We're going to read the Word of God now from Matthew 18. We'll begin at verse 21 of Matthew 18 and read to the end of the chapter. In verses 15 through 20, Jesus has given very important instruction on how to deal with someone who sins against us. He gives not only very important instruction, but very detailed instruction. Peter understood that dealing with the faults of someone else is going to require forgiveness on our part. And so in verse 21, we read, then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him, till seven times Peter thought he was being very generous by suggesting the possibility that he forgives someone seven times over. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until 70 times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king. which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him 10,000 talents. But for as much as he had not to pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. Servant therefore fell down and worshiped him saying, Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all. Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants which owed him 100 pence. And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying, pay me that thou ow'st. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet and besought him saying, have patience with me and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry. and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt because thou desirest me. Should not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses. The sermon text this morning The last two verses of Ephesians 4. And as we read those verses, Ephesians 4 verses 31 and 32, you'll see why I read Matthew 18. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Before we go to the passage, I think I should tell you that we are going to take a break from the book of Ephesians, probably until after the first of the year, And in the coming weeks, I will be preaching some sermons that have to do with the coming and birth of our Savior, some Advent sermons. Turning then to the Word of God in those last two verses of Ephesians 1, we ought to note that the Word of God here is finishing that series of practical applications that begin in verse 25. Put away lying. Be angry and sin not. Don't give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul here is finishing up that series of practical admonitions. We'll find some more practical admonitions in chapter 5, but they have more to do with our life in the world around us, how we are to behave towards those who do not believe, and that, of course, by way of being a witness to them. But here in chapter four, the word of God is talking about our relation to one another as believers. In that relationship, we are to listen to and take heed to these very, very practical admonitions. And the word of God here in bringing all these admonitions, is continuing, too, to talk about what it means to put off the old man. That's verse 22. That she put off concerning the former conversation, the former way of life, The old man, which is corrupt. according to the deceitful lusts, and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. By avoiding the sins that are mentioned in verses 25 through 32, by doing what the Word of God requires of us in those verses, we are putting off the old man, putting on the new man. And most importantly, in that whole great business of putting off the old and putting on the new, we must heed the Word of God in these last two verses. Putting off the old man means this especially, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. Putting on the new man means this especially, that you be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Forgiveness, forgiveness of others who have sinned against us, is the great evidence that we have done what the Word of God says when it talks about putting on the new man, and putting off the old. And to make sure that we do that, that we do forgive those who have sinned against us, the Word of God says, that's verse 31, that the proof, the proof that we've forgiven others is that we avoid the sins that are listed In verse 31, bitterness, wrath, clamor, anger, evil speaking, malice, avoiding those sins is the proof, the necessary proof that we have forgiven others as God has forgiven us. theme for this morning's sermon, taken from those last words of verse 32, is forgiven and forgiving. Forgiven and forgiving. That's, in three words, a description of what a Christian ought to be in his relationship to the other members of the church, to his fellow believers. Apostle Paul grounds what he says in God's work of grace towards us in what God, for Christ's sake, has done for us. Now, if you need a reminder of what God in Christ has done for us, you have to reread the first three chapters of Ephesians. That's what they are all about. What God in Christ has done for us. But the emphasis, of course, is on the fact that God has forgiven us all our sins, justified us, that's the word we use to describe what God did when he pardoned us for Christ's sake for all our evil doing. And by that forgiveness, of course, we are acceptable to him. But there are a couple of things that we need to remember about God's forgiveness before we talk about our calling to forgive one another. And one thing that certainly needs to be emphasized is what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 18. That forgiveness is something that is ongoing. There isn't any end to it. Peter suggested that, of course, that after he had forgiven someone, probably