The Unforgiven Servant 

(Mat. 18:21-35)

V. 27: "Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion,
and loosed him, and forgave him the debt."

     The Lord has compassion on all who confess that they are sinners. 
We are loosened from our obligations and owe nothing to God. 
All our debts have been paid by our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross, 
and by His resurrection we are justified.

 It is only through God's mercy, 
not by anything which we have done nor can do. 
It is all of Grace, it is all of Christ, it is all of God. 

This is the message that we proclaim throughout the world. 
God is merciful and loves you and forgives you of all your debts. 

     The thief on the cross said to Jesus,
"Remember me when thou come into thy kingdom." 
Jesus replied,
"Today thou shalt be with me in paradise." 
(Luk. 23:42-43).
 

 The sinner prayed to God and said,
"God, be merciful to me a sinner."
Jesus said,
"This man went down to his house justified."
(Luk. 18:13-14). 
 

 Christ died that all may be forgiven,
but one must accept God's forgiveness ,
by the Cross and not by working for it. 
 
 

(Mat. 18:28) "But the same servant went out,
and found one of his fellowservants, 
which owed him a hundred pence: 
and he laid hands on him,
and took him by his throat, 
saying 'pay me what thou owest." 
 

     The contrast of the two debts is enormous.  
Ten thousand talents,
if we were to convert it to gold, would be in the trillions of dollars today,
and 100 pence a mere drop in a pond.

 He did not quite understand depth of the Lord's mercy. 
He did not realize that he was forgiven from his debt by the mercy of God alone. 

He said, "Have patience with me and I will pay it all."

 Now he demands others to pay him,
as he is also paying his debt. 

The religious world teaches that God loves all and is merciful and loving but,
we must do good works to obtain eternal life. 

He is doing God's work, and now teaches that his congregation also,
must do good works to obtain forgiveness and gain eternal life. 
 

    The religious world preaches the love and mercies of God,
and yet requires the congregation to do good to go to heaven. 

Like the Parable of the Good Samaritan,
they interpret it literally.
They say, you must be good to your neighbor, 
help the church with your support, etc. 
You owe to God for what he has done for you,
and you must pay your obligations,
your debts. 
They put their hands on the throat and demand payments. 
The Greek word for throat is PNIGO.  It means to WHEEZE, to throttle. 
They are taking your breath away that you cannot breathe properly. 
They are squeezing your life from you. 
You've  heard the expression "give until it hurts."
 

The Bible says, "for God loves a cheerful giver."
 

     To continue to build the church and to grow in members, etc.,
the members are responsible and obligated (owes) to God,
to the church, and to themselves the support, financial and otherwise,
in order to be good and go to heaven or to please God. 
They must pay their obligation. 
"Pay me what thou owest." 
He preaches and teaches man's doctrine of faith, 
love + works to the congregation. 
 

     He feels he is going to heaven for God is love and he is doing God's work. 
Isn't he a preacher, a priest, a teacher, a counselor chosen of God, 
and doing God's work? 
 

Mat. 18:29: "And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, 
and besought him, saying,
"have patience with me, and I will pay thee all." 

    This fellowservant also said
"have patience with me, and I will pay thee all." 
This is what he was taught, and this is the same reply he gave as the other servant. 
 It is sad that the doctrine of grace + works, is a doctrine of uncertainty and never ending. 
To the last day, one is not sure of eternal life. 
Has he done enough to merit eternal life?  Did he pay it all by his good works? 
How much is all? 
 

Mat. 18:30: "And he would not: 
but went and cast him into prison, t
ill he should pay the debt." 

     A man is faithful for all his life, except the last few years,
and he is labeled unfaithful and has lost his salvation. 

The preacher, priest will not release anyone from the obligation to the church. 
As long as you are alive, you must pay all. 
They put you in the prison of WORKS, until your dying days. 
 

Mat. 18:31: "So when his fellowservants saw what was done,
they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done." 

     These other servants are the Christians who bring to God their petitions
of salvation for the unbelievers.  The Christians know
salvation is by grace through faith alone in the finished work of Christ,
on the Cross and nothing more can be added to it. 
We pray for all lost sinners who believe salvation is by grace + works,
and for those who teach man's doctrine. 
God desires to hear from His own,
but knows all things and needs not anyone to tell Him anything. 
 

Mat. 18:32: "Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, 
'O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt,
because thou besoughtest me!" 
 

Mat. 18:33: "Shouldest not thou also,
have had compassion on thy fellow servant, 
even as I had pity on thee?" 

     The Lord labels this man a wicked servant, because he is not a Christian. 
He is an unbeliever, for he says God is love and forgives,
but does not know that his debt was paid on the Cross,
and so he teaches that others are obligated to do good as he is also doing. 

Mat. 18:34: "And his lord was angry, 
and delivered him to the inquisitors,
till he should pay all that was due unto him." 

     At the judgment of the Great White Throne, 
it shall be done unto you as you required of others. (Rev. 20:11-15). 

    The Christians who put other believers in debt, by adding works to grace, 
will not be here, at this judgment, but they will not know the blessing now, 
or in this life, that comes from grace alone. 
 

