Giving Forgiveness – The Best Gift to Regift

II Samuel 3

_
Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

_
Give up on the idea that people are perfect.

_
“Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.”(Ecclesiastes 7:20 NASB).

_
Give away, to God, your right to get even.

_
“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19 TLB).

“Forgive us our tresspass, AS we forgive…”

_
Forgive how you want God to forgive you. If you are IN CHRIST, then you really don’t have the right to get even.

_
If the hurt runs deep, you may have to commit over and over again to not getting even. But, no matter what, leave the repayment to God.

_
Give over to God your evil reaction and respond with God’s goodness.

_
“[Love] keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV).

_
Ask God to help you respond to your hurt and not react to the evil.

_
Give in to God’s plan for your life.

_
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.”

_
Trust Him to walk you through the pain and into the joy of the Lord.

_
HOW SHOULD WE FORGIVE?

_
Forgive like we want to be forgiven

_
HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD WE FORGIVE?

SCRIPTURE

_
(Matt 18:21-22)

_
Jew believed that they had to forgive people 3 times. 3rd strike rule

_
Jesus says, Seventy times Seven or 77 times.

_
Matthew 6:14-15
14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

_
We should forgive as long as we want to be forgiven.

_
Matthew 6:23-24
23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

_
Are you holding things against people?
If God were to base your forgiveness today on how you have forgiven people in your life up till now, how would he find you?

_
Has someone hurt you more than your sin hurt your heavenly Father?

_
Before you tell people that you went and worshipped the Lord today, determine whether or not you got to present an offering to Him today or if your gift would have been rejected because of unforgiveness in your life today. MAKE IT RIGHT!