The Gift of Forgiveness

Dear friends, we thought you might enjoy a talk that Lee

did recently for the SBI (Saints Bible Institute) students

David, a man who had experienced the depth and height of forgiveness, states in Psalm 32: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

You might wonder, “Why is forgiveness so important?” Because there is no more precious gift that men receive from than the gift of forgiveness. Likewise, there is no greater gift that men can grant or share with others than the gift of forgiveness. Italians like many people all over the world are desperate for forgiveness.

A Spanish story is told of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last ditch effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid, Spain newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday, 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.

Why is forgiveness so powerful, so meaningful, so precious to us? Because without it, our hearts are condemned and eternally, we’re destined for hell and damnation. With it, we are granted the peace that surpasses understanding and we receive all the glorious benefits of heaven, namely an eternity with God.

It has been said that, “He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would reach heaven: for everyone has need to be forgiven.”

Jesus, in Luke 7:47—referring to the woman who with her tears and alabaster ointment anointed Jesus’ feet—says, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven---for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." Referring to Luke 7:47, Josiah Bailey once said, “They who forgive most shall be most forgiven.”

With this in mind, I believe that…“If you truly treasure forgiveness from God, you will have a passion to preach, teach, share and grant forgiveness to others.”

I believe that a passion like this is developed.

It does not come without great energy and effort. It’s something that is cultivated by God’s Word and by His Spirit as we seek what is good, acceptable and perfect. First, the thing starts as a vision…God reveals to us how this thing is good and worthy to pursue. And so we begin to develop a heart for it. Next, if we follow that vision, we begin to comprehend what the world and what peoples’ lives are like apart from this good thing being experienced and our hearts begin to be greatly grieved. And if we begin to carry this thing with deep sincerity in our hearts, this is when we’ve developed a burden.

Lastly and very importantly, if we continue to seek after this thing that it might have fruition in our lives and in others, God stirs in our hearts a deep love, an incredible gratitude and a somewhat unquenchable energy that others would know and receive the benefits of this gift. We now have, at this point, truly begun to fathom how sweet and how precious the benefits are of the gift to ourselves and to others, that we can’t imagine going without it and so we earnestly and fervently tell others about it. There is a praying and energetic seeking of the gift for ourselves and for others. There are tears of grief when men do not receive and experience it. And there is great joy, excitement and thankfulness when they do. Now, the thing has finally become a passion.

This is true of a passion for the gift of forgiveness.

Do you have a passion for the gift? Do you remember what it was like when you first came to the Lord? Do you remember the excitement that filled your soul? So much so that you couldn’t help but tell others about it? About all that God had done in your heart by saving you?

In Acts 26:17, Jesus says to Paul:

I am sending you to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

God called Paul to a ministry of the forgiveness of sins. I believe that God has called us to the same ministry…that unbelievers (for us, Italians) might receive forgiveness and thereby a place with God in heaven forever. Peter says of Jesus in Acts 10:43: “To HIM all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through His name." What a great gift! What a great message!

One day, Martin Luther found himself attacked by Satan. Satan came to him and began to harass Luther. The devil unrolled a long scroll containing a list of Luther's sins and held it before him. Reaching the end, Luther asked the devil, "Is that all?" "No," came the reply, and a second scroll was thrust in front of him. Then, after a second came a third. But then the devil finished. "You've forgotten something," Luther exclaimed triumphantly. "Quickly write on each of them, 'The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses me from all sins.'" What a glorious truth! What an incredible gift Christ’s blood is! The question is…are we telling others? Do we dare keep this to ourselves? Is His forgiveness a passion for you?

I’d like to assert that God calls each of us to a ministry of the forgiveness of sins. 2 Cor 15 tells us that Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Our lives should be a message of His forgiveness to others who are dying apart from Him.

What God does for us, He calls us to do for others. And this is a great and powerful ministry. But not only this…but that if you have truly understood, truly received and truly treasure this forgiveness, then you will have a passion to preach, teach, share and grant the gift of forgiveness through Christ Jesus to others.

Take the story of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with here tears and the alabaster ointment in Luke 7:36-47.

First, is the woman who went to great lengths to pursue forgiveness…washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and this precious ointment. She is a great sinner. One version says in v.36 that she lived a sinful life. Most likely she was a prostitute because of the apparent repulsion of the Pharisees that “this sort of person” would touch Jesus, this woman had nothing to lose and everything to gain in her pursuit of the gift of forgiveness. Look at how much expense she was willing to expend! Look at what rejection she was willing to endure! Whatever fears she had, whatever pretenses, whatever cares she had about what others thought…she cast them aside.

