Forgive Us Our Debts   Matt. 6:12   EBC   5/14/06

  One of the hardest things we have to do is to forgive. Forgiveness is something we try to understand very little about.

  Somethings about forgiveness:

I. Forgiveness in Required

  A. Forgiveness gives eternal life

    1. Isa. 59:2 – what God says concerning our sins

  B. Forgiveness is ours when we come to Christ

    1. Col. 2:13-14 -

    2. Eph. 1:7-

  C. We need forgiveness daily

    1. Psa. 66:18 -

    2. Eph. 4:30-31-

  D. We need to forgive

    1. Matt. 18:21-22-

    2. Eph. 4:32-

II. Forgiveness Is Requested

  A. We need to seek forgiveness from God

    1. Eph. 2:8-9-

    2. Eph. 1:7-

    3. Psa. 32:5-

    4. 1 John 1:9-

  B. We need to seek forgiveness from others

    1. Matt. 5:22-24-

    2. Jas 5:16-

    3. Luke 17:3-4-

III. Forgiveness Is Relative

  Anytime I come to God I must understand that I am responsible to forgive

  A. Heb. 6:15- fail to forgive brings bitterness

    1. Pastor Jack Peters – “I am forgiven relative to the extent I am willing to forgive. To not forgive is to not understand God’s forgiveness.

  B. Matt. 6:14-15-

IV. Forgiveness Is Repeated

  A. By God

    1. 1 John 1:9-

    2. Psa. 103:10-14-

  B. By Us

    1. Luke 17:3-4-

a. Forgiveness means you are removing responsibility from that person. Pastor Jack Peters “don’t bring it up to them, to others, to yourself, to God