70 X 7 Part 3: Forgiving Others – September 18, 2024
Pastor Jim Bryant
Matthew 18:21-22 NLV
21 “Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him, up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I tell you, not seven times but seventy times seven!
Matthew 24:10 NKJV
10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
Luke 17:1 NKJV
“1 It is impossible that no offenses should come…”
Proverbs 18:19 NIV
19…is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
· Betrayed
· Falsely accused
· Rejected
· Abused
· Humiliated
Hebrews 2:17-18 MSG
… That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.
Luke 23:24 NLT
“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
Forgiveness isn’t a feeling, it’s a choice.
1) We can choose to forgive.
2) We can choose not to forgive.
Matthew 18:23-35 (NLT)
“23 Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29“His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. 31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Forgiveness is all about choosing to let go.
Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV
31 Get rid of (Let go of) all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.
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