Title: Living Free
Bible Book: Philippians 3 : 10-14
Author: John Bisagno
Subject: Forgiveness of others
Objective:
Introduction
The word "know" means to be intimate union with. It is a word for spiritual salvation. Mary used the word when she said; "how can I be with child seeing I know not a man?"
The Apostle Paul said; that one comes to know Christ to be an intimate personal union with Him, such that the two are one. There must be a procession, priority to deal with this if I am to move on this year in my life. What is that one thing I do? Forgetting what is behind.
It is important emotionally and mentally - Being stuck, being bitter, holding grudges, having resentment not dealing with it and letting it go, affects us negatively and physically.It is important physically - Most abnormal behavior is a projection of a spiritual problem. Guilt will eat you up. Guilt is devastating. If you feel guilty and depress about the resentment and bitterness and the un- forgiveness in your life, turn it lose. You can be free from that oppression and depression.
It is important to the relationships in the church.- If one part of the membership of the body hurts, the whole body to that degree is negatively effected. Hebrews 12:14. The root of bitterness and resentment and anger and unforgiveness grows up in one life but affects the whole tree and causes sickness throughout the entire congregation.
It is important spiritually - Your own personal spiritual life stops. It stops everywhere at the point at which there is one person you have not dealt with. At the end of the Lord's Pray he says for if you don't forgive your brother. Then your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins. Could it be that unforgiveness, not a word, an attitude of resistment or anger or bitterness toward somebody in the church or in the family or the office. Is this keeping you in a spiritual position where God is not hearing your prayers? Does that mean that the grace of God is conditioned upon human work I do? It is not! It does meant that if I do not have the humility to acknowledge that I am a sinner and forgive somebody else. Then I will never be humble enough and in a frame of mind to forgive. If I don't have the humility to forgive, I'll never have the humility to come before God and say I too need to be forgiven.
I. Focus On What You Have Left
Just remember to focus not on what you lost but what you have left. In Philippians said: finally whatsoever things are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, if anything is excellent or praise worthy think about these things. Norman Vincent Peals stated: A positive thinker doesn't refuse to acknowledge the negative. The positive thinker is not a denialist. He simply refuses to dwell on it. You can choose to rejoice in what you have more than in what you have lost.
II. God Is Not Accountable To Us
Remember that God is not accountable to us. We are accountable to God. In the heart of the bitterness and resentment and anger over things that hurt us, that we need to turn lose and start off clean in a new year. Sometimes we blame God for letting it happen. For example in Job the last five chapters God comes to him and says what right do you have to question Me?
III. Compare Your Hurt To What You Did To God
Nothing anyone has done to you can compare to what you have done to God. Why, because we are sinners. The parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:21-35 is an example of forgiveness. Jesus says, if you are to be forgiven who have sinned far greater against me. Then I require of you to turn lose and let go of the anger and bitterness.
IV. Letting It Go Is A Choice You Make
Letting it go and turning it lose is a choice you make. You make this choice not because it feels right but because it is right. We have knowledge, emotion and will. Mind is the seed of the intellect. What we know. The heart is the seed of the emotion. That is what we feel. The soul is the seed of the will. That is what wecommit.
Forgiveness is not done with the mind or the emotions. It is done in the soul. In 2 Samuel 12:18-23 David accepted what had happen and went on with his life.
