Forgive Because You're Forgiven
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Take your Bible if you will and look at the 6th Chapter of 1 Corinthians; the 6th Chapter of 1 Corinthians. We're today going to conclude a study that we began last week on the subject of forbidden lawsuits. Perhaps if we were to have a better title for our section that we'll look at today, we could call it the principle of forgiveness; the principle of forgiveness. But it does just deal with the last part of the message which we began last time. As so often is the case with me, I get about three quarters of the way through a message and I've got about 15 minutes of material left. And that isn't enough to fill up a next Sunday. So I find something in that and just kind of explode it and run all over the place. So that's what I'm going to do this morning.
And what I was struck with were two things. As I was reviewing verses 1-8 this week and going through some of the things that I saw there, the whole idea hit me of this principle of forgiveness. And as I then looked at verses 9-11, which is the part we didn't get to and the part originally for today, I again was struck with the whole idea of the transformation of salvation. So those two things are going to kind of come together in our study this morning, the principle of forgiveness and the whole aspect of transformation that takes place in salvation. This week Monday through Friday I was ministering in Dayton, Ohio and we were having a great time in teaching the word of God. We were speaking to a group at a certain church there, a Christian tabernacle and some other groups as well. One of the days I had a meeting with the ministers of Dayton, and I was able to share with them some of the principles of ministry and the word of God that I feel are important.
And as usual, we had a question and answer time and one of them asked me, as I have been asked many times, what I see as the primary requirement or the primary objective or the primary issue in my ministry. What is the one thing above all other things that I desire to do in relation to the ministry itself? Not particularly between myself and God, but as I see the ministry. And that was really a rather easy question and this is what I said. I said the primary objective of all pastors, of all Bible teachers must be to bring the congregation to a place of submission to the word of God.
Now maybe you never thought about anything simplified to that level, but that is the goal of the ministry as I see it. To bring this people to a place where they will submit themselves to the principles of the word of God in obedience. I teach you the word of God not just to teach it, but so that you'll respond to it. We talk about the authority of the word of God in order that you might come under that authority. The objective of the ministry then, as I see it, is to bring a people to a place of submission to the word of God. Then you can solve every problem by simply introducing a biblical principle that deals with it and the people will conform to the principle.
So often I talk to ministers and they don't do that. They don't teach the word of God and they don't build into their people a submission to the word of God and then when a problem comes and they offer a biblical solution the people can't relate to that. They assume it's just another opinion because they don't have the mind of submissiveness to the word of God. And my prayer would be that at Grace Church whenever we would state a biblical principle that is the answer to a problem, everybody would say oh fine, if that's what the word of God says, then that's the way it is.
And I think that's exactly what we are experiencing. But in many cases that isn't true. That's just a general look at the idea of the ministry is to bring you to a place of submitting to biblical principle. Why? Simply because to be submissive to scripture is to be in the place of blessing, right? Now there are many principles in the scripture that we need to submit to. One of them is this principle of forgiveness that we're going to look at this morning. This is a great principle given in the New Testament. That Christians are called on to forgive one another. Perhaps it's as clearly stated as anywhere in Ephesians 4:31-32 and I would just have you look at that for a minute, and we're going to talk about this principle before we look at the chapter itself in 1 Corinthians 6.
But in Ephesians 4 it says in verse 31, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking," that's talking behind someone's back, "be put away from you with all evil." Kakia means general evil. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another." Now that's a very clear statement. Kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another and here comes the standard, "even as God for Christ's sake," or because of what Christ did, "has forgiven you." Now people, right in that verse you have the statement of the principle of forgiveness. We are go forgive one another whatever they do in the same way that God because of Jesus Christ has forgiven us.
