Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Lesson 33.1: Forgiving Believers Who Repent – Part 2 of 2

Brief 4-to-5 Minute Teaching Lesson

Why? and What is the Purpose? in My Life SERIES

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The continuation of lesson 33 of the Discipleship Making process, where in part one of this lesson we were left answering the question, “What is the difference between the two sayings, ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I repent’?”

In summary of the last lesson, we found Jesus introducing the subject, to His disciples, of “Forgiving Believers Who Repent”, where we learned that it is through our covenant relationship with God that we are to forgive our fellow believers until all things have been fulfilled in Scripture, reinforced with the kingdom parable of the “Unmerciful Servant”, illustrating how much God has forgiven us in relation to how little we have forgiven others. It is here that we pick-up where we left off last, Jesus laying out the steps that a believer should take when another believer sins against them.

Read: Luke 17:1-10

Sometime later Jesus spoke to his disciples again about the necessity of forgiving an erring believer. This time He began His instruction with the words “Be on your guard.” They seem like odd words to begin a teaching on forgiveness with. However, this short phrase is very powerful and can be interpreted to mean any of the following: 1) stay alert, 2) be watchful, 3) pay attention, 4) keep on the lookout, 5) don’t be fooled, 6) take an appropriate defensive stance, 7) don’t let yourself be attacked.

The phrase and all of the interpretations indicate a defensive posture. Each of them begs to have the question answered, “Defend against what?” The answer is twofold. The first is to guard one’s self from being sinned against in the first place . . . wise as serpents. And the second is to not harden one’s heart so as not to forgive a believer who sins but then repents . . . innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).

The instruction, “Be on your guard” is meant to be both reflective and instructive. After a Christian has been sinned against by a fellow believer he should reflect on how the events came to pass. In other words, “How did I get myself into this position?” Secondly, he should take the time to discover the steps he needs to take in order to avoid being sinned against in the future. Many times Christians naively put themselves in the same position of being sinned against over and over. Some would describe this as insane behavior (or one who continues to do the same thing repeatedly expecting a different result).

In rapid-fire succession, Jesus lists the steps that a believer should take when another believer sins against him. “Rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” It is always the responsibility of the offended believer to bring the first rebuke against a sinning believer! It is also always the responsibility of the offended believer to forgive the offender if he says he repents (Repentance indicates a change in direction by changing the course of actions or steps that brought him to the point of sin).

Lest the disciples should misunderstand His earlier statement on the number of times they were to forgive, Jesus reinforces His point. Not a mere 490 times as some think but, “if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” The disciples are flabbergasted at this command. In a seventy-year period it would total 178,850 times.

But Jesus doesn’t see this command as being unreasonable. To Him it’s not how often a believer forgives, it’s just how His disciples are to be . . . merciful as their Father in heaven is merciful. To support this idea He finishes the teaching with this statement: “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”

The point of the lesson is to be ready to forgive.

With that, allow me to leave you with this question to consider, along with a little homework assignment until my next posting:

What burdens are you carrying by yourself?

. . . and the homework assignment . . .

If someone sins against you take the time to reflect on how it happened and what steps you will take in the future to avoid the experience again.

Until next time . . . Godspeed!

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