No Forgiveness? When there is no forgiveness….there is no freedom. When there is no forgiveness….there is no healing. When there is no forgiveness….there is no rest. When there is no forgiveness…a “one-time hurt” becomes a lifetime wound. Desmond Tutu once said, without forgiveness, there is no future.

QUESTION: Would forgiveness REALLY make a difference?

Forgiveness is a Major Biblical Doctrine "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). "If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness” (Psalm 130:3-4). "You have put all my sins behind your back” (Isaiah 38:17). "I—yes, I alone—am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again” (Isaiah 43:25 NLT).

Forgiveness is a Major Biblical Doctrine "You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” (Micah 7:19 NLT) "Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43). "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

How do we deal with the hurts? "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:26). "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

What do you see? 1. Christianity is supremely a religion of forgiveness. 2. God’s solution to our sin problem is forgiveness through Jesus…..there is no PLAN B. 3. God has demonstrated how to treat others when they sin against us.

Define Forgiveness: In their book Forgive and Love Again, John Nieder and Thomas Thompson (pp ) offer many word pictures found in Scripture of the word Forgiveness: "To forgive is to turn the key, open the cell door, and let the prisoner walk free.” "To forgive is to write in large letters across a debt, ‘Nothing owed.’” "To forgive is to pound the gavel in a courtroom and declare, ‘Not guilty!’” "To forgive is to shoot an arrow so high and so far that it can never be found again.”

Define Forgiveness: In their book Forgive and Love Again, John Nieder and Thomas Thompson (pp ) offer many word pictures found in Scripture of the word Forgiveness: "To forgive is to bundle up all the garbage and trash and dispose of it, leaving the house clean and fresh.” "To forgive is to loose the moorings of a ship and release it into the open sea.” "To forgive is to grant a full pardon to a condemned criminal.” "To forgive is to relax a stranglehold on a wrestling opponent.” "To forgive is to sandblast a wall of graffiti, leaving it looking like new.”

Define Forgiveness: In their book Forgive and Love Again, John Nieder and Thomas Thompson (pp ) offer many word pictures found in Scripture of the word Forgiveness: "To forgive is to smash a clay pot into a thousand pieces so it can never be pieced together again.” "Or think of yourself as a banker. In your hand is a note detailing a huge debt owed to you. What debts of others does your note list? Slander? Fraud? Rape? You carefully take the note and look at it once more. But instead of putting it back in the file, you tear it into a thousand pieces. That’s forgiveness.” "When we forgive, we consciously, before God, cancel the debt. We discard the note. We pardon the prisoner. We release the offender.”

What Forgiveness is NOT: Pretending you were not hurt. Denying that harm was done. Excusing bad or sinful behavior. Removing consequences of evil done. Overlooking, condoning, or Glossing over a wrong

Ultimately, What Forgiveness IS: a CHOICE Not a Feeling

Matthew 18:21-35 Follow Along Chair Bibles in the back by the sound booth

Tormentors? anger & bitterness that wreck us from the inside out & keep us up at night, frustration & malice that give us ulcers & high blood pressure & migraines, desire for revenge that steals our joy and robs us of peace. » And many other things…

So What? To Walk Worthy of the Calling We have Received (Ephesians 4:1) – We MUST Walk in Forgiveness…

Now What?

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY to let go of the anger and desire for revenge. TODAY IS A GOOD DAY to walk worthy of the calling you have received….& to walk in forgiveness. TODAY IS A GOOD DAY to give the gift of saying you are sorry to someone else. TODAY IS A GOOD DAY to seek forgiveness from God.