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Bible Study Forgiveness

V

videocrafter

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Why are we slow to forgive? (1) We think they've gotten off to easy, (2) We think they haven't paid enough. (3) If God wont punish them, we will! Youre not a healthy Christian unless your a forgiving Christian - Keith Wiginton

Listen to : Forgiveness


Luke 17:1-4 (NIV) "Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him.""
 
Ron,
Forgiveness is I think one of the hardest things most Christians struggle with. Anger and bitterness are so easy to hang on to and milk for all they are worth. As a person you want that person to hurt as much as you have
but often that person doesn't realize or care they have harmed you.

I know forgiveness can be so freeing. A huge weight is lifted from your shoulders. I heard something once on KLOVE. It said that that the 7x 70 forgiveness meant that you are not keeping track because as a Christian God has wiped the slate clean, God has forgiven you for everything you have done. He is not counting your sins. So when somebody sins against you you should wipe the slate clean and totally and completely forgive them. No harboring any resentment. If you do that then there will never be a need to be counting, because everytime of forgiveness will be like the first time but you have totally forgotten and wiped the slate clean with forgiveness like God did with you when you became a Christian.

I thought that was just awesome. I know it is hard and I am STRUGGLING hard with it right now. I listened to this sermon earlier today. I do have a question about it, however; the pastor says to confront them and if they apologize to forgive them. What if they do not apologize are you not supposed to forgive them? Are you supposed too harbor that anger and hurt in your heart forever?
 
Forgiving is something I've struggled with from time to time. But God is gracious and he works on me and helps me along the way. I'm so grateful to him! :)
 
.Ruby said:
Ron... I listened to this sermon earlier today. I do have a question about it, however; the pastor says to confront them and if they apologize to forgive them. What if they do not apologize are you not supposed to forgive them? Are you supposed too harbor that anger and hurt in your heart forever?
Click to expand...

That's a really good question Ruby, I'm glad you asked because I was kind-of thinking the same thing after I listened to that sermon (since I'm going through the same thing). So I listened to that part of the sermon again where Keith was talking about the spirit of which we are supposed to "rebuke" (or confront) the brothers sin (Luke 17:3) (at 11:29 into the sermon) he notes that the motivation is "love" and the motive is for "restoration". Now I'm not a preacher or anything, I'm just a regular sinner, but the way I understand it is that if we take the initiative to rebuke or confront that person with the right motive, then we are already showing the willingness to forgive whether they ask for forgiveness or not. That "willingness" to forgive in the spirit of love is all we can do, if they choose to not repent they will have to answer to God, but we have done what Christ expects out of us.

Let me also share what my Life Application notes say on this subject. "To rebuke does not mean to point out every sin we see; it means to bring sin to a person's attention with the purpose of restoring him or her to God and to fellow humans. When you feel you must rebuke another Christian for a sin, check your attitudes before you speak. Do you love the person? Are you willing to forgive? Unless rebuke is tied to forgiveness, it will not help the sinning person."

I hope that helps ya, I know it helped me!

Merry Menagerie said:
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.
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Great tag line Merry!
 
Oh... another point I wanted to make regarding your question about harboring anger and hurt; Could it be that if we confront the person in the spirit of love, and the motivation is for restoration, then we might not have any anger left to harbor. The hurt may still be there, but even in time God can heal that if we give Him the chance!

Does that make sense?
 
Not only when we forgive others, but it is also difficult when you know (or at least think) that someone else has not forgiven you for when you wronged them.

I went through it for over a year. It was on my mind every week and sometimes for days and days at a time.
 
videocrafter said:
Oh... another point I wanted to make regarding your question about harboring anger and hurt; Could it be that if we confront the person in the spirit of love, and the motivation is for restoration, then we might not have any anger left to harbor. The hurt may still be there, but even in time God can heal that if we give Him the chance!

Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
Yes, it makes sense. Still difficult. But it makes sense. :wink: I do appreciate the help you have offered in the last two days...
 
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