This document provides a summary of a sermon on forgiveness based on Matthew 18:21-35. It discusses three aspects of forgiveness: 1. Forgiveness from God - We owe God a debt we can never repay for our sins, but through faith in Jesus we can be forgiven. We should show mercy to others as God has shown mercy to us. 2. Forgiving one another - Jesus teaches we must forgive others not just 7 times but indefinitely. Our forgiveness of others does not impact salvation but does impact our relationship with God. 3. Forgiving ourselves - This is often the hardest but is important so Satan cannot accuse us, for our physical and spiritual well-being, and so we can

1. by
Ps Dr Ng Swee Ming
“Forgiveness”
Matt 18:21-35

3. 10.25am
October 2, 2006

4. 10.25am October 2, 2006
Charles Robert
11.07am October 2, 2006

5. “forgiveness is ........”
Life Application Series :
FORGIVENESS
Matt 18:21-35

6. Forgiveness...
“something that everyone
needs...
eager to receive...
but very hard to give.”

7. 3 Aspects of Forgiveness
1.FORGIVENESS FROM GOD
Ref Matt 18:21-35 ...
Parable of the “Unforgiving
Servant”

8. Understanding the Servant’s Debt to the King
• 10,000 Talents
• ‘Talent’ : Measure of weight or money.
• 1 ‘Talent’ : 2,000* shekels or 75 – 95 lbs
• NT era : The talent generally refers to currency
& was the most valuable unit of currency
• 1 Shekel = 4* Denarii
• 1 Talent = 8,000 Denarii
• 10,000 Talents = 80,000,000 Denarii
NB: (If Weight for Gold)
Today’s Gold price = RM $1,366/oz,
1 Talent =1200oz= RM 1,639,000
10,000 Talents = RM16,390,000,000

9. Understanding the Servant’s Debt to the King
At that time...
• 1 denarius = pay for 1 work-day
• 80,000,000 denarii / workdays
• 80,000,000/365 days a yr = 219,000 yrs
• Avg 80 yrs in a lifetime – 2,740 LIFETIMES
• CONCLUSION :
He owed the King a debt he cannot pay

10. 1. Forgiveness From God
Servant’s Debt to the King
• It cannot be repaid
• It can never be repaid
The Servant pleaded for MERCY
The King had compassion & showed GRACE
The Servant received
FORGIVENESS
Grace: getting something we do not deserve
Mercy: not getting something we do deserve.

11. "Can anyone tell
me what you must
do before you can
obtain forgiveness
of sin?"
“sin!"

12. Acts 13:38-40
38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to
know that through Jesus the forgiveness
of sins is proclaimed to you.
39 Through him everyone who believes is
justified ...

13. 1. Forgiveness From God
Application :
• That is a picture of man’s standing
before God
• All man are born sinners
• We all owe a debt we cannot pay
• A Righteous God will have to
judge Sinful man
• We ALL need to ask for MERCY
Grace: getting something we do not deserve
Mercy: not getting something we do deserve.

14. 1. Forgiveness From God
If we ask for MERCY......
God will extend His Compassion & GRACE because
our ‘UNPAYABLE’ DEBT have been paid for by His
Son, Jesus on the Cross of Calvary
The is called SALVATION
Grace: getting something we do not deserve
Mercy: not getting something we do deserve.

15. As the Parable goes...
 The 1st servant ‘went and
found out’ another servant
 Deliberate, purposeful ....
 Debt - only 100 denarii
 Cf v26 & v29
 The difference :
“No Compassion” or “pity”
 Instead he threw his debtor
into prison...
 the King’s response ...
2. FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER

16. 2. FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER
V21 Peter’s question :
• "Lord, how many times shall I forgive
my brother when he sins against me?
Up to seven times?"
• Peter was being extremely generous...
Jewish authorities : Max 3 times
V22 Jesus answered,
• "I TELL YOU, NOT SEVEN TIMES,
BUT SEVENTY times SEVEN ....
Conclusion : UNLIMITED

17. 2. FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER
Consider Matt 6:12, 14-15 ?
12. Forgive us our debts, as we also
have forgiven our debtors.
14 For if you forgive men when they sin
against you, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their
sins, your Father will not forgive
your sins.
Q: Does it then mean God’s
Forgiveness is ‘CONDITIONAL’ ?

18. Is God’s Forgiveness Conditional ?
Answer : NO.
Salvation is only by FAITH through GRACE
*1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just and will forgive us our sins
*Rom 10:13 "Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved
but only if we
forgive others...
but only if he forgives ...
and purify us from
all unrighteousness.
.

19. forgiven to forgive...
Our FORGIVENESS of others does not
affect our SALVATION ...
BUT it does determine our
RELATIONSHIP with GOD
Eph 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to
one another, forgiving each other, just
as in Christ God forgave you.”
Col 3:13b “...Forgive as the Lord forgave
you.”
Luke 7:47 “...he who
has been forgiven
little loves little”
God’s Love is UNCONDITIONAL,
UNLIMITED &
COMPLETE

20. 2. FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER
THIS MORNING . . .
you and I are as the 1st servant . . .
we have been forgiven much!
An UNPAYABLE DEBT ...
But, today we need to answer a question:
Who do we have in our “Chamber Of
Unforgiveness” right now ?
a friend that betrayed a sacred trust . . .
abusive parents ...
unfaithful spouse ...
wayward rebellious child ...
devious scheming business partner. . .
traumatic incident ...
or even a pastor that ‘failed’ you . . .

