Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: Now, there may be a record somewhere of what I have done in the past, but not so in God's book of life. And I think it's really important that if we realize how much God has done for us, then how much more we need to forgive others that have done something against us.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. We're glad to have you with us today for our focus on the healing power of forgiveness. You know, many people find that the holiday season stirs up negative emotions fueled by family conflicts and personal regrets.

But today, Raul will encourage us to lay all of these feelings at Jesus' feet. If you're a Christian, the Lord has forgiven your sin, and He can help you show that same mercy to those who've wronged you. Let's listen as Raul Ries begins today's lesson in Matthew chapter six, verse nine.

Raul Ries: A person who understands God's forgiveness. In Matthew chapter five through eight, we have the Sermon on the Mount. And in chapter six, we have what we call—it's not really the Lord's prayer, but this is actually a model of prayer. The Lord's prayer, the real Lord's prayer, is found actually in John 17.

But this is actually—the disciples came to Jesus and they had been watching Jesus praying, and they became very interested in the way He was praying to God the Father. And so they came to Him and they said, "Lord, do you think it would be possible for you to teach us how to pray?"

And then the Lord said to them, "Okay, well, let me give you a little bit of a model on how to pray." And He begins in verse nine and He says, "In this manner therefore pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil, from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen."

And then, in verse 14 and 15, He says this: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, then your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But," here it is, conditional, "if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses."

Now, I think it's very important that we understand that there's a lot of us here today that have not only experienced the forgiveness and the kindness and the mercies of God within our lives—and for one, I have received the forgiveness of God in my life for all the things that I have done. And I can say to you that when I first came to Jesus Christ, it was so hard for me to understand His love and His grace and His mercy and His forgiveness.

It seemed like the devil was constantly beating up on me, saying, "Well, God really hasn't forgiven you for everything." And then, as I began to read the scriptures and I began to see what Jesus Christ had done for me, I began to realize that I was no longer bound by the law, I was no longer bound by sin, I was no longer held for my sins, guilty.

But surely God had forgiven me for everything, where it got to the point that the scripture says that God remembered my sin no more. Now, there may be a record somewhere of what I have done in the past, but not so in God's book of life. Not so in the book of God.

And I think it's really important that if we realize how much God has done for us, then how much more we need to forgive others that have done something against us. And I know that many times, for many years in my own personal life, because of my family and the situations that we found ourselves with my mom and dad and my brother, my sisters, and other people within the family, that so many times we can hold grudges within our own hearts.

Where even as God has forgiven us, yet we haven't forgiven other people. And here He is telling us that if we know about God's forgiveness and how great God's forgiveness is in my life, yet if I don't recognize how much God has done for me and I can't forgive those that have done something against me, then God will not forgive me. That's pretty heavy and very plain.

I think it's important because there are so many families and so many husbands and wives, and even sons and daughters, that don't even talk to each other, and relatives that have something against themselves for so many years, where God's purpose is for us as believers to forgive and forget.

God's declaration is restoration, not destruction. You say, "But Raul, you don't understand what they did to me." I don't really care what they did to you. God says you need to forgive. That's the ultimate point. You need to make it right before God so that the heavens can be open to us as you come before the Lord.

And one thing that I see as we were studying about the person that God uses, one who knows God's grace, once we know the grace of God, then we need to understand God's forgiveness that He's given to you and to me so greatly. And it's so important for us to understand that God does forgive each one of us when we come to Him.

This is what God desires from each one of our lives because God hasn't come to condemn any one of us, but He's come to forgive each one of us as we come to Him. Remember what the scripture says: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." What greater love had God but by sending His only begotten Son into the world to die for you as our example? Who would even dare to die for somebody else? And yet Jesus Christ died for you and for me.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. You can email Raul anytime at pastorraul@somebodylovesyou.com with your Bible questions and prayer requests. For Bible-rich resources to encourage and guide you on your spiritual walk, visit somebodylovesyou.com. Now, back to more with Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Let me give you some of the things that I looked up in the word of God concerning the instruction that is given to us about forgiveness. Number one, the Bible says that God doesn't take note of our sins, but He forgives our sins. He doesn't take note of our sins anymore. Hey, I am really good at keeping records. Not God.

