FORGIVENESS
I have no problem with forgiving,
my problem is forgetting.
Webster: Forgiveness:
To stop being angry with; To overlook;
To pardon; To absolve; To cancel a debt; To give up resentment; or the desire
to punish; To give up all claim to punish or exact penalty for an offence.
Christ taught that forgiveness
and the overlooking of faults and shortcomings was our duty with no
limits to the extent of it.
It is the restoration of both parties to their former
relationship. – A Reconciliation. – When you let loose forgiveness on earth, you let forgiveness loose in Heaven.
Let loose forgiveness - Matt
16:19
19 I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
NIV
An unforgiving Spirit
- Anger and
un-forgiveness gives Satan a
foothold in you life.
- Un-forgiveness eats
away at you like a cancer – You are letting someone named “resentment” live
rent free in your head. – It’s CRAZY – you’re the one that’s suffering. –
Let it go !
- This is
a hard statement,
but an unforgiving spirit is one
of the most serious of sins – It can separate you from the saving
grace of the Father. – Divine Forgiveness is dependent upon the
forgiveness of others. - He will say to you, “I never knew you”.
Matt 18:34-35 – God will
deal seriously with un-forgiveness.
34 In anger his master turned him over to the
jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 "This is how my heavenly Father will
treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
NIV
Luke 15:28-30 –
Un-forgiveness divides family and friends
28 "The older brother became angry and
refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
29 But he answered his father, `Look! All these
years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never
gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered
your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
NIV
Eph 4:26 – Don’t give Satan a foothold.
26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not
let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
NIV
Matt 7:23 – You are not His.
23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers!' NIV
Retaliation
- Do not get mad and
say to yourself, “I will get
even” – Do not repay evil for evil – Do not take revenge.
- Instead live in peace with everyone.
Prov 24:29 – Do not try to
get even
29 Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has
done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did NIV
Rom 12:19 – Do not take
revenge – Revenge is the Lords
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but
leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I
will repay," says the Lord.
Rom 12:17 -18 – Do not do evil for evil – Live in peace
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be
careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone.
Commanded
- We are
commanded
to forgive; to pray for those that give us grief and not laugh when things
go wrong with them.
- We are encouraged to
help them when they are in need and even lend to them without expectation
of being paid back.
- When you are messed
with, over and over again – forgive them so many times that you lose
count.
Luke 6:35 -36 – Love your enemies – Do good without expectation
35 But love your enemies, do good to
them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your
reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind
to the ungrateful and wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
NIV
Matt 5:43 -46 – Pray for those who give you grief
43 "You have heard that it was said, `Love
your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you,
46 If you love those who love you, what reward
will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? NIV
Luke 17:4 – Forgive as
often as your are requested.
4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and
seven times comes back to you and says, `I repent,' forgive him." NIV
Matt 18:21 -22 - Forgive so many times you lose track
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord,
how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to
seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven
times, but seventy-seven times.
NIV
Eph 4:32 – Be kind and compassionate by forgiving
32 Be kind and compassionate to one
another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. NIV
Our Example
- Sin means “to miss
the mark”. – When we think of God forgiving us of our Sin, somehow
it seems different from that of us forgiving someone else who came up
short with us. – But both are the same.
- The
initiative comes from Him –When we could do nothing about our sins,
Jesus set the example for us – He forgave our sins. – He is gracious,
compassionate, slow to anger and abounds with Love. – Forgiveness is
directly linked to Jesus Christ.
- Forgiveness
– is
an essential part of the Gospel message and our salvation.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the un-circumcision
of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all
our sins, NIV
Luke 15:20 – The Father, filled
with compassion, runs to us.
20 So he got up and went to his father. "But
while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled
with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around
him and kissed him. NIV
Dan 9:9 – Merciful and
forgiving
9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even
though we have rebelled against him; NIV
Neh 9:17 – Compassionate,
slow to anger, abounding in love
17 They refused to listen - They became
stiff-necked - But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert
them, NIV
Acts 5:31 – Forgiveness is
directly linked back to Christ
31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince
and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel
Bless your enemy
- We are to endure the grief
and problems people heap up on us, giving kind answers to harsh words. –
We are not to respond to an insult with an insult, but with words that
bless them.
- We are to bear and to
forgive the grievances we have with one another. - There is blessings and
glory for those who can overlook an offence and show mercy.
- Do good – Help them – Feed
them – Lend to them - It will be like heaping burning coals on their head. They will feel guilty and you might just
make them a friend.
Prov 24:17 – Don’t be
happy when your enemy stumbles
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he
stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, NIV
Rom 12:14 – Bless those who give you trouble
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not
curse. NIV
1 Cor 4:12-13 – Endure
persecution – answer in kindness
12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are
cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly.
NIV
1 Peter 3:9 – Do not repay
insult with insult
9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with
insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you
may inherit a blessing.
Matt 5:7 – There is a
blessing for those who show mercy
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown
mercy. NIV
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever
grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you NIV
Ex 23:4-5 - When your
adversary has a need, go help him
4 "If you come across your enemy's ox or
donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him.
5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you
fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with
it NIV
Prov 19:11 – It’s to man’s glory to overlook an offense.
11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his
glory to overlook an offense. NIV
Rom 12:20 – Doing good is like heaping burning coals on his head
20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry,
feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing
this, you will heap burning coals on his head." NIV
Forgiveness from God
- A
forgiving spirit
shows that you are a child of God.
- Forgiveness identifies us with
Christ; His death; and His resurrection
- Golden
Rule;
We have always heard, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
– God says for us to forgive others in the same way as we want Him to
forgive us.
Mark 11:25 – Forgive others before you pray.
25 And when you stand praying, if you hold
anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may
forgive you your sins." NIV
Matt 6:12 – As we forgive,
God forgives us
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven
our debtors. NIV
Matt 6:14-15 – Forgive and
God will forgive you.
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against
you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins,
your Father will not forgive your sins. NIV
Matt 18:21 -22 – Forgive till you lose count
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord,
how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven
times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven
times, but seventy-seven times. NIV
Matt 5:44-45 - Those that
forgive are sons of God.
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in
heaven. NIV
Forgiveness is from God – Ps 130:3-4
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O
Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore
you are feared. NIV
In the multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Prov 11:14
I
am grateful for those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical
information, and scripture verses.
Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further than I
otherwise ever could have.
An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words – W.E. Vine
Biblical Ethics
– Robertson McQuilkin
Bible Almanac:
The – Packer Tenny White
Bible Dictionary – Harper
Expositor’s Bible Commentary; The – Frank E. Gaebelein
Great Doctrines of the Bible: Soteriology – W.A. Criswell
Historical Atlas of the Bible; The – DR. Ian Barnes
Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson
Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale
International Dictionary of the Bible: The- Zondervan
International Dictionary of the Bible:- Douglas - Tenny
King James Version of the Bible – KJV
Nave’s topical Bible - Zondervan
New International Version Bible - NIV
Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The– Zondervan Tenny
Today’s Dictionary of the Bible - Guideposts
Unraveling the Big
Questions about God –
Kenneth Boa
Victor Journey through the Bible: The – V. Gilbert Beers
Webster’s New World College Dictionary – Webster
Where to find it in the Bible – Ken Anderson
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