WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in 3 00:00:06.519 --> 00:00:12.960 practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible Guys. Thanks 4 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:13.599 for tuning in. 5 00:00:14.039 --> 00:00:15.119 Man, it's gonna be a good day. 6 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:17.480 It is a great day. Well, it's Friday, Jess. 7 00:00:17.559 --> 00:00:21.280 It's the best day for our longtime listeners. They are 8 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:25.480 just hoping and praying, wishing upon a star that this 9 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:29.800 would be their favorite segment ever. Oh yeah, everybody's favorite segment. 10 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:34.159 I see, Yes, everybody's favorite segment. I'm not everybody. Are 11 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:39.600 hordes of listeners worldwide are sitting on the edge of 12 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:43.640 the sea saying, it's Friday. I wonder what made Chris 13 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:46.960 mad this week? I see, you see, I see and 14 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:48.079 you know you know it's true. 15 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:49.560 I'm not sure. 16 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:51.600 But do people ever stop you in the lobby or 17 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:54.439 whenever they run into you say that they love that segment? Yeah, 18 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:55.600 but all the time, not. 19 00:00:56.200 --> 00:01:00.000 More than not more than other comments though it's not overwhelming. 20 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:01.759 Do they talk about other segments as much as they 21 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:04.280 talk about that segment? No, that that's what I'm saying. 22 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:06.319 That's definitely not This is everybody's favorite. 23 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:10.680 Okay, I see. Okay, well, listen, Jeff, here's the thing. Ultimately, 24 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:14.120 I'm going to say that I'm mad at the people 25 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:15.159 who build cars. 26 00:01:16.519 --> 00:01:20.719 Oh yeah, so hundreds of thousands of auto manufacturers, that's builders. 27 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.120 But it always comes down to one or two guys. 28 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:26.599 Car car builders. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're talking about the 29 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:28.079 guy on the line working in the shop. 30 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.239 Oh no, no, no, no, I'm talking about the designers. 31 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:34.200 Oh, engineers, engineers and thousands of thousands of engineers. 32 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:34.560 Yeah. 33 00:01:34.599 --> 00:01:36.200 We a our whole church is full engineers. 34 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:38.359 Hey, listen, stop interrupting me. 35 00:01:39.560 --> 00:01:40.200 We live. 36 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:43.640 It comes down to one guy who tells the engineers 37 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:44.120 what to do. 38 00:01:44.280 --> 00:01:46.439 Okay, yes, so I'm mad at that guy. You met 39 00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:46.799 that guy? 40 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:48.239 Okay, okay, are you ready? 41 00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:49.040 Yes, all right. 42 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:53.159 I've observed over the past, you know, fifty years of 43 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:56.519 my life, probably closer to forty years, that there are 44 00:01:56.599 --> 00:02:00.519 certain cars that when you open the door, you know 45 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:02.760 how the snow rushes in and goes on your seat. 46 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:06.599 There are certain cars that have a propensity to do 47 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:10.199 that more than others. Yeah, so does mine. 48 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:13.240 And so I'm thinking to myself, a GMC, it's the 49 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:13.680 same truck. 50 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:14.319 It's the same truck. 51 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:14.919 It's the same truck. 52 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:17.439 So it's like it's like, no matter how hard I try, 53 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.120 it's like I'll clear off my car with the brush, 54 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:23.000 you know, and I'll make sure to get around the edges. 55 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:25.439 I'll go upcrest over to the roof, you know, and 56 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:27.560 I'll try. It does not matter how hard I try, 57 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:32.199 I always either forget or don't not pay attention to 58 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:33.960 or maybe I don't do good of a job. I 59 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.439 don't know. But I open the door and there's this 60 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:40.719 unbelievable I mean so much so to where I I 61 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.599 have to brush it off with my hand, and if 62 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:45.280 I choose not to because the wind's going so much, 63 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:48.000 I'll sit in it and then I'll feel the wetness 64 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:50.520 on my legs. Right, I mean, that's a lot of snow. 65 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:53.639 It's snow, but you open it up and it just 66 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:55.919 goes in. Now, for those listening in other parts of 67 00:02:55.919 --> 00:02:57.560 the country, you don't have to deal with that. I 68 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:00.759 envy you. I truly do envy you. There is this 69 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:03.240 thing that happens when you open up a door of 70 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.759 a car. It just gets sucked in and all of 71 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:09.039 a sudden, right where you're about to sit is covered 72 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:09.560 with snow. 73 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:14.840 I think that there's