For the Christian, forgiveness is a costly commitment to graciously pardon a repentant person and to be reconciled to that person, although not all consequences are necessarily eliminated. (adapted from C. Brauns). This message was given on August 18, 2013 at New City Church in Calgary by Pastor John Ferguson. For more info, go to www.NewCityChurch.ca.

1. Today’s Scripture: Colossians 3:12-13
Pages 984 in our guest Bibles.

2. Lyle Lovett, “God Will”

3. How do you
respond
when others
hurt you?
?

5. LOVE one another
SERVE one another
ENCOURAGE one another
PRAY for one another
WELCOME one another
SHOW HOSPITALITY to
one another

6. “FORGIVE
ONE ANOTHER”
Colossians
3:12-13

7. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones,
COLOSSIANS 3:12
holy and beloved, compassion,
kindness, humility, meekness, and
patience...,

8. “He has delivered us from
the domain of darkness
and transferred us to the
kingdom of his beloved
Son, in whom we have
redemption, the
forgiveness of sins.”
The Apostle Paul
Colossians 1:13-14

9. “And you, who were dead
in your trespasses…, God
made alive together with
him [ie., Christ Jesus],
having forgiven us all our
trespasses….” The Apostle Paul
Colossians 2:13

10. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones,
COLOSSIANS 3:12
holy and beloved, compassion,
kindness, humility, meekness, and
patience...,

11. ...bearing with one another and
COLOSSIANS 3:13
if one has a complaint against
another, forgiving each other; as
as must forgive.
the Lord has forgiven you, so you

12. God expects Christians
to forgive one another
the way he forgave them.

14. 1God’s forgiveness is
gracious, but not free.

15. “Then Peter came up
and said to him, ‘Lord,
how often will my
brother sin against me,
and I forgive him? As
many as seven
times?’ Jesus said to
him, “I do not say to
you seven times, but
seventy times
seven.’”
~ The Gospel of Matthew
18:21-22

16. “Christians are called to
offer a present to those
who have hurt them.
That package should be
wrapped and tied with a
ribbon, with a tag
addressed, ‘To you,
regardless of what
you’ve done.’
Forgiveness is what is
found inside if the
offender chooses to
open the package.”

17. 2God’s forgiveness
is conditional.

18. “If we say we have
no sin, we deceive
ourselves and the
truth is not in us.
IF we confess our
sins, he is faithful
and just to
FORGIVE us our
sins….”
~ James, the brother of Jesus
James 1:8-9

19. “Pay attention to yourselves! If your
brother sins, rebuke him, and IF he
repents, FORGIVE him….”
~ Jesus of Nazareth,
The Gospel of Luke 17:3-4

20. 3God’s forgiveness
is a commitment.

21. “…as far as the east is
from the west, so far
does he remove our
transgressions from
us.”
“I will remember their sins and
their lawlessness no more.”
~ Psalm 103:12
~ Hebrews 10:18

22. 4God’s forgiveness is
necessary for reconciliation.

23. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has passed away; behold,
the new has come. All this is from God who
has reconciled us to himself…. In Christ God
was reconciling the world to himself, not
counting their trespasses against them….”
~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

24. 5God’s forgiveness does not
eliminate all consequences.

25. For the Christian, forgiveness is
a costly commitment to
graciously pardon a repentant
person and to be reconciled to
that person, although not all
consequences are necessarily
eliminated.
Adapted from Chris Brauns’ Unpacking Forgiveness

27. The Christian has every reason
to forgive, because we have
been deeply forgiven by God.