MAINTAINING UNITY AND ONENESS WHEN DIVISION IS EASIER

WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT STAYING COMMITTED TO FIGHTING BITTERNESS WITH BIBLICAL FORGIVENESS – (MATTHEW 18:21-35)

PRINCIPLE OF THE PARABLE

Servant (A) owes a debt in the amount of 200,000 years wages to his creditor (God). He pleaded to his creditor and, amazingly, the entire amount was forgiven

Now, Servant (B) is in debt to servant (A) and owes him 100 DAYS wage. Servant B, knowing that servant A had been forgiven 200,000 years worth of debt pleads to him to be forgiven.

But servant A refuses and throws Servant B into prison until he can pay the full amount.

Then the master who had forgiven servant A 200,000 years of debt called him, rebuked him for his lack of compassion and threw him into jail until he could pay 200,000 years wages!

Then Jesus makes this incredibly hard statement:

Matthew 18:35 ESV

So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

We all know the statement: Hurt people hurt people?

Jesus is calling us to live by this Motto: Forgiven People Forgive People

But Jesus says that forgiveness must go beyond words and be true in our hearts as well (Matthew 18:35). This is Biblical Forgiveness

IF WE DO NOT FORGIVE, FROM THE HEART, WE BECOME BITTER. BITTERNESS IS UNRESOLVED ANGER. THIS IS WHY HEBREWS 12:15 - WARNS US ABOUT

Hebrews 12:15 ESV

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

Unresolved anger is like planting a seed, watering it and giving it plenty of sun so that it can grow deep roots - a root of bitterness

THREE THINGS ABOUT THIS ROOT OF BITTERNESS Heb 12:15

1. Springs up - it grows with vitality

2. Causes trouble - it becomes a distraction to godliness for the one who is bitter

3. It defiles many - it brings others into its evil chaos

SO HOW CAN I FORGIVE FROM THE HEART?

1. Recognize that forgiveness is a MOMENTARY ACT that will demand a CONTINUAL APPLICATION

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGIVE AND FORGET

2. Remember that what people do to you is nowhere near what you did AND do to Christ and he forgave and forgives you

In the parable Jesus told in Matthew 18, He is asking servant A:

“HOW CAN YOU RECEIVE SUCH FORGIVENESS AND THEN ACT SO UNFORGIVING?