1. Forgiveness
John 20:23

2. What does holding a grudge do? How are you affected by not forgiving?
What does bitterness do?
Is forgiveness and trust the same?
~~~What does holding a grudge do?
~~~How are you affected by not forgiving?
~~~What does bitterness do?
~~~~~~~~Is forgiveness and trust the same?

3. A little boy, being asked what forgiveness is, gave the beautiful answer: “It is the odor that flowers breathe when they are trampled upon.”

4. Lord’s Prayer:
“Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”
~~~~~~~~Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us

5. Look at some passages

6. John 20:23 (ESV)
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.
~~~~~John 20:23 (ESV) — 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

7. Luke 17:1–4 (ESV)
1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, … 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
~~~Luke 17:1–4 (ESV) — 1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
~~~~~~~~~3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

8. “Temptations to sin are sure to come”
Temptation to sin-Skandalon
Watch yourselves
“Pay attention to yourselves!”
Be careful that you do not enter the temptation
~~~~1. Temptation to sin-Skandalon
a. The trigger of a trap on which the bait is placed, and which, when touched by the animal, springs and causes it to close causing entrapment.
b. Speaks to result of entrapment-activity of the entrapped
c. Generally a cause of stumbling, falling, ruin, morally and spiritually.
d. as a cause of offense and indignation. A scandal
~~~~ Watch yourselves
~~~3 Pay attention to yourselves!
~~~~~~~~ Be careful that you do not enter the temptation

9. Galatians 6:1 (ESV)
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Keep on forgiving over and over
Luke 17:3-4 If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
~~~Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
~~~Keep on forgiving over and over
~~~~ Luke 17:3-4If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

10. Matthew 18:15-35
35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Matthew 18:15–35 (ESV) — 15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” 21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
~~~~~~~~35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

11. Psalm 103:1–3 (ESV)
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, . . .
~~~~~~~ — 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

12. II. Define forgiveness Stop blaming or taking an offense into account
 To dismiss
To let go from one’s power, possessions, let go free, escape
Release of a debt
Let Go let go from one’s further notice, care, attendance, occupancy, i.e., to leave or let alone- To abandon
~~~ A. Stop blaming or taking an offense into account
~~~ B. To dismiss
1. Multitudes
2. put a wife away
3. Jesus give up his spirit
~~~ C. To let go from one’s power, possessions, let go free, escape
~~~ D. Release of a debt
1. Let go from one’s power
2. Let go free
3. Let escape
4. Let go of ones obligation toward ones self
5. Remit the penalty of sin
6. Remove the sin from someone-Only God can do this
~~~~~~~~~E. Let Go let go from one’s further notice, care, attendance, occupancy, i.e., to leave or let alone- To abandon

13. Defining Forgiveness Forgiveness is not forgetting
When God says he forgets our sins, he is saying he will not use our past against us
Forgiveness is a choice, a decision of the will
 Romans 12:19 (ESV) Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
 Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person’s sin
~~~~Forgiveness is not forgetting
~~~~When God says he forgets our sins, he is saying he will not use our past against us
Isaiah 43:25 (ESV) — 25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
~~~~Forgiveness is a choice, a decision of the will
~~~Romans 12:19 (ESV) — 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
~~~~~~~Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person’s sin

14. Forgive from the heart Touching the emotional core of your life
Healing of the emotions
Forgiveness is choosing not to hold someone’s sin against him or her anymore.
Setting up scriptural boundaries while exercising grace and forgiveness
Don’t wait until you feel like forgiving
Once you choose to forgive, satan will lose his hard hold on you
God will heal your damaged emotions
1 Peter 1:22–23 (NLT) — 22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. 23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
~~~Touching the emotional core of your life
~~~Healing of the emotions
~~~Forgiveness is choosing not to hold someone’s sin against him or her anymore.
Not bringing up past offenses
~~~~Setting up scriptural boundaries while exercising grace and forgiveness,
Not allowing further abuse cycles to continue
~~~Don’t wait until you feel like forgiving
~~~Once you choose to forgive, satan will lose his hard hold on you
~~~~~~~~God will heal your damaged emotions