She was probably shaking, her hands quivering as she held that vile of costly perfume. And then, because she was so distraught over her sin, she wept uncontrollably. And in the ultimate act of humility, she could not stop kissing the Savior’s feet. This, my friends, is a picture of a passion for the gift of forgiveness. Most scholars that I have read believe this woman had already received forgiveness. Kent Hughes says that maybe she had heard a sermon of His or possibly, it was as a result of a private, unrecorded conversation. But whatever it was, His words had gone deep into her heart and she had turned from her sins and received forgiveness. So what we see is the result of someone who had fully seen, heard, understood and experienced forgiveness.

Though she likely knew that she would not be well received by Simon and the others…her faith in Christ, her grief over her sin and her gratitude & love for the Savior and His gift of forgiveness propelled her forward. Nothing would stop her. No expense was too great. No words could dissuade her. No mere man could hold her back from showing her gratitude to Jesus for what she’d received. Her heart had developed a passion. Do you have a passion of thankfulness for your forgiveness? Do you truly comprehend what Christ has done for you? Do others – unbelievers -- see this gratefulness in your life?

In the 14th century, Robert Bruce of Scotland was leading his men in a battle to gain independence from England. Near the end of the conflict, the English wanted to capture Bruce to keep him from the Scottish crown. So they put his own bloodhounds on his trail. When the bloodhounds got close, Bruce could hear their baying. His attendant said, "We are done for sir. They are on your trail, and they will reveal your hiding place." Bruce replied, "It's all right." Then he headed for a stream that flowed through the forest. He plunged in and waded upstream a short distance. When he came out on the other bank, he was in the depths of the forest. Within minutes, the hounds, tracing their master's steps, came to the bank but would go no farther. The English soldiers tried hard to urge them on, but the trail was broken. The stream had carried the scent away. A short time later, the crown of Scotland rested on the head of Robert Bruce. The memory of our sins, prodded on by Satan, can be like those baying dogs—but a stream flows, red with the blood of God's own Son. By grace through faith we are forever safe. No sin-hound can touch us. The trail is forever broken by the precious blood of Christ. The gift of the cross of Christ is the greatest gift…it repairs what was absolutely irreparable.

Secondly, this story shows us that the debtor who is forgiven much will love more. Christ uses a parable or an illustration with Simon to express a critical point he wants Simon to understand. Two debtors owed money. One owed 500 denarii and the other 50. A denarii was equivalent to a day’s wage for the lower class. 200 denarii would buy enough food for an entire year. So 50, is about the equivalent of 2 months wages versus 500 which would be the equivalent of almost 2 years wages.

It’s important to note this story is metaphorical for sinners. So the debtor forgiven 500 denarii represents someone who has been forgiven much and for the sake of Christ’s illustration, actually comprehends the greatness of the debt. The debtor who was forgiven 50 denarii represents someone who has not been forgiven much, or at the very least, does not believe or comprehend the greatness of the debt forgiven. Both of these, the prostitute and Simon, were equally guilty and equally in need of receiving the gift of forgiveness. Outwardly, according to man’s thinking, the woman was a “500 sinner” and Simon a “50 sinner” but inwardly, according to God’s perspective, they were both wretchedly guilty. And both desperately needful of the gift of forgiveness.

So then we have this powerful question from Jesus. He asks Simon, “Which of them will love more?” Simon answers, “the one whom he forgave more.” Do you feel like the one whom He forgave more? Does your love and forgiveness toward others demonstrate this? Christ’s teaching indicates that if we know we have forgiven much, our love will be great. If it is true that the greatest gift we can receive is the gift of forgiveness from God, then clearly it is also the greatest gift we can give to others!!! Someone once said, “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” And I would add that to the degree to which we comprehend the depth of the forgiveness we’ve been granted, the more deeply engrained this attitude will be…our very lives will reflect and display and grant this forgiveness to others…which brings me to my third and last point and that is:

This passion for Christ & gratitude for His forgiveness will be evident to others! This story not only teaches us the importance of forgiving others, quickly and often (Christ says 70 x 70 which meant…with no end), which is important indeed, but I believe it also speaks even more powerfully of how our words, our actions and our lives reflect and preach the forgiveness of sins to others available through Christ Jesus our Lord. Greatly forgiven and realize it? Others, including unbelievers, will see this reflected in your words, your actions and your life. Not really remembering or having a fresh and deep gratefulness for the gift of forgiveness? Others, including unbelievers, will see this reflected in your words, your actions and your life.

