Home News  Pictures  Calendar  Links  Missions  Bible Search  Documents 
Discussion  Purpose  Guest Book  Sermons  Audio  History  Stanley Henderson  Services  Sermons  Members

    
Practicing Forgiveness

Practicing Forgiveness
 
In this lesson we will look at some attitudes and actions that are involved in practicing forgiveness.
 
Hebrews 10:1-4: "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
 
Hebrews 10:16-17 – "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
 
2. About the Text:
1) Under the Old Law, there was a remembrance of sin.
2) This was so because the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin.
3) We are now under a new covenant.
4) Under this covenant, sins are not remembered.
5) Under this covenant sins are forgiven.
6) To live under this new covenant of forgiveness, we as well must practice forgiveness.
7) Sometimes it is harder to forgive someone than to ask for forgiveness.
8) Repentance must precede forgiveness.
 
In order to practice forgiveness we must . . .
I. Recognize that God's forgiveness of us is dependent upon our forgiveness of others.
1. Matthew 6:14-15: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
2. Matthew 18:23-25 (read).
 
 II. Act toward the one forgiven, as we would want God to act toward us.
1. Illustration about man and wife trying to solve marriage problems with "criticism" box. Hers had criticisms. His had "I love yous."
2. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32)
3. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." (Colossians 3:13)
 
III. We should make every effort to forgive as God forgives, by forgetting the trespass.
Psalms 103:10-12: "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us."
 
CONCLUSION:
I. Are you practicing forgiveness in your life?
1) Recognize that God's forgiveness of us depends upon our forgiveness of others.
2) Respect the value of those who need forgiveness as God respected you.
3) Act toward the one forgiven as God would act toward us.
4) Forgive as God forgives, forget.
 
Jimmy
Adapted
11/01/09  am



Print

Direct Page Link
Powered By
TheLordsWay.com
Click here to host your
own church web site today!