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The Anatomy of Forgiveness
Background A. The Book of Job destroys classic dualism. Satan is unmasked as just a rebellious servant not a negative smaller deity trying to overthrow the positive larger deity. Classic dualism also makes a distinction between what is spiritual and not spiritual to the extent that worship on Sunday does not have to be in harmony with work on Monday. Job blows that away. Job 42 makes it clear that God is concerned about how we treat other people and how we speak about him to others. B. Job is a great book for the victims of life: those who have the sad stories about how they have not been able to succeed because of the negative actions of others. If ever there was a victim, it was Job. If ever some could write a sad Country Western about his losses in life and feeling all alone, it would have been Job. Job shows us how a faith gives a higher meaning to the most grievous losses and offenses and delivers us from the past and being a continual prisoner of the past in the present. a. How suffering entered the world – Adam and Eve and their losses b. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, all the prophets, Jesus, all the disciples, etc. C. After all the suffering of Job, today we come face to face with God and discover the anatomy and importance of forgiveness. I. Be Humble: the proper response to seeing God (1-5) A. Know God can do anything 1. This is the first thing God confronted Job over (38 -39) B. Know God knows everything 1. This is the second thing God tells Job (40:1-2) C. Know we know nothing 1. This is the third thing God corrects with Job (42:3b) “I resist the proud but give grace to the humble.” (Pro. 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5) 2. The first step to forgiveness is to realize who God is and who we are in relationship to him. 3. Also, realize that much of what happens here is over our heads. (“I uttered what I did not understand.”) II. Be Repentant: the proper response to seeing God (6-9) A. Abhor your sinful nature (6) 1. Job’s first response is in 40:4, “Behold I am vile…” 2. Literally it means of little account. He is not saying that he is in some kind of self loathing. B. Repent of your sinful deeds (6b) 1. “dust and ashes” implies totally humble C. Release your enemies into God’s hands (7-9) 1. “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.” (Pro. 24:17-18) III. Be Forgiving: the proper response to seeing God (10-17) A. Forgiveness is not: 1. Sweeping it under the rug 2. A way to change the other person -- Forgiveness does not mean the other person gets better. 3. Being ignorant of real danger 4. Tolerating an ambient noise of offenses 5. Reconciliation – this is a separate issue. You can forgive and not be able to reconcile because of the other person. You can forgive someone who abuses you physically and not have to submit to another beating. B. Forgiveness is shocking 1. God forgiving Jacob (the selfish thief) 2. Joseph forgiving his brothers 3. God forgiving Israel at Mt. Sinai 4. God forgiving Israel throughout the wilderness, etc. 5. Jesus dying on the Cross for us 6. Job praying for his friends 7. The Prodigal son: 3 Disgraced Men or The Running Father C. Forgiveness is required 1. It is the only ground upon which we stand before God. If you’d just heard about God, forgiveness may be impossible for you. But if you’ve seen God, you’ve seen yourself and forgiveness becomes possible. The humble do not accuse. 2. The Lord’s Prayer is all about Jesus and all about you. “Forgive me as I have forgiven those who have sinned against me.” Here the claim upon God’s forgiveness is based on the claim that we are being like God. 3. "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors....For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions" (Matthew 6:12,14,15). 4. If you say today, “But Bob I’m not like God” you’ve come the first step. The second step is to keep looking at God until you are transformed into His image (Rom. 8:28-29; 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18) 5. Unforgiveness is associating with giving Satan room in your life to influence you (Eph. 4:26-27) D. Forgiveness is for giving not for forgetting 1. It is in the giving that we know true forgiveness – when Job blessed his friends out of his humble estate by praying for them 2. Joseph forgave his brothers and then gave them rest, safety 3. Jesus at the Cross forgave to give us eternal life 4. “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6: 27-31) |