In Don Stubblefield's sermon, 'Chapter 26, Section 13,' he emphasizes the necessity of forgiveness, even towards those who are unrepentant and have wronged fellow believers. Drawing from Matthew 18:21-35, he highlights the parable of the unforgiving servant to illustrate the importance of forgiving others as God has forgiven us. The sermon underscores that forgiveness is a key indicator of spiritual rebirth and a reflection of God’s love, as mentioned in Colossians 3:12-14 and 1 Corinthians 13:13. Stubblefield also discusses church discipline, particularly the concept of excommunication for impenitence, stressing that the purpose is not punishment but to encourage repentance and reintegration. He urges believers to operate on the principle of mercy rather than justice, warning that an unforgiving heart cannot receive God's mercy. The sermon concludes with a call to embody the love and forgiveness exemplified by Christ.

Even though one is unrepentant for obvious transgressions against a believer, and who has hardened his heart to the point of not even being willing to consider the possibility of his being in error, the shamefulness of whatever he has done to the fellow believer, and which has resulted in the final step of excommunication. He is nonetheless to be forgiven by the believer. Against him he has sinned. That doesn't mean that he is of course to be received back into the church. But we had an unmeasurable debt of sin against God when he delivered us and he forgave us and he has to be our example for forgiveness.

Let us turn to Matthew 18 21 through 35. It's a little lengthy but I think it gets to the heart of our message here. Peter came to Him, Christ, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven of course that doesn't mean 490 times it's basically a indeterminate number of sins therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king which would take account of his servants, And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents. But for as much as he had not to pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshiped him saying, Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all.

Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence, which is nothing compared to what he owed previously to this king. And he lay down on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou oest. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet and besought him, saying, Have patience with me and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt.

So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry and came and told unto their Lord all that was done. Then his Lord after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desirest me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee, and his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do unto also unto you if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." And then let us turn to Colossians 3, 12 through 14. Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any.

Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity or love, which is the bond of perfectness. And then in 1 Corinthians 13, 13, and now abideth faith, hope, love, or charity, these three, but the greatest of these is love. And so if we do not forgive, it's pretty good proof that we've never been forgiven. And if we do not love as God has loved us, We cannot love others as He has loved us.

But nevertheless, if He has begun this work in us by His Spirit, we're going to have a measure of that love that He has shown us by what He has done for us in Christ. And a note from the New Geneva Study Bible. Those who know God's mercy must operate on the principle of mercy. If they do not show mercy but insist on justice, They will not receive mercy but justice. An unforgiving heart is an unforgiving heart.

A truly forgiving heart is one result of spiritual rebirth. So if we do not forgive, then it's positive proof that we have not been reborn, we're not a true child of God. The purpose of a church center and all its farms is not to punish for punishment sake, but to call forth repentance and so recover the straying sheep. Ultimately there is only one sin for which a church member is excommunicated, impenitence. When repentance is apparent, the church is to declare the sin remitted and receive the offender into fellowship once again.

Let us turn to 1 Corinthians 5, 1 through 5. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife and you are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily as absent in body but present in spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." And of course this is a description of excommunication. The church at Corinth was allowing this fornication to go on in the church and they were not addressing it.

And Paul is calling them to account for their neglect and to carry out the discipline, excommunication. And now let us turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 2 beginning with verse 5, but if any have caused grief he has not grieved me but in part that I may not overcharge you all sufficient to such a man as this punishment which was inflicted of many. Many think it's referring to the man who was engaged in the fornication back in 1st Corinthians chapter 5. So that contrary wise he ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, so he apparently had come to repentance. Lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him. For to this end, as also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether he might be obedient in all things. To whom you forgive anything I forgive also, for if I forgave anything to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices." So they started out not willing to, if this is the same man, which many believe it is, they were not willing to address his sin, and then when he repented they were not willing to receive him back into the church. So they just went from one extreme to another.

This passage in Matthew 18, the one we read earlier, beginning in verse 21, that's a pretty good description of this debt that this man couldn't pay. I don't know whether I mentioned it earlier, but it's like our debt to God. We could not have paid it. And so if he forgave us of that debt that we couldn't pay, should we not forgive somebody of a debt that was immeasurably smaller than what our debt of sin to God is? And I think if we can answer that in the affirmative, I think it's good proof that we've not been born again.

So I'll conclude at this point.