A Forgiveness-Filled Life
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Transcript of A Forgiveness-Filled Life
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A Forgiveness-filled Life
in Christ
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A Christian Life Is
A Forgiveness-filled Life
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Forgiveness
What is forgiveness?TheRevell Bible Dictionary lists 3 definitions:
1) to pardon or absolve of wrongdoing
2) to cancel a debt
3) to give up resentment
Question: Which of these definitions most closely
resembles the forgiveness we receive from God?
Question: Which most closely resembles theforgiveness Christians are expected to show others?
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Images of Forgiveness
The Hebrew and Greek words for forgivenessconvey a variety of images.
To Cover or Atone: Yet He was merciful; He
forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them.
Time after time He restrained His anger and did not
stir up His full wrath. (Psalm 78:38)
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Images of Forgiveness
The Hebrew and Greek words for forgivenessconvey a variety of images.
To Cover or Atone
To Carry or Take Away: But now, please forgive
their sinbut if not, then blot me out of the book
you have written. (Exodus 32:32)
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Images of Forgiveness
The Hebrew and Greek words for forgivenessconvey a variety of images.
To Cover or Atone
To Carry or Take Away
To Pardon: No longer will a man teach his
neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, Know the
LORD, because they will all know Me, from the
least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD.For I will forgive their wickedness and will
remember their sins no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)
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Images of Forgiveness
The Hebrew and Greek words for forgivenessconvey a variety of images.
To Cover or Atone
To Carry or Take Away
To Pardon
To Be Gracious: Be kind and compassionate to one
another,forgivingeach other, just as in Christ God
forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
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Images of ForgivenessThe Hebrew and Greek words for forgiveness
convey a variety of images.
To Cover or Atone
To Carry or Take Away
To Pardon
To Be Gracious
To Dismiss or Send Away: Forgive us our debts, as we
also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not intotemptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive
men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your
Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:12-15)
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Images of Forgiveness
The Hebrew and Greek words for forgivenessconvey a variety of images.
To Cover or Atone
To Carry or Take Away
To Pardon
To Be Gracious
To Dismiss or Send Away
Remission, Release, or Freedom: Peter replied, Repentand 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)
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Repentance and Forgiveness
How are these two concepts interrelated?
A popular belief is that we cannot forgive
someone who doesnt first ask for
forgiveness.
What do you believe?
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When?
For someone who is already in Christ, when
does God forgive?
a) When the person repents?
b)When the person asks for it?
c) Immediately?
d)Not until the Day of Judgment?
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Contingent Forgiveness?
Is there anything we have to do (other than accept
Christ) to receive forgiveness? (More specifically:
Is Gods forgiveness contingent on ourforgiving
others?)Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive men
their sins, your Father will not forgive your
sins.
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Contingent Forgiveness?
Is there anything we have to do (other than accept
Christ) to receive forgiveness? (More specifically:
Is Gods forgiveness contingent on our forgiving
others?)Matthew 6:15
Luke 6:37-38 Do not judge, and you will not bejudged. Do not condemn, and you will not be
condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give,
and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured
into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be
measured to you.
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Consider Matthew 6:14-15 again.
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, yourheavenly Father will also forgive you: But if
you forgive not men their trespasses, neither
will your Father forgive your trespasses.You see, to forgive someone in a way that
honors our Savior is to not only forgive but to
not bring up.Stop and consider salvation. When we accept
Jesus and what the Lord has done for us, He
gives us a clean slate.
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Consider Matthew 6:14-15 again.
Thats what we are supposed to do when it
comes to forgiving others. We are to forgive
as Christ has forgiven us and be done with it.
It amazes me how some can claim to be such
excellent servants of Christ but have
relationships that go unmended with hurt
feelings that have not been resolved.
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Consider Matthew 6:14-15 again.
In order to be the servants of Christ we ought
to be, we have to be right in our relationships.
And that means forgiving and not bringing up
the past!
One of the areas in our Christian life that we
must learn is that of forgiving others. Much
of the problems in relationships can beresolved if we only practice the virtue of
forgiveness.
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Consider Matthew 6:14-15 again.
Forgiveness is a powerful tool that God gave
His children to use when needed.
We should be humble enough to grant
unlimitedinterpersonal forgiveness.
After all, are oursins against God less vile
than those sins committed against us?
Remember, every time someone sins against
us it is also a sin against God!
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A Parable on Forgiveness
21. Then came Peter and said to Him,
Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against
me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?
22. Jesus said unto him, I say not unto
you, not until seven times; but, until seventy
times seven.
23. Therefore is the kingdom of Heaven
likened unto a certain king, who would make
a reckoning with his servants.
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A Parable on Forgiveness
24. And when he had begun to reckon, onewas brought unto him, that owed him ten
thousand talents.
25. But forasmuch as he had notwherewith to pay, his lord commanded him
to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all
that he had, and payment to be made. 26. The servant therefore fell down and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, have
patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
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A Parable on Forgiveness
27. And the lord of that servant, being
moved with compassion, released him, and
forgave him the debt.
28. But that servant went out, and found
one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a
hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him,
and took him by the throat, saying, Paywhat you owe!
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A Parable on Forgiveness
29. So his fellow-servant fell down and
besought him, saying, Have patience with
me, and I will pay you.
