Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact Home   Gateway Church gathers for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd. (Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia. For directions, click here. Ministry of the Word: Recent sermons Our quarterly e-magazine Gateway Today For the Gateway family Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY AUDIO Total forgiveness Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA July 13, 2003 Main Scripture text: Matthew 18:21-35. What does Jesus mean when He says if we don't forgive others God won't forgive us? He cannot mean that forgiving others is a work by which we earn our salvation. That would go against the clear teaching of the Scriptures that we are saved not by works but by grace through faith. Therefore, Jesus must be talking about temporal rather than eternal consequences of unforgiveness. The Bible says we become slaves to that which we obey. If we obey the demonic temptation to harbor anger and unforgiveness in our hearts, we quench the Spirit and give opportunity for demonic power to gain a foothold in our lives. R. T. Kendall, an American but he served as the pastor of the renowned Westminster Chapel in London for 25 years, is the author of a recent book titled, Total Forgiveness, from which I've borrowed for the title of this sermon. What is "total forgiveness"? It is forgiving according to God's standard of forgiveness. Through the prophet Isaiah, God says he "blots out [our] transgressions" and "remembers [our] sins no more." Is that way we forgive? Or do we forgive in only a surface way, while still nursing a grudge? Dr. Kendall points out that a common mistake many make is confusing "forgive and forget" with "deny and repress." We can't pretend the offense didn't happen. But by the power of the Spirit of God, we can consciously will to forgive that offense until we no longer think of it every time we see the person who hurt us. And we can forgive regardless of the other person's attitude. How can we can we know we have totally forgiven? Dr. Kendall offers seven evidences of total forgiveness: 1) You don't tell others what that person did to you. 2) You don't let the person who hurt you be afraid of you of be intimidated by you. Jesus encourages us to reach out to those with whom we have difficulty. 3) You don't let the person feel guilty about what they did to you. Forgive -- and let him or her know you have forgiven. 4) You let the person save face. Don't try to cause embarrassment over what he or she did. 5) You let the person know his or her secrets are safe with you. 6) You recognize that forgiveness isn't just a one time act. It's a lifelong commitment. 7) You pray for good things for the person who hurt you. Praying is not only evidence of total forgiveness, it Is a means to total forgiveness. Our tendency is to say, "I can't forgive." That isn't true. God commands us to forgive, and He will not command us to do what is impossible. Ephesians 4:32 is very plain: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Supporting texts: Matthew 6:14-15 | Psalm 103:6-12 | Isaiah 43:25 | Psalm 32:1 | Luke 6:27 | Ephesians 4:32 A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here. (Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.) An audio tape of this sermon is available free of charge (U.S. requests only). Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office. Please specify tape number 030713a: Total Forgiveness © 2003 Gerald R. Varnado To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us