Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: People that do not forgive are never going to make it into the kingdom of God. Jesus was very straight up about this. It is very important that we settle the issue today here. Peter is asking the question. He came to him and said, "Lord, how often does my brother sin against me and how many times do I forgive him, seven times?" Forgiveness has no limit.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Today's message continues our focus on God's matchless, saving love, and we're glad to have you along. Exploring Jesus' parable about an unforgiving servant, Raul will challenge you to honestly acknowledge any anger or bitterness you might be harboring toward someone who's wronged you. You'll be reminded today that God has mercifully forgiven your sins against him, and he calls you to follow that example. Now, with today's teaching, here's Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Chapter 18 is preparing us for the future as we look at Jesus now approaching the cross. He's been teaching in chapter 18, right before he gets into 19, there's a parable of the unforgiving servant. It's amazing how we've been talking about dealing with a sinning brother in chapter 18, verse 15, where he's talking about if you know a person in the church that is living a life of sin, and you know about it and you love him and you care for his soul, that you go to that person and you talk to that person and see if there's repentance in their heart.

If they don't really want to talk about it and they don't really want to repent, then you're to go and grab two more people like you that agree together and they know about the issue and approach him and confront him. If they still do not repent, then you're to bring it to the elders of the church and he is to be exposed and he is to be exited out of the church so that his soul at the end will be saved. Otherwise, he continues in that position of sin.

We all have our individual lives and our own personal lives. At the same time as we're looking at the world and what's happening in the world today, we can recognize according to the scriptures that we are living at the end of the days. Jesus Christ is coming again. We don't know when, but the signs of the times are there before us. That should cause the church to become more holy as he is holy because the Lord is going to come unexpectedly. He's going to come when you're not expecting him and he wants you caught being ready in your life, but being ready to meet the Lord in the air.

Yet one of the great problems that the church has today, like the world, that we should not have, is unforgiveness for people. This is now Peter, and Peter has been dealing with the issue of a sinning brother and Jesus has given instruction what to do and how to restore in discipline a sinning brother in the church. It is never to destroy, ever. It is always to restore, to rebuild a person's life and to forgive. As you study the scriptures, it's interesting that this is one of the great problems within the church today, and that is that people do not want to forgive.

What do they do? They hold on to their bitterness for years and even some until death. They never forgive. Yet Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 6:12, when he's given us an example of the Lord's Prayer—that's not the Lord's Prayer, it's an example on how to pray—in verse 12 he says, "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Notice that. That's heavy. How we need to forgive no matter what they have done in order to be able to worship God in spirit and in truth and to have peace of mind in my life personally.

That's one of the problems that I had when I returned from Vietnam. I just put everything away and hid everything behind me, and what happened is it ended up eating me up. It came out in violence. I never took drugs, never went for alcohol, but it was really something that I never told anybody until finally I came to Christ. When I came to Christ, I had to confess that I had to speak to the Lord and share with him in order for me to understand his forgiveness. I needed to forgive.

Let me say that one of the greatest things and the hardest things for a Christian is to forgive family. That's the hardest thing. Think how many in the church today, families, they're supposed to be Christians. Of course, in America, we have these homes that you can institutionalize your parents or grandparents and you can pay to be taken care of. In other countries, that's not the case. In other countries, people build big homes, three-story homes, so that the parents are living on the bottom, the children or grandparents on the second level, and the children on the third level.

They take care of their elderly, not the state. They take care of their elderly until they die. Today we're learning much why, because think of all the people that are in family: aunts, uncles, nieces, cousins, brothers, sisters, mother, father, grandpa, and grandma, and how many families in the body of Jesus Christ are divided. For me, the most heartbreaking thing is when I go to the old people's homes to visit people. To walk down the hallways and to see in these rooms, and to see this little old lady in her 80s, maybe 90s sometimes, and talking to the nurses there saying they never get a visitor. They've been abandoned by their families.

That's heartbreaking. Where's the love of Christ when your mother and father or grandpa, grandma, or son or daughter needs help and we don't want to help them? We neglect it. We cast them off because of what they did to me. Where is the character of Christ in my life? The basis of Christianity is love. 1 Corinthians 13: if we don't have love, we are nothing. Then people forget that one day you're going to be judged by the Lord. We're going to be judged by the Lord for neglecting, loving, and caring for people.