That's the standard. That is a tremendous principle. And the breadth and the depth and the height of that principle can only be measured by understanding how much God has forgiven us. That in turn is to be the standard by which we forgive one another. Now in one sentence, right there in Ephesians 4:32, Paul summarizes the law of personal relationships. What is the law of personal relationships? Well, you've heard the golden rule, "do unto others before they do unto you?" No, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That's nice. I don't mind the golden rule a bit. The biblical standard is higher than that. The biblical standard says "do unto others as Christ has done unto you." You see? "Do unto others as Christ has done unto you." You forgive others in the same way with the same magnanimous and total forgiveness that Christ exercised in your behalf. Or that God exercised in your behalf. You forgive in the same way that God forgave you.
Now that is a tremendous truth, tremendous. In John Chapter 13, the general idea that we are to be responsive to the pattern and the model of Christ is given. In John 13:13, Jesus said to His disciples, "You call me master and Lord, and you say well for I am. If I then, your Lord and master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." Now listen, "For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you." Now here is a tremendous spiritual principle. What kind of behavior does a Christian have toward another Christian? You treat each other as Christ treats you. That is the principle of interpersonal relationships among Christians.
We are to treat each other in the way that Christ has treated us. Now I want you to look at Colossians 3 and I want to go a step further with this principle, because I see it so many places in scripture. Colossians 3:12, now Paul here is telling the Christians "Put on therefore," Colossians 3:12, "as the elect of God, holy and beloved, tender mercies," that means a heart of compassion, "kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering," now listen, "forbearing one another," that is being patient, "and forgiving one another if any man has a quarrel against any." You do what if they have a quarrel? You forgive. And here's the standard again, "even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
Now the standard then of forgiveness is the magnanimous, unlimited, and total forgiveness that Christ exercised toward us. That God exercised toward us in Christ. The Christian is to put on new virtues says Paul. One of them is the virtue of forgiveness and we are to forgive in the same measure, the same quality, the same sense as Christ forgave us. Now this is a tremendous principle people. When you ask yourself how much are you to forgive somebody, Jesus said you remember Peter said, "Lord if my brother sins against me, how many times should I forgive him, seven times?" And Jesus said, "Not until seven times, but until seventy times seven times."
The attitude of a Christian toward another Christian is to be forgiveness. It doesn't matter what he did. It doesn't matter how it hurt. It doesn't matter what it was. We are to forgive. That is the obligation. Another scripture that I thought I'd point out is in Luke 17:3-4, because it speaks to the same thing. It says this, "Take heed to yourselves." Which in the vernacular would be watch it. Watch it. "If thy brother trespass against thee," and it happens. People do offend us and trespass against us, "rebuke him. And he repents," do what, "forgive him." If he repents, forgive him. "And if he trespassed against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day he turned again to thee saying I repent, thou shalt forgive him."
And you know, people would say well forgive him, but what if he keeps doing it and keeps doing it? Do I keep forgiving him? Keep...yeah, even if he does it seven times a day and repents seven times a day. You keep forgiving him seven times a day. You see the principle people is very simple. The Christian has toward his brother the obligation of forgiveness. Listen, this is important. There is nothing, there is nothing that anybody has ever done to you in any situation that is unforgivable. Did you get that? There is absolutely nothing that falls into the category of beyond forgiveness. I don't care what anybody has done to you, I don't care how they have offended you, I don't care how they have wounded you or how they have grieved you or how they have injured you, it doesn't matter what it is, nothing falls outside the context of scripture. There is no such thing as something for which you cannot forgive somebody else.
You say wait a minute. Why do you say that? The reason I say that is because there is nothing that you have ever done in your life that is outside the forgiveness of God and that's the standard, right? You are to forgive one another even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. When you come to Christ and believe in Him and receive Jesus Christ, is there any sin at that point that is unforgivable? Absolutely not. It doesn't matter what it was. Whether it was a moral issue, whether you were the vialist, rottenness, lowest reprobate on the earth, whether it was a religious issue and you were the world's worst false teacher, it doesn't matter what it is. If you come and kneel at the cross to receive Christ, there is nothing that is unforgivable.
