When I'm Sinned Against

What if I’ve been sinned against?

Every sin either needs to be confronted or covered. We are never allowed to let it cook.

gives us an outline

Can/Should I overlook the offense?

There is beauty in covering things in love. ()

Times to confront

When they are trapped in sin

When they welcome rebuke

When the offense is especially serious (as defined by Scripture, not you)

2. When the offense is especially serious (as defined by Scripture, not you)

When the relationship is strained

3. When the relationship is strained

4. When the person is hurting self or others

When the person is hurting self or others

5. When the gospel is at stake (reputation of Christ, church, etc.)

When the gospel is at stake (reputation of Christ, church, etc.)

Questions to ask yourself

Have I examined myself thoroughly

Am I forgiving attitudinally

Is my goal clearly reconciliation

Is this the most loving action to take?

Am I willing to take this to the next step if necessary?

Am I seeking to please God more than people?

Do I need biblical counsel?

What does forgiveness look like?

Forgiveness is costly (absorbing the debt)

I will not bring up the debt to use as leverage

I will not bring up the offense to others

I will not dwell on the offense myself

Not forgiving costs more

Self-pity

Two levels of forgiveness

Guilt or depression

More sin

Attitudinal, Heart ()

Torment

Between me and God

Goal: to release bitterness from my heart, internal

Unconditional: independent of the offender’s repentance

Commitments to God

release offender from my judgment

empty my heart of bitterness

ready to grant level 2 forgiveness

Transacted, Granted, Relational ()

No forgiveness for your own

horizontal focus: between me and offender

Goal: To reconcile my relationship with offender

Conditional: dependent on the offender’s repentance

Commitments to repentant offender:

no brooding

no gossip

no using this later

Rooted in God’s grace to us