the same sin seven times over, that that was enough. But Jesus, by talking about forgiving 70 times seven, is emphasizing the fact that there is no limit to how often we must forgive those who sin against us. That's one thing. And that needs to be emphasized, of course, because we all know how easy it is to come to the point where we say, Can't deal with this anymore. That's enough. I'm done with you. But another thing that needs to be emphasized is that when God forgives us, then he forgives us completely, entirely. He holds no grudges. He doesn't say to us, I'm going to forgive you, but I'm not going to forget what you've done. In fact, he emphasizes the completeness of our forgiveness by talking about putting our sins behind his back or throwing them into the sea where they're lost forever. And that too, of course, has to be emphasized because all too often we speak of forgiving someone, but we want to hold it against them nevertheless. And that is not forgiveness. It's not God's forgiveness of us, it's not the way in which we are required to forgive one another. The other thing that has to be emphasized is that God forgives us, as the text says, for Christ's sake. We have to forgive one another also for the same reason. for Christ's sake. Now, that forgiveness may be required, too, by the fact that they're family members, friends, fellow church members. That requires forgiveness. But the great reason is that Christ died for our sins, and we have to show our appreciation for that by forgiving others. Because, that's the idea here, we have been forgiven through the saving work of Jesus Christ. God, how does Romans 8 put it? God spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, that we might have the forgiveness of which the passage speaks. And if we don't forgive one another, then we show that we have no real understanding, no appreciation, for what God did for us for Christ's sake. And of course, thinking ahead to the judgment day and what will happen then when we have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, the word of God has all the more impact. We will stand before God, for Christ's sake, in that great day, forgiven and justified. In fact, when we die and go to heaven, we have evidence already of the fact that God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven us. That must be the reason why we forgive one another. And that of course is what Matthew 18 is all about. Matthew 18 and the parable that Jesus tells there are by way of emphasizing the fact, as strict as that may seem to us, that if we do not forgive others, the only possible reason can be that we have not experienced, do not know God's forgiveness in Christ. There is then no evidence, not for me, myself, not to others, that God has forgiven me. And that's, of course, the reason, too, why in the parable, those servants, those other servants, went and reported their fellow servant to their Lord. They were very sorry and came unto it and told unto their Lord all that was done. And the Lord, of course, was angry because the behavior of that servant who would not forgive another was proof that he did not appreciate what his Lord had done for him. So likewise Now my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses. And that of course is the Lord's prayer as well, forgive us our debts as we forgive one another. The two always go together and may not be separated. I may not think that I'm forgiven of God when I find it impossible to forgive someone who has sinned against me. Now it needs to be added that just as in our relation to God, forgiveness is possible, forgiveness is only in the way of repentance. And I'm emphasizing that this morning because people talk rather carelessly about forgiving someone who's shown no regret for what they've done. Probably talked to them, tried to show them what they did wrong, went nowhere, as they say, but I forgive them. What they really mean, of course, is I'm not going to be bitter against them. And that's because, again, just as in our relationship to God, forgiveness is in the way of repentance. It's only when they've admitted what they're wrongdoing, confessed their sin, that forgiveness is possible. Just as in our relation to God. God does not forgive those who are not sorry for their sin. Again, that's not to say that his forgiveness depends on our repentance, but the two always go together. Repentance and forgiveness go together in our relationship to God and in our relationship to others. So, be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. And in the context, that's especially important. Forgive one another because we are all too often guilty of lying, sinful anger, stealing, at least in the sense of which the word of God is speaking of it here. of not guarding our tongues and our lips, of grieving the Holy Spirit, and of all the other sins that are mentioned in these last two verses. Forgive one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. But because it is so easy for us poor sinners to think that we've forgiven someone when in fact we really haven't done that. The Word of God talks about all those other things here in verses 31 and 32. First of all about the sins of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and malice. And I hope you understand, my dear fellow believers, I hope you understand that those things are mentioned here because if I'm guilty of them, then I haven't forgiven. You see that? And the Word of God puts bitterness first, and does that with good reason. Because all too often, we