something about the equilibrium that I 74 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:19.520 think that there's lower pressure inside than outside or something 75 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:22.120 so that when you open that there's a slight vacuum 76 00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:24.680 that pulls into the car. It's got to be that way, 77 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:27.719 because it's it's every time, it's every time, it's every time, 78 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:29.759 and it pulls in about two feet in, right in 79 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:32.400 the middle or just past the center of your seat. Well, 80 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:37.000 here's my thing, because falling, it's. 81 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:43.159 Getting pulled in. And so my question is, because some 82 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:47.120 cars are way better than other cars, and I've observed that, 83 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:52.599 why don't the people who design the cars test for it? Like, 84 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:54.400 I bet you that's not a part of their testing. 85 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:58.080 It's not you know, I've thought several times it seems 86 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:02.039 like if when I'm opening my door it pulls in, 87 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:06.159 that means it's already pulling in. Right. So if there's 88 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:09.360 a little crack or in one of the seams on 89 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:13.560 my on the you know, seals on my door or whatever, 90 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:16.560 dust is getting pulled in and pulled in. Why don't 91 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:19.839 they just pressurize our cabins when you stop, when you 92 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:22.439 turn your engine off, your here go, there's all this 93 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.639 stuff happening. Yeah, why don't they just pressurize the cabin 94 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:28.040 when you when you close the door, Why don't they pressurize. 95 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:30.879 Just put just a tiny bit of positive pressure inside 96 00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:33.160 the cabin. That way, no dust comes in, and when 97 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:35.639 you open the door, it'll blow snow out, not in. 98 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:37.600 Yeah, that's a great idea. 99 00:04:37.639 --> 00:04:38.279 It's not that hard. 100 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:41.319 There you go. Engineers, get guys, let's go. I mean 101 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:43.040 I am angry at you. 102 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:44.800 We could do their job on Fridays. 103 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:50.399 There's one there's there is one guy. It comes down to, right, 104 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:54.000 there's one guy. One guy at GMC, there's one guy 105 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:58.319 at Chrysler, and that guy, that guy is responsible. 106 00:04:57.720 --> 00:04:59.439 For And you know who you are all the testing? 107 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:01.720 Yeah, you who you are? And if you listen to 108 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:05.519 the Bible. Guys, come on, I mean it's it's motor 109 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:08.079 city for I mean, you know we've grown up with 110 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:12.759 snow here your whole life and for everybody's whole life 111 00:05:12.839 --> 00:05:16.759 since since Michigan has existed. Right, so this isn't a 112 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:19.360 new thing, So why not have it be a part 113 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:20.920 of your testing? Come on, get on it. 114 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:22.399 I feel good about this, Chris. 115 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:23.319 Are you agree with me? 116 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:26.199 Yeah, I'm gonna agree with you on that. Yeah, So 117 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:28.199 I did that just a couple of days ago at 118 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:30.319 snow there was a light dusting of snow. Yeah, and 119 00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:33.360 the light dusting snow's pretty yeah, but it is the 120 00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:36.639 real light has a very very fluffy, powdery kind. So 121 00:05:36.680 --> 00:05:38.639 you opened up and it was just like this much 122 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:40.879 snow in my car. I didn't even bother to brush 123 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:44.480 it off. We go open it up. Have the snow 124 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:48.600 in my yard landed in my snow I'm not joking. 125 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:52.720 Snow in my yard of my trunk on my seat. Yeah, 126 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:53.639 that's what made Chris. 127 00:05:53.959 --> 00:05:56.879 Well, we're sorry. Now we just alienated. If you don't know, 128 00:05:57.319 --> 00:05:59.399 Chris and I, we passed her at the church. Hearded 129 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:04.240 church in uh southeast Michigan, and probably half of our 130 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:07.120 church is engineers for general motors or chrystlers. 131 00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:09.000 That's right, that's right, that's right. 132 00:06:09.480 --> 00:06:12.040 So man, we are we're in trouble now. We might 133 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:12.879 be looking for a job. 134 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:17.319 They're gonna boycott all of a sudden next Tunday, nobody 135 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:20.279 shows up, that's right. So hey, all I know is 136 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:22.920 some cars have mastered it and some cars have not. 137 00:06:23.800 --> 00:06:26.920 So let's let's and being this angry, do you find 138 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:28.720 it hard to forgive them? 139 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:34.519 You know? Jeff I I think I ultimately forgive them, 140 00:06:34.519 --> 00:06:39.120 but I like to hold on my anger and I 141 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:40.519 like to think that you were good enough to have 142 00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:43.600 until my jeans get dry. Yeah yeah, okay, yeah, but 143 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:46.800 then I forgive forgive them. Well, why did you ask 144 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:49.720 about because we're talking about that. Really, that's a little 145 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:53.199 bit of the mercy thing. Wow, Jesus said in the Beatitudes. 