30. And he would not: but went and casthim into prison, till he should pay that which
was due.
31. So when his fellow-servants saw whatwas done, they were exceeding sorry, and
came and told unto their lord all that was
done.
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A Parable on Forgiveness
32. Then his lord called him unto him,
and said to him, You wicked servant, I
forgave you all that debt, because you
besought me:
33. should you not also have had mercy
on your fellow-servant, even as I had mercy
on you?
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A Parable on Forgiveness
34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered
him to the tormentors, till he should pay all
that was due.
35. So shall also My heavenly Father do
unto you, if you forgive not every one his
brother from your hearts. (Matthew 18:21-
35)Why should we grant unlimitedinterpersonal
forgiveness?
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UnlimitedInterpersonal Forgiveness
Our sinfulness affected not only our
relationship with God but with men as well.
God forgave us so we can be restored in our
relationship with Him.
In addition, He wanted us to practice
forgiveness to one another.
The forgiveness we received and experienced
should be shared with those who wronged us.
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UnlimitedInterpersonal Forgiveness
As humans, we commit sins that harm
relationships.
A forgiving spirit is one of the means by
which reconciliation will happen.
Sin destroys relationships and forgiveness
restores them.
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An Illustration
One of the simple but great inventions of man
is the eraser.
It acknowledges the fact that no one is
perfect.
It also reminds us that there is hope and new
possibility for those who mess up their lives
and relationships with others.
Forgiveness enables us to experience
freedom, peace, and inner joy.
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An Illustration
Warren Wiersbe said that, The worlds worstprison is the prison of an unforgiving heart. If
we refuse to forgive others, then we are only
imprisoning ourselves and causing our owntorment. Some of the most miserable people I
have met in my ministry have been people
who would not forgive others. They livedonly to imagine ways to punish these people
who had wronged them. But they were really
only punishing themselves.
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An Illustration
An unforgiving spirit leads to other sins anger, a critical spirit, bitterness, and
indifference, not to mention the various
physical illnesses associated withunforgiveness.
We reveal the true condition of our hearts by
the way we treat others. The context of thisparagraph is forgiveness between brothers in
Christ but we know that the principles apply
to other relationships.
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An Unforgiving Heart Leads to Sin
Ephesians 4:30-32 says,
30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,
in Whom you were sealed unto the day of
redemption.
31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and
anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away
from you, with all malice:
32. and be kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as
God also in Christ forgave you.
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Whom Do You Need to Forgive?
Whom do you need to forgive today?
Perhaps you need to forgive your fellow
church member, your parents, your siblings,
your co-workers, your spouse, and your
relatives.
Release yourself from the prison of
unforgiving heart and from the curse of sin.
How do we forgive?
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Understanding Forgiveness
Understand the meaning of forgiveness to
cover, to erase, and to send away the sins of
the offender.
Therefore, when we forgive we are actually
giving the person a clean sheet of paper we
release the person from the penalty of sin.
Forgiveness is surrendering my right to hurt
you for hurting me.
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Understanding Forgiveness
Understand that forgiveness is not toleration
but preservation we forgive because we
would like to recognize the persons
admission of guilt and the desire to change.
We forgive because we would like to
encourage the person to start a new but right
way of living and relating with us, therebyresulting to preservation of the relationship.
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Understanding Forgiveness
Understand that forgiveness is not forgetting
but healing we forgive so that healing will
begin to happen.
Healing is a process that requires patience on
the part of the offender.
When it is completed, it may leave some
marks but the pains are gone.
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Understanding Forgiveness
Pray, Talk, and Forgive if the person is
unrepentant, follow the example of our Lord
and pray, Father, forgive them for they do
not know what they are doing.
God forgave us far more than we will ever
forgive.
The master in our parable was disappointed
because of the attitude of the unforgiving
servant.
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Understanding Forgiveness
He owed the master a thousand talents and hewas unable to pay but the master cancelled
the debts and let him go.
It was estimated that his debts were about 12million dollars without considering inflation
today.
Compared to what he owed the master, hisfellow servants debts are just a drop in a
bucket, and yet he was unwilling to cancel it
and put him into prison.
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Understanding Forgiveness
In like manner, we should grant unlimitedinterpersonal forgiveness because God
forgave us far more that we will ever forgive.
God forgave all our individual sins.God provided forgiveness for our past,
present, and future sins against Him and our
fellow humans.He only requires us to forgive the actual sins
of our brother.
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Understanding Forgiveness
Gods forgiveness is far greater than what we
need to forgive others.
And yet because of hypocrisy and judgmental
attitudes, we hesitate to forgive others.
This is not right.
How can we avoid this mistake?
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Understanding Forgiveness
Realize that we are simply channels of Godsforgiveness forgiveness did not originate
from us but God.
Share what you have received and donthoard Gods forgiveness.
Remember to be a catalyst of peace and order
realize that as we forgive others we areactually expanding an environment of peace
and order in our society.
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Summary
We do not have the same capacity to forgivethat God does.He can and does forgive completely (making
forgive and forget redundant words).We cant forget in the sense that we cant
remove something from our memory. What wecan do is to not hold it against the other person.
Walking in the lightmeans immediate andtotal forgiveness.