God gets rid of the records. In Psalm 130, verse three and four, He says, "If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared." I mean, if God wanted to, He could keep a record and that record would be a mile long. And yet, when we stand before God one day in eternity, there's not going to be a record. But it's totally forgiven and wiped away.

Secondly, the Bible says that if we confess our sins, He will forgive us our sins. First John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to continually cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God is faithful. We are not, but God is faithful to forgive us of our sins. You need to confess it. You need to repent of it, and then God can bless you.

Thirdly, He says that if we repent of all our sins, that He will forgive us and He will heal us. In Second Chronicles 7:14, He says, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I, God, will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and I will heal their land." That is a promise of God to each one of us, if we turn, if we repent, God will forgive us.

Fourthly, the Bible says that God is the only one who can ever forgive sin. Men cannot forgive sin. God is the only one. In Luke 5:21, He says, "And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, 'Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'" That's true. Jesus was God. He was telling people, "Thy sins are forgiven. Take up thy bed and walk." It's so important that we understand that if we come to Jesus Christ, He becomes our intercessor between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. The one that wants to forgive you for your sins.

And then fifthly, the Bible says that if we forgive, then we will be forgiven, too. As we learn about God's forgiveness, then we can, too, by the grace of God, forgive those that have done something against you and me. In Luke chapter six, verse 37, He says, "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."

My problem is that I'm constantly judging, becoming angry, holding grudges, keeping records. Not so with God. We need to forgive. No matter how big the debt may be, we need to forgive those that have come against us if you want God to forgive you.

And then sixthly, He becomes my lawyer and my defense. When the devil comes in and accuses me and tells me how bad my sin is, you know what? I agree with him. I say, "Satan, you're so right. That's why I'm not coming to you, but I'm coming to Jesus." Because Jesus is my defender. He's my lawyer.

In First John chapter two, verse one and two, He says, "My little children, these things I write unto you, that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, know this, that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is our propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours only, but for the whole world."

For the whole world, if they would repent, Jesus Christ would cleanse them and wash them by His precious blood. We have forgiveness because we do have a lawyer at our defense, Jesus Christ the advocate. He stands between, at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for you and me. He defends us as Satan becomes the accuser of the brethren.

Seventh, the Bible says that God remembers our sins no more. Man, that was so hard for me to understand. I mean, how can He forget what I've done? Even when you sin against someone and you kind of hang out with them, you always, behind your mind, you say, "I wonder if they're thinking what I did to them."

Not so with God. In Hebrews 10:17, He says, "Then He adds, 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.'" No more. Never again is it to be brought up if you've repented before the Lord Jesus Christ. Never again will you be held for those things that you've done. That's true forgiveness.

Eighth, the Bible says that God removes our sins as far as to the east to the west. There's no—I mean, it's all eternity. As far as to the east to the west. Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east from the west, so far has He, God, removed our transgressions from us." Gone. Wiped away. Never again to be brought ever again before us.

And then ninth, the Bible says that God covers our sins. He covers our sins, and that is by His precious blood. In the book of Psalms 32:1, we read this morning, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." And it has been covered by Jesus Christ and what He did for us on Calvary.

And then tenth, the Bible says that Jesus washed us from our sins by His precious blood. By His precious blood from all our sins. In Revelations 1:5, He says, "And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth, to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood."

Look what Jesus Christ has done for you and me. The price has been paid. The price of death, the price of condemnation, the price of hell has been paid by Jesus Christ for us. That's how much Jesus Christ loves you and loves me.

Eleventh, the Bible says that we should forgive one another even as He has forgiven us. Did you know that? Listen, in Ephesians 4:32, He says, "And be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ Jesus also has forgiven you." Man, if He has forgiven such a debt, then how much more shall I forgive you? I need to forgive.

Twelfth, the Bible reminds us of God's forgiveness how? Remember through David's great sin of adultery? Remember when David sinned against Bathsheba? David tried to cover his sin, but God didn't let him get away with his sin. He sent the prophet Nathan to him and actually spoke to him a parable about a rich man that wanted to have a party and he had a party.

And this poor neighbor next door to him, you know, had a beautiful little lamb. But the rich man didn't want to kill all his sheep, so what he did is he went next door, robbed the lamb, killed it, filleted it, barbecued it, and gave it to his people. He says, "David, what would you do to such a man?"

