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Three Steps to Forgiving Other Believers
1. Live Daily in the Courtroom of God (Zech. 3:1)
2. See the Imputed Righteousness of Christ on Believers (Zech. 3:2-5)
3. Live Gospel Cycles (Zech. 3:6-10)
Summary:
During the return from exile, around 520 BC, a vision of a heavenly courtroom and three prophecies are given to the prophet Zechariah. This vision is of Joshua the high priest standing with filthy garments before the angel of the LORD and with Satan at his right hand accusing him. The LORD disregards Satan's accusations, though they are accusations of true guilt, and instead takes off his filthy clothes, representing his sin, and puts clean garments on him, representing purity, innocence, and righteousness. The LORD then gives three promises connected to the vision of Joshua: 1) that he will send his servant the Branch, who is Jesus, 2) he will remove all iniquity from the land in a single day, which was the day Jesus died, and 3) because the sin is removed, every one of his people will be at peace with one another.
Discussion Questions:
- What is Satan's role in the courtroom? What's his goal in tempting people?
- Define imputed righteousness (See 2 Cor. 5:21). If I were to look at a brother or sister in Christ as if they were fully righteous before God, what would they look like? WHO would they look like?
- What ultimate reality are clothes a mere shadow of? How do clothes remind us of God's mercy?
- What is a Gospel Cycle? Why is it called that? What are the five stages in the cycle and how does each stage correspond to the story of the Bible?
Application Questions:
- Am I harboring any bitterness toward a brother or sister in Christ? Am I siding with Satan in the heavenly courtroom in any way when I think about that person or talk to them?
- Do I avoid conflict or do I often start it/engage it? What do I need to do (or not do) to make sure I do a full gospel cycle with other believers?
- Have I been praying for the other saint when I get in conflict with them? How can I integrate prayer into conflict? How can I grow in confidence that prayer is powerful?
Prayer Points:
- Praise God that He has freely taken away your sin and given you Christ's glorious righteousness!
- Praise God that God will complete the work he started in the believers around you to perfectly sanctify them (Phil. 1:6)!
- Ask God to prompt you to pray when you get in a conflict or start to think about someone you're in conflict with.
- Ask God to bring the conflict through a whole gospel cycle in order to strengthen the relationship and glorify God.
- Don’t belittle prayer, when conflict strikes, first picture your brother with Christ’s righteousness, shining as bright as the sun, and pray, “Lord, get them there soon! Sanctify them through this, I want to see them glorified! Help me be patient with them, God! I praise you that you began a good work in them and you will surely complete it! Forgive me for being unforgiving.”
Worship:
"Not What My Hands" by Aaron Keyes:
"Oh How Good It Is" by Keith and Kristyn Getty:
(Providentially the first song on my Spotify playlist when I went for a jog Sunday morning before preaching! God is so encouraging!)