146 00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:55.959 Did you know? He said in the Beatitudes, Blessed are 147 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:58.759 the merciful, for they will be showing mercy. I do 148 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:02.720 know that part of mercy is forgiveness. Yes, it's not 149 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:07.319 the only thing, right, you talked yesterday about lots of 150 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:13.000 different things about mercy when we have compassion on people, 151 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:18.480 whatever we don't do to them what they deserve or whatever. Right, 152 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:20.120 lots of different ways of looking at mercy, but one 153 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:21.319 of them is forgiving. 154 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:22.160 What happened to he youre mercy. 155 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:26.480 Forgiveness is a part of that. And you know one 156 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:30.040 of the most famous places about mercy and forgiveness is 157 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:35.160 in the Lord's Prayer right here in Matthew Matthew, chapter six, 158 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:37.519 in the Sermon on the Mountain. Yes, so let me 159 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:39.439 just read the Lord's Prayer. He says in verse nine 160 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:42.839 of Matthew chapter six, pray like this, our father in heaven, 161 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:45.879 May your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come soon. 162 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:47.639 May your will be done on earth as it is 163 00:07:47.639 --> 00:07:50.240 in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and 164 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:53.360 forgive us our sins as we've forgiven those who sin 165 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:56.480 against us. And don't let us yield the temptation, but 166 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:59.399 rescue us from the evil one. Then he says in 167 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:02.560 verse fourteen, if you forgive those who sin against you, 168 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:05.519 your heavenly father will forgive you. But if you refuse 169 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.120 to forgive others, your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins. 170 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:11.319 Mm hmm. Yep. 171 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:12.079 Those are some. 172 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:14.600 Strong statements, and some them some tough words. 173 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:21.120 Tough words, yep, yep, souh. There are probably people who, 174 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:23.000 when you hear that on the surface, how can you 175 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:30.399 not how can you not interpret that as conditional forgiveness? Yeah, 176 00:08:30.839 --> 00:08:33.879 you know, And then is that also like, is that 177 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:39.279 forgiveness for heaven or is that forgiveness for you know, 178 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:44.399 just relationship, right, Because there's the judicial forgiveness, right, which 179 00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:47.360 is the once and for all legal standing before God 180 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:48.200 kind of forgiveness. 181 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:48.480 Yeah. 182 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:52.799 Yeah, Then there's relational forgiveness, which is ongoing fellowship between 183 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:53.799 the father and his child. 184 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:57.559 I think to be very very clear here, this is 185 00:08:57.639 --> 00:09:01.639 not for salvation. Yeah, this is God refusing to forgive 186 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:04.039 your sins to take you to heaven. This is a 187 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:07.519 relational issue. The reason being you and I cannot forgive 188 00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:09.320 anybody's sins so they can go to heaven. 189 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:09.840 That's right. 190 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:13.039 So he's not holding us to a higher standard. Correct, 191 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:17.000 right that I won't forgive your sins where I'm going 192 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:21.039 to hold a grudge, But then God's gonna send me 193 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:25.240 to hell because I'm holding a grudge. That's not its 194 00:09:25.399 --> 00:09:27.279 God says I'm going to hold a grudge if you 195 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:27.879 hold a grudge. 196 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:29.960 And the reason why, the reason why we know that 197 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:33.080 is because these are these are relational terms. First of all, 198 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:38.200 these are not like courtroom judicial terms. And secondly, all 199 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:40.799 of this is under the blanket of the Christian right. 200 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:43.720 Because he says forgive, forgive our sins, as as we 201 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:46.720 forgive those who you know trespass against us or whatever. 