Living in a Place of Forgiveness
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Matthew 18:21-35 “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. 23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 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."
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It is so easy to grab a hold of, but also so easy to let go of
How many times should I forgive – it is endless, ongoing, a lot
Be put on guard right now – every one of us if we do not forgive will be handed over to the tormenters
Every one of us will have a point where we will have to forgive
· Forgiveness is the point of salvation.
Unless there is forgiveness, we cannot really be free
Part of forgiveness is a price that needs to be paid
If God chose to settle accounts with us, there is no way we could repay it
· We all have been forgiven far more than we will ever forgive!
The servant begged the king to be patient with a debt he could never repay
Unforgiveness is VERY ugly
· Forgiveness is not an emotion; it is a decision, a choice.
If you base it on a feeling or emotion, you will never do it
Forgiveness is learned
Forgiveness is something that we should live in EVERY day – all the time
Don’t worry about what people are not doing or should be doing, worry only about yourself
1. The Meaning of Forgiveness
It is always good to be reminded of the meaning of something
- To pardon (make free), send away, leave behind, forget, let go, cancel, release
- Forgiveness is letting go of my right to hurt you for hurting me.
- Forgiveness changes the sentence, not the verdict.
Forgiveness and trust are two different things. Trust must be built up over time.
Forgiveness eliminates the guilt, not the action.
Forgiveness lets go of what has taken place.
2. The Benefits of Forgiveness
- For Yourself
It does not say that everything is going to be perfect
The enemy does not want us to be at peace with others, he wants to destroy relationships
To live at peace with all men – that is why we need Jesus, because we cannot do it on our own
· You can’t be at peace without forgiving.
Forgiveness is the first step to being at peace
You can become bitter if you live in unforgiveness
- To Others
It does not say be kind to yourself, but to others – it is a two way street
The three most powerful, beautiful words you can say, “I am sorry;” “Please forgive me;” “I forgive you;” “I am wrong!”
“I apologize;” apologize means to make an excuse or give a formal declaration of what happened
This is a place that we can live in all the time
· Be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving each other.
- With God
· Always forgive!!
7 elements to the Lord’s Prayer – one of them is forgiveness
Matthew 6:12-15 “12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' 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.
3. The Steps of Forgiveness
It is real simple, but sometimes we forget those real simple things and need a reminder
Step 1 – Remember
Remember how much God forgave you!
· When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14
Step 2 – Release
Let go of the hurt, the pain and the anger
The step of forgiveness is unhooking yourself from the situation. When you have unforgiveness, you are hooked to someone or something and being pulled around.
· Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32
The step of forgiveness is so important and powerful.
Step 3 – Restore
Put the relationship back in the right place. It is about you doing your part!
· Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Galatians 6:1
Restore people in their brokenness and sin and remember what God has forgiven us.
· Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
It does not mean just brushing it aside.
Step 4 – Respond
What you want others to do for you, do for them
· Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
Take initiative
· Love…keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:5
We have so many hurts, but the Lord says to just let them go
Step 5 – Regard
· And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:32
Sometimes the Lord will use situations in my life to get my attention about something that is cracked or broken.
· Life is amazing…in Christ…you can start afresh today
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