As I said, this is lesson number four on the mind of Christ, or having the mind of Christ for us here. Luke 23 is our text, and I'll start reading in verse 33. Luke 23 and verse 33. And when they were come to the place which was called Calvary, there they crucified Christ and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

And they parted his raiment and cast lots. And the people stood beholding, and the rulers also with them derided him, saying, he saved others. Let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, saying, if thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. and the superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the King of the Jews. We'll stop there.

Along with what we just read, an accurate statement or statements of this scene at Calvary's tree at the cross An accurate statement could be one, I find no fault in him. Pilate said that. Or two, certainly this was a righteous man, that was the soldier when he beheld Christ on the cross. Or even, I have examined him and found no fault touching those things whereof you accuse him. But also, turn to Matthew 27. This text is an accurate statement of what was going on here. Statements. Matthew 27, starting in verse 27.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers, and they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe. When they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand, and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews. And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that, they had mocked him, they took the robe from off him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to be crucified.

And yet, he says, back in our text in Luke 23 in verse 34, Then said Jesus, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. This fourth characteristic, this fourth thought of the believer to have the same mind that was in Christ is forgiveness. Forgiveness in and forgiveness of injury. Now we can't save anybody, but you'll see what I mean. But let's take a look at Christ, what He endured. And we read a few of those things just briefly. Let this mind be in us. Philippians 2 verse 5, that was also in Christ.

Forgiveness of injury. There was never has ever been seen such compassion and kindness and forgiveness in the teeth or in the face of harm and wounding. I don't, I don't ever read, I don't remember reading either in history and I'm sure there has been such. The Martyrs, Fox's Book of Martyrs, if you can get through that to see where believers are being thrown in the lion's den and being burnt at the stake, and they say, Father, forgive them. But there has never been such compassion and kindness and forgiveness in the very teeth of harm and wounding.

Look at what he says. Father, forgive them. Father. His father, our father. We could say the same thing. The father of fathers, forgive them. He's not saying give them a partial forgiveness or a lack, a luster forgiveness, not even a haphazard forgiveness, but a real, true, sin-atoning, iniquity-pardoning, transgression-eliminating remission of sins.

And some say, well, most commentators say that this prayer was fulfilled at Pentecost. 3,000 saved. I don't know how many was around the cross. But I do know this, because we don't know for sure, but I do know this. When Christ forgives sin, it's forgiven. It's not a, oh, I didn't mean to say that. He's not like us.

Everything He did and said and the actions He partook was specifically predestined. It was according to His divine decree and purpose. This forgiveness of sin, whoever it's for, it's complete, it's absolute, it's certain, there's never ever any possibility of failure. Father, forgive them. But we just read what He went through. And that unjustly, as that centurion, certainly this was a righteous man. I've examined him and found no fault touching those things where you accuse him. We don't care. Crucify him. Crucify him.

This Christ, the Son of Man and the Son of God, the very one who wept over Jerusalem. Luke 19, turn back just a few chapters Luke chapter 19 and verse 41. Speaking of Christ, verse 41, and when he, Christ, was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it. He wept over it. Matthew chapter 23. Matthew chapter 23 and verse 37.

Oh Jerusalem, this is Christ speaking, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kills the prophets and stones them, which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks unto her wings, and you would not. Not only do we see, we've already talked about the compassion of Christ, but in the midst of injury, his forgiveness, his desire, his willingness to forgive. Well, what's the second thought? Back to our text in Luke 23.

Father, first, forgive them, for they know not what they do. I'm sure some of them did. I'm sure some of them did. I'm sure some of the rioting that's going on in this country, I'm sure there's some people who know what they're doing, but there's others just, you know, I don't know, let's just go. I hear a lot of noise, like flies or bugs are drawn to light. I'm sure many in the crowd did not even know the exact reason they were ranting, hollering, or rioting against the Lord's Christ.

Father, forgive them. Hebrews chapter 5. And as I said before, I feel like I'm out of my league. I feel like I'm out of my league up here. Though I know we love Christ, we desire to serve Him, we desire to worship Him, so we need to have the same mind of Christ. Oh, how tough this is to forgive when we think we're doing right and still get persecuted.

