Basics Part 5:Forgiveness: Learning to Let Go-Small Group Style

Basics Leading Up to now:

Weeks 1-2 we talked about how the Bible is the handbook for life and it should carry weight and authoritative power in your life.

3-4 we talked about prayer and finding God in true dedicated times of prayer and of course breaking down the Lords’s prayer!

Reading, applying, and prayer are all good basic habits of the Christain life.

These and others are covered in the growth track with our 9 healthy habits or spiritual disciplines.

Spiritual Discipline: Forgivness

End of the Lord’s prayer talks about forgiveness! It’s because it’s important.

I think this was something Jesus speaks to at the end because he knew it was something hard and unnatural.

Matthew 6:14–15 (ESV)

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,

15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This spiritual discipline doesn’t quite give us the warm and fuzes like prayer or reading, because sometimes we need to remember that we obey because He is God and because He always has your best in mind.

Look at the end of verse 14 “your heavenly Father will also forgive you”-Our ability to walk in grace is correlated with our ability to give it!

But in vs15 this does not mean your not saved! But it does mean that you would prefer God treated you like that because of your unforgiveness.

Forgive translates to let go or release. God is saying I am choosing not to hold onto your sins and I require you to do the same!

The evidence of God’s forgiveness in our lives should be to forgive others. But forgiveness does not mean to stay in abuse.

So What Do We Do?

Deal Immediately with offenses!

Matthew 18:15 (ESV)

“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.

Don’t let an offense become unforgiveness.

2. Pay Attention to Your Triggers

Triggers generally point out unhealed places in our hearts. Often they are symbols that the Holy Spirit is ready to heal a place of deep heart.

Matthew 18:21–35 (ESV)

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?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 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. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 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.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 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. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

100 denarii= 1 days wages.

But, here is the problem with poison of this trigger: If you were bitter, you wouldn’t just think about the debit it would consume you!

This guy should have been living free but he couldn’t escape the grasp of unforgiveness!

Living in freedom means for us to exercise the Spiritual Discipline of forgiveness.

3. But forgiveness is so hard because Real Forgiveness Takes the Cross!

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Left to yourself you will not forgive. You must crucify the flesh and access God’s grace in order to forgive.

If you find forgiveness hard, meet Jesus at the foot of the Cross!

Jesus Forgives When We Wouldn’t Have

Luke 23:33–34 ESV

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

He forgave as they crucified him. It wasn’t after it was during the abuse and offense.

He forgave knowing what it was costing him.

He forgave knowing they/we would never pay him back.

It is through His forgiveness we are empowered to forgive others.