Look at Christ’s recounting of what the woman had done for him. He says to Simon, “You gave me no water for my feet, she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with perfume.” To what extent does your gratefulness for the forgiveness of your sins boldly proclaim to others Christ’s love? Is your passion and gratitude for His forgiveness like unstoppable tears that flow down on the Savior’s feet? Is it like one bowed down in humility, kissing Him unceasingly? Is it like an anointment of costly perfume such that all around can smell its lovely fragrance? Christ says she who has been forgiven much, loves much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.

Ask yourself these questions… Is your comprehension of the height and depth of God’s love and forgiveness overcome you so much that you can’t help but display and proclaim that forgiveness to others? Such that you are not afraid of what others think, say or do? Such that you don’t care the cost or the energy needed to be expended so that others might hear, know and experience it? Such that you are willing to be rejected, thought little of, or even despised by others? Such that you’re willing to open your heart and your mouth to share this forgiveness with the unworthy unbelievers around you? If not, why not? I believe it may be because your gratefulness for your forgiveness as a result of the cross has lost its preciousness to you.

There is an amazing story of a Chicago seminary student who displayed Christ’s forgiveness in a powerful way. Although this seminary student would have preferred to work in some kind of ministry, the only job he could find was driving a bus on Chicago's south side. One day a gang of tough teens got on board and refused to pay the fare. After a few days of this, the seminarian spotted a policeman on the corner, stopped the bus, and reported them. The officer made them pay, but then got off. When the bus rounded a corner, the gang robbed the seminarian and beat him severely. He pressed charges and the gang was rounded up. They were found guilty. But as soon as the jail sentence was handed out, the young Christian saw their spiritual need and felt compassion for them. So he proceeded to ask the judge if he could serve their sentences for them. The judge and the gang members were completely dumbfounded. The members asked, “Why would you do this?” He answered, “Because I forgive you.” His request was denied by the judge, but he proceeded to visit the young men in jail often and experiencing the sincerity of his love and forgiveness, several of them were led by him to faith in Christ.

Over the years, I’ve met Christians who appear to be aware of their forgiveness, but there appears to be an absence of gratefulness to the Savior and affection for the Savior in their lives which is displayed by this woman in Simon’s house. May our gratefulness to the Savior and affection for the Savior because of the gift of our forgiveness be so displayed in our lives that our words, our actions and our lives proclaim this forgiveness to unbelievers who desperately need this gift throughout the world...including Italy.

Below are some pictures from the Carnivale Parade in Udine...including some of our Italian friends.

Hannah, Alyssa (staying with us) and Bethany

The Fight for Joy is a Fight for Faith

“God’s providence, which is nothing else but the carrying on of his decree, should be a counterpoise against discontent; God hath set us in our station, and he hath done it in wisdom. We fancy such a condition of life is good for us; whereas if we were our own carvers, we should often cut the worst piece.”
Thomas Watson

Joy is an elusive thing. And it is even more difficult to maintain. When the Israelites were working to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem and were discouraged by the opposition they were facing, the godly Nehemiah proclaimed to them, "The joy of the Lord is our strength." Why did Nehemiah tell his fellow countrymen this? Why is it that the joy of the Lord is our strength? I believe it is because joy is a spiritual force that is powerful. It is a frame of mind and heart and spirit that is beyond description but which clearly enables Christians to experience victory in their Christian walk. It is why Paul said, "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Tim 6:6).

Thomas Watson, the Puritan, who wrote the book, "Divine Contentment," outlined how there is no more important spiritual reality for Christians than joy. And Watson indicated that it is a condition of the heart that cannot be touched by outward influences, saying, "When there is a tempest without, there may be music within; a bee may sting through the skin, but it cannot sting to the heart; outward afflictions cannot sting to a Christian’s heart, where contentment lies."

