Matthew
6:14&15 Forgiving
More than
being righteous and sinless the heart of the church should be forgiveness. Yet
even more difficult that our efforts not to sin, are our efforts to forgive.
Some never even make an effort to forgive. It is not a lack of righteousness that
is destroying our nation, it is a lack of forgiveness.
Why should
we forgive?
Jesus demands that we forgive.
Jesus demands that we forgive.
Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Luke 17:3-4
3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
This is not
advice it is a condition of forgiveness, if want to be forgiven for your sin
you must forgive others of their sin.
Beyond this
a lack of forgiveness causes many problems for our lives. Look at this list of things that come from a
lack of forgiveness.
Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
These things
destroy marriages and families, friendships, and churches. These things destroy
cities and nations, and these things can destroy you.
A lack of
forgiveness will break your mind, eat your stomach through, raise your blood pressure,
cause heart attacks and even strokes.
We need to
be forgiving. We must learn to be forgiving.
How do we
forgive.
First determine
that you are going to forgive, set your mind on it. Often, we make only a halfhearted
decision to forgive.
Second go and talk to them. They may not even know what they
have done.
Matthew 18:15
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Matthew 18:15
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
What do you do while you’re not in a place where you want to
forgive? The hurt is to fresh, to great. The wounds are deep. Take some steps
on the forgiveness road.
Recount how God has forgiven you. List the sins you have
committed, even include names if possible.
Pray for the power to forgive.
Romans 14:14 “Bless
those who persecute you”
Matthew 5:40 “But I
say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”.
Using these first steps will start to change our heart and
mind, and somewhere in the process we will learn to forgive.
Matthew
5:46-48
“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
What kind of
forgiveness do you desire from God?
Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
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