Sermon Central
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Love Is Not Resentful Series
Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Apr 4, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: God does not count our wrongs against us in Christ. The question is. Why do we hold the wrongs of others against them?
INTRODUCTION
SLIDE #1- ORIGINAL TITLE SLIDE
- Love better.
- Why are we even diving into this subject?
- Since we are Christians, are we already loving to the max?
- If you are like me, you have good intentions, you want to love people like Jesus does, and how Jesus wants you to do.
However, those people I have the best intentions to love sometimes make me not want to love them.
- Besides, the people Jesus walked the earth with were much nicer than the people of today!
- Well, maybe the whole rejection and crucifixion thing throws water on that theory.
The truth is that people are not the reason I struggle with loving better; the problem is squarely on me.
- In our series, we seek the answers to two questions.
- What can I do to love other Christians better?
- What can I do to love people in my community better?
- Today’s message centers on a problem that causes us to struggle with loving other people.
BIBLE VERSE SLIDE
1 Corinthians 13:5 NET 2nd ed.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful.
SLIDE#2- NEW TITLE SLIDE
- The Greek phrase translated as ‘resentful’ in 1 Corinthians 13:5 means to count, to consider, the reckon or to take into account.
- The word is an accounting term.
- It refers to the act of entering an item onto the page of a ledger so it will not be forgotten.
- The other part of the phrase means ‘the evil’ or ‘the wrong.’
- So, the full phrase can be understood as ‘does not take into account a wrong’ or ‘does not keep a record of evil.’
- The phrase conveys that love does not keep a ledger of offenses.
- It does not store up past grievances or keep score of wrongs done.
- Instead, love chooses not to dwell on or harbor those wrongs, reflecting a heart of forgiveness.
- The idea is that true love refuses to retain resentment or to continually consider how it has been wronged.
- This aligns with the broader biblical theme of forgiveness and mercy, as seen in God’s own character.
- Being resentful or keeping a mental ledger of the bad things that happen to us helps us to not be able to love better.
- If we want to love better, we must learn how to stop being resentful.
- My prayer is that today the Word will give us the help we need to win the battle!
- We will spend our time today in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
- I love this passage, and this passage will give us the key to unlock our ability to defeat resentment.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NET 2nd ed.
17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!
SLIDE #3- POINT 1 SLIDE (1 SLIDE)
SERMON
I. The New Way.
- I have stated this thought before, it baffles me how those who are in Christ, can still be miserable, hateful, unforgiving, mean, nasty and habitually negative people.
- Paul shares the fact that when we are in Christ, new thing have come!
- Part of the new things is that we tear up the old ledger we used to track everything anyone has done to us.
SLIDE #4 THE OLD WAY
- The old way of life before we are in Christ has some issues,
- The old way of life involved keeping track of all the wrongs committed against us and seeking retribution for those offenses.
- Holding onto anger poisons our own hearts more than it affects the other individual.
- Unforgiveness festers internally, ultimately harming us and hindering our walk with God.
- Picture resentment as a Heavy Bag: Imagine carrying around a bag of stones, each labeled with a person’s name or offense against you.
- Each stone represents your resentment.
- Throughout the day, that bag feels heavier and heavier.
- Just as you wouldn’t continue carrying physical weight for no reason, so too should you let go of resentments that weigh down your soul.
- Jesus gives us freedom from that type of attitude.
- Keeping track of all the wrongs done against us is tiresome, and trying to settle the score is impossible.
- A preacher visited someone who was bitterly resentful toward a neighbor.
- As they talked, the preacher asked how often the neighbor’s offense replayed in his mind.
- The man admitted he thought about it every day. Gently, the preacher said, “Your neighbor isn’t losing sleep, but you are.”
- That simple realization moved the man to release his resentment, recognizing the freedom that comes with true forgiveness.