I think of all the homes that are divided and broken up, and children that don't have that great example because mom and dad are mad at their brother or sister or their mom or dad, and they separate the family and they can't go see their grandparents. What are you teaching your children? That's your flesh and blood. If we're going to be called Christians and we're going to be truly born again of the Holy Spirit, then we have to be obedient to God's word. We have to be doers of God's word.

I pray that if today you came here with any intense in your heart of hatefulness and bitterness and anger, that you would make it right before God before it's too late, before God judges. God will judge. As I was reading the paragraphs in this chapter, I was really convicted by the Holy Spirit because there have been times in my life that I have cut off people in my life. I've had on the other side to get mad and angry and bitter towards my brother or my sisters, especially if they're not willing—and that can go to anybody—if they're not willing to care for their parents.

Where's the love of Christ? Your parents will be gone one day. If they're not Christians, where is the love of Christ? Don't you want to see them in eternity with you or do you want them in hell? We should care. We should love. We should do like Jude said: if we have to reach down into hell before they get to hell and get them by the hand and pull them out of the fire before they get into the fire to have compassion for them, compassion for the sinner.

Remember in the New Testament, not the Old Testament, in the New Testament when Paul writes his letter to the Hebrews and he gives instruction to parents concerning the love of God, that if God loves his children and if they are not behaving but they're misbehaving, what does he do? He chastens them. Why? Because he hates them? No, because he loves them. So must a father and mother do the same. That's why he said in Hebrews 12:6, "For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives." If you don't love your children, then he says what? You're a bastard. That's what the Bible says.

I think of how many parents don't care about their children and their grandbabies. They're so selfish in themselves, taking their own little vacations, doing their own little thing, when you're supposed to be a godly grandparent, a godly father and mother, training your children in the ways of the Lord to make sure that they follow the Lord by example. That's really important to me. That's the reason that Ananias and Sapphira were smitten dead: because they were hypocrites to the church. They didn't preach and practice what they were preaching.

Remember that Paul the Apostle, writing to the Corinthian church in chapter 5 and 6, there are a lot of problems going on in the church with fornicators, adulterers, liars, and horsemongers, and there's a guy living together with his girlfriend. Paul says, "I'm not there, but I'm writing to you to let you know that such a person needs to be confronted and rebuked, and if they don't repent, kick them out of the church. Don't even eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner with them because then you're associating yourself with them, you're becoming one with them." God means what he says in his word.

1 Corinthians 11:30, at the communion table, these people were coming to take the bread and take the cup and take communion. Because their lives were not right, Paul said this: "For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many have died." That's heavy. It's because of sin, because people don't want to repent. Now as Jesus is introduced before he introduces the parable, good old Peter... Peter's always been a problem in the New Testament here, especially in the life of Christ, because Peter is always the spokesman. He's always speaking out of turn sometimes. As the Lord has been speaking about really taking care of the sinner in the church and how to deal with him and how to discipline him, now Peter comes to the Lord and says, "Lord, what about if your brother sins against me? How many times do I have to forgive him?"

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. We'd like to take just a moment and remind you that we're here to help equip you with God's life-shaping word. For resources, visit somebodylovesyou.com and join Raul for straight talk on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel every Tuesday at 10:00 AM West Coast time. Let's continue now with more from Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Look at what he says. Let's look at observation number one. This is amazing. Peter's question, and then Jesus gives the answer. "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" He already gave a number, a number of perfection, seven. Seven times and then I can kill him? That's what he's saying. Then I can just cast him off.

If we don't forgive, we will never experience the forgiveness of God in our own personal lives. Remember that. Think how many sitting here have unforgiveness for your mother or your father or grandparent or grandma or your children or someone in your family or someone outside of the family. How can we get on our knees and pray when we know our heart is not right before the Lord?

Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. When he talks about having mercy on our enemies, he says if you're coming to the temple and you're bringing your sacrifice with you, and all of a sudden in your conscience you remember that you have something against a person or somebody has something against you, don't even come to the temple. Go and make things right with that person and then come back and I will accept your sacrifice. If you don't, I can't accept it.

How can you expect God to forgive you if you can't forgive? People that do not forgive are never going to make it into the kingdom of God. Jesus was very straight up about this. It is very important that we settle the issue today here. Peter is asking the question: "Lord, how often does my brother sin against me and how many times do I forgive him, seven times?" Forgiveness has no limit.

Jesus is going to tell us in a moment: no limit. The Pharisees and the rabbis had a concept. Rabbi Jose ben Hanina said that he who begs forgiveness from his neighbor must not do so more than three times, and after the fourth time, reject him. That's what the rabbis told them. Jesus knew the rabbis' heart. Three times, but the fourth time you're done. Get out of my face. Don't want to see you no more.

