Forgive to Be Forgiven
Pastor Tan Thai · Jun 27, 2021
This sermon teaches that biblical forgiveness is a conditional gift: we must forgive others in order to receive God's forgiveness. Through the parables of the Prodigal Son and the Unmerciful Servant, the pastor identifies three core elements of genuine forgiveness: initiative, sacrifice, and compassion.
The sermon opens with a candid observation that although forgiveness is a familiar topic among believers, very few actually practice it the way Scripture commands. The pastor emphasizes that forgiveness is not optional but conditional: 'If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses' (Matthew 6:14-15). Forgiveness is illustrated as a bridge connecting two lands separated by a river — the person who refuses to forgive destroys the very bridge they themselves must cross.
The first element is initiative. Through the image of the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the pastor shows that true forgiveness does not wait for the offender to come and apologize first. The father ran to meet his son while still a great distance away, without knowing his son's motives. Jesus taught clearly in Mark 11:25 and Matthew 5:23-24 that we must take the initiative to reconcile rather than waiting for the other party to come first. Pride and self-protection are tools the enemy uses to prevent that initiative, causing relationships to grow increasingly cold and distant.
The second element is sacrifice. The father in the parable absorbed both damages caused by his son: financial loss and loss of honor before the community. Forgiveness means the one who forgives bears the debt the offender cannot or will not repay — not only material loss but also emotional wounds that no one can truly compensate. The pastor warns that refusing to forgive means continuously replaying the 'old film' of the offender's wrongs, causing bitterness to deepen with each viewing.
The third element is compassion. Biblical scholar B.B. Warfield noted that the most prominent emotion of Jesus throughout the four Gospels is compassion — a feeling arising from the depths of the soul that always leads to concrete action. This compassion is seen in Jesus healing the sick, forgiving sinners, and washing the feet of His disciples including Judas Iscariot. When we remember the enormous debt God has forgiven us, we find the compassion needed to forgive those who have wronged us.
The sermon closes with practical applications for family and church life. The pastor calls each person to examine their heart for bitterness — a telltale sign being that one finds pleasure in the other person's failures. Forgiveness does not mean excusing the offense, but canceling the debt and entrusting judgment to God. Only through forgiveness can relationships be restored, even if they may not return to exactly what they were before. Colossians 3:12-13 serves as the closing exhortation: 'As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.'