Forgive!

Matthew 18: 21 – 22

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

 

One of the most dangerous things people can hold onto, is the spirit of resentment.

Hanging tightly onto unforgiveness, can often have severe consequences for  the unforgiver, and the so called perpetrator.

 

Unforgiveness is in direct violation of God’s law.

It’s also the one thing that causes great spiritual turmoil, and certainly hinders the growth of a Christ follower.

 

It begins with stale prayer, because unforgiveness should really be confessed to God.

How can we truly justify honoring God, when we’re trying to bury an attitude of resentment?

There’s no honor in that.

 

Real forgiveness means that a person has to give up every area of resentment.

Can we really list all the ways a person has failed us, and then offer them forgiveness in the same breath?

Not hardly—and that just doesn’t seem to add up.

 

Even if someone has wronged us, Jesus says a life of freedom can be found, in giving up the wrongs that someone wronged us with.

I like what Joyce Meyer once said… “Unforgiveness is like you drinking the poison, and expecting the other person to die,”

 

Maybe church life would be a whole lot more enjoyable, if we didn’t carry so many offenses and grudges…