Forgive Others as God in Christ Has Forgiven You
Ephesians
Brian Fletcher
Ephesians 4:32
Read Passage: Ephesians 4:32
Pray
Introduction: Stoning of Stephen summarized. How in the world could Stephen say, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." ??? This one verse is going to show us HOW.
Context of the verse
from the Gospel Transformation Study Bible
The book of Ephesians is full of gospel from start to finish. In fact, there may be no other book in all the Bible that packs in as much gospel per square inch. The first half of the book is almost nothing but gospel explanation, while the second half is almost entirely gospel application - mind-boggling indicatives followed by grace-filled (and grace-motivated) imperatives.
So the verse we are looking at this morning is a command to forgive one another but it is based on three chapters of why we should obey this command. God never gives us commands without telling us why we need to obey or how we will be able to obey.
One of the reasons I get so hyped up about this is because many well-meaning Bible teachers and Christian speakers will explain what we are supposed to do but they don't always tell us why we are supposed to do them.
For instance, a very popular, conservative, evangelical radio host taught on this verse. He made every effort to tell his listeners that forgiveness was a major key to building healthy relationships. And he is right. Forgiveness is essential to healthy relationships. The problem is that he missed the main point of the verse. Let me show you.
Show animation
The point is that you can't be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving UNLESS you understand that God has forgiven you through Christ. So let's dig into why we should forgive others.
1. God in Christ has forgiven you.
Why do we need to be forgiven?
Simply put, we have chosen to live lives that do not please and honor a holy God. It started in the garden where Adam and Eve literally lived in paradise. God c ...
Ephesians
Brian Fletcher
Ephesians 4:32
Read Passage: Ephesians 4:32
Pray
Introduction: Stoning of Stephen summarized. How in the world could Stephen say, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." ??? This one verse is going to show us HOW.
Context of the verse
from the Gospel Transformation Study Bible
The book of Ephesians is full of gospel from start to finish. In fact, there may be no other book in all the Bible that packs in as much gospel per square inch. The first half of the book is almost nothing but gospel explanation, while the second half is almost entirely gospel application - mind-boggling indicatives followed by grace-filled (and grace-motivated) imperatives.
So the verse we are looking at this morning is a command to forgive one another but it is based on three chapters of why we should obey this command. God never gives us commands without telling us why we need to obey or how we will be able to obey.
One of the reasons I get so hyped up about this is because many well-meaning Bible teachers and Christian speakers will explain what we are supposed to do but they don't always tell us why we are supposed to do them.
For instance, a very popular, conservative, evangelical radio host taught on this verse. He made every effort to tell his listeners that forgiveness was a major key to building healthy relationships. And he is right. Forgiveness is essential to healthy relationships. The problem is that he missed the main point of the verse. Let me show you.
Show animation
The point is that you can't be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving UNLESS you understand that God has forgiven you through Christ. So let's dig into why we should forgive others.
1. God in Christ has forgiven you.
Why do we need to be forgiven?
Simply put, we have chosen to live lives that do not please and honor a holy God. It started in the garden where Adam and Eve literally lived in paradise. God c ...
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