THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT<br> <br>

PROGRAM AIR DATE – 11-29-15

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LESSON TITLE:  “FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER.”<br> <br>



WELCOME<br> <br>

      THE INSPIRED SOLOMON ONCE SAID, “THE FRUIT OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS A TREE OF LIFE, AND HE WHO WINS SOULS IS WISE.”  MAY I ASK US ALL TO CONSIDER, “WHAT TYPE OF FRUIT ARE WE BEARING FOR OUR LORD IN EACH OF OUR LIVES?  FURTHERMORE, DOES THE FRUIT WE BEAR BRING FORTH A GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE PRODUCE, AS GOD HAS INTENDED?”<br> <br>

      LET ME WELCOME EACH OF YOU TO THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM ON THIS GLORIOUS LORD’S DAY MORNING!  HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO PUT GOD FIRST THIS DAY AND TO ASSEMBLE FOR THIS TIME OF WORSHIP BEFORE HIS MIGHTY THRONE!<br> <br>

      AS ALWAYS, IT WILL BE OUR PRIVILEGE TO OFFER SACRIFICES TO GOD THIS MORNING, WITH THE FRUIT OF OUR LIPS AND THE OBEDIENCE OF OUR ACTIONS, MAY WE ALL BE ENCOURAGED ON THIS THE LORD’S DAY.  HOWEVER, MAY WE EACH DO OUR PART SO THAT ULTIMATELY WE WILL OFFER PRAISE TO GOD ACCORDING TO HIS TRUTH AS IS FOUND IN HIS PRECIOUS WILL.   SO AS WE BEGIN OUR FOCUS ON THE CREATOR, WILL YOU BOW WITH ME IN PRAYER?  <br> <br>

      PRAYER:  OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY AND THE MANY BLESSINGS OF LIFE. WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO SERVE YOU AND TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN. AND FATHER, HELP US TO ALWAYS LOOK TO YOU TO FIND THE STRENGTH AND THE GUIDANCE THAT WE NEED TO LIVE OUR LIVES IN SUCH A WAY WHERE WE ARE FOUND PLEASING IN YOUR SIGHT, KNOWING THAT THERE ARE CERTAINLY GREATER THINGS AWAITING US WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER. WE THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF JESUS AS WELL AS HIS RESURRECTION - WHICH MAKES OUR OPPORTUNITIES POSSIBLE THAT WE MIGHT BE FOUND MERCIFUL, GRACIOUS, AND LOVING IN YOUR SIGHT IN AND THROUGH THE GREAT CHARACTER WHICH YOU SHOW. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.

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      WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO KNOW WHAT PATH WE SHOULD TAKE OR WHAT DIRECTION WE SHOULD GO IN THIS LIFE?   THIS MORNING WE WANT TO BEGIN WITH A SONG THAT REMINDS US THAT THERE IS SOMETHING AND SOMEONE WE CAN LOOK TO IN ORDER TO FIND THE PERFECT WAY UNTO ETERNAL LIFE.  SO, WON’T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING TOGETHER, “STEPPING IN THE LIGHT!” 

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DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

      AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR PROGRAM WE CONSIDERED A VERSE FROM PROVERBS, SPOKEN BY KING SOLOMON.  THERE WE READ THIS WISE MAN’S COUNSEL IN CONNECTION TO THE TYPE OF FRUIT WE MUST BEAR AS CHRISTIANS. SOLOMON SUMMED IT UP IN ONE WORD - RIGHTEOUSNESS! <br> <br>

      NO DOUBT THIS WAS THE SAME IDEA PAUL WAS GIVEN THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN GALATIANS 5:22-23.  THERE WE READ, “BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL. AGAINST SUCH THERE IS NO LAW. DID YOU CATCH ALL OF THESE CHRISTIANS CHARACTERISTICS?  DID YOU NOTICE THAT THEY ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE FOUND IN CHRIST.  AND IF THESE ARE GOD-LIKE CHARACTERISTICS, THEN NO DOUBT THEY ARE RIGHTEOUS, AND IF RIGHTEOUS THEN THEY ARE THE FRUIT WE NEED TO BEAR!  <br> <br>

      IN THIS SAME CONTEXT WE ALSO LEARN THAT THOSE WHO PRODUCE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT WILL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THUS ETERNAL LIFE.  I HOPE WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE BEAR THE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH EXEMPLIFIES GOD BEFORE THIS WORLD.  