If you were a soldier who pounded a nail into the hand of Jesus Christ. If you were a soldier who rammed the spear into His side. If you were a mocker who spit in His face, that is all forgivable. All of it is forgivable. "And as Christ has forgiven you," 1 John 2:12, "all your trespasses, that's the standards by which you forgive one another." There is nothing that is unforgivable. Nothing. Now that's a high standard isn't it? You say, but you don't know what he did to me. I don't care. There is nothing...you don't know what you did to God either and He forgave that and that's the standard.
Now sadly, the Corinthians were openly disobeying this principle. Look at 1 Corinthians Chapter 6. This is a simple principle frankly people. It just really isn't that tough. But the Corinthians were absolutely ignoring it. Instead of forgiving each other, every time somebody did something wrong they'd sue them. And they were dragging them into court all the time over every petty little thing. They were gouging either other. They had a gross lack of love, bitterness, vengeance, recompense, self seeking, unforgiving spirit, robbery. They were extorting and swindling each other. All of this going on within the church. Just gouging each other, instead of forgiving. Every little thing became a case for the courts.
And so Paul writes 1 Corinthians Chapter 6 to the beleaguered Corinthian church that has managed to manifest about every sin conceivable and in 6, he deals with the sin of suing each other instead of forgiving each other. The New Testament principle if very clear people. We are to forgive one another. And it couldn't be more clear than that. Now as Paul writes Chapter 6, you'll remember that he tells them that they give evidence of either a misunderstanding or a total disregard of three great truths. The rank of the church, the right attitude of the Christian, and the relation to the world.
He says, "You people by suing each other," number one this is review, look at verses 1-6, "you give evidence that you are disregarding the rank of the church." You're ignoring the high place of the church. And what he's pointing out here is let the church judge. Let the church evaluate. Let the church make the decision if you have a problem. Matthew 18 says if your brothers are having problems and you can't get together and one doesn't repent and make it right and you don't get what you need to get, take it to the church and let the church settle it and if the guy doesn't buy the settlement, then discipline him and put him out of the church. But the church can deal with the issue.
Verse 1, "How dare any of you having a lawsuit against another go to law before the unjust and not before the saints." How dare you go to pagan courts instead of the church. "Don't you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will judged by you, are you unworthy to judge in smallest law courts? Don't you know that we shall judge angels, how much more things that pertain to this life?" He says, look at the rank of the church. You're exalted above the world. You're exalted above angels. You will judge the world. You will judge angels. If you're going to do that, don't you think you can handle your petty grievances?
Why take them into the law courts? Why take them before the pagans? Well, of course, the reason was because they didn't want justice, they wanted to get into the law courts and extort. They wanted to defraud and get more than they deserved. In verse 4, he says, "If then you have lawsuits or law courts of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church." And we saw last week that probably what he's saying here is you'd be better off to pick the lowest member of your church to determine what should be done rather than take it to a pagan judge. What does he know? And besides that, you don't want to drag the Christians' fights into the world so the world knows we don't get along.
It's a tragic thing. In verse 5, he says, "I speak to your shame. Isn't there anybody among you who can judge? Don't you have a wise man? Somebody who's able to judge between the brothers?" Apparently not, he says. "Brother goes to law with brother and that before the unbelievers." You take these things into court, Christians against Christians. "I speak to your shame," he says. How ridiculous when we realize that Christians are going to judge the world. Christians are going to judge the angels. Christians in the church are ranked beyond everything that God has made. Our high elevated position puts us in a position where we can make determinations regarding our own assembly and our own fellowship and we'd certainly don't need to go into pagan courts. That's Paul's point.
Now his second point which we saw last week, continuing our review, is that you also have misunderstood not only the rank of the church, disregarded not only the rank of the church, but the right attitude of the Christian. And of course, we've just seen that the right attitude of the Christian isn't to gouge and get back something, it's to forgive. Verse 7, "Now therefore there is utterly a fault," and the word can be translated, defect or defeat. There is literally a defeat among you. You're already defeated because you go to law one with another. You lose before you get there, even if you win the case, you lose spiritually in disobedience to God. And the testimony of Christ is warped and wounded.
