How High Can You Count?
I remember as kids sometimes we'd try to count as high as we could. I don't know if we ever made it to 490, but after awhile we usually tired of it and did something else. But, I'm sure we're all capable of counting that high, and even way beyond, given the time. I guess it depends on what it is that we're counting and how well we keep track of where we left off if we get interrupted. Well, today, I'm not talking about counting money or people or telephone poles, or whatever it is you count, but I'm talking about counting offenses. That's right. We're going to talk about forgiveness.
You may remember that in the book of Matthew, it is recorded that Peter came to Jesus to ask how often we ought to forgive a person. "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" (Matthew 18:21)
We Should Forgive Many Times
Now, we all know that forgiveness is not usually easy. If you have a reason to have to forgive a person, then naturally you have equally as strong of a reason not to forgive them (or not to want to forgive them). Perhaps someone has said or done something that was hurtful to you. Maybe someone said or did something offensive. Maybe it was something in the open (ridicule, physical harm, false accusations) or maybe it was in secret (gossip, slander, cold attitude). At any rate, these things upset you and you now have something against this person. You need to forgive. You know you need to forgive because it is all through the Bible. But it's hard because you were really hurt or offended. Now let's say you forgive the person but they hurt or offend you again. You see, after a few times, you may think that the person should be out of second chances. How many times is too many? That's why Peter brought up the question to Jesus. Notice that he even suggested his own answer. Perhaps he thought that seven sounded like a lot of times to forgive someone. If you forgive someone seven times, you must really have a heart of gold and the other person must just be a lost cause at that point. You've done all you can—you're so spiritual you deserve a gold star—now you can cut down the offender.
But wait! Listen to Jesus' answer! "Jesus saith unto him, 'I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.'" (Matthew 18:22)
That's a lot of times to forgive! Seventy times seven is four hundred ninety! Let me take a moment to point out that the ONLY way you can truly forgive someone that has hurt or offended you (especially so many times) is if you have the Spirit of God in you, filling your heart with God's Love. True heart-felt forgiveness cannot come from man's heart. This can only come from the heart of God and through His Love. Let us come to God and be filled with His Love and go out and forgive those that have committed sins against us.
True Christians Can't Count to Four Hundred Ninety
Once upon a time, Sue said and did some hurtful things toward Lucy. For awhile, Lucy, although hurt, thought that it might be a passing problem and simply looked beyond the offense. Over time, though, Sue continued to act in an unchristian way, but Lucy forgave her. It was a struggle for Lucy because each offense brought pain to her heart, and while God gave her the love and strength to forgive and look beyond it, yet another divisive attack would ensue. Each round of forgivenesses introduced an attempt healing, yet each round of offenses yielded new wounds. Must Lucy forgive four hundred ninety times?
I have heard of stories like this that can go on for months or years. I'm sure you have heard of feuds that last into decades. Is this where we count to four hundred ninety? If Sue hurt Lucy every day and Lucy forgave her, she would reach four hundred ninety after one year, four months, and about four or five days. Now obviously, the forgiving is probably not on a daily basis, which would stretch it out longer, but if we find ourselves in an ongoing situation and keep track, are we really free to stop forgiving when we get this far?
I was thinking about this awhile back and I came to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter, because True Christians can't count to four hundred ninety. What in the world do I mean by that?!?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love keeps no record of wrongs. Do you remember earlier when I said that true forgiveness comes from the heart of God and through His Love? Forgiveness in love keeps NO record of wrongs. So let me ask you this: If you forgive someone in Love and you're keeping no record of wrongs, when that someone hurts you again and you forgive, how are you going to count 2, 3, 4...? Brothers and sisters, if Love keeps no record, you can't count past one! If you can't count past one, as sure as God's Love, you're not going to count to four hundred ninety!!! So when Jesus said to forgive that many times, He must have meant to forgive, forget, and forgive again...forever!
Luke 17:3-4
3 ¶ Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Mark 11:25-26
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Ephesians 4:30-32
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Colossians 3:12-13
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Forgiveness comes from God. As He forgives you of your sins, forgive one another of their sin toward you. Forgive in Love. When a debt is forgiven, it is canceled. It is off the books, forgotten about, and no longer counted. Love always trusts and always hopes. You don't forgive thinking, "That does it until next time." No, you forgive with faith and hope, believing that wrongs are washed away and a new thing has begun. Love forgives, Love hopes, and Love heals.
Let the healing begin.