      JOHN ALSO CONFIRMED THIS TRUTH IN HIS BOOK. IN 1 JOHN 3:7 WE READ, “HE WHO PRACTICES RIGHTEOUSNESS IS RIGHTEOUS, JUST AS HE IS RIGHTEOUS!”  WHAT A STANDARD WE HAVE TO FOLLOW IN JESUS. <br> <br>

      FINALLY, LET’S CONSIDER THE OTHER STATEMENT OF OUR TEXT IN PROVERBS, WHICH WAS MENTIONED EARLIER; “…AND HE WHO WINS SOULS IS WISE.”  HERE WE FIND THAT THE ONE WHO BEARS PROPER FRUIT IN WORD AND DEED, HAS A DIRECT BEARING ON SOUL WINNING!  HOW OFTEN DO WE FORGET THAT IT IS OUR EXAMPLE THAT OFTEN PLAYS THE GREATEST PART IN OTHERS SEEING CHRIST AND WANTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HIM?  WHEN THE WORLD SEES OUR FRUIT, THEY SHOULD SEE CHRIST, AND WHEN ONE SEES CHRIST, THEY CAN’T HELP BUT WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HIM.    

      SO LET ME ASK YOU, “HOW DO YOU ACT, WHAT TYPE OF THINGS DO YOU DO, AND WHAT DO YOU SAY IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE?”  THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS REALLY MAKE US REALIZE JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BEAR THE PROPER FRUIT FOR GOD, AS HIS DEAR CHILDREN.<br> <br>

      TODAY WE WILL BE CONTINUING OUR SERIES OF STUDY ENTITLED, “THE ELECT OF GOD.”  OUR SPECIFIC LESSON OF THE DAY WILL DEAL WITH, “FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER.” SO PLEASE STAY WITH US THIS MORNING AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER, WE WILL BE LEAD IN THESE MAIN THOUGHTS OF THE DAY. <br> <br>

      AS FAR AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER, WE WELCOME BROTHER CHUCK NORTHROP WITH US TODAY.  BROTHER CHUCK IS A FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR AT THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF MISSOURI, HERE IN SPRINGFIELD.  WE ALWAYS ENJOY HAVING HIM WITH US AND APPRECIATE HIS GUIDANCE IN THE TEACHINGS OF GOD.  SO, WE WILL RETURN IN JUST A FEW MINUTES FOR THIS STUDY OF THE MORNING.   NOW IT’S TIME TO JOIN IN OUR SECOND SONG, THE NAME OF THIS HYMN, “THE GOSPEL IS FOR ALL.” <br> <br>



LESSON<br> <br>

BY CHUCK NORTHROP<br> <br>

      WE APPRECIATE SO MUCH YOUR ATTENDANCE TODAY AND WE APPRECIATE YOU, WE APPRECIATE YOUR LOVE FOR THE TRUTH, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN SPIRITUAL MATTERS. IN ANY RELATIONSHIP WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAS TO BE FORGIVENESS. PAUL, IN WRITING TO THE COLOSSIANS IN COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 3, HE WAS REALLY COMPARING THE OLD MAN AS OPPOSED TO THE NEW MAN. HE SAID TO PUT OFF THE OLD MAN AND TO PUT ON THE NEW MAN - AND A PART OF THAT PUTTING ON THE NEW MAN IS TO HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF FORGIVENESS. IN COLOSSIANS 3, BEGINNING WITH VERSE 13, LISTEN TO WHAT PAUL THE APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST SAID. HE WROTE, “FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, IF ANY MAN HAVE A QUARREL AGAINST ANY:  EVEN AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO DO YE.”<br> <br> 

      AS WE THINK ABOUT THE IDEA OF FORGIVING, AND REALLY WE NEED TO DEAL WITH FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER FIRST. BUT AS WE THINK ABOUT THE IDEA FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER HE'S REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE WAY IN THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH PEOPLE PRESENTLY AND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM. IT IS THE CASE THAT WE MUST FORBEAR WITH PEOPLE. AND IN ANY RELATIONSHIP WHETHER IT'S THE RELATIONSHIP OF HUSBAND AND WIFE, OR WHETHER THE RELATIONSHIP OF A FATHER TO A DAUGHTER, OR A FATHER OR PARENT TO A SON, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, OR FRIENDS OR COWORKERS THERE ARE ALWAYS OCCASIONS THAT WE SIMPLY MUST BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE BEAR THERE OR FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER ACTUALLY CARRIES THE IDEA OF SUFFERING WITH. THERE ARE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DO THAT WE MUST SUFFER WITH THEM AND WE JUST SIMPLY HAVE TO TOLERATE IT. OR AS WE USED TO SAY, WE JUST GRIT OUR TEETH AND GO ON. <br> <br>

