, the Corinthians had obeyed the apostle and forgiven the offender. Out of the chaos and confusion of their turbulent past had come an obedient church.

VI. We Are To Forgiven One Another To Restore Fellowship Vs. 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,

A. Paul demonstrated humility in forgiving.

1. He did not agree with the “Paul party” who wanted the individual to suffer more.
2. Paul had already forgiven him if, he added, I have forgiven anything.
3. Once again, the apostle downplayed the offense against him.
4. His primary concern was for the fellowship to be restored and for there to be unity in the Corinthian church.
5. He forgave the individual primarily for the Corinthians’ sakes.

B. Paul lived in the presence of Christ knowing that his every thought, word, and deed was before His Lord.
1. Paul eagerly forgave the one who had offended him because Christ, in whose presence he constantly lived, had fully forgiven him.
2. Forgiveness is crucial to maintaining unity in the church fellowship. Without it discord, disharmony, bitterness, and vengeance can destroy unity.

VII. We Are To Forgive One Another To Thwart Satan Vs. 11
in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

A. Satan’s goal for the church is the opposite of God’s.

1. God wants a humble, merciful, joyful, loving, obedient fellowship
2. Satan wants one where sin reigns supreme.
3. If sin is confronted, Satan wants it done so in a harsh, graceless, merciless manner.

B. Both failing to deal with sin and failing to forgive repentant sinners can destroy a church and individual believers.

1. Paul stressed that the Corinthians must forgive and restore the repentant individual so that no advantage would be taken of them by Satan.
2. An unforgiving spirit plays right into the devil’s hands and gives him the leverage he needs to split a church apart.
3. Believers dare not be ignorant of Satan’s schemes but must “stand firm against the schemes of the devil” and “not give the devil an opportunity”.
4. Two vitally important ways of doing that are dealing with sin and forgiving sinners.

Conclusion: Forgiveness affects the one who forgives, the one forgiven, and the entire church. The hard work of disciplining sinners and restoring those who repent is a true test of a church’s love for the Lord.