say we've forgiven someone, maybe even think we've forgiven someone, but are guilty of what the Word of God here calls bitterness. The word that's used there is a word that means really acid or even poison. That's what bitterness is. I think I mentioned a week ago, maybe a few weeks ago, that someone talking about bitterness described it as drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. Bitterness is poison, but it poisons not the person against whom I am bitter, but poisons me. Poisons my whole life. poisons my attitude, poisons my conduct, not just toward them, but the whole of my life and conduct. But the point of the passage is that if I am guilty of bitterness, then I have toward someone who sinned against me, probably grievously, that I have not forgiven them, no matter what I may say." Wrath, you might think that there's no difference between wrath and anger. Anger is the same thing as in verse 26, but the wrath is What often, all too often, is the result of anger? An explosion of feelings, words, angry feelings, angry words towards another. Put away both. And what verse 25 says is important, too, or verse 26, be angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath. So put it away. Clamor and evil speaking are the outward expressions. Wrath is that too. But clamor and evil speaking are the results of bitterness and anger. Evil speaking is that sin that's described elsewhere in the word of God as gossip, tail bearing, speaking of the sins of another, not to the person who sinned against us, but to others. Evil, and the word needs to be emphasized, that is, in the word of God called evil speaking. And clamor, of course, too, is all the noise that results from sinful anger and bitterness. And malice is that sin of the heart that holds against another what they have done to us, and not only holds it against them, but secretly hopes that they'll suffer for it. Malice. And we really don't need all those things explained, do we? We all know what the Word of God is talking about. when it speaks of these sins. Put them away, literally pull up your anchor and sail away from these sins. But do that, do that for this reason too, that if you continue with these sins, you have not forgiven, and most certainly have not forgiven, as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." What if God said to us, I forgive you, but oh, I'm holding it against you. Showed us every day that he was angry with us for our sins. Did nothing but talk about them. Tell everybody within hearing what we did. Couldn't live with that, could we? And because God's forgiveness is not characterized by those things, could not possibly be our forgiveness must not be spoiled by those sins either. It's interesting that in contrast to those sins, the word of God mentions only two things, kindness, tenderheartedness, that's all. What are there? One, two, three, four, five, six sins mentioned, but only two virtues. But I think you could see why the Word of God only mentions those two things. Kindness, tenderheartedness. What else could possibly prove, as those two things do, that we have forgiven someone who sinned against us. Kindness and tenderheartedness, not a hardness but literally a softness towards them of heart that reveals itself in acts, words of kindness, not in hurtfulness, And that, of course, too, harks back to what God has done for us. Who can describe the kindness of God towards his people and his tenderheartedness towards us poor sinners? The fact that he He is willing to condescend to us, to have dealings with us in spite of what we've done with Him. Loves us, is merciful to us. Be ye kind one to another. tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you." That's very simply the word of God in these verses. And yet, so much needed. And needed in the church. The Apostle Paul's concern here, we've seen that all through these first four chapters of Ephesians, that he's not only concerned with our own spiritual well-being, but with the peace and unity of the Church. Church, he says, is the body of Christ, but it has to function as a body as well. Speaking the truth in love, we have to grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working and the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself. in love. This is crucial to the peace and unity of the church. But it's also, and that takes us into the next chapter of Ephesians, it's also the way, the way above all ways in which we show that we are followers, literally imitators of God as dear children. Nothing. In this wicked world in which we live, full of malice, evil speaking, wrath, clamor, bitterness, in this wicked world, We show that we are not children of this world, but children of God, not imitators of the world around us or even of the prince of this world, but imitators of God himself. We show that we understand and appreciate God, for Christ's sake, has done for us. Don't we? This is not here in the Word of God, so that I could take it and say, but he, she, needs to hear this. This is here in the Word of God because I need to hear it and take it to heart. God grant it. Amen. Father, bless what we've heard from the Word this morning. Help us to be those who are forgiven and forgiving to to forgive others as we ourselves have been entirely forgiven all our sins for the sake of the shed blood and perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Keep us from the sins of which we've spoken this morning. Lead us to be followers of God Dear children, in these matters, we ask it for Jesus' sake.