      BUT THEN HE ALSO USES THE IDEA OF FOR FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER. AND AS WE THINK ABOUT FORGIVENESS IT'S REALLY A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THERE. YOU KNOW, FORBEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER IS THAT CONSTANT THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO PRESENTLY AND IT'S CONCERNING THE PRESENT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE AND WE FORBEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, IT'S WITH REFERENCE TO THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST, WE MUST FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER. AND IT COULD BE THE IMMEDIATE PAST. IN ANOTHER WORDS, AS WE'RE DEALING WITH SOMEONE AND THEY SLIP WITH SOMETHING AND THEY SAY SOMETHING THEY OUGHT NOT SAY AND THEY SAY - PLEASE, WILL YOU FORGIVE ME? WELL, WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FORGIVE THEM. OR SOMETHING THAT MAYBE  HAD BEEN DONE OR SAID IN THE PAST WEEK AND THEY REALIZE WE'VE TALKED WITH THEM AND THEY REALIZE THEY'VE DONE SOMETHING WRONG - AND THEY COME AND THEY REQUEST FORGIVENESS AND WE THEN FORGIVE THEM. OR SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST, IN THE DISTANT PAST, AND SO WHETHER IT'S THE IMMEDIATE PAST OR THE SHORT DISTANCE PAST OR LONG DISTANCE PAST WE THEN HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER. <br> <br>

      AS WE THINK ABOUT THE IDEA OF FORGIVING, I THINK THERE ARE CONCEPTS THAT WE FIND WITH DIFFERENT WORDS WITHIN THE SCRIPTURES. AS MOST OF US KNOW, THE BIBLE / THE NEW TESTAMENT WAS WRITTEN IN KOINE GREEK, COMMON GREEK. AND IT WAS A GREEK THAT WAS SPOKEN ON THE STREET IN THE FIRST CENTURY THAT JESUS USED AND THE APOSTLES USED AS THEY WENT ABOUT PREACHING THE GOSPEL. NOW, IT'S NOT MY PLACE TO GIVE THOSE WORDS BUT I WANT TO GIVE THE DEFINITIONS. THERE ARE BASICALLY THREE WORDS THAT ARE TRANSLATED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - THE IDEA OF FORGIVING OR TO FORGIVE. <br> <br>

      THE FIRST WORD IS NOT USED BY PAUL IN THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS BUT IT IS A WORD THAT SIMPLY MEANS TO RELEASE. IT IS A WORD THAT MEANS TO SEND AWAY AND IT'S THE IDEA OF COUNSELING A DEATH. WHEN JESUS IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT TAUGHT US TO PRAY IN WHAT WE NORMALLY CALL THE LORD'S PRAYER, HE SAID FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS EVEN AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS. WELL THAT WORD FORGIVENESS IS THIS PARTICULAR WORD - AND IT IS THE IDEA OF THAT COUNSELING IN DEBT OR TO SEND AWAY OR TO SEND FOR. WE'VE ALL FELT INDEBTED TO SOMEONE ELSE AND MANY OF US HAVE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED SOMETHING OF THIS NATURE. I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO HAVING A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME AND A CERTAIN PERSON THAT I HAD A DEBT TO, HE WROTE ME A LETTER AND SAID YOU'VE BEEN RELEASED FROM THIS DEBT / PAID IN FULL. I APPRECIATED IT SO MUCH - BUT I'VE HAD OTHERS DO THE SAME THING WITH ME. WHEN THEY CAME TO ME, WHEN THEY OWED ME A DEBT AND THEY ASKED ME - WILL YOU PLEASE FORGIVE ME OF MY DEBT? AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT SAY - YEAH, OF COURSE, I WILL FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR DEBT. BECAUSE YOU KNOW AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT, ISN'T IT THE CASE THAT GOD HAS FORGIVEN US OF A GREAT DEBT? WE HAVE A GREAT DEBT TO GOD ALMIGHTY! I MEAN, AFTER ALL, WE LIVE AND MOVE, AND HAVE OUR BEING BECAUSE OF HIM. WE HAVE A GREAT DEBT BUT WE ALSO OWE THE DEBT OF SIN. AND THAT SIN IS FORGIVEN US. BUT NOTICE IN THAT SERMON ON THE MOUNT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, IN THAT PRAYER THAT JESUS TAUGHT US TO PRAY IN MATTHEW THE SIXTH CHAPTER, HE SAID FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, EVEN AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS. IF WE DO NOT FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS, THEN IT'S CLEAR THE FATHER IS NOT GOING TO FORGIVE US. AND SO IT IS THE CASE THEN - FORGIVENESS IS THAT IDEA OF TO SEND AWAY, TO CANCEL THE DEBT THAT WE HAVE TOWARD THE FATHER. <br> <br>

