Un-Forgivenss Creates A Debt

Un-forgiveness Creates a Debt

Illus. Hold up a glass of water. How heavy do you think this glass is? The total weight isn’t so important, it’s how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute--not a problem. An hour--my arm will ache. Hold it for a day--you better call an ambulance.

The glass is the same weight, but, the longer I hold it--the heavier it becomes. And that’s the way it is with our burden of sin. The longer we hold on to it--the heavier it becomes within us. As with the glass of water (set it down) you have to set down the burden of your sin to be set free of the pain, guilt and shame that holds us. you need to give it to Jesus...and leave it there. Ask His forgiveness and accept it.

With faith we came to Jesus for Salvation. It is with that same kind of faith we must accept forgiveness of any sin we commit when we ask to be forgiven.

1 John 1:9 tells us "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

we confess/ He forgives/ our part to confess/His part He is faithful to forgive

what does that mean? whenever we confess/ He will always forgive

As He forgives us, we are to forgive others...even ourselves.

Read: Matthew 18:21-35

Talk of comparison of amounts owed, much forgiven (total) of the king, vs. 22 we are to always forgive, vs. 23 God always forgives, servant unwilling (choice) to forgive so little. He chose un-forgiveness.

PROP: Un-forgiveness creates a debt.

Un-forgiveness says, "They owe me". "He/she did this to me--now they will pay."

- I won’t talk to them

- I’ll ignore them

- I’ll tell others what they’ve done to me

Forgiving someone doesn’t minimize what they’ve done to us--but, in forgiving it frees us. Frees our mind and our actions. It once again makes our heart glad.

Someone said, "It’s choice not chance that determines our destiny."

No matter what my background was or what happened to me in the past--I am now fully responsible for what I do about it. To forgive and let go or to hang on to it and remain a victim.

PROP: Un-forgiveness creates a debt.

We can create a debt even to ourselves. Whenever we ask forgiveness, God forgives us. He forgives and forgets it. It’s important that we do the same. But, sometimes we hang on to un-forgiveness and create a debt to ourselves.

-We require more of us than we can do

- what we do is never good enough

-when we start to feel good about what we’re doing, we immediately tell ourselves...it could have been better

Ex. -wash the car--should have waxed it...by hand

- clean the house--should have done the windows

- finally praying and reading daily--not long enough

When I am disappointed in what I have not done...I don’t enjoy what I have accomplished.

Doing more/better should be our desire, but, when we are never satisfied with what we do--we are holding un-forgiveness in our heart toward ourselves. We are relentless in making ourselves pay.

PROP: Un-forgiveness creates a debt.

ILLUS: I have read if flies are placed within a jar with air holes in the lid--they will fly around frantically--banging against the lid, desperately trying to escape their prison. If left there long enough--they will stop hitting the lid. Later, when the lid is removed--they will not even try to escape. Somehow, they have been conditioned to "feel and believe" that there is no escape. They just keep circling the cramped jar.

This is a picture of harboring un-forgiveness to others and ourselves. Holding un-forgiveness in our hearts long enough conditions us to believe we are trapped and there is now no way to escape--nothing we can do to change it. That’s why we must deal with un-forgiveness immediately.

At the very heart of un-forgiveness is -- pride

At the very heart of pride is -- I (me)

At the very heart of Forgiveness is -- joy, love and peace

READ: Col. 3:12,13

We are to "put on" -- a choice...to be:

kind

gentle

patient

forgiving

A choice. Will you choose this day to put on a new heart? We have this choice to make everyday.

Jesus is our great example. He asks us to go and do likewise. He asks us to follow Him.

He forgave us of all we would ever do against Him. He forgave us while we were still sinning.

His love for us is measured from one scarred hand to the other.

PRAYER: Father we ask that You would give us courage to face our problems, admit and face our part in them and bring them to the light for Your healing. That You would give us the strength to follow your example to forgive others and to forgive myself. Help us to keep our eyes focused on you and what You would have us do. In Jesus Name...Amen