15. Withhold forgiveness To have power over To become the master Grasp

16. THE COST OF FORGIVENESS
Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person's sin.
Forgiveness is costly; we pay the price of the evil we forgive.
You will live with the consequences whether you want to or not.
Jesus forgave you
Cannot forgive without bearing the penalty of the other person's sin.
~~~Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person's sin.
~~~Forgiveness is costly; we pay the price of the evil we forgive.
~~~You will live with the consequences whether you want to or not.
~~~Jesus forgave you
~~~~~~~Cannot forgive without bearing the penalty of the other person's sin.

17. Why forgive? Christ forgave us. Father made the Son sin for us
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Why forgive?
~~~Christ forgave us.
~~~Father made the Son sin for us
~~~~~~~~2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

18. Where is the justice? The cross makes forgiveness legally and morally
 Romans 6:10 (ESV) For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
Romans 6:10 (ESV) For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

19. How do you forgive from the heart?
Acknowledge the hurt and the hate.
Ask God to bring to mind those you need to forgive
Make a list of all those who have offended you
God has forgiven them by His grace, you can to.
~~~~acknowledge the hurt and the hate.
It must visit the emotional core of your past
Problem: Christians feel pain but won’t acknowledge it.
Let God bring the pain to the surfact so He can deal with it.
This is where healing takes place.
~~~Ask God to bring to mind those you need to forgive
~~~Make a list of all those who have offended you
~~~~~~~God has forgiven them by His grace, you can to.

20. How do you forgive from the heart?
Keep praying for each individual until all remembered pain has been dealt with.
Don’t try to rationalize or explain the offender’s behavior
Forgiveness deals with your pain, not their behavior
Freeing yourself from the past is the critical issue
~~~Keep praying for each individual until all remembered pain has been dealt with.
~~~Don’t try to rationalize or explain the offender’s behavior
~~~Forgiveness deals with your pain, not their behavior
~~~Freeing yourself from the past is the critical issue

21. Lord, I desire to be free from the hurt and the hate of offenses in my past. Today I move beyond desiring to forgive and asking Your help to forgive. Lord, I forgive _________ for ___________.
Lord, I desire to be free from the hurt and the hate of offenses in my past. Today I move beyond desiring to forgive and asking Your help to forgive. Lord, I forgive _________ for ___________.

22. Bitterness versus Forgiveness
Called to be merciful
We are called to forgive others
Mercy and forgiveness sets us free from the past and doesn’t allow satan to take advantage of us
2 Corinthians 2:10–11 (ESV) — 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
~~~1. Called to be merciful
Luke 6:36 (ESV) — 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
~~~2. We are called to forgive others
Ephesians 4:31–32 (ESV) — 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
~~~3. Mercy and forgiveness sets us free from the past and doesn’t allow satan to take advantage of us
~~~~~~~~~2 Corinthians 2:10–11 (ESV) — 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

23. Ask God to bring to mind people you need to forgive
Write down names of those who you need to forgive
Do you need to forgive yourself—Things you have done wrong and are inflicting self punishment? To forgive yourself is to accept the truth that God has already forgiven you in Christ
 Write down “Thoughts against God”
God has not done anything wrong so He does not need forgiveness. We need to let go of our disappointments with the Heavenly Father. Feelings of anger and resentment against God
~~~Write down names of those who you need to forgive
~~~~Do you need to forgive yourself—Things you have done wrong and are inflicting self punishment? To forgive yourself is to accept the truth that God has already forgiven you in Christ
~~~~Write down “Thoughts against God”
~~~~~~~God has not done anything wrong so He does not need forgiveness. We need to let go of our disappointments with the Heavenly Father. Feelings of anger and resentment against God

24. V. Steps to forgiveness THE PROCESS OF FORGIVENESS-See Notes
Luke 6:27–28 (ESV) — 27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Lord, teach me how to love unconditionally and forgive quickly those who hate me, curse me or mistreat me.
~~~THE PROCESS OF FORGIVENESS
~~~Luke 6:27–28 (ESV) — 27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
~~~~~~~Lord, teach me how to love unconditionally and forgive quickly those who hate me, curse me or mistreat me.

25. 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (ESV)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
~~~~~~~~— 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

26. Start with the first person on your list