V. 35: "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, 
if ye from your hearts, forgive not every one his brother his trespasses." 

     This is a parable with a  spiritual message,
and all should take heed that salvation is free,
and based completely on the work of God in Christ Jesus on the Cross
(1Cor. 15:1-4).

 You are forgiven of your sins by the mercy of God;
do not require others to pay for theirs. 

Conclusion: 
 Born-again Christians should also take heed from this parable. 
Though you do teach salvation by grace through faith alone, 
emphasizing works after salvation is dangerous too.

The Apostle Paul warns those at Galatia of this;
 

 "This would I learn of you.  
Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?  
Are ye so foolish?  Having begun in the Spirit, 
are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"
(Gal. 3:2-3).
 

    Those who teach giving of tithes and keeping the Ten Commandments,
as means of pleasing the Lord put others in debt. 
If we could keep the 10 Commandments, 
Jesus need not have died for us,
for we would be sinless. 

It is because we cannot keep the laws,
that He died to save us from the penalty of sin. 
We are not under the law but under grace. 

We do not try to keep the law, but we establish the law when we walk by faith 
(Rom. 3:25, 31). 

We do not keep the law by putting it in front of us,
no, the law is establish as we walk by faith.
The law follows us, that is, we establish the law,
by love.

Giving of tithes is from the Old Testament and it is under the law. 
This is not taught in the New Testament. 

    The problem with tithe giving, is it is based on works,
and it can become a burden.  If the person gives faithfully, 
10 percent of his gross (some make an emphasis on this)
the person may rest on this as being faithful.   

It puts pride in the heart; On the other hand,
If he or she miss even one time,
when the offering plate is passed each Sunday,
the person feels (we do not go by our feelings),
he or she has failed God and feels guilty.

The person will then try to justify himself, 
or try to make up for it by doing something,
etc., etc., etc.....  He or she is wrapped up with herself, 
and Christ's love is forgotten. 
Works make one think of herself and what she must do or not do. 

     We give out of love and freely.  It isn't the amount that counts,
but the heart intents, and motive.  Everything of ours belongs to God. 
We made the exchange at the Cross.  The woman who gave only 2 mites, 
gave all her living 
(Mar. 12:4). 

Giving your tithes faithfully, but not living by faith is fruitless. 
You may glory in yourself like the Pharisees did. 

    To teach the Congregation that one must give tithes to God,
is constraining by law and not by grace. 

Christians are under no obligations to God, for Jesus paid it all,
and nothing more I owe. 
It is a gift of God.  Some might say, wait just a minute. 
Of course, we owe all to God and to Jesus. 
If we owe God anything, it is not a gift,
for a gift is free. 

Who has the gall to think that we can pay back to God,
for the precious gift? 
We can work until we are blue in the face for all of our lives,
and it will not make even a dent. 
It is even more absurd than trying to crumble the Rock of Gibraltar with a toothpick. 

    Yes, Jesus paid with His precious blood for all of our sins,
and for all things,  and we are absolutely free from all obligations, 
and everything we do must be by grace.

It is God that does it in us and through us, when we walk by faith. 
Without faith it is impossible to please God. 

One cannot even begin to labor for the Lord,  
if you are paying back 
for what He did on the Cross. 

When one realizes we have a wonderful God,
what can we say except thank you Lord, and to
praise Him and worship Him in spirit and in truth. 
 

    Teaching that one must tithe denotes a law. 
Tithing is giving 10 percent of one's income and it is a must, 
or they imply that you are not doing your Christian duty. 

I am sure there are many who do not give 10 percent,
and they have a feeling of guilt and thus have not paid their debts. 
It becomes a stumbling block. 
Tithe means one tenth. 
The spiritual significance of this is liken to producing the ten pound
for the Lord in the Parable of the Pounds. 
It means to give (4, your world, the way you live; 6, your soul) 
all of yourselves to the Lord. 

Everything we own really belongs to Him for He bought us 
(1Cor. 6:19).

     In the New Testament, we give offerings to the Lord,,
according to how much God prospered us 
(1Cor. 16:2),

You make the choice in your heart, how much to give
(not according to how others are giving),
not grudgingly, not of necessity, and when you give, do it cheerfully, 
for God loves a cheerful giver (2Cor. 9:7). 
 

    Again like so many of the parables, this parable is not teaching us 
what we must do for God, but what God has done for us. 
When we realize this, the love of God will overflow to others.

If you think you must do something for God,
you also require others to do something too,
and you put them in prison, in debt.

Those who put others in debt, are also in debt themselves,
and do not realize that it is all of Grace. 

    To know that the slate is clean, and we have a new beginning in Christ,
is really a jubilee and a time of rejoicing. 

The Cross of Christ is the answer, 
for there on the Cross was the Grace of God,
the Holiness of God and the Power of God displayed. 
It is not a work of necessity but a labor of Love that motivates us. 
Praise God that it is He and not I that does the laboring,
and only by faith in His Word and through His Grace! 
 Yes, Jesus Cried on the Cross; 

 "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO!" 
 

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