      BUT A SECOND WORD THAT'S USED WITH REFERENCE TO THIS AND IT'S THE IDEA OF FORGIVING, IT IS USED IN THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS BUT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN OUR CONTEXT, BUT IT MEANS TO DISMISS OR TO RELEASE. IT IS THE IDEA TO SEND AWAY AND IT'S OFTEN TIMES TRANSLATED REMISSION. AND USUALLY WHEN IT'S TRANSLATED REMISSION - IT HAS IN CONNECTION WITH OF SIN. IN ANOTHER WORDS, WE'RE IN REMISSION OF SINS. AND IT'S THE IDEA OF TO DELIVER OR TO SAVE US OR TO FORGIVE US OF OUR SINS. NOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR WORD BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT'S USED WITHIN SCRIPTURE IT'S THE IDEA OF DELIVERANCE. SOMETHING THAT'S IN BONDAGE. MAYBE WE'VE CAUGHT A BIRD. MAYBE THE BIRD WAS HURT AND WE NURSED IT BACK TO HEALTH. AND THEN AT ONE POINT WE OPEN UP THE CAGE AND RELEASE THAT BIRD BACK INTO THE WILD. THAT'S THAT IDEA OF FORGIVENESS. GOD HAS RELEASED US! AND JUST AS WE HAVE A DEBT OF SIN, WE'RE ALSO IN BONDAGE TOO. EXCUSE ME, IN BONDAGE TO SIN - AND WE OUGHT TO FEEL THAT BONDAGE. IN OTHER WORDS, WE'VE GOT A CHAIN AROUND OUR LEG AND THERE IS A BALL ATTACHED TO IT AND IT'S THE BALL OF SIN - AND WE'RE DRAGGING THAT CHAIN AROUND BECAUSE WE ARE INDEBTED TO SIN. JESUS SPOKE OF THAT IN JOHN 8:32, “YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE.” WE ARE IN BONDAGE TO SIN. OF COURSE THE JEWS ON THAT OCCASION SAY WE'VE NEVER BEEN IN BONDAGE TO ANYONE. BUT JESUS SAID TO THEM THAT THEY WERE INDEED IN BONDAGE TO SIN. AND PAUL WROTE ABOUT THAT IN ROMANS 6. SO TO HAVE FORGIVENESS IS TO BE RELEASED FROM THAT BONDAGE. WE'RE RELEASED! THE CAGE IS OPEN! WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERED FROM THAT BONDAGE OF SIN AND WE THEN ARE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN. <br> <br>

      NOW, JUST AS THERE IS A BONDAGE TO SIN, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE'VE ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. AND IN FACT, IF WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN WE DECEIVE OURSELVES AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US. AND IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT SINNED, ONE WAS PRESENT TENSE. THE OTHER IS PAST TENSE, IF WE SAY WE HAVE NOT SINNED WE MAKE HIM A LIAR AND HIS WORD IS NOT IN US - THAT'S 1JOHN 1: 8-10. AND SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT, IF WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN, WE ARE SELF-DECEIVED. WE RECOGNIZE WE HAVE SIN AND WITH SIN COMES BONDAGE. WELL, THERE'S A PAYMENT FOR THAT SIN. IN ROMANS 6 IN VERSE 23, “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH. BUT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS.” WELL, THAT DEATH IS THAT BONDAGE. WE ARE IN BONDAGE BECAUSE OF SIN AND WE'RE HEADED TOWARD DEATH. BUT GOD HAS RELEASED US FROM THAT BONDAGE. IN COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 1 IS THAT SECOND DEFINITION. HE SAID, “IN WHOM WE HAVE, IN CHRIST WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, EVEN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.” WELL, IT'S INTERESTING THAT PAUL WOULD USE THE TERM REDEMPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE FORGIVENESS HERE. REDEMPTION MEANS TO BUY BACK. HE PAID THE PRICE AND THAT PRICE WAS HIS BLOOD. HE REDEEMED US, HE PAID THE PRICE THROUGH HIS BLOOD, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT REDEMPTION BEING PAID OUT WE THEN HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM SIN! WE HAVE THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN! <br> <br>