202 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:51.080 He's referring to somebody who already knows God. So the commandment, 203 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:54.960 the warning is to those who have already been forgiven 204 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:55.399 by God. 205 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:57.879 Right. So yeah, there's a really great, Do you have 206 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:01.279 any good notes on this one? In my study Bible 207 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:04.720 The Life Application Study Bible. He says, Jesus gives us 208 00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:08.279 startling warning about forgiveness. If we refuse to forgive others, 209 00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:11.759 God will also refuse to forgive us. Why because by 210 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:14.480 not forgiving others, we deny our common ground as sinners 211 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:17.000 in need of God's forgiveness, and we break the family 212 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:20.200 relationship God wants us to have with all people. Our 213 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:22.799 salvation from sin is not based on our forgiving others. 214 00:10:22.840 --> 00:10:25.879 But we can't receive God's forgiveness until we realize what 215 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:29.759 forgiveness really means. We can easily ask God for forgiveness 216 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:32.799 for ourselves, but then hang on to grudges toward others 217 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:35.879 who are difficult to forgive. Whenever we ask God to 218 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:38.480 forgive us for sin, we should first ask ourselves if 219 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:41.919 we've forgiven the people who've wronged us. And that reminds me, 220 00:10:42.039 --> 00:10:45.320 you know, Mark chapter eleven, Jesus says, if you're praying 221 00:10:45.799 --> 00:10:48.279 and you remember that you have something against somebody, right, 222 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:51.000 you know, go make it right. And that comes up 223 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:52.879 in multiple places here here's what he says. He says, 224 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:55.440 but when you're praying first forgive anyone you're holding a 225 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:57.799 grudge against, so that your father in heaven will forgive 226 00:10:57.799 --> 00:11:01.240 your sins too. Right, So it's hard to pray God 227 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:06.399 forgive my sins and at the same time, you know 228 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:09.960 I'm going to refuse to forgive somebody else. That's a 229 00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:13.159 hard place to be. And so it's you're kind of 230 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:19.759 you're not understanding what forgiveness is. And this is one 231 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:22.039 of the ways I know that forgiveness is not saying 232 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:25.240 it's okay, right, because that's not what God did. God. 233 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:28.360 God never said my sins okay. God said, and we 234 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:31.559 talked about this a few weeks ago. God says, I'll 235 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:34.039 pay the price for your sin, but he never says 236 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:37.799 it's okay. When I choose to forgive, that means I 237 00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:40.840 choose not to judge. I am and judge. I'm not 238 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:43.600 saying have an opinion about it. Means I'm not going 239 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:46.120 to set myself up as the judge, jury and executioner, 240 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:50.759 like somehow I have the right to execute some kind 241 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:54.279 of judgment on you. Instead, I'm going to surrender that right. 242 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:57.679 And that is the extent of forgiveness. So it's not 243 00:11:57.720 --> 00:12:00.360 saying it's okay, it's not even feeling it's not feeling 244 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:03.200 good about it. I've forgiven people and didn't feel good 245 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:05.039 about the fact that I forgave them. I just did 246 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:07.399 it because I knew, And all I did was relinquish 247 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:11.039 and tell God. I've said to God, God, no longer 248 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:15.559 is their judgment my business. It's yours. You deal with 249 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:18.720 them and Romans the book Romans, chapter was it? What? 250 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:25.440 Chapter twelve says. Don't get revenge because Vengeance's mind, says 251 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:27.679 the Lord. I will repay, he says. Don't repay evil 252 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:31.320 with evil, repay evil with good. Because Vengeance's mind says 253 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:33.840 the Lord, I will repay, And I'll be honest with you. 254 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:35.679 There is a certain amount of comfort when I finally 255 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:37.600 decide I don't have to be the one repaying them 256 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.879 for what they did to me. You know, I think 257 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:43.519 about my biological father or whatever, the abuse. When I 258 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:46.000 came to the point where I decided, I don't have 259 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:49.080 to be the one that finds a way to punish him. Instead, God, 260 00:12:49.080 --> 00:12:52.840 it's your business, You're the judge, the Bible says. Vengeance's 261 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:55.039 mind says the Lord, I will repay. What kind of 262 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:57.120 judgment He's gonna get far greater judgment from God than 263 00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.399 he's gonna get from me. So there is a certain 264 00:12:59.399 --> 00:13:01.919 amount of satis faction and finally surrendering my right to 265 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:06.200 be the executioner. Instead say to God, God, you take 266 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:08.720 care of it, and God says vengeances mind says, well, 267 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:11.639 I'll repay. That's the extent of forgiveness. Yeah, So I 268 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:13.320 think all of us can come to that if we 269 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:16.639 understand what actual forgiveness is. When I go fine, I'm 270 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:18.759 giving up my right to be the prosecutor. I'm giving 271 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:21.240 up my right to be the executor. Every one of 272 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:23.720 us can do that. Every one of us can pray 273 00:13:23.720 --> 00:13:26.480 a prayer that says, God, you know this person hurt me. 274 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:29.320 You know what this person did, You deal with it. 275 00:13:29.480 --> 00:13:31.120 I'm done. I'm not going to deal with it anymore. 