1. notice  I have removed from this presentation any pictures that may still be under copyright.  As far as I know all the pictures that remain are in the public domain.  If you find a copyright picture, please let me know, and I will remove it. Thank you.

2. 2 Miss Edith Cavell (1865-1915) – a noble example of Christian forgiveness –

3. 3 Freedom through Forgiving ! A study on joyful Christian life by KEN CHANT

4. 4 “Are you sometimes angry? Just make sure that your bad temper doesn’t lead you into sin! And never carry your anger beyond sunset that day. Why would you give the devil such a loop-hole?” (Eph 4:26-27)

5. 5 God’s Demand!  We must end each day in a state of reconciled harmony with everyone.  This means that we are willing to forgive anyone who has angered us, for whatever reason.  In particular, each day we must be ready to –

6. 6 FORGIVE GOD How did you react to yourself this morning?

7. 7  Sirach applied this idea to preachers – “Some people are clever enough to teach others, yet do no good for themselves. For example, here is a gifted preacher who keeps on making enemies and in the end dies in poverty. Why? Because the Lord has withheld from him grace and charm and left him destitute of wisdom.” (37:19-21)

8. 8  So we are prone to cry, “Why have you made me like this?”

9. 9 Rather, we should be pleased with what the Lord has done, and strive to fulfil the best of what we are. See Romans 9:20-22 …

10. 10 “Perhaps you will ask me, ‘since God has made us the way he wants us to be, how can he blame us for the way we are?’ But, my friend, I will ask you, ‘Who gave you the right to question God?’ Will a piece of clay dare to complain about the way a potter has shaped it? Doesn't a potter have the right to make either a lovely vase or a plain bowl out of the same lump of clay?"

11. 11 FORGIVE LIFE  There is a scripture so awful, that once heard it can never be forgotten...

12. 12  In one way or another, we are all in that same position  See Ecclesiastes 9:11-12; 7:13-14 …

13. 13 “A race isn't always won by the quickest runner, nor a battle by the strongest warrior. Wise people don't always eat well, nor are the intelligent always rich. The most skilful people are sometimes ignored, and time and chance have all of us at their mercy. Nor does anyone know when his time will come. Like fish that are caught in a net or birds in a trap, any one of us be overtaken by some sudden disaster. …

14. 14 “Here is something for you to think about. If God has bent something, can you straighten it again? So when everything is going your way, be happy! But when times are bad, remember this: God has made the one time as well as the other, to keep us humble and to remind us how little we really know.”

15. 15  But why poison your life with bitterness?  Rather, follow the example of Jesus …

16. 16  Let us accept what we cannot change, forgive life and rejoice.  And then let us maximise what we do have!

17. 17 FORGIVE FRIENDS  Jesus was emphatic: “If you forgive others for what they have done to you, then God will forgive you for what you have done to him; but... !” (Mt 6:14).  He was quoting Sirach 28:2-7 …

18. 18 “Forgive your neighbour for whatever harm he has caused you; then you too, when you pray, will know that your own sins have been forgiven. How can you seek pardon from God while you go on hating your neighbour? If you cannot show mercy to someone who is just like you are, why should the Lord take any notice of you? You say, ‘But I’m only human!’ Nonetheless, who will intercede for you so long as you hold to hatred? …

19. 19 … So remember what your end will be, and cast off all anger; remember that you must die, and be done with hatred; remember what the Lord has commanded, and stop feeling malice toward your neighbour; remember the covenant God has made with you, and be patient with those who don’t know any better.”

20. 20  Yet how angry we are prone to become with each other! – for any reason, for every reason, for no reason!

21. 21 What will you do about it?  We can let bitterness and resentment grow – but in the end, that only hurts the angry person!

22. 22  Here is the test of how well you have forgiven – see Romans 12:19-21 – “Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says, "I am the one to take revenge and pay them back." …

23. 23 …The Scriptures also say, "If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads." Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good. ” (God’s Word)

24. 24 FORGIVE YOURSELF  This is perhaps the most difficult of all!  Yet without this, even if you forgive all others, you will still lie in a prison cell of your own making.  We need to forgive ourselves for four things –

25. 25 All that we are that we should not be.All that we are that we should not be. All that we are not that we should be.All that we are not that we should be. All that we have done that we should not have done.All that we have done that we should not have done. All that we have not done that we should have done.All that we have not done that we should have done.

26. 26 How can we do this? 1.Learn to live with practical good sense – see Sirach 30:21-25 …. “Don’t indulge yourself with endless remorse, nor keep on stirring up regret. Laughter is life itself, and joy will give you many more years on earth. Live as pleasantly as you can, take whatever comfort you can get, and remove sorrow far from you. …

27. 27 … Insatiable remorse has destroyed many, and no advantage ever comes from it. Jealousy and anger shorten life, and anxiety brings premature old age, but people who are cheerful and merry at table will enjoy good health and many years.”

28. 28 2.Trust in the power of the Blood of Christ.

29. 29 God does not ask us to do what he is unwilling to do himself … CONCLUSION

30. 30 … so he too has decided that the sun will never set upon his anger!