"Why don't you rather take wrong? Why not rather allow yourself to be defrauded? Oh no, not you. You do wrong and defraud in that your own brethren." He says the Christian thing to do would be just accept it. Allow it to happen, and of course, the implication is forgiveness. A Christian attitude is to forgive. Our Lord Jesus said, according to Paul, Paul said our Lord said in Acts 20:34-35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," and that's the principle. We are to forgive. The Christian attitude, you've wronged me, I forgive you as God for Christ's sake forgave me and nothing falls outside the circle of such forgiveness.
You know, that's pretty clear between Christians. But let me take it a step further, even including unbelievers. Matthew 5:43, this gets pretty interesting. Matthew 5:43, now our Lord is speaking here and He says, "You have heard that it hath been said," now we don't know where it hath been said in particular, it may have an illusion to the rabbinic teaching, "thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy." It was customary among the Jews that the rabbis would teach to love the Jews and hate the Gentiles, so they had heard this. "But I say to you, love your enemies." Now that must have really come as a shocker to the Jews to love a Gentile. "Love your enemies," now watch, "bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you." Now people there you have a very, very interesting statement.
Here's an unbeliever, an enemy, somebody outside the kingdom. What happens when he does you wrong? When he curses you, what do you do to him? You bless him. When he hates you, what do you do? You do good to him. When he uses you, extorts from you, abuses you, what do you do? You pray for him. You say do you mean that if an unbeliever does me wrong, I just say bless you my friend? If an unbeliever steals my...bless you I just pray for your salvation. That's exactly what it means. My friend, I have pronounced blessing upon you. I pray that you would be blessed. I'll do anything good that I can do for you and I'll certainly pray for you. You say for heaven's sake, this is incredible.
I've talked to Christians who said, you know, I've got a guy who really did me in and boy I'm going to get it back. Thank God he's not a Christian. Or you get one of those borderline cases where the guys says I really don't think he's saved, so I think I can take him to court. And I'm not about to find out and I don't want to get him saved before we get there. Oh some people have thought that, believe me. Well, you say well, you mean, I just forgive the guy? Yeah, if it's a personal thing, that's the principle Jesus is giving. This isn't me. I'm not giving you my advice. I'm only trying to understand what the Bible says. I'm in the same boat you're in, you know. You say, yeah, but you don't have the problems...we all have problems. And you know, I'm probably more liable to get sued than you are in many ways. But that's all right, that doesn't change the principle. The principle, I'm just trying to understand what the Bible means by what it says. I'm not trying to make up my own opinions. It simply says your enemies are to be blessed when they curse. You're to do good to them when they give evidence of hating you and you're to pray for them when they use you and even when they persecute you.
Why? Verse 45, oh this is something. "That you may be the sons of your Father who is in heaven." Now wait a minute, I'm already a Christian. You mean, I'm going to be a Christian just because I bless my enemies? No, no, that isn't what it's saying. What it means is that in their eyes you may appear to be what you claim to be. If you go around saying I am a Christian and I am one of those whom God has forgiven all their sin, the Lord has forgiven all my sin, all my wrong. I cursed Him and He blessed me. I hated Him and He loved me and did good to me. I persecuted and abused and He forgave me. That's the God that I serve, now pay up buddy. They're going to say well, you're not exactly the son of your Father are you? You see the point. You know how that works. You know, people look at my kids and they say man those kids are your kids, look at them. They have all of your characteristics. My girls they say they look like Patricia and they're very much like Patricia and Matt's very much like me and Mark's like nobody and that's how it is, you know.
