A. INTRODUCTION
1. Man bitten by dog – realizes, going to die. Wrote a long list of people not in his will. “People I hate, before I die I will bite them.”
2. Proof of your relationship with God. “Inasmuch … ye have done … to least … done unto Me” (Matthew 25:40).
3. “Our Father” means Jesus and you. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).
4. What relationship? Our vertical relationship with God depends on our horizonal relationship to others. “If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15).
5. Keep short accounts. “If we say we have fellowship with Him … but walk in darkness, we lie … if we walk in light we have fellowship … one another … and blood of Jesus Christ … cleanseth us” (1 John 1:6-7).
6. Reconciliation means “to be at peace.” Christ has reconciled us to the Father. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
7. Reconciliation leads to relationship. “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23-24, KJV).
8. Keep horizonal relationships as clean as vertical relationships, forgiven people are forgiving people.
9. Remember your state and standing. Your state on earth (Virginia) your sin. Your standing in Heaven, you are justified and are perfect. Therefore put your sins where God puts them under the blood.
B. TEN IDEAS ABOUT FORGIVENESS
1. The way you treat others is a direct gauge of your relationship with God.
2. Jesus takes it personally the way we treat others.
3. Forgiving others is so vital, God included it in the Model Prayer … we must pray daily, “Forgive us … as we forgive.”
4. Forgiven people have capacity to forgive.
5. Broken relationships will contaminate both your approach and service for God.
6. The acceptability of your prayer is determined by your accountability to God.
7. Deal with the issue when God brings your intentional or unintentional offence to mind.
8. Obedience is proof of your love for Christ.
9. Attempting reconciliation is outgrowth of redemption.
10. Reconciliation results in your peace of heart and peace with God.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
Dr. Towns’ email is eltowns@liberty.edu.
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