Hebrews chapter 5, look at verse 1 and 2. For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for man in things pertaining to God, that he might offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins, who, this one, this high priest, who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way. Two things here.

Them that are ignorant. Ignorant of the grace of God. We're not born understanding the grace of God. We are ignorant of the grace of God. And we do sin willfully, but we do sin in ignorance. Commission omission. We're ignorant of the grace of God. He can have compassion on us. We're ignorant of the absolute sovereignty of Jehovah. We thought we had control and our own free will. No, we're ignorant.

It's not what the scriptures say. Ignorant of the necessity of substitution. You can't save yourself. Never could, never will. I don't care what priest, Pope, Joseph Smith, preacher is standing up that you can't save yourself. Can't save yourself. Ignorant of our own sins. We're born, we're ignorant of our own sins.

We have an idea, and we see sometimes we have a moral compass that he puts in there. We can sin against that. But we're like, OK, that's not right. But then we start to compare ourselves to other people. I wasn't right here, but I didn't do what that guy did. We're ignorant of our own sins. ignorant of the necessity, as I said, of substitution, the innocent for the guilty, the straight covering the crooked. Plus, not only is this high priest, this one ordained of men, the one, the priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Lord Jesus Christ, he has compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way, on them that are out of The way.

It's what it said in here. Is that an act now? It's all scriptures given by inspiration of God. The way of grace? We're out of that way. The way of mercy? The way of justice? The way of truth? The narrow way. The narrow way. That's the mind of Christ. He forgives. Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. Now, secondly, I know we cannot atone for anyone else, but we can have the same mind as Christ did. How do I know that?

Turn to Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5 and then hold your finger there and then Colossians 3. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 44. But I say, this is Christ himself speaking, but I say unto you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.

I've got to say, this is what the word of truth says to us. And the words, according to the Galatians, is our rule. Not to take commandments, the word, which is about the written word, about the living word, this word is our rule. But we want to get even. We want to get even.

But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Colossians chapter 3. I got to thinking, I'm thinking out loud now, Linda and I were talking last week, musing, meditating, wondering, if those people, congregations, churches, pastors, especially pastors, who say they preach and believe grace, if we have trouble getting along with them, and we do, Why can't we get along? Because the flesh, and I understand that, and I confess that, that's what we need to do, to have the mind of Christ, to forgive the wrong, and remember the right. Henry had a thing I had up on my bulletin board, forget the wrongs and the injustices, and remember the kindnesses and compassions. Remember those things that people have done for us.

Colossians chapter three, verse 12 and forward. Put on therefore as the elect of God. Are you elect? I believe the Lord's chosen me. I believe he's redeemed me. There's nothing good in me, but for some reason found only in his sovereign, free, redemptive glory, he purposed to save sinners. And I believe I'm a sinner. holy, beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another.

This is within the church, local church and universal church. This is brethren upon brethren. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord, and whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.

I'd say that's a long version of, let this mind be in you. Let this mind be in you. Something else Wyn and I were talking about, when we're caught in the Word, when the Word catches us and strips us and humbles us, It's like we don't have any excuse. Well, I was justified, and I was thinking, be angry and sin not. Christ could do that. I don't know if I can. And we use the scriptures to justify our actions, our attitudes. I don't know. All I know is I need to be more like Christ. And one way is reading and praying and meditating, but another way is gathering together. Let me close this and read a quote by a Puritan.

Finally, let us see in our Lord's intercession a striking example of the Spirit which should reign in the hearts of all his people. Like Christ, Let us return good for evil and blessing for cursing. Like Christ, let us pray for those who evil, entreat us and persecute us. The pride of our hearts may often rebel against the idea. The fashion of this world may call it foolishness to behave in such a way. But let us never be ashamed to imitate our divine master. The man who prays for his enemies shows the mind that was in Christ, and he will have his reward. The Lord caused us to do this. Matt, would you close this, please?