Forgiving Vs. Unforgiving

FORGIVING Vs. UNFORGIVING

Mark 11:22-26; Matt. 18:21-35; Luke 17:3-4; 1 Pet.3:8-12

Pastor Greg Mc Donald

The topic of today’s message is “Forgiving vs. Unforgiving”. In the Church’s today to many people are taking this topic to lightly. The reason that is, is because I don’t believe they realize the effects of either of these words.

The effects of forgiving, are peace, restoration, harmony, and etc. As people forgive, they are released into great freedom; freedom to fulfill their destiny for God’s kingdom. A person who forgives, is one that is living out the fruit of the spirit the best they can in their life. (Read Gal.5:22-23) Everyone of these are evident in a forgiving person.

Biblical meaning Forgiveness “To forgive someone is to free fully, i.e. (literally) relieve, release, dismiss (reflexively, depart), or (figuratively) let die, pardon or (specially) divorce:(let) depart, let go, loose, put (send) away, release, set at liberty.” Strong’s Concordance

I’m sure that many would say, that forgiving someone is not easy. For some it probably is the most difficult thing in the universe.

1. Forgiveness means - that the forgiving person as the innocent one resolves his own wrath over the sin of the guilty one and lets the guilty one go free.

2. Forgiveness means - that one genuinely loves, and this love can move beyond the issue to the person, and that one cares more about the person than about what he or she has done.

3. Forgiveness liberates, it frees the person for the privileges of living a guiltless life from ones past.

The effects of unforgiving, are broken relationships, broken homes, division in the Body of Christ, bitterness, anger, resentment, rage, and so on. (Read Gal. 5:19-20) Everyone of these are found in an unforgiving person.

ILLUSTRATION: Use a married couple to illustrate the effects of unforgiveness. Take the husband and tape his hands to a kick ball. Write the word unforgiveness on the ball. With him at this state have him try to do some simple tasks. Like picking up something or write an apology letter to his wife that he has not forgiven. Then have the wife come and try to show affection to him. This is impossible until one of two things take place. He forgives her, or she intercedes on his behalf in love for God to brake the chains that bind him. Have wife pray for husband, as she does start unwrapping the husbands hands and have him return affection to his wife.

Another Area It Effects Is Prayer.

Mark 11:24-26 "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you. 25 "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. 26["But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."] NAS

As we look at this passage we can see a couple of areas that will effect the power of our prayers. First is doubt. Doubt is a hindrance to answered prayer and unlimited power. So, to receive what you ask in prayer, you must what? “Believe that you have received them”.

The second area that will effect the power of our prayers is the failure to forgive someone who has sinned against you. To go to prayer holding anything against anyone is to invite unanswered prayer and limited power, if any at all.

Could this be one of the reasons why we aren’t seeing to many miracles take place, or not seeing many come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Because of unforgiveness in the Church.

Read Matt 18:21-35

In this parable a king is settling accounts with his servants when he found one owing 10 thousand talents. The amount is so great that there is no conceivable way in which he could pay. This amount he owes is at least equivalent to twelve million dollars in our currency.

It was 50 million denarii, and one denarii was a normal daily wage. The tax on Galilee and Perea together was only two hundred talents, and this man owed ten thousand! Jesus is illustrating here that our debt to God as totally beyond our payment.

The king decided to collect what he could, and ordered the man and his family to be sold (see Josh. 7;

2 Kings 4:1). But the man fell on his face and entreated the king for patience, promising to pay everything. With this attitude toward the impossible, the king had compassion on him and forgave his debt.

Forgiveness was because of his attitude, not his ability. Here we see the example of the guilty being liberated, and the innocent person, the King, paid the debt, because he had went and crossed ten thousand talents off of his accounts! This is Jesus’ illustration of forgiveness.