Forgive Us…

*****Talk about our rights as parents in the school system and sex education.*****

Telos: Forgiveness is a choice on Gods part. The experience of that forgiveness is conditional.

Information

Under the Law of Reciprocation, with holding forgiveness can only lead to the same for ourselves.

James 2:13 NLT

13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

“We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behavior.” Stephen Covey

Inspiration

Matthew 6:12 NKJV

12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

Revelation

Matthew 6:12 AMP

12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.

Having forgiveness and experiencing forgiveness are two different things

Application

James 2:13 NKJV

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

1. The principle motivation behind our own forgiveness drives our forgiveness for others.

The biblical principle of love

Matthew 5:43–48 TPT

“Your ancestors have also been taught ‘Love your neighbors and hate the one who hates you.’ However, I say to you, love your enemy, bless the one who curses you, do something wonderful for the one who hates you, and respond to the very ones who persecute you by praying for them. For that will reveal your identity as children of your heavenly Father. He is kind to all by bringing the sunrise to warm and rainfall to refresh whether a person does what is good or evil. What reward do you deserve if you only love the loveable? Don’t even the tax collectors do that? How are you any different from others if you limit your kindness only to your friends? Don’t even the ungodly do that? Since you are children of a perfect Father in heaven, you are to be perfect like him.”

Forgiveness is not the same thing as ‘tolerance’. Being forgiven doesn’t mean that sin doesn’t matter. On the contrary: ‘forgiveness’ means that sin does matter—but that God is choosing to set it aside.

N. T. Wright

2 John 5–6 NKJV

And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

2 John 6 AMP

And what this love consists in is this: that we live and walk in accordance with and guided by His commandments (His orders, ordinances, precepts, teaching). This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you continue to walk in love [guided by it and following it].

Nothing causes us to so nearly resemble God as the forgiveness of injuries.

John Chrysostom

2. Forgiveness is not the same as trust.

Forgiveness is of the heart, Trust is of the soul. Trust is like understanding. Comes through experience.

Proverbs 3:13 NKJV

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;

Forgiveness is granted- Trust is earned

3. When we don’t forgive it turns into a root of bitterness

Hebrews 12:15 TPT

Watch over each other to make sure that no one misses the revelation of God’s grace. And make sure no one lives with a root of bitterness sprouting within them which will only cause trouble and poison the hearts of many.

Matthew 18:34–35 NKJV

And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Transformation

We forgive from the heart, not the head. It is a step of faith

Who is on your list?

Holding up list in front of congregation in Marietta

3 Questions:

What is God saying to you?

What are you going to do about it?

How can I pray for you?

Souls, Souls, Souls!!!!!!!!!