      NOW THAT THIRD DEFINITION OF SIN IS THE ONE THAT'S USED IN OUR TEXT. AND IT'S A WORD THAT'S RELATED TO THE WORD THAT'S TRANSLATED - GRACE - WITHIN THE NEW TESTAMENT. AND THIS PARTICULAR WORD MEANS TO BESTOW A GIFT OR TO BESTOW A FAVOR. AND A FAVOR REALLY IS MORE THE IDEA OF THE GIVING OF A GIFT OR THE BESTOW OF A FAVOR. AND IT'S USED IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT IT'S NOT JUST ANY TYPE OF FAVOR OF NOT JUST ANY TYPE OF GIFT. IT IS THE BESTOW OF SOMETHING THAT IS PLEASANT OR SOMETHING THAT IS AGREEABLE. AND SO GOD HAS BESTOWED UPON US THAT GIFT OF GRACE, THAT PLEASURABLE GRACE THAT WE SO MUCH NEED AND SO MUCH WANT. WELL, THIS IS USED OVER IN THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 2, AS IT IS IN OUR TEXT. IN COLOSSIANS 2:13 HE SAID, “AND YOU, BEING DEAD IN YOUR SINS AND THE UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH, HATH HE QUICKENED TOGETHER WITH HIM, HAVING FORGIVEN YOU ALL TRESPASS.” AND AS WE'VE ALREADY SAID - IT'S USED IN OUR TEXT HERE. <br> <br>

      AND SO, AS WE DEAL WITH ONE ANOTHER, WE DEAL WITH ONE ANOTHER IN THE IDEA OF BEING FORBEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER. BUT WE ALSO DEAL WITH ONE ANOTHER IN FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER. BUT THEN ALSO WITHIN OUR TEXT WE FIND AN IMPROPER BEHAVIOR AS WELL. NOTICE THE SECOND PART OF THE VERSE,  HE SAID IF ANY MAN HAVE A QUARREL AGAINST ANY, IF ANY MAN HAVE A QUARREL. NOW, IT HAS TO BE GONE BACK INTO, AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT CONTEXT. AGAIN, AS WE ARE LOOKING AT THE CONTEXT, HE DEALS WITH PUTTING OFF THE OLD MAN AND PUTTING ON THE NEW MAN. AND PART OF THE PUTTING OFF THE OLD MAN IS DOING AWAY WITH SUCH QUARRELS BY FORBEARANCE AND BY FORGIVENESS. <br> <br>

      NOW, THE WORD QUARREL MEANS A BLAME OR A COMPLAINT. IF ANY MAN HAVE A COMPLAINT OR IF ANY MAN HAVE A BLAME AGAINST THE OTHER, WE ARE TO FORBEAR WITH THEM AND WE ARE TO FORGIVE THEM. NOW, NOTICE BACK IN VERSE 8. HE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING OFF THE OLD MAN AND ALONG WITH THAT IS ANGER, WRATH, MALICE, BLASPHEMY, EVIL COMMUNICATION OR FILTHY COMMUNICATION OUT OF YOUR MOUTH - LIE NOT ONE TO ANOTHER. WELL, IF THERE'S ANGER AND THERE'S WRATH AND THERE'S MALICE AND THERE'S EVIL COMMUNICATIONS OUT OF YOUR MOUTH AND THERE'S A LYING WITH ONE ANOTHER, THEN THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS THAT'S THERE. THAT'S THE OLD MAN AND WE'RE TO PUT OFF THE OLD MAN - TWICE EMPHASIZED; VERSUS 8 AND VERSE 10. BUT WE ARE TO PUT ON THE NEW MAN AND THAT INCLUDES THE IDEA OF AND THE ATTITUDE OF FORBEARING WITH AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER.<br> <br>

