In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal experience of a troubled church and a man who caused trouble within it. The speaker emphasizes the importance of forgiveness as a God-like act and encourages the audience to forgive others. The sermon also mentions the preaching of the gospel and the salvation of the man who caused trouble, leading to his repentance and seeking forgiveness from those he had wronged. The speaker uses examples of lawbreakers pointing fingers at each other to illustrate the need for grace and forgiveness in our own lives.

When I go to Germany, and I do sometimes, and I have to speak to an interpreter, I sometimes might use the word guilt. And the German word for guilt, I hear my interpreter say, it is schuld, s-c-h-u-l-d. And then in another place, I might use the word debt, about something. And I hear him using exactly the same word, schuld. There's one word, and one word only for guilt and debt. And in the German language, indeed, at least, debt and guilt are the same. And that's what guilt is. That God has got a claim for you for reparations. And you have nothing with which to pay. And you're dogged for the rest of your life. That unpaid debt, until, that God, who paid that debt, is not to suffer the loss of sin. It's either you, and praise God, and to suffer the loss in the person of his son, to let guilty, daring sinners. God's way of achieving holiness. He doesn't achieve holiness to the Christian by saying, my, if you're not a good boy, you'll go to hell, you've got to watch your step. He forgives you freely. And that forgiven one, loves the one who's lifted the debt from off him much. And isn't going to play with the very thing. Sometimes I sing in England, a debt of love. Isn't the debt, the old debt. That's been cancelled long ago. But I'm in chains now. Loving chains. So there is, God forgiving us for Christ. Is to forgive those in the same way. It's the basis of all Christian life. You are a forgiven man, and forgiven at tremendous cost. You're to demonstrate that. I'm to demonstrate that, by forgiving. And I believe, we are often put in the same position as God was. Those, perhaps in large matters. All the terrible wrongs that one man can, or it may be in smaller matters, the daily pinpricks of life. People say things, do things, large or small. At the hands. Because of that, we like God, have a claim on them. For reparation. The reparation is just, you think you've got a claim for. You're not always sure. You've got a claim on them for an apology at least. It could be a claim on them for some money. That ought to be paid back. Anyway, there's the feeling, and you hold it against them. You're in the position of the creditor. And they are in the position of the debtor. And they owe something. Mark 11, 25. When you stand praying, something in your heart that you've got against another man. He's done you a dirty trick. He's said words. He's passed you by. He's hurt you. Tell me, is there anybody against whom you have something in your heart? He shouldn't have done it. It wasn't right. Granted. We shouldn't have done what we did to God. It wasn't right. He could have said that. And you can say the same. Now it says, all right. Now the stage is set for you to do something. The most God-like thing you've ever done. I remember going to a church in another state. And there was grave trouble in the church. And they thought perhaps if I came and took the meetings, that would settle it. Because the people who need the messages. And he began telling me about this, that and the other. About the past and other situations. And I tell you, it's going to solve it. Forgive him. Forgive him. Didn't prick matters. You and I have got to be men who are prepared. If you insist, it's not right. I'm not going to stand for that. And you get other people for you to think the same. You're not forgiving. You never can. So go to your point. And be prepared to understand this. Whether the matter is large and some things are terribly large. We're called upon to forgive. What he had to forgive. You subscribe mentally to forgiving. When it comes down to the nitty gritty. And instead of releasing that man in your heart. We hold resentment and bitterness. When that person's name comes up. We always think of that thing. When they cross our path. There's coldness in our heart towards that person. It could be between husband and wife. It could be between us and somebody at work. It could be between us and another Christian. They've got a perfect right not to forgive. After all, what the other person did was wrong. So was what you did to God. God wrong. God raised the issue. A million dollars. And the law of that land said. There was a debtor's prison for the man who couldn't or wouldn't pay his debt. And he was right within his rights. But he was asked to take up an attitude of grace towards that man. Commence it in some small degree. With that attitude of grace and magnanimity. Which that king took up. And there's no one that doesn't have this battle. Or if you haven't had much of it yet. It's coming. And when I'm in the middle of a battle like this. And I'm backing with this old ego of mine. The Lord sometimes had to say to me. Roy, if you can't take this. What more can you take? Because there's plenty more coming. Man, have you been hurt? If you can't get through on that. And laying your rights down and forgive that man. I want to tell you. What else can you take? There's lots more coming. This is life. And even though it's the faith. We are a people that do hurt one another. But we ought to be a people that forgive one another. But because of pride. That is the thing we don't. Did you realize that an unforgiving spirit is based on pride? You're not willing to be treated that way. And you know you've got the option. I've got the option. This situation I'm doing like this. I'm doing about the most God like thing. The most Christ like thing. You bear no chance. I'll take it. I'll forget it. I'll say, let it go brother. Forgive me for adopting any other attitude over this from that. The wrong that's been inflicted is so married in forgiving. Forgoing it really arises. Because we think that to forgive means that we. And I believe that is one of the difficult things. It might mean you're called upon to forgive the behavior of a child. A young person. And you think to forgive that is to approve of it. It doesn't mean you approve of it at all. What it does mean is you're prepared to suffer it. And they used to go round to some of the churches. With the testimony subsequent to this experience. We were with them. We discerned that whereas she was happy in the Lord. There was something still lacking in that man's experience. It came out that whereas he'd forgiven her. And they used to go round to some of the churches. With the testimony of how Jesus can remake a marriage. But when later. Subsequent to this experience. We were with them. We discerned that whereas she was happy in the Lord. There was something still lacking in that man's experience. It came out that whereas he'd forgiven her. Stopping there. Hadn't repented as far as I know. Hasn't to this day. But he would not have held that bitter. The relationship cannot be established. And he went to that other brother. To beg his forgiveness. God is not against the sinner. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Not imputing unto them their trespasses. Do you get that? Not imputing unto them their trespasses. Do you know God's not blaming sinners? It says so. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Not imputing unto them their trespasses. He's imputed them unto his son. The old account for every man's been settled long ago. But that man is not going to be always you. One day it will be you forgiving. But the other day. When you pray. Forgive if you have oath against any. Matthew 5 says. When you pray and bring to the altar your gift. And there remember. That your brother has oath against you. Leave your gift and be reconciled to your brother. In the first text it's if you have oath against another. In the other text it's if the other's got oath against you. And you know some of them have. Almost certainly the way you act in discussion. No, no, no. Jesus says agree with thine adversary quickly. Say brother. And in that argument. An innocent person forgiving a guilty person. The whole lot of us are guilty. And all of us who fled to Jesus for refuge. Man to get fast lane. So that he can get beyond him. I've had that. Mercedes. And they normally in Germany travel 120, 150 miles an hour quite easily. I'm just doing a Kuwaiti. Because we're allowed to do 70 in England. And there's this man. Sin and uncleanness. And the surprising thing to the Lord. When you do. That's what Jesus is there for. That's what the blood of Jesus is for.