Book of Philemon

Notes
Transcript

Forgiveness is an action or a choice to release an offender from our punishment and entrust it all to God.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Colossians 3:13 ESV
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

7 Benefits of Forgiveness

1. BLESSINGS

Luke 11:28 ESV
But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Philemon 14–16 ESV
but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

2. FREEDOM

Unforgiveness is like a heavy burden. It stays with us and wears us down, affecting many facets of our life. Unforgiveness erodes our wellness and grows bitterness and resentment. The weight of unforgiveness will continue to grow – hurting ourselves more than anyone else.
Matthew 11:28 ESV
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

3. IMPROVED HEALTH

Matthew 9:2 ESV
And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
Research shows that mental anguish, anger, bitterness and fretfulness are proven to trigger physical illness. Letting go of both real and perceived hurts is a major contributor to mental and physical health. Release mental and emotional pain and worry (of which unforgiveness is a huge contributor) and you will have less pain in your body.

4. MERCY IN ACTION

Luke 23:34 ESV
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Have you ever snapped at someone, then regretted it almost immediately? Or said something you meant one way – but it came out entirely wrong? Did you ever not even KNOW that you’d hurt someone? Did you hope that the other person ‘understood’ your intentions rather than your words? Grant others the same mercy you hope for.

5. IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS

Ephesians 4:32 ESV
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
A tremendous help in learning to forgive is to always reflect on God’s forgiveness to us.
Romans 5:8 ESV
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

6. STRENGTHENS YOUR PRAYERS

Mark 11:25 ESV
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
God ties forgiveness to prayer. If your heart and mind are full of bitterness and anger, there is little room to receive the results you are praying for. Dump the negatives to make room for more peace, joy, love, blessing and abundance.
Unforgiveness blocks the power of God from functioning in your life.
Psalm 66:18–20 ESV
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

7. LIVING IN THE PRESENT

Isaiah 43:18 ESV
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
 Unforgiveness is keeping our mind set on the past. Living in the past robs us of the joy in the present. We will miss the blessings each day if  the eyes of our heart are fixed on past offenses.
Forgiveness isn’t complicated, but it is difficult when we’ve experienced deep hurt. I encourage you to choose forgiveness.
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