Last Week – Part 1
1. The Question About Forgiveness Raised
2. The Answer About Forgiveness Given
Matthew 18:21-35
3. The Illustration About Forgiveness Provided – Vv. 23-30
. Scene 1 – Vv. 23-27
. Rich king, very indebted slave
. Scene 2 – Vv. 28-30
. A monstrous inconsistency
. Scene 3 – Vv. 31-35
. “You wicked slave” – Unforgiveness is wickedness
. Horizontal forgiveness springs from vertical forgiveness
. Matthew 6:14-15
Is Forgiveness Unconditional or Conditional Upon Repentance
. Problems with unconditional forgiveness:
It’s not how God forgives; God demands repentance before He pardons – Luke 17:3, 1 John 1:9
. It fails to hold the sinner accountable – Ephesians 4, Colossians 3
. It is done for the sake of the offended, not the offender (Therapeutic forgiveness) – James 5:16
. It makes church discipline irrelevant