A. THE NARRATIVE...
1. Jesus enjoins the need to forgive others as
we pray
“And when ye
stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also
which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
2. Without a forgiving heart, we cannot hope to
receive
forgiveness ourselves
B. SOME OBSERVATIONS...
1. Forgiving others was very important to Jesus,
as stressed time and again.
a. In the sermon on the mount
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain
mercy.”
b. In response to Peter’s question
“Then came
Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? till seven times?22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until
seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
c. In the parable of the unforgiving servant
“Therefore is
the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of
his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought
unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord
commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and
payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him,
saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with
compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But the same servant went out, and found one of
his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him,
and took him by
the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and
besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.30And he would not: but went and cast him into
prison, till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they
were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said
unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou
desiredst me: 33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy
fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the
tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto
you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
d. In teaching the disciples how to pray
“And forgive
us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us
not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”
e. In teaching His disciples to forgive
“Take heed to
yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent,
forgive him. 4And if he trespass against thee seven times in a
day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt
forgive him.”
2. Jesus and His followers demonstrated the
forgiving spirit
a. Jesus on the cross
“Then said
Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted
his raiment, and cast lots.”
b. Stephen as he was being stoned
“And they
stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice,
Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell
asleep.”
c. Paul when he was abandoned
“At my first
answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook
me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their
charge.”
3. We must develop the forgiving spirit, which
we can do by:
a. Focusing on God’s love for us
“But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.”
“Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love
one another.”
b. Remembering Christ’s willingness to die and
forgive
“Hereby
perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we
ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren.”
c. Meditating on the passages above about the
importance of
forgiving others
**If you would like to give your heart to Jesus
today, repeat these words below:
'Dear Heavenly Father,i come
to in the name of Jesus; Forgive me a sinner and wash me in your precious
blood. Make this heart of stone to be made flesh, so that your word may be sown
in it. Any addictions that i may have, remove them now in Jesus name! I've
accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and believe that He died and rose from the
dead! And from this day forward, i commit my life to you and seek for guidance
and understanding in your word, as i walk in your path of righteousness, In
Jesus name i pray, AMEN!!!'
If you have recited these words and meant them in
your heart, you are saved and if the Lord would come today, you will be ready
to go to Heaven!! I will keep you all in prayer, to continue to walk in the
ways of Jesus Christ our Lord. READ, PRAY, SEEK and TRUST in Him and you will
overcome this wicked world! **
I have also provided a link
to the Full Gospel Holiness Church below, where you will find sermons from the
word of God (no comprising to sin) but the Full truth to the Word of God! You
can also view our contact information to email us or call us for prayer. May
God bless you!
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