I have to confess to you, I struggle for joy. I'm affected by circumstances much more than I'd like to admit. And when things don't go my way, I am tempted to try to find my joy, my happiness, my comfort in something other than God and in my faith. I’m finding that I really don’t realize how much I have been in love with comfort and convenience. It is so embedded in the materialistic culture that we live in in America that I did not see how much of an idol it was until these things were removed...and I began to experience some discomfort.

But I’m also realizing that when absent, my lack of joy simply indicates I am not trusting the providence of God. It is He that predetermined that we would have a year, studying Italian 6-7 hours a day, trying to adjust to the culture and learning how to develop relationships with Italians to know how to witness and give them the Gospel. He also providentially put us in a place where it takes 2-3 hours to wash one load of laundry and no dryers to dry it, 2 weeks to replace a broken fridge, 3 weeks to fix an alternator, a month to make a simple copy of a car key, rainy, drizzly, cold days that seem to last forever and stores that are not open for 4-5 hours in the middle of the day. Recently, we’ve been having problems with computers crashing. Talk about frustrating…it is our connection with the outside world as we live here away from all those we love. But when I begin to murmur and complain, I reveal that I am not trusting the providence of God in relation to my circumstances.


Watson says that murmuring is no better than mutiny in the heart; it is a rising up against God. He writes, “When the sea is rough and unquiet, it casts forth nothing but foam: when the heart is discontented, it casts forth the foam of anger, impatience, and sometimes little better than blasphemy. Murmuring is nothing else but the scum which boils off from a discontented heart.”

Do you ever struggle to be joyful? Sometimes, as Christians, we separate in our minds, the meaning of happiness and joyfulness saying, "Well, I'm joyful…I’m just not happy." I wonder if this is even possible. Is it really possible to be joyful and not be happy? Or is it really possible to be truly happy without being joyful. That’s not to say that there are not times to grieve or to be sorrowful. I just wonder if joy is possible during this time. In James 4:9, James seems to contrast laughter against mourning and joy against gloom.

I think that the separation we make between joy and happiness could create a theological hole in the biblical dam that holds up our Christian joy. Can you imagine a Christian telling a pagan, "Well, I'm not happy right now but I am joyful!" What does that mean? What it may mean is, "Though I'm choosing not to trust in all that God has promised me, I am joyful" or "I'm not focusing on the truth of all that Christ did for me on the cross so that I will not have to spend eternity in hell, I do know these things and know I'm to be thankful; I'm just choosing not to do that now! But really, I am joyful!"

We were talking about it recently and we decided that, other than love, joy really is the thing that sets Christians apart in the minds of unbelievers. And joy really is the fruit of our love for God and for others. It says, “I care more about God and you than I do my circumstances.” It says, “Regardless of my station in life, I choose to love you more than I love myself and my comfort, etc.”

Recently, a good friend of ours who is an Italian, broke her shoulder skiing. She is a sweet lady and her and her husband have really become sweet friends of ours. No doubt she has seen many come visit her during her long stay in the hospital (Italian hospitals are quite different than American hospitals…dirty, old and crowded…not a place you want to be for any length of time). But Jeannette and I hope that out of all the people that have visited her, she sees something different in us…a joy that is our strength and a peace that surpasses understanding.

With the conditions of life here, there are many opportunities for Italians to be discouraged. And sometimes Jeannette and I just want to pack up our bags and come home to all the comforts of American life…not to mention our friends, family and loved ones. But as we have been experiencing these difficulties and challenges, we have also begun to get a picture of the challenge that it is for Italians to believe the gospel.

Why should they believe when there is so little hope in their lives…so little to get enthusiastic about and so much to get depressed about. Why should they think that they could find hope in the gospel? Last night, a neighbor friend of ours we’ve been sharing with, attended the church associated with our ministry. Her eyes and attention were fixated on the preacher and she watched everything everyone did and said. You could tell she saw and was greatly intrigued by something in us Christians that was clearly different. I believe it is our joy.

Do unbelievers around you see a joy in you? Do you exude a love and excitement that can’t be described by anything else except that you know and walk with Christ and have experienced His salvation? Is it hard for you to choose to be mostly unaffected by your many unfortunate circumstances in light of the goodness of God toward you? As you trust in the providence of God such that you KNOW that everything you are going through has come from His hand, you will have a joy that is your strength and a peace that surpasses understanding. And the result will be unbelievers around all of us asking about the hope that is within us and experiencing His love...there is no greater love than that a man should give His life for another...and then, for His enemies. The joy that flows from this is great indeed!