1 Peter 4:8 NIV
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
I remember as kids sometimes we'd try to count as high as we could. I don't know if we ever made it to 490, but after awhile we usually tired of it and did something else. But, I'm sure we're all capable of counting that high, and even way beyond, given the time. I guess it depends on what it is that we're counting and how well we keep track of where we left off if we get interrupted. Well, today, I'm not talking about counting money or people or telephone poles, or whatever it is you count, but I'm talking about counting offenses. That's right. We're going to talk about forgiveness.
You may remember that in the book of Matthew, it is recorded that Peter came to Jesus to ask how often we ought to forgive a person. "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" (Matthew 18:21)
We Should Forgive Many Times
Now, we all know that forgiveness is not usually easy. If you have a reason to have to forgive a person, then naturally you have equally as strong of a reason not to forgive them (or not to want to forgive them). Perhaps someone has said or done something that was hurtful to you. Maybe someone said or did something offensive. Maybe it was something in the open (ridicule, physical harm, false accusations) or maybe it was in secret (gossip, slander, cold attitude). At any rate, these things upset you and you now have something against this person. You need to forgive. You know you need to forgive because it is all through the Bible. But it's hard because you were really hurt or offended. Now let's say you forgive the person but they hurt or offend you again. You see, after a few times, you may think that the person should be out of second chances. How many times is too many? That's why Peter brought up the question to Jesus. Notice that he even suggested his own answer. Perhaps he thought that seven sounded like a lot of times to forgive someone. If you forgive someone seven times, you must really have a heart of gold and the other person must just be a lost cause at that point. You've done all you can—you're so spiritual you deserve a gold star—now you can cut down the offender.
But wait! Listen to Jesus' answer! "Jesus saith unto him, 'I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.'" (Matthew 18:22)
That's a lot of times to forgive! Seventy times seven is four hundred ninety! Let me take a moment to point out that the ONLY way you can truly forgive someone that has hurt or offended you (especially so many times) is if you have the Spirit of God in you, filling your heart with God's Love. True heart-felt forgiveness cannot come from man's heart. This can only come from the heart of God and through His Love. Let us come to God and be filled with His Love and go out and forgive those that have committed sins against us.
True Christians Can't Count to Four Hundred Ninety
Once upon a time, Sue said and did some hurtful things toward Lucy. For awhile, Lucy, although hurt, thought that it might be a passing problem and simply looked beyond the offense. Over time, though, Sue continued to act in an unchristian way, but Lucy forgave her. It was a struggle for Lucy because each offense brought pain to her heart, and while God gave her the love and strength to forgive and look beyond it, yet another divisive attack would ensue. Each round of forgivenesses introduced an attempt healing, yet each round of offenses yielded new wounds. Must Lucy forgive four hundred ninety times?
I have heard of stories like this that can go on for months or years. I'm sure you have heard of feuds that last into decades. Is this where we count to four hundred ninety? If Sue hurt Lucy every day and Lucy forgave her, she would reach four hundred ninety after one year, four months, and about four or five days. Now obviously, the forgiving is probably not on a daily basis, which would stretch it out longer, but if we find ourselves in an ongoing situation and keep track, are we really free to stop forgiving when we get this far?
I was thinking about this awhile back and I came to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter, because True Christians can't count to four hundred ninety. What in the world do I mean by that?!?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love keeps no record of wrongs. Do you remember earlier when I said that true forgiveness comes from the heart of God and through His Love? Forgiveness in love keeps NO record of wrongs. So let me ask you this: If you forgive someone in Love and you're keeping no record of wrongs, when that someone hurts you again and you forgive, how are you going to count 2, 3, 4...? Brothers and sisters, if Love keeps no record, you can't count past one! If you can't count past one, as sure as God's Love, you're not going to count to four hundred ninety!!! So when Jesus said to forgive that many times, He must have meant to forgive, forget, and forgive again...forever!
Luke 17:3-4
3 ¶ Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Mark 11:25-26
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Ephesians 4:30-32
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Colossians 3:12-13
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Forgiveness comes from God. As He forgives you of your sins, forgive one another of their sin toward you. Forgive in Love. When a debt is forgiven, it is canceled. It is off the books, forgotten about, and no longer counted. Love always trusts and always hopes. You don't forgive thinking, "That does it until next time." No, you forgive with faith and hope, believing that wrongs are washed away and a new thing has begun. Love forgives, Love hopes, and Love heals.
Let the healing begin.
1 Peter 4:8 NIV
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
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