276 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:33.279 I think we can all pray that prayer. 277 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:37.519 I agree. I agree. You asked me about different notes. 278 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:41.639 Here's a note. It says forgiveness here is experiential, not transactional. 279 00:13:42.039 --> 00:13:45.480 Jesus is not describing how sins are legally erased, but 280 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:50.159 how forgiveness is experienced and enjoyed. So forgiveness disrupts our prayer. 281 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:54.200 Life experiential and relational rather than positional. And yes, yes, 282 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:54.799 yes great. 283 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:59.200 So in forgiveness disrupts our prayer life, it disrupts our 284 00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:02.759 spiritual peace, it disrupts our communion with God. God's mercy 285 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:06.559 does not disappear, but our experience of it becomes blocked 286 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:08.279 because of hardness of heart. 287 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:11.000 Yeah, there you go. You won't feel forgiven if you 288 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:12.000 don't forgive. 289 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:15.639 Right, So, yeah, you won't be Yeah, you won't be 290 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.840 in communion with God. You won't have the blessings and 291 00:14:18.919 --> 00:14:23.159 the you know, the the spiritual peace and all the 292 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:26.120 things that talks about. So I think that was interesting. 293 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:28.440 And then it also says the if here. The IF 294 00:14:28.519 --> 00:14:33.399 statement is descriptive, not meritorious, right, not based on merit. 295 00:14:33.879 --> 00:14:36.799 So Jesus not saying forgive in order to earn forgiveness. 296 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:40.320 He's saying those who have been forgiven will forgive. Forgiveness 297 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:42.919 toward others is evidence of a transform heart, not the 298 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:43.799 cause of salvation. 299 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:50.120 Oh that I just quoted Mark eleven twenty five. Yeah, yeah, 300 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:53.440 what you just said is what this is saying. So 301 00:14:53.480 --> 00:14:55.559 the idea says, then Jesus said, to the disciples, have 302 00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:57.440 faith in God. I tell you the truth. You can 303 00:14:57.480 --> 00:14:59.240 say to this mountain, maybe you be lifted up and 304 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:01.600 thrown into the sea and it'll happen, but you must 305 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:04.039 really believe it'll happen and have no doubt in your heart. 306 00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:06.519 I tell you you can pray for anything, and if 307 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:10.399 you believe that you've received it, it'll be yours. Okay wow. 308 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:12.320 Yeah. 309 00:15:12.440 --> 00:15:15.799 Then in the same breath, he says, but when you're praying, first, 310 00:15:15.799 --> 00:15:18.159 forgive anyone you're holding a grudge against, so that your 311 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:21.039 father in heaven will forgive your sins too. So he's 312 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:27.200 connecting this relational answer to prayer, Dad, I need you 313 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:28.080 to do something for me. 314 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:28.840 M h. 315 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:30.919 And Dad goes, no, you won't do it for others. 316 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:33.600 I'm not gonna do it for you, right right, that's 317 00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:36.200 what he's saying. This isn't about going to heaven, but 318 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:40.039 it is. It's that it's that it's not positional, it's relational. 319 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:41.440 And then what was the other one? What was the 320 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:43.480 other word you use that I highlighted a second ago 321 00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:44.759 to forget. 322 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:53.320 It's not meritorious, Yeah, nope, back back further. Experiential transitional, Yes, 323 00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:54.279 it's experiential. 324 00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:59.639 So here's so the transaction of forgiveness for heaven is 325 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:05.120 literally Jesus on the cross. He has shed his blood, 326 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:07.720 he took the punishment of our sin in his body, 327 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:10.759 and his last words before Father, into your hands, I 328 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:13.399 come in my spirit, he says. To tell us, Sty, 329 00:16:13.480 --> 00:16:17.000 it's paid and full. That's purely a transaction, right. So 330 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:19.440 then I was paid in full. Now it's offered as 331 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:21.960 a gift. Hey, look at Either you can pay the 332 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:25.440 full price and here's the bill, which is eternal separation 333 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:28.480 from me in hell. Or here's the same bill, but 334 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:30.440 it's paid and full. To tell U, Sty, which do 335 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:33.360 you want? And by faith, I can accept the free gift, 336 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:35.840 or I can choose to pay the price myself. That's it. 337 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:40.840 That's