Title Forgive / Bible / Matthew 18:21-25
Content Title: Forgive me / The Bible / Matthew 18:21-25 Evening service on April 18, 1993
Forgiving a person up to seven times over and over again shows an unimaginable amount of generosity. For the Jews to forgive three times, it is a kindness far beyond normal. When the disciples heard the Lord's command to forgive seventy times seven times, they must have been astonished like those who still tilt their heads when they hear it. In fact, the original meaning of what the Lord is saying is that there should be no limit to forgiveness.
1. The problem of being treated unfairly by others
We all live between two expectations of others. Some of us even think that it is unrealistic to be treated satisfactorily by others. Others don't expect anything from others in the first place because they think everyone else is living with the villain.
1).People make mistakes.
We take it for granted that others or ourselves have been treated unfairly because of our mistakes.
2).Having harm to others is unavoidable.
You can intentionally harm others, but you can also unknowingly harm others.
3).Some people bully others with evil intentions.
How to deal with damage suffered by others is a long-standing problem. Our instinctive response is to get revenge on those who have harmed us. But to do so is against the commandments of our Lord. To repay evil for evil is against the very nature of faith.
2. Setting limits on forgiveness pays a lot of cost.
It is always difficult to forgive someone who has harmed us. It is not easy to keep the Lord's command to forgive those who have harmed ourselves or those we love. Nevertheless, there are three reasons to forgive them.
1). Refusing to forgive and limiting forgiveness is allowing the principles of evil to dominate our lives.
With the thought of revenge, he always leads a life he doesn't even want himself to be. Unconsciously, you plan for revenge. And his heart and head are filled with hatred. Hatred exerts a terrifying power whenever it has a chance to explode.
2).Limiting forgiveness leads to a preoccupation with the mistakes and weaknesses of others as much as you are blind to your own shortcomings. Ultimately, they commit the folly of seeing the speck in their brother's eye and not seeing the log in their own (Matthew 7:3-5).
3).Limiting forgiveness is putting the present and the future under the control of the past.
3. What is forgiveness?
1).Forgiveness is not fighting anymore
You are giving up your right to revenge.
2).Forgiveness is letting go of anger.
This is one of the most difficult things to forgive. To do this, we must depend on the grace of God who wants us to follow Him. If we do not let go of our emotions of anger, our emotions of joy become sick.
3).Forgiveness is the restoration of a relationship of kindness and love.
"conclusion"
To forgive others, it is necessary to remember that God has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:31-32).
It will help us to know that most of the sense of harm we feel begins with an emotional family. If we don't pay the price to forgive, what we won't forgive will cost more.