A. INTRODUCTION
“I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34).
1. Little girl prayed, “Forgive us our trash baskets, as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.”
2. Forgiveness – Webster: “To grant pardon, remission for all offence, debts, etc., to give up all claims, to allow to go free, to cease resentment, claims, demands."
3. Forgiveness is so radical, it is supernatural.
B. WHAT FORGIVENESS IS NOT!
1. Forgiveness is not just expression of emotion. Some wait for feeling, Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them” (Luke 23:34). Stephen prayed, “Lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60). It is not warm fuzzies.
2. Forgiveness is not forgetting. Wrong – if you did not forget, you really did not forgive. Your memory has nothing to do with forgiving. Time does not erase all hurts. Your forgiveness puts you on the path to healing.
3. Forgiveness is not pretending nothing happened. Some wrongly let the offense slide and take a neutral position.
4. Forgiveness is not passively tolerating abuse or attacks. Forgiveness is not an agreement to trust an untrustworthy person.
5. Forgiveness is not just asking God to forgive the person hurting you. When Jesus prayed, forgiveness also involves your attitude and reaction.
6. Forgiveness is not asking God to forgive you for being hurt or angry. Your angry response is secondary, forgiveness is taking responsibility for your biblical attitude and actions.
7. Forgiveness is not rationalizing why the person responded to you.
8. Forgiveness is not being irrelevant to them, or the issue.
9. Forgiveness does not wait for the other to apologize. Jesus forgave those who never apologized to Him (Luke 23:24).
C. WHAT IS FORGIVENESS?
1. Forgiveness is a choice, i.e., a decision to release others from the debts they owe. Too often people put the unforgiven offender in debtor's prison.
2. The problem, some keep an account receivable list in their head/heart. We hold grudges/debts against them:
a. Some are willing to forgive if the offender apologizes. Most do not.
b. No apologies – no forgiveness.
3. Forgiveness is a decision to shred your life – you own me.
Bitterness of the mind will dry up any sensitivity of the heart.
4. “Life is an adventure in forgiveness.” Norman Cousins editor Saturday Review.
5. Unforgiveness is a two-way street to Heaven. “If you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15).
6. Be careful of the farming law. “You will always harvest what you plant” (Galatians 6:7, NLT).
7. Forgiveness is not an emotion, but a decision of your will.
8. Forgiveness is a choice to release a debt, it is gone. Failure to forgive puts you in the debtors prison.
9. God treats you the way you treat others. When you put them into your debtors prison (you hate or retaliate) God puts you into His debtors prison.
10. Forgiveness – grant it to others when they request it. Give it to them anyway when it is not.
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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