21. 2. FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER
And on & on I could go . . . .
Even as I speak ....
You can see them there right now.
“THE INCIDENT” you can still see –
even feel – or hear ...
The hurt – the pain – the anger ....
Names & Faces of people that we
have placed – in the ‘chamber of
unforgiveness’ in our hearts
It’s still there ....
It will not go away ....

22. 2. FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER
In your mind / heart you’ll say . . . .
“Pastor ... to forgive ?
You don’t know what they said !
You don’t know what they did !
You don’t know the hurt – the pain
– the sorrow – the anguish ....”
“Yes you are right ...
I do not know...
I cannot understand...
I’m unable even to begin to
comprehend...
BUT ....

23. 2. FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER
This I can tell you with full confidence...
God alone fully understands...
God was there when “it” happened...
God knows exactly what you went
through...
Jesus experienced all that you went
through ...
and more... much more ...
physical pain, emotional –
betrayal, abandonment ...
We are Forgiven to Forgive ...
It’s your choice ...

24. 3 ASPECTS OF FORGIVENESS
Easiest to ask GOD FOR FORGIVENESS
Harder to FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER –
in releasing forgiveness
or asking for forgiveness
Hardest for many of us, is in...
FORGIVING OURSELVES

25. From what ?
 Sins we have committed in the past...
 Sins we are still struggling with at
present...

26. 3. FORGIVING OURSELVES
WHY is it so ?
• We know ...
‘our conscience
bearing witness’
• No hiding...
• No escape ...
• List of sins ...

27. 3. FORGIVING OURSELVES
Why must we FORGIVE OURSELVES ?
1. GOD's WILL & PURPOSE
In our single act of CONFESSING our
sins and INVITING HIM into our heart
as Savior, Lord & Master ...
• God Forgave Us
• God Accepted Us
• God sealed us with His Holy Spirit
• God called us His Children
• God declares that we are WORTHY
God has forgiven us,
We need to forgive yourself !

28. Why must we FORGIVE OURSELVES ?
2. SATAN's PLOY
Ref 2 Cor 2:10-11
“If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And
what I have forgiven — if there was anything to
forgive — I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for
your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit
us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
Why is it important to forgive ?
Satan is the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:10)
If we do not forgive – Satan will be rejoicing
Need to Forgive One Another &
Also to Forgiving Ourselves

29. Why must we FORGIVE OURSELVES ?
3. OUR GOOD
Physical, Emotional & Spiritual
Unforgiveness breeds anxiety – anger - hatred -
bitterness ......
Ref Heb 12:15 See to it that no one misses the
grace of God and that no bitter root grows up
to cause trouble and defile many.
*Effects on HR, BP, Appetite, Sleep, Work...
Quote : Karl Menninger, the famed psychiatrist:
“If I can convince patients in psychiatric
hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75% of
them could walk out the next day!”

30. Why must we FORGIVE OURSELVES ?
4. HIS MINISTRY
We are Called to
• Love One Another
• Accept One Another
• Encourage One Another etc
If we cannot even love, accept,
encourage ourselves –
how then can we minister His
Love, His Acceptance, His
Encouragement to others ?

31. 5 Keys to Forgiveness
1. Cannot give what we have not received
2. Have compassion for all
3. Allow God to heal the wounds
4. Choose to forgive and be set free
5. Stop “pulling the string”

32. “stop pulling the
string”

33. The Way Forward:
1. Acknowledge our need for
forgiveness
2. Believe that God has done it all
3. Choose to have it all –
FORGIVENESS & FREEDOM
Is It POSSIBLE ?

34. October 2, 2006
forgiveness is...
•‘giving up a grudge’
•‘giving up my right
to revenge...’

35. Calvary & Forgiveness
Calvary’s Cross ...
most powerful
symbol of
• God’s love for man
• God’s mercy &
grace to man
• God’s forgiveness of
man
Forgiveness is only
possible because of
Calvary.

36. Eph 1:3-10
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the
heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing
in Christ. For he chose us in him before the
creation of the world to be holy and blameless
in his sight. In love he predestined us to be
adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in
accordance with his pleasure and will— to the
praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely
given us in the One he loves.

37. Eph 1:3-10 cont.
In him we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in
accordance with the riches of God's
grace ... to bring all things in heaven
and on earth together under one
head, even Christ.

38. Heb 9:22b
“... without the shedding of
blood there is no
forgiveness.”

39. Heb 10:19-25
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence
to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of
Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us
through the curtain, that is, his body, and since
we have a great priest over the house of God,
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in
full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience
and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we
profess, for he who promised is faithful. ...

40. Matt 26:26-29
While they were eating, Jesus took
bread, gave thanks and broke it, and
gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and
eat; this is my body."
Then he took the cup, gave thanks and
offered it to them, saying, "Drink from
it, all of you. This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins....”

42. What do I write...
Names of people you choose this day to
forgive....
Events that have happened in the past that
you choose to forgive esp yourself...
Anything that the Lord thru His Holy Spirit
reminds you of – release forgiveness to
yourself, people you know or even
strangers – choose forgiveness and be free.

43. • Please treat this with a sense of reverence and
awe.
• There will be no steward to usher you today. Only
when you are ready, come forward to receive the
Holy Communion.
• If you have written something on the paper, then
crumble the paper and throw it into the
wastepaper basket before receiving Holy
Communion.
• No paper to throw, it’s OK – still come
forward for the Holy Communion.

46. Desmond Tutu :
Without
forgiveness there
is no freedom,
no hope,
no healing,
no future.

47. Unforgiveness is like drinking rat
poison and expecting the rat to die
Unforgiveness is like allowing
the person to live rent free in
your mind all the time !

49. Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if
you hold anything against anyone,
forgive him, so that your Father in
heaven may forgive you your
sins."