Think of the actual pain and the poison that is being released in your body when you see that person you hate. Poison releases in your body physically. It will kill you eventually. Yet Peter doesn't understand that he's been talking about forgiveness all the way through, and yet he's challenging Jesus by asking the question: "Do I have to forgive the one that sins against me up to seven times?"

Look what he says. Let me just read some of the scriptures to you. In Mark 11:25, he says, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses." Luke 11:4, "And forgive our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

Luke 17:4, "And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you again, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ Jesus forgave you." Don't forget the forgiveness of God in your life and what he did already. Colossians 3:13, "Bearing one another and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so also you must forgive."

Many people today in the church and outside of the church have unforgiveness. They want retaliation. They want to get even. It's hard for me to accept that there are guys that have raped girls and killed children, and they get put in prison and there they find the Lord and they repent sincerely and deeply. Even if you repent and you are forgiven, you still, like David, have to reap the consequences of your sin. That never goes away.

Just like people that take drugs for years and years and then you come to your old age, physically you reap the consequences in your illnesses. God forgave you. He gave you a new life. Alcohol, drugs, whatever it is, you reap to your consequences even though God will forgive you. You have to remember that before you do it. There's a law of sowing and reaping.

It's really important that we understand that here Jesus is speaking out of his heart because in verse 22, he gives the answer. Jesus said to Peter, "Peter, I do not say to you up to seven times, but to seventy times seven." What? 490 times? He's saying forgiveness is always, forever. Not just once or twice or thrice or four times. He says if they come, you forgive them because I have forgiven you.

It doesn't mean that you have to hang out with that person. You don't have to fellowship with them, but you forgive them. You better make sure your heart's right. It's really important to understand that mothers and fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, you only have your family for a short time and you need to forgive one another. There has to be restoration.

If Christ has done so much for you and for me, how much more by me out of all my family going out of your way and saying, "You know what, you guys, if I have hurt you, please forgive me, and if you have hurt me, I forgive you. I have nothing against you." I can go to the temple and offer my sacrifice to the Lord. I've done what's right. I can sleep with a good conscience at night.

Many people's conscience cannot let them sleep or be at peace because of the guilt that Satan brings. He's the accuser of the brethren. He's always accusing us before the throne of God. Yet Jesus Christ, my attorney at law, standing there says, "Father, he's one of mine. He's not guilty."

Guest (Male): We know that sometimes it feels impossible to forgive someone if the hurt is too raw or the anger is too strong, but we hope that today's teaching will spur you on in seeking God's help to extend grace. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's lesson was titled The Power Of Forgiveness. We've made a complete unedited version available to you for a donation of five dollars or more. If you'd like to get a copy, just call us at 800-634-9165.

We'd also like to tell you about Raul's entire 13-part series titled Why the Cross Mattered and Still Does, available on CD and USB. This study will enrich your understanding of God's unconditional love and will show you how to forgive others just as he has forgiven you. Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Raul's 13-lesson series, Why the Cross Mattered and Still Does.

We'll send you the CD collection for twenty-five dollars, or if you'd like, the flash drive for just sixteen dollars. The number again is 800-634-9165. You can also write to us at Somebody Loves You Radio, Post Office Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765. Our Somebody Loves You app features a variety of connections to scripture including digital Bible studies and live-streamed Bible teaching. You'll also find a wide range of teaching on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel.

Don't forget this program is entirely listener-supported, and we are so grateful for your tax-deductible donations. Thanks again for including us in your day today. Next time we'll get more biblical insight to guide you in your steps in your daily walk with God. Now here's Raul once again with a closing thought.

Raul Ries: It's really important that we understand the lessons on forgiveness. Jesus could not have put it more clearly when he says, "Peter, not seven times, seven times seventy, 490 times." Peter said, "Oh no, you've got to be kidding me, Lord." No, Peter. 490 times. Can you imagine? He didn't even see himself already, but where they're heading, they're heading toward the Garden of Gethsemane where Peter will deny the Lord.

Remember what Jesus is going to do? He looks at him and he forgives him, as he forgives you, as he forgives me. That's the love of God. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whosoever believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Through everlasting life comes forgiveness. If we've been forgiven so much, how much more shall I forgive my enemies? It's hard to do, but I have to do it if I want to be in the kingdom of God. I must do it according to the word of God.