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1 Corinthians 8 Parallel with Romans 14 2 Peter 1:5-7

Welcome! Bibles and copies of sermons are available Please silence your cell phones Sunday Bible Classes 9:30 AM Worship 10:30 AM 5:30 PM Wednesday Bible Classes 7:00 PM www.SunsetchurchofChrist.net

Hebrews 13:15 Through Him then, let us continually Offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, The fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Hymns Invitation Red Songbook - Supplemental

Fundamentals of Forgiveness The Gospel is the story of forgiveness. First, it is being forgiven by God what we have done to Him. Second, it is about learning to practice this Godly attribute

Forgiveness in Christianity Mark 11:25-26 "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions." Matthew 6:14-15 Matthew 18:21-35 Ephesians 4:32/Colossians 3:13 Mt 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Col 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Struggling With Forgiveness Resentment Grudge holding Bitterness EVERYONE struggles to forgive More so with those closest to us

Keys to Christian Forgiveness It is not about deserving Putting ourselves in God’s position Learning to let go Benefits to forgiveness

Forgiveness is NOT Deserved We struggle to forgive over deservedness “Are they really sorry?” “Do they know what they did?” “Can they appreciate how much it hurt?” Forgiveness is NOT about their deservedness; It is about YOUR faithfulness to God The inability to forgive usually resides in worldly mindsets Many atheists cite their disgust with Christian forgiveness. Yet for them they lack the mind to see that any judgment is not in this life

Growing in godliness makes forgiving others easier Seeing From God’s View Matthew 18:21-22 God’s view of our sins: Murder of His son (Heb. 6:6) Adultery of His covenant (James 4:4) Ingratitude for His blessings (Heb. 10:29) Yet He will forgive us IF we forgive others Growing in godliness makes forgiving others easier Heb 6:6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. Jas 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Heb 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

There is no reason you cannot forgive and let it go Learning to Let It Go Many struggle with HOW to forgive It keeps coming to mind I can’t just let it go A grievance seems to have value Truthfully, you CAN let it go It does you no good to keep it There is no reason you cannot forgive and let it go

Benefits of Forgiveness Genesis 50:19-22 The forgiveness of God The blessings of God The restoration of blessings Forgiving = Blessing Ge 50:19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 "Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. 22 ¶ So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.

Forgive As You Are Forgiven Our master forgave even as He suffered He calls us to be in His image Forgiveness - letting go of the guilt of another

Forgiven David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." Romans 4:6-8

Forgiveness is only in Christ Where is Forgiveness? In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:7 Forgiveness is only in Christ

We are baptized into Christ How Do We Get “In Him”? For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27 We are baptized into Christ

Repentance is before baptism When Do We Get Baptized? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Romans 6:4-6 Repentance is before baptism

We repent because we believe Why Do We Repent? "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.“ Mark 1:15 We repent because we believe

The Blessing of Forgiveness Hear and believe – John 5:24 Confession of Jesus – Romans 10:9 Repentance from sin – Acts 2:38 Baptism into Christ – Mark 16:16 Walking in the New Life – 2 Corinthians 5:7