DEALING WITH UNFORGIVENESS

Simon Wiesenthal

DEFINITION TO FORGIVE

Greek word for ‘FORGIVE’ means to ‘release’.

To forgive is to cancel a debt or to excuse a fault

UNFORGIVENESS COST OF FORGIVENESS BARRIERS TO FORGIVENESS

Extreme PAIN to personal and PERMANENT LOSS

Personal PRIDE - the King ‘I’

EFFECTS OF UNFORGIVENESS Breaking the fellowship with God

Matthew 6:14–15 (ESV) 14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

EFFECTS OF UNFORGIVENESS Causing harm to the body of Christ Blockage of ‘loving one another’

Colossians 3:12–13 (ESV) 12Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13bearing 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.

EFFECTS OF UNFORGIVENESS Causing harm to oneself

Lewis B. Smedes “When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover the prisoner we set free was us.”

Anne Lamott observed, “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die.”

NATURE OF FORGIVENESS Forgiving is an act of the will

rather than to be governed by feelings.

Matthew 18:35 (ESV) 35So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

YOU CAN FORGIVE ALSOEphesians 4:32 32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Matthew 11:28–30 28Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”