1. FORGIVE

(Luke 23:34) “Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’”

(Hebrews 12:2 NIV) “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

(Hebrews 12:2 MSG) “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.”

Forgive everyone!

SOURCES OF UNFORGIVENESS

• Betrayal
• False accusation
• Rejection
• Abuse
• Humiliation

(Hebrews 2:17-18 MSG) “That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.”

Forgiveness is not…

·      Minimizing the seriousness of the offense.

·      Instant restoration of trust.

·      Resuming the relationship without changes.

BE FORGIVING

(1 Peter 2:23 LB) “When Jesus suffered, He did not threaten to get even; He left His case in the hands of God…”

1.        Forgive them because I need forgiveness.

(Matthew 6:15 NLT) “But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sin.”

2.        Forgive them without condition.

(Ephesians 4:32) “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

3.        Forgive them in advance.

(Luke 11: 4) “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us…”

4.        Forgive them because they are victims too.

(Ephesians 6:12 NLT) “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

 * All scriptures are from the NAS Bible unless otherwise noted