Page Five

Minister Clyde Derrick

Bible Studies
Week 1: Grace brought about our forgiveness.
Week 2: Forgiveness; if you can't do it, you can't get it.
Week 3: Love God first; Love thy neighbor second.
Week 4: When and how much do you forgive?
ExtraThought: When can you let them go?

Ephesians 2:8

II Timothy 1:9

Ephesians - 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourself: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

II Timothy- Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Understanding:
Grace is the vehicle in which faith is made available to us. Grace describes God's desire that no one dies of the spirit but lives again eternally. This desire springs from his love so therefore isn't something you can earn, it's freely given to you. You are saved by your faith in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ but Jesus coming to die for our sins was brought about because of God's grace/desire for reconciliation with us. Even though forgiveness came through the blood of Jesus Christ, grace is God's desire to forgive us, which is why you must have the desire to forgive others. People that don't first have the desire to forgive and be reconciled to others, have a hard time (can’t) implementing forgiveness. In other words they attempt to have the desire for the crucifixion with no desire that their be a reconciliation. Grace is God’s love, that’s why the second law is love your neighbor.

Matthew 5: 23& 24

Matthew- 23. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24. Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Understanding:
Explanation is very simple and to the point. The Lord's Prayer says, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. You have no choice but to forgive if you expect to receive forgiveness from God for your sins. It's hypocritical to pray to Jesus to forgive you and you won't forgive someone who has done wrong against you. The verse above is saying, don't even bother to ask, just get up, go home, call that person, work it out, then come back and finish asking for forgiveness.

The bigger picture is, which is why this lesson is right underneath the lesson on grace and the desire to be reconciled, if you don't won't to forgive that other person it's because you don't have the desire to be reconciled and the only thing that would stop you from having the desire to be reconciled is your lack of love for that person which takes us back to the last line of the lesson above. Grace is God’s love, that’s why the second law is love your neighbor. There is no crucifixion/forgiveness without grace and there is no grace without love.

If you don't love your neighbor then you don't love God. That's per the bible. That's next.

Matthew 22: 37

John 3: 16

Matthew- 37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment, 39. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

John - 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Understanding:
You see how God's love ties in with grace and the crucifixion? It's all about love, so if you can't love your neighbor then God is saying you don't really love him. If you believe you have accepted Jesus into your life and received the Holy Spirit, test this. If the spirit of God is in you, and God loves everyone, then how can the spirit be in you and you don't love? Wouldn't that be a fight within your very soul? If the spirit is of God and God is love then you have to be of love also for the spirit to dwell in you. How do you get forgiveness through prayer if you pray in the spirit but the spirit is not in you because you have no love? You don't. You must have the desire to be reconciled to your neighbor or love your neighbor enough to want reconciliation. If you have love for your neighbor your claim that you love God can be validated; then the spirit of God can dwell in you and you can pray in the spirit and be forgiven for your sins. (Ephesians 6:18 Pray in spirit).

Luke 23: 33 & 34

Matthew 18: 21& 22

Luke - And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crusified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34. The said Jesus, Father , forgive them: for they know not what they do.

Matthew- Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Til seven times? 22. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but until seventy times seven.

Understanding:
Jesus forgive even as they were killing him. Stephen forgave after being stoned, just before he died from that stoning.(Act 7:60)

When? If Jesus and Stephen can forgive while being killed then I would say we have to forgive in any situation. I didn't say it was easy, but that's the way God's kingdom works.

And how many times? Jesus is making it clear there is no limit. For you to be able to place a limit on how many times you must forgive someone you must be able to give a limit or an amount of times you will need to ask for forgiveness. Since it is impossible to know when you will no longer need forgiveness (which is never), you can't put a stopping point for anyone else. This goes back to the desire to be reconciled to others. You should always desire to be reconciled to others. Love.

Matthew 18:15

Moreover if they brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained they brother. 16. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Understanding:
This doesn't take away the fact that you must still have grace available to this person should they decide to change, so the love for them and the desire to reconcile must still be there.
If they don't want to work it out there's nothing you can do. Some times you have to call it a day and leave them alone for peace in your life.

Can you take it to the church? Likely not. In our society this would cause more harm than good, you can however have a meeting with your pastor, I believe in the spirit of what is advised, it's the same thing.