We're still trying to figure out what happened in his case, but for the most part children demonstrate the characteristic of the parent. And this is what he's saying. If you don't do that, if you don't have forgiveness toward your enemies, they're not going to understand the character of the forgiveness of God. You see? We are manifesting the character of God in the world, that's the whole point. That's the input that Christ wanted to give at this point. Now look what he says. This is what God does. "He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust. He does good to both His children and others.
If you love them, they love you what reward have you. Even tax collectors do that. And if you greet your brethren only what do you more than others? Do not even the heathen?" Listen, if all you do is the right things toward Christians, big deal. We ought to do it as well toward others. And then verse 48 really knocks you out, "Be perfect even as your Father who is heaven is perfect." You say boy that's a high standard. I'd say so, but nevertheless, that's the pattern to emulate. Am I to forgive a Christian brother who offends me? Yes. What about somebody in the world? What about if he gouges me out of all this money? What about if he does this or takes this that isn't his? Or this or this? What am I to do? Forgive him. You say, but how's he going to learn his lesson. You don't worry about teaching him his lesson. That's in the category of God's operation.
If you were running around trying to do God's judgment, you are in the wrong business. Now the principle is toward the Christian forgiveness, toward the world I see it as the same thing. Forgiveness in personal matters. Now I want to give you a footnote that will help you because there may be times when you will go to court. And there maybe times when I would go to court, but the issue would be this and I've looked this through carefully in the scripture and this seems to be a clear indication, that wherever the word of God or the work of God is at stake, I have the right to claim my legal privileges.
Wherever the word of God or the work of God is at stake that's when I have the right to claim my legal privileges and make some demands. I wouldn't go to court if some guy took something of mine. I'd just forgive him, but if the government came around here and said you can't preach any more then I would because I'd say you're not talking about John MacArthur now. You're not impinging upon my rights, you're beginning to get into the category of what God wants done in the proclamation of His truth. And our constitution provides for religious freedom and the liberty to express what I believe and I believe I have the right to that privilege and that freedom. And then that case I would go to gain the right that is mine. But it wouldn't be in a personal issue. It would be when the word of God or the work of God was at stake.
Now the reason I say this is true biblically is because this is precisely what the apostle Paul did. He never exercised legal privilege to gain personal comfort. He only exercised legal privilege to gain a hearing for the word of God. When he knew he had a right, for example, in Acts, they beat him. They scourged him and he says you can't do that because I am a Roman and I stand uncondemned and that is against Roman law. You have to let me go. Well, the issue wasn't his own personal comfort. The issue was he could not be legally restricted because he had freedom within Roman law and he was going to take that freedom for the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
You can check it out in Acts 16:35-39, Acts 22:24-26, and Acts 25:10-12. In three of those cases, Paul exercises his right under the government and the law to the privilege of the work of God and the speaking the truth that he had and he had done nothing wrong and should not be denied that privilege. Now there you have a different situation. If, for example, some ordinance came along and tried to close down Grace Community Church, would we say oh it's all right, we forgive you. We'll all go home and just forget the work of God. Not on your life. We'd be down there with every sort of legal thing you could imagine trying to prove that we had the right to exist. And to exercise religious freedom, but it wasn't a personal matter. It's a matter of protecting the privileges that God has given us for the proclamation of His word.
And therein, Paul used his right. Therein Paul used the law when it came to that and I feel that that is right. But never to secure personal comfort, never as act of vengeance, but only to sustain the work of God. Now what are we saying then in general? The principal of forgiveness is to operate. It is to operate among Christians and it is to operate in connection with unbelievers as well. And you say, but I won't get my money. Well, who wants money when you can do right and get the blessing of God. That's the only issue isn't it? It's the only issue that even matters. I'd rather be as poor as a church mouse and have the blessing of God than to be the richest man in the world and not to have the blessing of God.
So if I have a problem against somebody, I go to him, rebuke him. If he repents, I just forgive him. If he's in the church and he doesn't repent, we take it to the church. If the church can make a decision about it, that's fine. If the church can't settle the issue because he won't respond to it, then we discipline him. But still I forgive him.&nb