Snapshots
Biblical Truth
OF
Unforgiveness
BIBLE REFERENCES:
Matthew 6:14, 15 (NIV) “For if you forgive men when they sin against you; your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 18:21, 22 (NIV) “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”
Matthew 18: 32-35 (NIV) “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You, wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.’”
Mark 11:22-25 (NIV) “’Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered. ‘I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen; it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’”
Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV) “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
2 Timothy 3:1-4 (NIV) “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power.”
APPLICATION:
So, you think holding on to your grudge and withholding your forgiveness from one who has harmed you will be payback for that person? Actually, it is just the opposite. All those hard feelings all that pent up anger and frustration will cause you the most harm. It all boomerangs on you.
The Bible is clear. For the Christian, forgiveness is not an option - it is a command! We cannot harbor unforgiveness in our heart and then expect God’s favor of blessings. Of all the sins mentioned in the Bible, the unforgiving heart is one that is linked to God not forgiving our sins. Harboring unforgiveness in our heart is a dangerous place to live; for if God does not forgive us our sins, how can we expect to make it to heaven? Heaven is a place for the forgiven!
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A PRAYER:
“God, give me a forgiving heart. Help not to hold grudges and unforgiveness against anyone. Help me to be quick to forgive, even when others try to do me harm. Just as Jesus did.”
SNAPSHOT:
