A Life of Forgiveness

Proverbs 27:19

The condition of our heart is the key to our life in Christ (Prov.27:19; Matt.6:21). God searches our hearts, revealing areas that will block our relationship with Him (1 Sam.16:7; Rom.8:27).

Gifts of Forgiveness

The forgiveness God gives to us (Isa.43:25; Ps.103:1-3; 13:38; Col.1:13-14).
The forgiveness we give to others
- We must forgive to be forgiven (Matt.6:14; Eph.4:2,32).
- It heals broken relationships (Col.3:12-13; 2 Cor.2:5-8).
- It is a key to answered prayer (Mk.11:24-25).
The forgiveness we give to ourselves(Phil.3:13-14; 1 John 1:9).

These three gifts of forgiveness are important in our lives. We must understand God's gift of forgiveness to us, through the shed blood of Jesus (Col.1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:2). But we must also learn to forgive ourselves - which simply means receiving God's gift of forgiveness and agreeing with it. Now we are obliged to forgive others. If we refuse, then unforgiveness will block the daily expression of God's forgiveness in our lives.

Stages of Bitterness

Initial hurt - someone says or does something that wounds our hearts.
Resentment - if we don't deal with it straight away, we begin to harbor resentment. Our hearts dwell on the hurt. We are filled with self-pity and a continuing anger against the person who hurt us (Eph.4:26-27; Col.3:8-10,12-14).
Retaliation - we get back at that person, usually either by not speaking to them, or by slandering them to others (Rom.12:17-20).
Bitterness - this is where we allow unforgiveness to defile our hearts (Heb.12:15; Eph.4:29-32).

A Continuing Debt

Romans 13:8-10

The person who hurt you does not deserve forgiveness, but then neither do you. When Jesus died for you, he took the judgment you deserved. Now you owe the Lord a massive debt which you have no ability to repay. But the Lord doesn't require you to repay it in any way - except one. God transfers this debt you have to Him to your neighbor .We are now indebted to others - the only way we repay this continuing debt is by forgiving one another. So, when we forgive others, we acknowledge several things:

God's love for us (Matt.18:21-35; Luke 6:26; John 13:34-35; Psalm 103:7-14).
Our love for God (Luke 7:47; 1 John 4:20).
Our trust in God's justice (2 Thess.1:3-7).
Our readiness to suffer abuse (Matt.5:11-12).
Our fight is not against people (Eph. 6:12).
Our secure position in Christ (Col.1:1-4).

Process of Forgetting

Many Christians ask: If I forgive, will the hurt I feel go away? Probably not immediately. But we must understand that forgiveness has nothing to do with feelings. Forgiveness is a decision. Forgetting is a process. If we decide not to forgive, the hurt becomes like an open, festering wound, which is very difficult to heal. When we make the decision to forgive, however, the hurt is cleaned up, and the healing process is then very quick.

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