Forgiveness

Principle 6: Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others.  “Blessed are the merciful…Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Mt 5:7, 9)

Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.  “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

Before we can do these critical steps, we must first understand & embrace 1-4.

step 1 is understanding that I cannot deal with my hurt or habit on my own.
step 2 is understanding that God cares about me and He has the power and desire to help me recover.
step 3 is choosing to commit all of my life and will to Christ’s care and control.
step 4 is following the Holy Spirit as He leads me through a spiritual inventory.

All of your desire for recovery, and all the hard work will be worthless if you decide you are unable to forgive or be forgiven.  No matter how great the offenses we’ve endured or committed…the road to recovery goes thru forgiveness.  There are NO detours!  The #1 principle of Forgiveness is that it feels nothing like fairness.

God’s Forgiveness of us

Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”  While 1 John 1:9 says, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  If you repent (turn from sin) and put your faith in Jesus Christ, He forgives you.  Why and how can He forgive me and you?  Because Jesus was the sacrifice for our sin, He did it because He loves you.  Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  That’s not fair – that Jesus died for our sin, but God lavishes mercy on us and provides forgiveness to those who believe.  John 20:31 says, “But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have eternal life in His name.”  If you have trusted in Christ, you can know that you’ve been forgiven, that you have eternal life.”  So, God will forgive you if you accept in faith, His Son’s sacrificial death and resurrection.  But, know that He will also require that you forgive those who sin against you…

Our forgiveness of others

It’s all about letting go.  Unforgiveness is like tug-of-war with a train…you can’t win.  Even if you moved it a foot, so what!  What would that have accomplished?  You strive, and fight, and exhaust yourself, refusing to give in.  The war will last until you die or decide to let go of the rope!  The Bible has much to say about forgiveness because it’s a BIG DEAL!  Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”    Matthew 6:14-15  says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Wow, read that one again.  Now I suggest you read Matthew 18:21-35.  How can we accept God’s forgiveness of our unpayable sin dept, and then refuse to forgive someone else’s sin against us?  God says you cannot.  How often do we want and need God to forgive us?  Once, or every time?  Yeah, every time!  How often does He expect us to forgive those who sin against us?  Once, no, it’s every time.

Our forgiveness of ourselves
Ever feel that your sin and guilt were too great, that you couldn’t be forgiven?  That, my friend is a lie from the pit of Hell.  God forgives lying, cheating, adulterous murderers – and that was King David.  God’s forgiveness is not based upon what evil you’ve done…its based upon the perfect blood of Christ, the sinless Lamb of God.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  When God forgives you, the burden of guilt is lifted.  This is not some irresponsible “letting yourself off the hook…”  Rather, that sin was paid for, the debt is settled when we accept Jesus’ payment on our behalf! 

Principle 6: Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others.