       BUT THEN THERE'S A THIRD PART IN THIS BECAUSE HE PROVIDES THE STANDARD OF FORGIVENESS. LOOK AT THE VERSE 13 IN OUR TEXT AND LET'S NOTICED THE LAST STATEMENT. HE SAID, “EVEN AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO DO YE.” THE STANDARD OF FORGIVENESS IS THE STANDARD THAT CHRIST SET FOR US. WE ARE TO FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER JUST AS CHRIST FORGAVE US. THERE IS A SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE FORGIVENESS OF CHRISTIANS AND THE FORGIVENESS OF CHRIST. WE MUST FORGIVE AS CHRIST FORGAVE - AND THUS, WE MUST IMITATE CHRIST IN OUR FORGIVENESS OF ONE ANOTHER. AND NOTICE THE APPLICATION - I MEAN, HE'S VERY SPECIFIC IN THAT. HE SAID, “SO ALSO DO YE.” ALL OF YOU DO THE SAME THING OF FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, AS CHRIST FORGAVE US. <br> <br>

      NOW, WHAT I'VE FOUND OVER THE YEARS IS THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO LOOSEN IT MORE THAN WHAT CHRIST DOES OR SOME PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE IT MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN CHRIST DOES. THEY LOOSEN IT BY SAYING WELL, I'M JUST GOING TO FORGIVE ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY NO MATTER WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND NO MATTER WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO. WELL, CHRIST PLACED CERTAIN CONDITIONS UPON FORGIVENESS. I MEAN, AFTER ALL, WE MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS. WE MUST REPENT OF OUR SINS. WE MUST GIVE HIM THE GLORY. WE MUST BE OBEDIENT TO HIS WILL. WE MUST REPENT. YOU SEE, THOSE ARE CONDITIONS UPON WHICH WE CAN OBTAIN SALVATION. AND EVEN WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT WITH REFERENCE TO WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, DO YOU REMEMBER? JESUS TAUGHT US TO PRAY, THAT WE FORGIVE OR WE ASK THAT GOD FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS EVEN AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS. THAT'S A CONDITION OF RECEIVING THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, AS WE FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER. <br> <br>

      AND SO IT IS THEN THAT WE MUST FORGIVE AS CHRIST FORGAVE. NOT LOOSENING THE CONDITIONS THAT HE'S PLACED UPON US BUT THEN AGAIN SOME WILL DO IT THE OTHER WAY. THEY'LL MAKE MORE CONDITIONS. I REMEMBER A LADY SHE SAID, “WELL, UNLESS I SEE THAT MAN COME INTO THIS CHURCH BUILDING AND UNLESS I SEE HIM WALK DOWN THIS AISLE AND UNLESS I HEAR HIM SAY THAT HE REPENTS AND THAT HE WANTS FORGIVENESS I WILL NOT FORGIVE HIM!” WELL, THAT'S MAKING RESTRICTIONS THAT GOD DOES NOT MAKE! WE MUST NOT BE LOOSER THAN WHAT GOD SAID IN OUR CONDITIONS AND WE MUST NOT BE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN GOD DID / GOD PUT UPON US. <br> <br>

      SO IT IS THEN THE CASE THAT WE MUST BE A PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER. IN ALL OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE, NO MATTER WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP MIGHT BE- WHETHER SPOUSE, WHETHER OUR PARENTS, WHETHER THE RELATIONSHIP OF OUR CHILDREN, WHETHER A CO-WORKER, WHETHER A FRIEND. THERE ARE ALWAYS SITUATIONS WE MUST BE FORGIVING. AND WE APPRECIATE YOU SO VERY MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE. WE HOPE THAT THINGS WILL GO WELL FOR YOU THIS DAY AND THAT THIS HAS BEEN PROFITABLE FOR YOU IN OUR STUDY. THANK YOU.<br> <br>



CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

      LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY, IN THIS OFFERING TO GOD. I KNOW OUR TIME TOGETHER HAS BEEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND BLESSING TO ALL OF US.  WE INVITE YOU BACK EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD!<br> <br>  

      DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY’S LESSON?  MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A CASSETTE TAPE OF THIS PROGRAM?  POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR CORRESPONDENCE COURSES?  NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:  <br> <br>

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      HOW THANKFUL ARE YOU FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD?  ARE YOU WILLING TO BE A FORGIVER IN YOUR OWN LIFE, THAT YOU MAY TOTALLY BE FORGIVEN BY YOUR CREATOR? WHY NOT DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TODAY THAT YOU MAY BE A RECIPIENT OF THE TRUE FORGIVENESS OF GOD.<br> <br>