And David said, enraged, "That man deserves to die!" And Nathan the prophet said, "David, you are that man. You killed Bathsheba's husband. You've lied. You've hid your sin from God, and now you're making judgment. David, you're only condemning yourself."

How many times we're like David when we're living a life of sin and we're still condemning people when we need to repent. God forgave David. It says in Second Samuel 12:13, "And then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.'" Oh, now we're getting somewhere, David. But for a whole year, David hid his sin from God. He did not repent. He did not confess it.

He was trying to hide himself. But God doesn't let you get away with it. Why? Because He loves you too much. "I have sinned." And then he said this, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David, "David, the Lord also has put away your sin. You shall not die." Interesting forgiveness.

But even though God forgave David, and even though God forgives us, there's one thing that I have to remind you of: you reap the consequences of your sin. Remember that. You can't get away from that. Whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap. Even though God forgives and cleanses and washes and forgets all about it, yet we have that right because we have sinned against Him to reap the consequences of our sin.

And surely in my mind, I surely reap the consequences daily. Even though God forgives people for being in sexual sin and that person contacts AIDS and now he's going to die and he comes to repentance and God forgives them, yes, God will forgive him, wipe out his sin, he'll go to heaven, but the reaping consequences is the AIDS virus and he'll die. We reap the consequences of our sin even though we're forgiven. God help us to understand what God says concerning His forgiveness.

And then thirteenth, the Bible reminds us of the guy that was paralyzed, that was forgiven by Jesus Christ. Remember he came, he was actually paralyzed for almost all his life? And it said, "And behold, they brought him to Jesus, the one that was lying down on a bed because he was paralyzed."

And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the one that was paralyzed, "Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you." Before God dealt even here, Jesus, before He deals with healing, the first thing He deals with is the sin issue. Forgiveness is given to that young man. And God wants you to know that He has forgiven you. He's cleansed you, He's washed you by His precious blood.

And then fourteenth, remember the great story that reminds us of God's true forgiveness in the New Testament concerning the Prodigal Son? That son that became rebellious against his father and took his inheritance and left and spent it all and ended up with the pigs, and then reminded himself and remembered that his dad had everything and that he needed to go back home.

And when he came back home and repented, his father didn't rebuke him, but with open arms received him and had a big party for him. That is the love of God and the forgiveness of God for each one of us.

Guest (Male): Well, as we've heard today, forgiveness is a powerful healer, whether you're looking for God's pardon for your sin or working on letting go of bitterness from wrongs committed against you. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's lesson is titled "Understanding God's Forgiveness."

We can send you an unedited version for a donation of $5 or more. Just call us at 800-634-9165. Now, as you look to the Lord for His restorative work in your life, we'd like to tell you about a helpful set of five lessons from this series we're currently airing.

This forgiveness study is available on both CD and flash drive. Considering the Lord's desire and ability to free you from sin's guilt, you'll gain greater confidence that He can also empower you to show mercy towards those who've hurt you. Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Raul's collection of five lessons about forgiveness.

We'll send you the thumb drive for a gift of $7 or the CD set for $20. That's 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765. Podcasts of all of these programs are available on iTunes and Spotify, and on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel as well. Join Raul for Straight Talk on that channel, Tuesdays at 10 AM, West Coast time.

Thanks so much for your partnership. Next year, we want to be able to reach even more people with Raul's teaching and a variety of resources that will point people to Christ and the eternal life that comes through Him. We welcome your year-end gifts. They're a tangible way you can become involved in this evangelistic ministry.

Next time on Somebody Loves You Radio, we'll return to the pages of scripture for more glimpses of the freedom that God desires for our lives. Now with a final thought, here's Raul once again.

Raul Ries: And then sixteenth, the Bible reminds us of the thief on the cross right before he dies in judgment. Jesus Christ forgives him, and then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise." Man, today I'm forgiving you.

Imagine that, right at the point of death, Jesus Christ forgave that man on the cross. It is never too late for God to forgive us. But let us not wait till we die or right before we die. Let us make it right before God this morning.

Just as I think how blessed we are to know that we are totally forgiven because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross by dying for you and for me, by taking all of our sins. May the Lord this morning grant unto us the wisdom to learn from this great lesson given to us about forgiveness. And if you have something against someone in your immediate family or friends, or maybe someone you don't even like that's outside of your family, remember that God forgave you. You need to forgive them.

Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.