Our Battles: Unforgiveness

Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, with an increased ability to wish the offender well. Forgiveness is different from condoning, excusing, forgetting, pardoning, and reconciliation.

Why Should we forgive?

Leviticus 19:17-18 Do not bear a grudge against others, but settle your differences with them, so that you will not commit a sin because of them. Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord.

Matthew 5:23-24 So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.

C.S. Lewis said: To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.

Why Should we forgive?

What happens if we don't forgive?

Matthew 18:21-35 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

‘Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. ‘At this the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me,” he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.

‘But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[b] He grabbed him and began to choke him. “Pay back what you owe me!” he demanded. ‘His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, “Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.” ‘But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

‘Then the master called the servant in ‘Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’

Matthew 6: 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

What happens if we don't forgive?

It's not just the big things

Condemnation Vs Conviction

What about when it's hard?

Galations 2:20a Paul says 'I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.'

Ezekiel (36:27) God says '..I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.'

2 Corinthians 3:18b And the Lord--who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Our Response Have you accepted the forgiveness that Jesus offers Our Response Have you accepted the forgiveness that Jesus offers? Do we have unforgiveness festering inside of us? Unforgiveness of ourselves? Or unforgiveness of others? Have we designated 'no go zones' in our life because going there has a bad smell? Are we open to the transforming capability of the Holy Spirit to make us more like Jesus, to help us when things are too hard?