Jesus knows what has happened to you. And here’s what He says about forgiveness. So today’s message isn’t from the pastor; it’s from the Lord. Well, I hope every message I have is from the Lord, but know that this is not my opinion; it’s straight from God.
Unforgiveness is more clever than most sins. It’s sneaky. It crawls into your spirit so gently, so nobly, so innocently that you don’t know it’s there until it really has you. It’s also more common than most sins and all battle it from time to time. Even though you may not stumble over the “bigger” sins, the sins of the flesh, lack of forgiveness seems to affect each one. And it’s also more dangerous. It may not cause overdoses and car accidents, but it will divide churches, families, marriages, and nations. Unforgiveness has been called the cancer of the soul. Unchecked, it will eat you alive.
Yet, God said to you: Be sorry for what you did, for who you are. Be willing to do anything for me out of gratitude, out of thanks to me. And the debt gets erased. But Understand that: unforgiveness is a self-inflicted prison. It is self-induced torture. It is a ball-and-chain of your own making. No matter what anybody did to you first, forgiveness or unforgiveness is your own choice.
Colossians 3:13 - Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Jesus’ own words are even more severe: Matthew 6:14-15 - For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Luke 6:37-38 - "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven… For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Jesus wants you to know that the extent that you forgive others is how much God will forgive you.
God considers your forgiveness of others as important as His forgiveness for you. Forgiveness of others is tied to forgiveness from God.
Unforgiveness is more clever than most sins. It’s sneaky. It crawls into your spirit so gently, so nobly, so innocently that you don’t know it’s there until it really has you. It’s also more common than most sins and all battle it from time to time. Even though you may not stumble over the “bigger” sins, the sins of the flesh, lack of forgiveness seems to affect each one. And it’s also more dangerous. It may not cause overdoses and car accidents, but it will divide churches, families, marriages, and nations. Unforgiveness has been called the cancer of the soul. Unchecked, it will eat you alive.
Yet, God said to you: Be sorry for what you did, for who you are. Be willing to do anything for me out of gratitude, out of thanks to me. And the debt gets erased. But Understand that: unforgiveness is a self-inflicted prison. It is self-induced torture. It is a ball-and-chain of your own making. No matter what anybody did to you first, forgiveness or unforgiveness is your own choice.
Colossians 3:13 - Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Jesus’ own words are even more severe: Matthew 6:14-15 - For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Luke 6:37-38 - "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven… For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Jesus wants you to know that the extent that you forgive others is how much God will forgive you.
God considers your forgiveness of others as important as His forgiveness for you. Forgiveness of others is tied to forgiveness from God.
No comments:
Post a Comment