transactional. Salvation is transactional. I remember at eight years 338 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:43.720 old when I trusted Christ, when I found out that 339 00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:46.919 Jesus would had paid the price for my sin and 340 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:49.440 that if I would accept his free gift, he'd forgive me. 341 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:52.360 I remember thinking, I literally told my mom, this is 342 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:54.919 the best deal in the universe, and so I told her. 343 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:58.279 For me, salvation was purely transactional. I know for some 344 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:01.600 people it's goosebumps and super hyper spiritual. All this kind 345 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:03.879 of stuff for me. It wasn't when I understood God's 346 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:05.720 words that I was a sinner that Jesus paid the 347 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:07.440 price for sink because he loves me, and then it'll 348 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:08.759 give it to me as a free gift of fall. 349 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:12.200 Accept it. I remember honestly thinking, this is the best 350 00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:16.240 deal in the universe. It's purely transactional, right. But then 351 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:19.839 because of the transaction. John chapter one, verse twelve says, 352 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:22.960 to those who believed him and accepted him or received him, 353 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:26.000 he gave the power to become the children of God. 354 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:29.319 In that moment that that transaction happens, he adopts me 355 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:31.920 into his own family, which my dad adopted me. That 356 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:35.759 also was a transaction. It was a legal transaction. Yeah, 357 00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:38.160 he changed my name from my old name to his name. 358 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:41.720 He took responsibility from me. He signed on the dotted line, 359 00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:43.759 and he swore an oath to the judge, and he 360 00:17:43.799 --> 00:17:45.640 made a promise to me and my mom. Right, that 361 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:49.359 was a transaction too. But from the moment that transaction 362 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:52.480 was done, I was his son. Now it's a relational thing, 363 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.039 not a transactional thing. Right, And it's the same thing. 364 00:17:56.039 --> 00:17:58.079 Ephesians chapter two says it was always God's plan to 365 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:00.920 adopt us into his own family. So he did the 366 00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:02.960 transaction for us so that we could be part of 367 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:06.400 the family. Now, when you and I sin, it's not 368 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:11.880 about the transactions done. It's paid in full, it's done. 369 00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:15.000 But the relationship side. It was possible for me to 370 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:17.599 make my dad mad at me, and my dad wouldn't 371 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:20.640 give me what I wanted. Right. We've all been parents, 372 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:23.119 we know, right, those who that have been parents, you 373 00:18:23.160 --> 00:18:24.839 know that there's times when you want to be a 374 00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:27.279 blessing to your children. There's times when your kids don't 375 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:28.880 deserve it, you're not going to give it to them. Right, 376 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:33.200 You've had it in your own family. And so our 377 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:36.480 sin or our inability to forgive other sins can affect 378 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:40.359 our relationship, even though the transaction and our position with 379 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:44.680 God are unaffected. And so this is purely the relational 380 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:47.519 side of things. And here he's saying, you can pray anything, 381 00:18:47.559 --> 00:18:50.519 and God, your father in heaven, will answer you. Oh 382 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:53.079 wait a minute, don't forget. You need to forgive other 383 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:56.559 people while he's not going to hear your prayers. In 384 00:18:56.599 --> 00:18:58.240 the Book of James, it says if you leave a 385 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:00.720 hurt in the heart of your woman as a husband. 386 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:03.559 God won't hear your prayers, he said. For this reason, 387 00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:05.640 God doesn't answer your prayers. So what he says, look 388 00:19:05.640 --> 00:19:08.680 at James, it's possible for us to leave pain or 389 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:11.559 refuse to forgive. And God goes, listen, it's not that 390 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:14.079 I don't love you, it's that you just don't even 391 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:16.359 understand the idea of this relationship. You're not doing it. 392 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:19.079 So take care of that and then we'll get back 393 00:19:19.079 --> 00:19:21.319 to being right again. And as it took for my 394 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:22.640 kids to get right with me, is to come back 395 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:24.799 and tell me Dad, I'm sorry. Once they acknowledged the 396 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:28.960 fact that they had crossed the line, or that they 397 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:33.480 weren't really acknowledging my kindness or my generosity, or the 398 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:35.880 fact that they had sinned against me, all they have 399 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:37.759 to do is acknowledge it. Man, my heart says, I 400 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:40.160 want to forgive you. Right, And that's the Heavenly Father 401 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:41.920